A World Book Night Selection

World Book Night U.S. (WBN) is a celebration of books and reading held on April 23, when volunteers across America give a total of half a million books to those who don’t regularly read.   WBN provides the free books and registered book givers receive 20 free paperback copies of one World Book Night title, to share with potential new readers.  If you would like more information visit www.us.worldbooknight.org/. 

The book selections for 2013 World Book Night have been announced.  One selection is Playing for Pizza by John Grisham:  Rick Dockery is the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually gets into the game. With a seventeen-point lead and minutes to go, Rick provides what is arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he becomes a national laughingstock—and is immediately cut by the Browns and shunned by all other teams. But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent find a team that needs him. Against enormous odds, Rick finally gets a job—as the starting quarterback for the Mighty Panthers . . . of Parma, Italy. The Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player—any former NFL player—at their helm. And now they’ve got Rick, who knows nothing about Parma (not even where it is) and doesn’t speak a word of Italian. To say that Italy—the land of fine wines, extremely small cars, and football americano—holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.  A fun novel about overcoming adversity and about doing something you love. (copyright 2012 World Book Night) SG