Central New York Reads One Book has been promoting reading since 2001 when it picked its first book, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. While it is probably the longest running reading initiative of its kind in New York State, the idea actually came from the city of Seattle when, in 1998, the Washington Center for the Book in the Seattle Public Library launched "If All Seattle Read the Same Book." These reading promotion projects bring members of a community together to read and discuss the same literary work. CNY Reads selects books that it feels are interesting, well written, enjoyable, accessible, and that often address problems with which members of the Central New York community can identify. In short, we are Building Community Through Reading!

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