As you have, no doubt, already figured out, I love to read and I love to talk about books with anyone who will listen to me.  As a result, I get super excited about events like World Book Night.  World Book Night started last year in the U.K. and was a huge success.  The basic premise is to give away books to “light or non-readers” in the hopes of sparking those people to – hopefully – become readers.  This year, on April 23, 2012, World Book Night is coming to America.

How is it done?  Through armies of Book Givers, volunteers who hand out books (which the WBN organization provides at no cost to the Book Givers) at subway stops, cafes, hospitals, nursing homes… wherever they might find people whose lives could be enriched by the power of words and stories.  I applied to be a Book Giver for World Book Night USA, and over the weekend I got the email letting me know that I have been selected – yay!  (I don’t know what book I’ll be giving out yet – we were told to rank three from a list of 30 – but my first choice was Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, and my second choice was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou.  My third choice was The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, but that was such a popular request that not even all of the people who ranked The Hunger Games first will get to give it away, so it looks like I’ll be giving away one of my other two choices, which is A-okay by me.  They’re both amazing books.)

Oh, and guess what?  The deadline to apply to be a Book Giver in the USA has been extended until midnight tonight!  So if you’re interested in handing out books… and maybe inspiring someone else to read… cruise on over to World Book Night and apply.  (Note that’s the US site.  For those in other countries, I encourage you to find out if WBN2012 is coming to your homes as well, and apply to give books if it is!)

Happy reading, friends!  And happy Book Giving!