Everybody knows Seattle is a book town, but not everyone knows that it’s home to Shelf Awareness, a daily nationally distributed newsletter for independent book stores, publishers and anyone who likes to follow the book world (including readers). It includes book news, author interviews and book reviews.

This year Shelf Awareness celebrates its tenth anniversary. To celebrate, on Friday June 26 it will distribute free books throughout Seattle, “small stacks of titles placed in strategic places like major pedestrian corridors and public transit stops throughout the city. Lucky residents, commuters and visitors can grab a free book from one of the stacks,” says the press release.  Twenty of the books will include a $20 gift card to local bookstores, including The Elliott Bay Book Company, The University Bookstore, Third Place Books, Phinney Books, The Queen Anne Book Company, Open Book, and Secret Garden Books.

The books involved in the book  “bomb” are advanced reading copies or review copies of new books by major publishers, including fiction, thrillers, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, biographies, and non-fiction titles, selected by Shelf Awareness’ book review editor, Marilyn Dahl.

For more information on Shelf Awaress, go to www.shelf-awareness.com.