Bookworms Come Together to Share Good Reads

If someone gave you a box full of copies of your favorite book, what would you do? On Monday night, people across the United States will be handing out copies of 30 books in honor of World Book Night.

World Book Night aims to "spread the love of books and literacy," said Terri Gilman, one of the owners of in North Redondo Beach. The genre bookstore is one of the main pickup locations in the South Bay.

The annual celebration, which began in the United Kingdom last year, is designed to spread a love of reading and books. The date—April 23—is the anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes' death, and William Shakespeare's birth and death.

Participants are encouraged to give the books to at risk or light readers—people who don't often find themselves picking up a book.

South Bay resident Claudia Welch told Patch she plans to distribute copies of "The Book Thief" at the Kaiser-Downey Pediatric Ward when she brings her therapy dog to the hospital.

"They're going to be so excited," she said. "I'm excited."

Joan Roberts will be giving away copies of "Glass Castle" while she's on vacation in Hawaii. She plans to bring them to a hospital that treated her husband during a previous visit.

"I'm really excited that I know a place to take the books," Roberts said. "I thought the idea was really exciting, so I (signed up) right away."

Participants who received their books from Mysterious Galaxy will reconvene April 30 to share their World Book Night experiences.

World Book Night books:

• "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
• "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
• "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
• "Friday Night Lights" by H.G. Bissinger
• "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
• "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card
• "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave
• "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
• "Blood Work" by Michael Connelly
• "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz
• "Because of Winn Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo
• "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
• "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger
• "A Reliable Wife" by Robert Goolrick
• "Q is for Quarry" by Sue Grafton
• "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
• "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving
• "The Stand" by Stephen King
• "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
• "The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss
• "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
• "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
• "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett
• "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
• "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson
• "Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold
• "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
• "Just Kids" by Patti Smith
• "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
• "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak