thank you all. >> come and get some wine and cheese. saturday, january 24 is being called the national readathon they.

what is the national readathon they? >> it is a day in january where all across iraq over your inviting readers to connect to spend the afternoon reading any book they like and you can do it at home or any of the venues participating across the country which include libraries and bookstores and schools. >> host: why are you promoting this? >> that is a wonderful and complicated question. our hope is to find different ways to foster a culture of reading in america and remind people of what the experience is like to sit and dedicate a nice amount of time to reading. i think we hear feedback all the time people read books less because they feel like they don't have time or they do it in little snippets here and there but there is a pleasure that

comes from getting lost in the world of a book that's different from if you are checking your phone every few minutes or if you are on the go in different venues and we wanted people to remember what that experience was like and get lost in the world of books. >> host: you are actually setting a time frame, four hours, 12 noon to 4 p.m. on saturday afternoon. >> guest: that is exactly right. we agreed that four hours was longer than any of us normally spend reading a book that's not so onerous that it would be impossible with people with kids workshops they could not sit down and do it. so four hours was the agreed-upon time that seemed a reasonable amount to ask everybody to try to set aside and do. >> host: are there groups participating in this? >> guest: we have everything from book clubs to local libraries and there is actually a list state-by-state of

different venues that are participating so you can go there to see if a place near you is already participating and you can join from noon to four. >> host: if somebody wants to do this at home how can they stay in contact with a larger group decides the website is there a hash tag? >> guest: we are using the hash tag time to read reminding people why we make time to read. you can search time to read on your different platforms and google google already see a bunch of different people participating in talking about what they plan to read and you can share your self using what you will be reading and why you are excited about it. so you may be reading with your cat snuggled up on your lap and participate in the larger virtual community that way. >> host: there is a money aspect as well. >> guest: there is, sort of similar to how people would do a

marathon for charity. we are inviting people come it is optional but we would love if you would want to consider raising money for the national book foundation, the national book foundation is most famous for the national book awards they give out every fall in fiction and nonfiction poetry but they also do incredible work around the country bringing everything from literacy training home libraries offers to speak to kids and the communities around america and the communities that are not necessarily getting the diverse programming in books and the and books and the national book foundation is filling that cap so the money will go to help support their ongoing efforts for that program. >> how does one country could? >> guest: you can find the link to first giving which is a platform for donations many people are probably already familiar with. again it is familiar to a similar to the marathons and you can donate any amount or set up your own page and raise funds

that way and it's under the event national readathon >> is there a target for how much money you want to raise? >> guest: this is the first years of your leaving it open to see what is happening. there's almost $15,000 raised already just in the early days so we are really pleased to see the diversity of people donating and really it is the kind of thing where even smaller amount five ten, $20 will make a big difference in overall getting us to a nice number to give to the foundation. >> host: so this benefits the national book foundation but who are some of the corporate sponsors behind the national readathon? >> guest: good reads is on board and they've been talking about it on their website and they will be having a reading party in san francisco which where the headquarters are and then the mashable has a book

club called the mash reads. they are having a book party in their headquarters here in new york. so from coast to coast some nice sponsors are coming to help support. >> host: and don't forget your own boss. >> guest: i would be in trouble for that one. penguin random house the publishing company we've been supporting the effort as well. ..

almost everything else in our lives today don't require a password. >> i read when i should do looking. >> it's really hard to find time to read. >> i developed my love for reagan as a boy growing up and in college. >> by the time i was 10 i was creating all sorts of crazy stuff. >> don't quixote. >> alice in wonderland, treasure redland. >> a