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Bring Out Your Inner Bookworm with "By the Book" Gameshow Fun



Woo hoo! Summer is finally here! Okay, okay. So, I know summer doesn't officially begin until June 20, but a majority of the kids are out of school, and THAT means it's time for fun and games! What better way to kick off the fun than with National Gameshow Day!


National Gameshow Day is celebrated on June 1st each year, honoring the exciting and competitive spirit of games. This day is a tribute to the joy and challenge that games bring, whether on television or—for us book nerds—within the pages of a book. Literature has its share of engaging stories where games play a central role in the plot and we've chosen to celebrate the day with you by sharing some of our favorite titles and invite YOU to "get your game on" with By the Book, our own literary-themed game show below.


Finding Some Gameshow Fun in Books


The game's afoot...


Interestingly, most readers attribute this familiar phrase to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. But while the famous sleuth DID utter this phrase in The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, it did not originate at 221B Baker Street. In fact, savvy readers might recognize the line from none other than William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I, as it is spoken by Henry Percy, the Earl of North Umberland. Shakespeare or Sherlock, many books contain a "games" theme to help you find gameshow fun.





The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

Genre: YA Dystopian


In Suzanne Collins' dystopian novel, "The Hunger Games," the eponymous deadly competition is a televised event where tributes must fight for their lives, exploring themes of survival and societal control.





Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline

Genre: Sci-Fi/YA Dystopia


Ernest Cline's science fiction novel "Ready Player One" centers on a virtual reality game called the OASIS, where players embark on a quest filled with 1980s pop culture references to find an Easter egg that promises immense wealth.





Ender's Game

by Orson Scott Card

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy


In "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card, a young boy named Ender Wiggin is trained through increasingly complex war simulations to prepare for an alien invasion. These novels, among others, highlight how games can serve as powerful narrative devices, driving character development and thematic exploration.


Celebrating National Gameshow Day at Home




To celebrate National Gameshow Day, book lovers can create their own literary-themed game show at home. This could involve trivia questions about famous novels, authors, and literary characters, or even a "Jeopardy!"-style board with categories like Classic Literature, Modern Bestsellers, and Famous First Lines. Or try your luck at our online trivia game below!


Gathering friends or family for a fun and educational evening can bring the spirit of game shows into the living room, celebrating both a love of books and the excitement of friendly competition—without having to volunteer as tribute.



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