Transportation Choices Coalition and King County Metro, along with partners Richard Hugo House, King County Library System, and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, today launched Books on the Bus, a community-wide book club for bus riders.

The brainchild of public transportation activist Carla Saulter, Books on the Bus will highlight a new book each quarter for participants to read on their bus rides.

“Books on the Bus is a wonderful opportunity,” said Saulter, membership manager at Transportation Choices and author of the blog Bus Chick. “One of the many advantages of riding public transit is that it enables you to do something else while you travel...Reading and riding together fosters community, makes transit more fun, and helps support local authors and bookstores.”

The first selection is Hotel Angeline: A Novel in 36 Voices.

A project of the Seattle7Writers group, Hotel Angeline was written live on stage as part of a weeklong collaboration among 36 Pacific Northwest authors. Half of the proceeds from sales of the book will support local literacy nonprofits.

“Conversation and dialogue are central to our society,” said Garth Stein, one of the co-authors of Hotel Angeline and author of the New York Times best-seller The Art of Racing in the Rain. “The act of writing a book – which necessitates that the book be read to be valid – is the epitome of conversation, and so stands at the center of our communities.”

Like Hotel Angeline, the majority of selections will be written by local authors or take place in the Pacific Northwest. During the reading period, riders will have many opportunities to discuss the book—on buses, at stops, or in gathering places across the county. At the end of the reading period, Transportation Choices will host an event to celebrate the book and encourage further discussion.

“As a regular bus commuter on the #41, I often read as I ride the bus to work. For the last few years, I've been sharing my 'bus book picks' with my constituents in a regular section of my monthly e-news. I am thrilled we are launching Books on the Bus,” said King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson.

Saulter believes that transit is a "unique in that it creates a spontaneous, mobile, and very diverse community. Books on the Bus is a way to take advantage of these two benefits while discovering and supporting our region’s amazing authors.”

To sign up for Books on the Bus and stay up to date on selections and events, visit http://transportationchoices.org/books.