We are so excited that the book we are gifting for World Book Night is by the wonderful and ever popular Agatha Christie, featuring the unlikely Belgian detective with the famously immaculate moustache that is known all around the world! We are planning to distribute this book in conjunction with local organisations so they can reach out to those who need them the most.

This little book contains four Poirot stories: ‘The Double Clue’, ‘The Market Basing Mystery’, ‘The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim’ and ‘The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb’.

If you would like to borrow a copy from the library, you can find it here.

This book is from the Quick Reads range, so I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you just how fantastic Quick Reads books are:

Quick Reads is a range of books produced by The Reading Agency that brings together a collection of short books with great stories by bestselling authors. The aim of the collection is to provide opportunities for those who struggle or don’t have time to read to access magnificent writing, but on a smaller scale.

According to The Reading Agency:

“Quick Reads are an extremely valuable tool for boosting reading skills, confidence and engagement in learning. They can act as an entry point to different authors’ work in diverse genres, and have led to thousands of adults reading, completing and enjoying a book for the first time.”

Other reasons Quick Reads are so great:

  • They are small in size so great for taking on holiday!
  • There is a wide range of genres and authors, so something for everyone
  • It’s a great way to explore a new author
  • Ditto a new genre!
  • They’re easy to dip in and out of if you lead a busy lifestyle
  • It’s not as big a commitment as reading a large novel
  • They are great for those who aren’t confident in their reading
  • They are helpful for those whose first language is not English
  • Some of the greatest names in the publishing world have written Quick Reads books

The most recent Quick Reads collection, all available to borrow for free from Warwickshire Libraries, include the following:


The Black Mountain by Kate Mosse.

It is May, 1706. Ana, a young Spanish woman, lives in a small town on the north-west coast of Tenerife with her mother and twin younger brothers. The town is in the shadow of a mighty volcano, which legend says has the devil living inside it. However, there has been no eruption for thousands of years and no one believes it is a threat.

One day, Ana notices that the air feels strange and heavy, that the birds have stopped singing. Tending the family vineyard, a sudden strange tremor in the earth frightens her. Very soon it will be a race against time for Ana to help persuade the town that they are in danger and should flee before the volcano erupts and destroys their world. Will they listen? And Ana herself faces another danger . . .


The Kiss by Santa Montefiore

Sometimes your biggest mistake can also be a blessing . . .

Madison has always known she had a different father to her siblings. But it wasn’t until she turned eighteen that she learned his name. And now she wants to meet the man who shares her fair hair and blue eyes.

Robert is a very lucky man. A big house, beautiful wife, three handsome sons. Eighteen years ago, he made a mistake. A brief fling that resulted in a daughter nobody else knows about.

Robert must finally tell his family the truth. Will they ever be able to forgive him and accept Madison as one of their own?


Witness by Alex Wheatle

To tell the truth? Or protect his family? Cornell is having a bad time. Kicked out of secondary school for a fight he didn’t start, he finds himself in a Pupil Referral Unit. Here he makes friends with one of the Sinclair family. You don’t mess with the Sinclairs, and when Ryan Sinclair demands Cornell comes with him to teach another student some respect, Ryan witnesses something that will change his life. Torn between protecting his family and himself, Cornell has one hell of a decision to make. This is published as part of the Quick Reads series, which aims to share the joy of reading with adults who are improving their literacy. It is Alex Wheatle at his best: a thrilling, pacy story that is full of moral complexity and insight into gang violence.



The Swimmer by Graham Norton

Helen is a retired teacher living on the Irish coast. She enjoys the peace and quiet – despite the burden of Margaret, her unpleasant sister. Margaret arrived three years ago for a short holiday, but somehow managed to stay and worm her way into Helen’s life.

One day, Helen sees a man struggling in the sea and decides to investigate. She doesn’t quite know what it is, but something about it feels very strange…



Sofia Khan and the Baby Blues by Ayisha Malik

Sofia Khan is going about everything the wrong way. At least, that’s what her mother, Mehnaz, thinks. Sofia is twice-divorced, homeless and – worst of all – refusing to give up on a fostered baby girl. Sofia’s just not behaving like a normal woman should.

Sofia doesn’t see it like that. She’s planning to adopt Millie, and she’s sure it’ll be worth it. (Even if it means she and Millie have to stay at Mehnaz’s place for a while.) And as Sofia finally begins to live the life she’s chosen, she finds both romance and happiness start to blossom.

But then someone comes back from the past – and not even Sofia’s own past. Suddenly, she’s faced with a choice. To do what’s best for those she loves, Sofia might have to break her own heart. And she might find herself needing the last person she expected . . .


Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins

‘How can you say things like this? How can you be so blind?’

Since they were kids, Edie, Jake and Ryan have been the closest of friends. It’s been the three of them against the world. Edie thought the bonds between them were unbreakable. So when Jake is brutally murdered and Ryan accused of the crime, her world is shattered.

Edie is alone for the first time in years, living in the remote house that she and Jake shared. She is grief-stricken and afraid – with good reason. Because someone is watching. Someone has been waiting for this moment. Now that Edie is alone, the past she tried so hard to leave behind is about to catch up with her…


The Cutting Season by M.W. Craven

Poe’s just hanging around on a Saturday afternoon…

Dangling from a hook in a meat packing plant isn’t how Detective Sergeant Washington Poe wants to spend his weekend. He’s been punched and kicked and threatened, and when a contract killer arrives it seems things are about to go from bad to worse. He goes by the name of the Pale Man and he and his straight-edged razor have been feared all over London for twenty years.

But Poe knows two things the Pale Man doesn’t. Although it might seem like a hopeless situation, Poe has planned to be here all along. More importantly, a nerdy, computer whizz-kid called Tilly Bradshaw is watching his back. And now things are about to get interesting . . .


My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay

SPECIALLY ABRIDGED FOR QUICK READS

How does a government steal a child and then imprison him?
How does it keep it a secret?
This story is how.
This story is true.

My Name Is Why is a true story about growing up in care and fighting to succeed despite the cruelty and failures of the care system.

We have over 75 Quick Read titles for you to try! So what are you waiting for?! Pick up a Quick Reads book from your local library to see what all the fuss is about! Find our full selection here.

We are celebrating World Book Night 2023 with a virtual Book Quiz. To find out more, and to book your place, click the image below: