QUICK READS
We’re all rushed for time these days, but even so, the fact that one in three people in the UK doesn’t regularly read for pleasure is a shock.
And research shows that one in six people have literacy problems, perhaps because they missed out at school or lack the confidence to tackle long books.
Which is why the Quick Reads series is the perfect way to introduce reluctant readers to bestselling authors. These short, easily digested stories celebrate the joy of books without demanding hours of time.
The six titles, covering romance, comedy and crime, each cost only £1, are around 100 pages long and can be read in one sitting or over a couple of nights.
Sally Morris revealed six books featuring in the Quick Reads series, including Clare Mackintosh’s The Donor (pictured left) and A. A. Dhand’s A Darkness Rising (pictured right)
Supported by the generosity of writer Jojo Moyes and the Reading Agency charity, they can also be borrowed from libraries.
Highlights this year include Clare Mackintosh’s chilling psycho-thriller The Donor, in which a teenage girl meets the mother of a young man whose heart she was given in a transplant — with catastrophic consequences, and Candice Carty-Williams’ vibrant contemporary re-telling of West Side Story, Notting Hill Carnival, set in the rival ganglands of London’s bustling Notting Hill.
Milly Johnson’s life-affirming heroine, Lara, confronts the heartache of her past to discover what she really wants in life in The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe, while A. A. Dhand’s charismatic Detective Inspector Harry Virdee tackles drug gangs on the streets of Bradford in A Darkness Rising.
Adam Kay’s bestselling memoir of life as a doctor, This Is Going to Hurt, appears in a shortened version, and finally, a wonderful pick-and-mix collection of ten stories by leading writers, A Fresh Start, is the ultimate choice for the time-pressed.
Here, Louise Candlish’s sharp revenge drama unfolds with controlled tension, while Keith Stuart’s moving and funny account of anxious parents following their autistic son on his first date is based on personal experience.
Jojo Moyes’s portrayal of a middle-aged woman coming to terms with her husband’s infidelity is witty and uplifting, and Ian Rankin’s domestic drama is a gem of concise, suspenseful crime writing.
Fanny Blake reveals the pain of sibling rivalry and the power of family secrets, while Sophie Kinsella has fun with the modern obsession with de-cluttering.
For more information, visit readingagency.org.uk