Books to kick start your year of reading

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Books to kick start your year of reading Make it a new year’s resolution to pick up a book. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, declared 2016 the Year of Reading in order to create a new generation of readers and strengthen the country’s position as the capital for culture and knowledge. Sheikh Mohammed also launched the Arab Reading Challenge that aims to get one million Arab students committing to 50 million extracurricular books in an academic year – to encourage sustainable reading through a comprehensive system. That’s a lot, so to get us started, here are some reading trends to look out for in 2016… BIG THRILLER Cathy Rentzenbrink, author and contributing editor of trade publication The Bookseller predicts thrillers will remain popular, with efforts such as The Widow, a debut novel by Fiona Barton out in January, “About a woman called Jean whose husband has just died. As the story unfolds, it emerges that her husband might have been a murderer.” ANNIVERSARY BOOKS Next year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and the 200th anniversary of Charlotte Bronte’s birth, and plenty of books will celebrate their works. Try Andrew Dickson’s The Globe Guide To Shakespeare in February and Juliet Barker’s The Brontes: A Life In Letters. DEBUTS ‘Five Rivers Met On A Wooded Plain’, by 25-year-old playwright Barney Norris, is already creating a buzz. Due out in April, it revolves around five people involved in a car crash. MODERN CLASSICS The repackaging of classic tales are also on the rise. Howard Jacobson has written Shylock Is My Name: The Merchant Of Venice Retold, part of a scheme where established authors pick a play and write a novel inspired by that play. Rentzenbrink thinks that reworkings of classics will only increase readership generally. NEW NON-FICTION Current affairs will be big in non-fiction with books on Syria and the refugee crisis, says The Bookseller associate editor, Caroline Sanderson. But there are also lighthearted real-life tales from William Shatner, who gives a personal tribute to Star Trek co-star and friend of 50 years, Leonard Nimoy, in Leonard: A Life out in February. KIDS SECTION Tickle children’s imagination with entertaining books such as The 78-Storey Treehouse, from Australian author Andy Griffiths. He penned the fastest-selling children’s book in years, The 65-Storey Treehouse wherein Andy and Terry live in a treehouse with the most interesting rooms. For the young adults, there’ll be fiction dedicated to fandoms and time-travelling like Emily Henry’s The Love That Split the World. features@7days.ae Read the original story at: Books to kick start your year of reading