Yesterday was World Book Night and I had a fabulous time handing out free books at Hines VA Hospital.

The book I gave was Stephen King’s The Stand and it was so rewarding to put the book in the hands of several folks who said they liked his movies, but hadn’t read any of his books and were happy to try one. I handed out books to nurses, doctors, veterans/patients, staff, and volunteer workers. I even ran into another WBN volunteer who was giving away her books at a shelter later in the day.

I’m a veteran and get my healthcare at Hines. Everyone is always so helpful and upbeat there, which is one of the reasons I chose it as my giveaway location. However, it dawned on me just yesterday morning that a veteran’s hospital is the perfect place to give away copies of a book about an uncontainable military super-flu virus that is accidentally released. One nurse was hesitant to take a copy, but when I mentioned the virus she got excited and quickly took one.

The conversations I had with people ranged from funny to serious, and they were all heartfelt and all about books. It was a fantastic experience and I’m on board for next year!

Here are some photos of my experience:

Me picking up the books from the Cicero Public Library on 4/12. I chose to pick up at the CPL because I grew up in Cicero and read The Stand there as a teenager (staying up way too late reading on many a school night). And it was at the Cicero Public Library where I discovered so many great books to read!

The Box.

The goodies in the box.

Patricia Conroy, Head of Reference at the Cicero Public Library and me.

Hines VA Hospital where I handed out the books.

This is a small, but powerful sign. Hines is in the midst of a huge front entrance/lobby construction project. This sign is in the temporary entrance and I hope it finds a place in the new lobby.

One of The Stand recipients. We met in the elevator and she was carrying a box of America’s Women by Gail Collins for an internal Hines book group. It was a book-a-licious kind of day!