NEW YORK — Thousands of towns and cities around the country and beyond are participating in the second annual World Book Night, when some 2.5 million free books are expected to be donated, the Associated Press reported.

Among the 30 books being given out are Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," Suzanne Collins’ ”The Hunger Games,” Sherman Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” and Leif Enger’s “Peace Like a River.”

“It’s premium company, this list, and I’m glad and lucky to be on it,” Enger told the AP. “It also feels like a challenge. The idea is to entice people back into reading."

The Los Angeles Times said the idea behind World Book Night is that "devoted readers are great proselytizers" and each person is encouraged to give away 20 copies of a book they love to friends and strangers alike.