How Civilized Liverpool

Today is World Book Day. Out on the walking street, a pretty girl was handing out books from a big plastic bag:
"Would you like a free book," she said. Jaded and world-weary I, wary as a wack-a-mole when it comes to people handing me things on the street slowed only to turn up my nose and gave her my usual, "Hurumnghunghunh," which means "I am too jaded and world-weary and thinking of important things to fall for your chicanery." But then, my brain kicked in and said, "Geez, Liz, she seems to be giving you a book." and another woman stopped and said, "Oh! Free books. That's great." So I said, "How can I turn down a free book?" and the pretty girl said, "It's World Book Day today. We're part of a world-wide effort to get people to read the same book together." She said they'd passed out 150 books today in Liverpool and another number rather big if I recall in the nation.
In fact it's the 10th World Book Day