What would you put in a bookstart style pack for adults?

[LissyGlitter]

If you had been set the task to give a pack of books to every household, just to ensure people at least have access to some basic cultural reference points, what would you include?

I propose:

Complete works of Shakespeare
King James Bible
A book of ancient myths
A decent dictionary
A basic encyclopaedia (possibly pears?)
An atlas

I know it would never happen, but I can dream...

I think I'd focus more on reading being fun /enjoyable (not saying that your choices aren't worthy, but would they get read?). So maybe a really great bit of travel writing, a great graphic novel, a Jane Austen and another novel (not very specific!). I'm far too tired to think of names, but my DH doesn't read much and at least some of these would draw him in - I'd certainly read them all.

I was thinking more to ensure that people can understand references made in popular culture. I would say that without those books, you would struggle to understand an awful lot of political speeches and writing and quite a few general novels.

A biro, a rhyming dictionary, a newspaper, National Geographic, a historical novel, a fantasy novel, Viz, some poems, and a voucher. Fab idea! I wouldnt aim to educate but to find something people would enjoy reading, a way in.

Sorry, but you might as well be honest and say you're giving them a collection of door-stoppers. The people who want those kinds of books will go out and buy them. Those who don't have them, don't want them.

• A newspaper (perhaps the weekend editions with lots of supplements) /general magazine
• Dictionary/Thesaurus
• A library card

I would use that lot as toilet paper

Perhaps a Dan Brown book should be included, something enjoyable like that.

I have made myself look like a philistine now.

KIng James' Bible is great stuff but I don't think it can be denied that it requires a fairly high level of education, and by that time you are not going to need a starter pack anyway. Why not go the whole hog and bung in Homer and the Divina Commedia (in the original languages, of course)?

I'd go more for something like avendesora's collection.

Watching the English by Kate Fox?

www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qi d=1254917963&sr=1-1