So Many Books, So Little Time

Join online book group and discover the book to talk about in 2009

Thousands of books are published every year, and only a small percentage makes the mark that it should. To celebrate World Book Day publishers large and small were asked to submit books they thought deserved to reach a wider readership – most specifically those that would make good subjects for discussion, those that don’t merely entertain, but give greater food for thought.

From the many submissions received, fifty titles were selected for a competition to find The Book to Talk About 2009. Last year list winner was Boy A by local author Jonathan Trigell who received his £5,000 prize at Waterstones in Chiswick.

"This year, for 2009 we’re running a similar thing, 50 titles both fiction and non-fiction this time around open to public vote and comment." said Spread The Word's Cathy Schofield. "A shortlist of ten will be drawn up with a view to having the 2009 winner announced on World Book Day 2009 which will be 5th March.

Chiswick resident Cathy thought the competition would make a good platform to launch an online book group using the ChiswickW4.com forum.

“Reading groups should be about having fun and having views and opinions, both about the book in question and the world in general. You don’t need a degree in English to enjoy reading good books or to be part of a community of keen readers happy to share your thoughts. The Spread the Word titles have been chosen specifically to prompt reactions and we want to hear about them," she said.

Cathy is hoping to rope in local authors to participate in the discussions about their book. The first suggested title is: I Think There’s Something Wrong With Me by Nigel Smith, published by Black Swan, RRP £7.99, non-fiction.

Synopsis: If you want to know what your life is worth, just try almost losing it. This is what happened to comedy writer, Nigel Smith, in 2001 after he was rushed to hospital with a potentially fatal brain lesion so big the radiologist assumed he’d died. Understandably, he was quite hacked off. After all, he was someone who appeared to have it all: a loving family, a lovely wife and a thriving TV comedy career.

I Think There’s Something Wrong With Me is his brave, brilliant and hilarious account of living on the edge of death, his journey to rebuild his life, and of how sometimes it takes the worst that can happen to make you realize what you mean to those you love.

Nigel Smith’s writing is funny, dark, deeply moving and brilliantly paced. His book makes you guffaw with laughter and cry with laughter in equal measure. He has an extraordinary story to tell that is undoubtedly a modern comic classic.

Nigel Smith lives with his family on Eel Pie Island.

If you would like to join the online group, the first of which will be mid-January please email emma.brophy@chiswickw4.com and she will pass your details on to Cathy.

December 8, 2008