By Michelle Palmer

For avid readers like me, the new year brings with it a special kind of anticipation. You see, during February, people all across the world opened their e-mail to find that they were selected as a World Book Night giver. For those of us passionate about reading, there are few things that will measure up to the excitement of giving away free books on April 23, known as World Book Night.

World Book Night (WBN) began in the U.K. and Ireland in 2011, developed as a way to encourage adult readers. The books’ authors waive their royalty fees, and publishing companies pay the costs to produce the editions specifically designed for World Book Night. There is no cost to either the giver or the lucky recipients: it’s just a free, lovely, untouched book. The first WBN was such a success that in 2012, the United States as well as Germany joined in, with a million copies of books being given away by nearly 50,000 devoted readers worldwide.

Three members of Read to Succeed’s One Book committee were chosen again this year to be givers, and I can speak for them when I say that we are all giddy with excitement. More than 30 books made the list of WBN selections, with everything from young adult to nonfiction, and the givers got to choose which book they would like to give away. Two of us will give away Maria Semple’s bestseller Where’d You Go Bernadette, a novel about an agoraphobic mom who turns up missing, and her brilliant daughter’s search to find her. The third member of our team will give away Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars, a poignant tale of a pilot and his faithful dog who have somehow survived a super-flu that has wiped out most of the population.

“I’ve really enjoyed being a part of World Book Night,” says One Book Committee member Shawna Jackson. “It is a chance for me to share my love of reading with my community. I love being able to give away books to people who might not otherwise pick one up.”

Of course we won’t be the only people in Middle Tennessee participating in World Book Night. Many people will be out in their communities on April 23 to offer light or non-readers a free book. But if you’re out that night, keep an eye out for the three of us—wearing our World Book Night badges and handing out books with pride.

To learn more about World Book Night, or to see what other great books made this year’s list of selected titles, check out worldbooknight.org.