One million books, including works by Alan Bennett and John le Carre, are being given away in Britain and Ireland to mark the inaugural World Book Night.
They will be distributed at venues including homeless centres, pubs and hospitals in a bid to boost reading.
Some 20,000 people have been asked to pick their favourite from 25 titles and will be given 48 copies to pass on to friends with their recommendation.
BBC Two is also screening an evening of special programmes to mark the event.
The idea has had widespread support from authors, although some independent booksellers have raised concerns the event could damage future sales.
Writer Philip Pullman, whose book Northern Lights is among those being given away, told the BBC he was thrilled by the event.
It's a wonderful idea, he said. It's a very original and yet it seems so obvious. Give books to people and they enjoy them and go and buy more books.
Asked which book he would particularly recommend, he said the Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.
It's a wonderful book. Everybody should read that.
The BBC Two schedule includes three Culture Show Specials and a premiere of BBC Films' adaptation of Brideshead Revisited.
Live broadcasts from World Book Night events in Glasgow, Manchester and London will be broadcast in between the TV programmes.
