NYC Is Launching A Citywide Book Club With BuzzFeed

NEW YORK, NY — New York City is launching a giant, citywide book club in 2017, and asking residents to pick one book from multiple titles announced on Wednesday.

The city unveiled five options for the One Book, One New York program, all of which focus on "timely themes involving immigration, race and overcoming obstacles," the mayor's office said in a statement. Each book also has a connection to New York City. The city is launching the program with the digital media publisher BuzzFeed.

Here are the five finalists:

• "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," by Junot Diaz
• "Between the World and Me," by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," by Betty Smith
• "The Sellout," by Paul Beatty
• "Americanah," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The options were chosen by representatives from the public library system, academics, and the book publishing community.

“One Book, One New York will encourage the entire city not only to read the same book at the same time, but to engage in honest, perhaps even painful, conversations about the themes addressed in these five extraordinary works, including race, immigration and how we choose to perceive those who are different from us,” Linda Johnson, president of the Brooklyn public library, said in a statement.

All the books come with their own celebrity spokesperson, who have recorded pitches calling readers to vote for their pick. Bebe Neuwirth, William Macy, Giancarlo Esposito, Larry Wilmore, and Danielle Brooks have made testimonials.

Bookstores throughout the city have been stocked with the titles, and the books' publishers have provided more than 4,000 copies in all to library branches throughout the city.

You can vote for your choice here. The final selection will be made in March, according to the mayor's office.

Image via melanzane1013 on Flickr.