A common element in romantic movies is getting to know people through books. Discussing books in the bookstore or library, maybe striking up a conversation with the pretty reader sitting next to you on the plane… But reading has an even wider potential when it comes to social interaction. The knowledge we accumulate through reading enables us to engage in a wide range of conversations, just as we can start conversations on different topics ourselves. Literature is particularly useful when meeting foreigners. What better way to break the ice than to have some information about their culture, their country, or to have read something from an author from that country?