World Book Night: My Title and Where To Get Your Books

Over the weekend, I was notified that the title I was assigned to give out on World Book Night is my first choice-- City of Thieves by David Bennioff.  Back from my original review in October of 2008:

I also read another historical fiction with some adventure elements and a similar title, but with a completely different setting and tone. City of Thieves by David Benioff is a WWII drama. St. Petersberg (or Pitter as its residents refer to it) is under siege by the Nazis and Lev, the son of a poet (and victim of Stalin) is literally starving while protecting his beloved Pitter. One evening he is caught out after curfew, thrown in jail, and awaiting his punishment...death. In his cell, Lev meets an army deserter and university student named Kolya. The two are offered a reprieve by the Colonel if they can locate a dozen eggs for his daughter's wedding cake in less than a week's time. The boys set out into the wild streets of Pitter, and eventually slip behind German lines. Along the way, as Lev narrates, the two form a true friendship, meet many interesting people, and come to understand the beauty and horrors of war.

You can click through to see readalikes from back then.  Also, use this link to see all of the times I have mentioned City of Thieves since 2008 (hint, its a lot).  It has become one of my favorite, sure bet, go-to titles over the years.  I have even featured it on the Browsers Corner.

Jose, who works in Circ and runs our popular Decidedly Dystopian Book Club, also got his first choice, Looking for Alaska by John Green.

That's the giver side of the World Book Night equation, but here at the BPL we have news on the distribution side of the evening.  We are an official pick-up location for givers!  So if you are a giver and live in our area, choose the Berwyn Public Library as your pick-up location.  We'd love to meet you.