If you haven’t already, today is the deadline to submit your top ten nominations for next year’s World Book Night giveaway via the World Book Night website.

So, if you’d like to see The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency or any other Alexander McCall Smith title in the final list of the nation’s favourite 25 books, then register on the site now and get choosing your ten best reads. Once you register, you can discuss your books, make recommendations and share your top ten with others.

Alexander McCall Smith is a supporter of World Book Night and recently chose his top twenty books for Foyles – you can read his article here: http://www.foyles.co.uk/alexander-mccall-smith-favourite-books

Summer draws to a close, and Autumn is nearly upon us - it must be time to catch up on the latest events in the life of our favourite philosopher and private investigator, Isabel Dalhousie. And she’s got a whole new look for the new season . . .

In The Charming Quirks of Others  – which is out now in paperback – Isabel finds herself contemplating an act of heroic and alarming self-sacrifice.

And in just under two weeks, the new Isabel Dalhousie novel entitled The Forgotten Affairs of Youth is released, in which Isabel finds herself beset by temptation, and attempting to steer a course between love and laissez-faire. Both titles feature the brand-new cover look, which will be rolled out across all the titles in the series. Let us know what you think!

And for a fascinating glimpse of the real Edinburgh behind the Dalhousie series (and of course the Scotland Street series too) have a look at this short film of Alexander McCall Smith taking Sarah Crown from The Guardian on walking tour of his home city.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/video/2011/aug/16/alexander-mccall-smith-edinburgh-video?INTCMP=SRCH

World Book Night, held for the first time this year in March, was a book event like no other. The unprecedented giveaway at the heart of the nights’ activity - 20,000 people giving away 1 million specially printed copies of their favourite books (40,000 copies in all of 25 brilliant titles) – generated a huge amount of excitement up and down the country, and kick-started a nationwide conversation about what our favourite books are.

And plans are already underway for next year’s event. Readers across the UK are now being invited to submit their top ten nominations for next year’s giveaway via the World Book Night website. The interactive site enables you to discuss your favourite books, make recommendations and share your top ten with others.

All you have to do is register with the site, and choose your ten favourite books. You can also view the top 100 selections as they currently stand.

The deadline for voting finishes at the end of the month on 31st August. So, if you’d like to see The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency in the final list of 25 titles to be away next year, then get voting!

P. S – Alexander McCall Smith himself is currently choosing his own top ten titles – look out for these on the site very soon!