- Spreading the Word About Books Worth Reading
A World Book Day poll today reveals the top ten contemporary novels with genuine word-of-mouth appeal in a search to find the best book to talk about. Since the campaign was launched last November, over 3,000 book lovers have discussed and debated online the "talkability" merits of a list of 100 titles, including several hidden gems. World Book Day's shortlist - which includes seven first novels - reveals the qualities of what really makes a discussion-worthy book in contemporary Britain: serious issues, character-led drama, and often a splash of humour.
Judging by the books featured on the Books to Talk About shortlist, readers relish hard-hitting themes and challenging plots. Moreover, the strong showing of the independent publishing sector on the list confirms that it is currently in excellent health.
Ideal for reading groups, the ten Books to Talk About are:
- Steve Aylett, Lint (SnowBooks)
- Priya Basil, Ishq & Mushq (Transworld)
- Jenny Downham, Before I Die (RHCB)
- Eliza Graham, Playing with the Moon (Pan Macmillan)
- Joshilyn Jackson, Gods In Alabama (Hodder)
- Candi Miller, Salt & Honey (Legend Press)
- Pauline Rowson, In Cold Daylight (Rowmark)
- Rupert Thomson, Death of a Murderer (Bloomsbury)
- Jonathan Trigell, Boy A (Serpent's Tail)
- Angela Young, Speaking of Love (Beautiful Books)
The shortlist compiled by World Book Day (http://www.worldbookday.com) includes novels set during Apartheid-era South Africa, wartime England and the Partition of India and Pakistan, revealing an appetite for powerful stories told against the backdrop of the drama of recent history. Featuring subjects that include racially-motivated murder, mental breakdown, terminal illness, juvenile delinquency and the Moors murderer Myra Hindley, the shortlist of Books to Talk About indicates that readers relish gritty and emotional subjects, and enjoy talking about the social and personal issues that arise from a good story.
Gods in Alabama, Joshilyn Jackson's gothic coming-of-age novel, emerged as the book clubs' favourite novel. Thirty five per cent of its votes came from members of reading groups.
The most popular book amongst female readers was Jenny Downham's moving portrait of a 16-year-old battling leukaemia, Before I Die.
Seven of the ten titles are first novels, proving that tough ideas and ambitious, evocative settings are alive and well in today's fictional debuts.
The shortlist also shows that booklovers and reading groups are adept at uncovering hidden gems, as the shortlist comprises an even mix of small and large publishing houses. With titles from publishing giants Macmillan and Bloomsbury nestling alongside books from small independent presses like Legend and Beautiful Books, the passion and support for these novels from readers has clearly been spread by word of mouth as well as through World Book Day channels.
The impact that the shortlisted books had on the readers who supported them in the campaign is evident from the comments left on the message boards online.
One reader said of Boy A, Jonathan Trigell's searing and controversial study of a former child offender, "I couldn't put the book down, a fantastic read which makes you go against your normal human instincts and love the so called bad guy. I loved every page." Reactions to Gods in Alabama illustrate the complexity of readers' emotional responses to these books, which often bring together light and dark elements, and elicit laughs and tears in equal measure: "This book made me feel good. Yes, it's about murder and lies and racism and the hard way to enter the world of sexuality that is the fate of many girls. But it's also about feistiness and principles (okay, so the principles are a little unusual) and loyalty and strength. It's funny! It's sad. It's serious. It's a hopeful book." Reviews like this will have members of reading groups queuing up to buy these and other previously hidden gems featured on World Book Day's shortlist of Books to Talk About.
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