DALLAS (August 9, 2007) —During National Literacy Month, Half Price Books is encouraging people to branch out from their normal routine and incorporate reading into their every day lives.

"Our hope is that the public will broaden their horizon by reading on a more consistent basis. People tend to forget that even reading for 15 minutes a day keeps their minds and memories sharp," said Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president of Half Price Books. "During National Literacy Month, we want to emphasize different ways to make reading enjoyable so everybody is more likely to keep up with it."

Below are some helpful tips on how to integrate reading into every day life.

• The TV is on for seven hours and 36 minutes a day in an average American home. Try reading for one of those hours instead. If you like watching teen dramas then read the Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar. If you like crime and mystery shows, you might enjoy True Stories of Law and Order: the Real Crimes behind the Best Episodes of the Hit TV Show by Kevin Dwyer and Jure Fiorillo.
• Read in order to learn a new hobby. Consider books such as A Beginner's Guide to Golf/How to Get Started...and Have Fun Doing It by Larry Dennis or How to Scrapbook by Joy Aitman.
• Every year, individuals or groups attempt to remove certain books from schools and libraries because of their content. A few of these banned books include Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Half Price Books wants people to keep stories alive by reading all books, even ones said to be banned or challenged.
• Another recommendation is to find other authors similar to your favorite. If you like Tom Clancy, try reading novels by Dale Brown or Clive Cussler. If J.K. Rowling is your favorite children's author, read books by C. S. Lewis or Phillips Pullman.

About Half Price Books
Half Price Books is the largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain, with nearly 100 retail locations in 14 states. Stores are open seven days a week and buy and sell new and used books, magazines, comics, records, CDs, DVDs and collectible items. Half Price Books has been dedicated to environmental and literacy efforts for 35 years by supporting hundreds of projects including Reach Out and Read, an early childhood reading program; the annual Bedtime Story Book Contest, which gives amateur authors a chance to be published in the "Say Goodnight to Illiteracy" storybook; and the annual Half Pint Library Book Drive, which provides hospitals and clinics nationwide with book donations collected at all store locations. In addition, Half Price Books is a founding contributor to Laura Bush's National Book Festival, as well as a supporter of the National Center for Family Literacy. For more information about Half Price Books, please visit www.halfpricebooks.com.