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Effort aims to make commute more enjoyable, reignite love for reading

BOSTON — With delays and crowded trains, the MBTA can be a challenge to ride some times.

Now there’s a new effort to make the commute a little more pleasant.

It’s called “Books on the T” and it’s free.

Catherine Gaggioli rides the Red Line every day. Every couple of days, she places free books around at different stations.

“Our entire goal is to just put books out on the T and promote reading around Boston,” she explained.  “My friends and I heard about Books on the Subway and Books on the Underground, the projects that started it all in London and New York. We thought it was a really great idea and it was the kind of thing that would be perfect for Boston.”

Despite the public’s addiction to smartphones and E-readers, the organizers believe books are still relevant.

“I think that people still really appreciate the actual act of reading a physical book, so we don't really think it has gone retro,” said Gaggioli.

The books are distributed by self-proclaimed book fairies, who then share their hiding places on social media.  Special stickers are applied to the books indicating they’re free for the taking.\

For the participants, distributing the books can be fun, according to Gaggioli.

“I think everybody has had that same moment of exhilaration, of just leaving a book and walking away from it and then turning around and seeing people going and checking it out and hoping one of them picks it up and takes it home," Gaggioli said.

Michael Lee, of Dorchester often rides the Red Line and thinks the program is a good idea because it might re-engage someone with reading.

“If a book says take it, read it, bring it back, boom!  Next you thing you know, you’ve got someone back to reading," Lee said.

Hopefully, it can bring down that riders stress, and make them feel they’re part of a community.

“It’s just some else in Boston recommending a book to you,” said Gaggioli.

The organizers are working with publisher’ to get free books.

For example, Candlewick Press in Somerville donated copies of “Where’s Waldo?” to celebrate that book’s 30th anniversary.