Quick Reads and Open Door

Quick Reads are short, exciting books by bestselling authors and celebrities for adults who are new to reading, have lost the reading habit, or who prefer a quick read. Quick Reads were launched on World Book Day 2006, with the aim of reaching out to adults with reading difficulties and those who never pick up a book. These well-written, fast-paced reads have introduced many people to an enjoyment of reading for the first time in their lives. Authors who have written Quick Reads to date include Ricky Tomlinson, Ruth Rendell, Maureen Lee and Kerry Katona.
The Open Door series is another adult literacy series that was launched in the mid-nineties by Irish publisher New Island, and author Patricia Scanlan. Scanlan had spent some time working in public libraries in Dublin before she became a full-time writer, and was acutely aware of the literacy problems facing a large segment of the adult population, and the dearth of appropriate reading material available to them. This series includes short books by many well known Irish writers such as Roddy Doyle, Cecelia Ahern, John Boyne and Marian Keyes. All royalties from sales of the books are donated to a charity of the author's choice.
The Quick Reads and Open Door series are stocked in Clare County Library branches at Ennis, Ennistymon, Killaloe, Kilrush, Scariff and Shannon. DeValera library in Ennis has a set of the Open Door series which includes a CD or tape so that the reader can listen as they read along. These sets would also be helpful to students learning English as a foreign language. Irish language versions of the Open Door series will shortly be available in libraries for those whose Irish might not be good enough to read a more advanced novel. So if you know someone who might enjoy being introduced to reading through these books, or if you yourself would like a short, quick read with a guaranteed good story, ask at the libraries mentioned above about their adult literacy series.
http://www.niace.org.uk/quickreads/user/index.php
http://www.quickreadsideas.org.uk/
http://www.newisland.ie/taxonomy/term/6