Readers around the world are diving into a New York Times bestseller during Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club. From November 1-15, thousands of booklovers around the world will borrow and read Natalie D. Richards’s young adult suspense thriller, Five Total Strangers, from their public library or participating high school.
Big Library Read is available in over 21,000 libraries and hundreds of schools around the world, including approximately 90 percent of public libraries in North America. Patrons with a valid library card from a participating library can join by downloading the Libby app, then discuss online at https://biglibraryread.com/join-the-discussion/. Students of participating schools can read the digital book through the Sora classroom reading app or their school’s website.
“Five Total Strangers started as a kernel of an idea, one inspired by my own terrible experiences with bad winter weather,” said author Natalie D. Richards. “ And since rush hour is twice as miserable with a few inches of the white stuff, I think the best course of action in such weather is to stay home curled up with a good book.”
In Five Total Strangers, Mira needs to get home for the holidays. Badly. But when an incoming blizzard results in a canceled connecting flight, it looks like she might get stuck at the airport indefinitely. And then Harper, Mira’s glamorous seatmate from her initial flight, offers her a ride. Harper and her three friends can drop Mira off on their way home. But as they set off, Mira realizes her fellow travelers are all total strangers. And every one of them is hiding something. Soon, roads go from slippery to terrifying. People’s belongings are mysteriously disappearing. Someone in the car is clearly lying, and may even be sabotaging the trip—but why? And can Mira make it home alive, or will this nightmare drive turn fatal?
Five Total Strangers was published as an ebook by Sourcebooks and as an audiobook by Dreamscape. The title can be read on all major computers and devices through Libby or libbyapp.com, including iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phones and tablets and Chromebook™ without waitlists or holds. Through Libby, readers can also “send to Kindle®” [U.S. libraries only]. For students of participating schools, Sora is available through the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and on Chromebooks supporting the Google Play Store as well as via web browsers at https://soraapp.com. With both apps, the title automatically expires at the end of the lending period, and there are no late fees.
Big Library Read is an international reading program that connects millions of readers around the world with an ebook through public libraries. Five Total Strangers is the 26th selection of this program which began in 2013 and takes place three times per year. Readers can join an online discussion about the book at https://biglibraryread.com/join-the-discussion/. The program is facilitated by OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform for popular ebooks, audiobooks and magazines.
To join the discussion, learn about past Big Library Read titles and download Libby, visit biglibraryread.com.
