Subway Reads Offers Selections Based on Reading Times
As if free Wi-Fi on the New York City Subway wasn’t exciting enough, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) partnered with Penguin Random House to bring free books to subway passengers through mid-October. And for those who don’t think they have enough time to read a full story on their commute, “Subway Reads” offers selections based on reading times (ten minutes, twenty minutes, and thirty minutes).
Subway Reads was created to promote Wi-Fi service now available in 175 underground stations. The first six subway stations were wired in 2011 and all 278 underground stations are expected to be wired by the end of the year. In return, the promotion may prove an effective way to reach the younger, tech-savvy readers that publishers worry about losing to the myriad of other media available. If a reader gets sucked into ten minutes of a book and wants more, they can easily purchase the entire e-book.
Don’t live in New York, but have a commute elsewhere? You can still pull up the selection of novellas, ebook excerpts, and short stories on your favorite mobile reading device (as long as you can connect wirelessly). There’s a vast selection including current bestsellers The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins) and Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead) ; classics Beloved (Toni Morrison) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Truman Capote); and children’s and YA favorites such as Wonder (R.J. Palacio) and Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (Judy Blume).
Got 10 minutes? Find something to read now.
Tags: Free Books, New York City, NYC, Penguin Random House, Subway, Subway Reads
