EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hudson Ltd. (NYSE: HUD) (“Hudson” or “Company”), a North American travel experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks and tourist destinations, today announced its “Celebrate Books and Booksellers” campaign, honoring powerful reads that sparked joy, fostered learning and inspired readers across North America throughout the year.

The year 2020 will long be remembered as unprecedented – from the global health crisis to the significant economic turmoil and record unemployment levels to the social justice movements. While challenging in so many ways, the past year also inspired many to pursue new and welcome conversations, engage in different forms of entertainment and even learn something new. Books were an essential element of this interaction and a welcome bright spot of 2020, providing both a world to escape into and a way to connect with the world.

“While challenging in so many ways, 2020 is a year that has made me feel especially grateful for the comforts and joys of life – the big ones like health and friendship, and the smaller ones like a park to walk in, or reading a book,” said Sara Hinckley, Senior Vice President of Books at Hudson. “Books both entertain and educate, and bring people together, even if socially distanced, by helping us see different perspectives and share the experience of loving the same books.”

Throughout the year, Hudson and its bookselling community worked hard to curate imaginative and eclectic book assortments that put fun, timely and relevant titles in the hands of readers, whether physically or virtually, and were perfect for avid bookworms and new book enthusiasts alike. “This year, I asked some of our best friends in bookselling, from all across Hudson, to Publishers, to Independent Booksellers, and more, to share the books both new and old that gave them a reason to celebrate or just provided a little comfort this year,” said Hinckley. “We received a wonderfully diverse selection of responses, from some amazing people, all of whom are fighting the good fight to keep bringing books to Hudson’s larger community of travelers through independent and alternative channels.”

The list, spanning a variety of categories and boasting an assortment of accolades, can be found in Hudson bookstores and convenience stores across North America, as well as at: www.Hudsonbooksellers.com/Celebrate.

Some of the recommended books include:

Non-Fiction

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

“Philosophers and economists often start with the premise that humans are bad or primarily driven by self-interest… If he [Bregman] is correct and how we think about our fellow humans has a direct effect on how we act, can you imagine the impact it would have if we all changed our assumptions and thought more kindly of each other?”

- Justin Hennequant, Director, Books, Hudson

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

“When you’re feeling trapped by COVID, this is a fantastic book to get you out of your slump and get you moving to a happier, healthier, more free and genuine life.”

- Pam Brown, Senior National Account Manager, Penguin Random House

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

“A central premise of the book, that you are either racist or antiracist, is put forward in a way that pushes the reader to revisit how we deal with race in our daily business, and to come back better prepared after a good deal of soul-searching.”

- Jordi Martin-Consuegra, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer; Deputy CEO, Hudson

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

“So much science is now affirming ancient wisdom from non-Western cultures on the health effects of breathing in certain ways. This book will help make your last breaths of 2020 more intentional, setting you up for a 2021 of hope and peace.”

- Pete Mulvihill, Co-Owner, Green Apple Books, San Francisco, CA

Wow, No Thank you - Hudson Exclusive by Samantha Irby

“Samantha Irby's third book is another comedic triumph. Her quest to find friends after moving to Wisconsin is especially hilarious. It's one of the books that has made me laugh despite all of the rough news of 2020.”

- Leonard Foote, Business Partner Manager, Barbara's Bookstores at O'Hare, Hudson

Fiction

Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar

“Homeland Elegies deftly combines elements of memoir with fiction to shine a bright light on the immigrant experience in America.”

- Adrian Newell, Book Buyer, Warwick’s, La Jolla, CA

Luster by Raven Leilani

“With unflinching honesty, and a sharp, devastating understanding of human nature, Raven Leilani has written a dark, funny, poignant story about relationships, desire, family, and social issues. There are many moments of delights and surprises in the writing and in the storytelling as well as brilliant observations about life.”

- Spenser Lee, Senior Vice President, Director of Sales, Farrar, Straus & Giroux

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

“The book that affected me the most during this pandemic year. For most of this short book, we think we are following a woman as she copes with her grief over the death of a man she once loved. Her adoption of his enormous Great Dane is a metaphor for this grief... until we learn that perhaps this grief is hers alone. It's a deeply wise novel, with a lot to teach us about loss and recovery from loss.”

- Bob Miller, President & Publisher, Flatiron Books

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

“The book is so precise, so deeply felt, I kept stopping to underline sentences until I realized I was underlining the entire book. Brilliant.”

- Ann Patchett, Co-Owner, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN, International Bestselling Author

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

“The magic of reading fiction is that it makes us look at and think about the world in new ways and takes us to places we've never been. This year, I've needed that feeling more than ever, and Migrations is the book that brought it to me.”

- Megan Lynch, Senior Vice President & Publisher, Flatiron Books

To see the entire list of recommended books in Celebrate Books and Booksellers, or to purchase a book, please visit: www.Hudsonbooksellers.com/Celebrate

About Hudson

Hudson, a Dufry Company, is a travel experience company turning the world of travel into a world of opportunity by being the Traveler’s Best Friend in more than 1,000 stores in airport, commuter hub, landmark, and tourist locations. Our team members care for travelers as friends at our travel convenience, specialty retail, duty free and food and beverage destinations. At the intersection of travel and retail, we partner with landlords and vendors, and take innovative, commercial approaches to deliver exceptional value. To learn more about how we can make your location a travel destination, please visit us at hudsongroup.com.

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