World Book Day Deals for MRewards Members

World Book Day was on 23 April and we at MPH rolled out the red carpet for our patrons on this occasion. As booksellers, however, every day is World Book Day, but we'd like to think the date is extra special.

Worldwide, WBD is celebrated in some fashion, but more so in the Spanish region of Catalonia where WBD was supposedly born. The Day of the Book was apparently mooted by a publisher and fan of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, as a celebration of all things literary. Of course, booksellers would come out in full force on the day, promoting their wares with gusto.

Originally kicking off in the region of Catalonia on 7 October 1926, the date was moved to 23 April a few years later and was merged with the longer-running Festival of St George and the Rose Festival. Today, the Day of Books and Roses is still celebrated in Catalonia, even as UNESCO adopted the date as World Book (and Copyright) Day in 1995.

But one day isn't enough to celebrate a date close to our hearts as a bookseller, so from 17 to 30 April, MPH will be offering selected titles at 15% off storewide and on MPHOnline.com for MRewards Members in conjunction with World Book Day, which include...


The Earth Transformed: An Untold History by Peter Frankopan
Bloomsbury UK
9781526622570

Blending historical writing and scientific research, historian Peter Frankopan lays out how nature shapes our history and determines our fate. As alarm bells ring louder for nations today to confront challenges brought on by climate change, Frankopan reminds us that climate change is an old phenomenon that has been instrumental in the rise and fall of earthly civilisations through the ages.


Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (UK edition) by Isabel Wilkerson
Penguin UK
9780141995465

Think caste, and India comes to mind. However, Isabel Wilkerson lifts the lid on the hidden caste system in the United States, linking it to those in India and Nazi Germany. She explores what underpins this system and its impact on people, culture and politics and wonders whether a world without cast can exist. As the world bears witness to the caste system working on overdrive in parts of the world, readers of this book will end up hoping that such a future wouldn't be too far off.


Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceX by Eric Berger
HarperCollins Publishers
9780008445669

Considering what Elon Musk has been up to lately, more so the issues with Tesla and stunts with Twitter, some might be drawn to the good old days when he only seemed obsessed with launching rockets to space. Liftoff tells the origin story of SpaceX, Musk's other baby and his springboard to Mars. Eric Berger, senior space editor at tech website Ars Technica and author of the book, promises readers an inside scoop on SpaceX.


The Happiness Cure: Why You’re Not Built for Constant Happiness, and How to Find a Way Through by Anders Hansen
Random House UK
9781785044328

Swedish author and psychiatric specialist Dr Anders Hansen thinks the human race "never had it so good." Longer life expectancy, with knowledge and entertainment at our fingertips (not to mention takeaways). "So why are we in the midst of a mental health crisis?" Perhaps Wikipedia, YouTube and Grabfood aren't the keys to health, longevity and happiness. Not to worry, Dr Hansen offers "an evolutionary take on life" that may be the key to finding meaning and contentment.


Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton
Acepremier.com
9789670015101

Speaking of mental health ... some of us who live with anxiety are always on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Mulling and preparing for worst-case scenarios that might not happen at every juncture is exhausting. Nick Trenton showcases some detailed and proven techniques to help the overanxious, overthinking you rewire your brain to put the brakes on the runaway train of negative thoughts in your head.


You Will Feel It in the Price of Bread: A Love Letter to Ukraine by Katya Hudson
Muswell Press
9781739193041

Katya Hudson's honest and evocative memoir, combining prose, poetry and images, is billed as a celebration of and lament for now war-ravaged Ukraine. Scenes from the author's childhood in Ukraine give way to horrors brought on by the Russian invasion as she, stuck in the UK, tries to find out whether friends and loved ones are safe. A key figure is Hudson's grandmother, who was in Kyiv during the invasion and started making Molotov cocktails when she got wind of a possible attack on her home. It sounds interesting already.


When I Was A Kid 7 by Cheeming Boey
Grey Pigeon
9780984978656

Boey returns with the latest volume in the bestselling When I Was A Kid series, taking us to his days in school across the Causeway in Singapore. Waking up "stupid early" to go to school isn't the best thing for a kid, but Boey manages to find things about those days that are funny, insightful and thought-provoking. Many Malaysians can probably relate to his school-day hijinks.


Of course, we have more new and existing titles and series to share this World Book Day, so come on over to your nearest MPH outlet or log on to MPHOnline.com.