Crossed my book yet?
How reading has become a whole lot more interesting
by Star49May 13, 2004
About two weeks ago I read an article in a Sydney magazine about BookCrossing. I was captivated and read it about three times. As soon as I had the opportunity, I logged on to the internet and checked out the BookCrossing website. It was everything I imagined
it would be and more.
I was fascinated by the idea and wondered if any my friends or family had heard, joined, released, gone hunting etc. My quick poll determined that a couple had heard about it (but it had not sparked their interest enough to check it out) and the rest had never heard of it (this is dispite reading the Sydney magazine where I was introduced to it). Wonders never cease.
I have been a book lover for many years, sharing books with all my friends and family and sometimes being asked if I work for the publisher. I can get a little animated when talking about a great book I've read... but working for the publisher? I wish.
The concept of BookCrossing combines your love of reading with mystery and fate. By that I mean leaving books in public spaces and wondering who will find it, read it or be curious enough to log onto BookCrossing.
I wish, in hindsight, that I'd stumbled across a BookCrossing book and been introduced that way. Instead, I hope that the books I've released and the many more I intend to release fall into the hands of the uninitiated.
To date, I've released four books and not one has been caught. It's only early days I guess, but the thrill of checking if a book has been caught every few days is a real buzz.
I enjoyed selecting which books from my rapidly expanding shelves I would release. Preparing them for release was also fun, choosing the best possible location for the labels and bookmarks. Something catchy that would invite you to pick up the book and decide whether to engage in the BookCrossing journey.
Attempting to release my books though was akin to a comedy routine. My first attempt resulted in me being followed out of the public place by an earnest individual and stopped with a polite, "Excuse me, you left this book on..." Strike one. My second attempt felt like a commando exercise as I was too focused on being watched. I waited and waited until one individual left the space I selected and when they finally decided to leave, the place became incredibly busy. Strike two. Finally, I released all four books successfully (well, that's debatable as none have been found yet.). I may have released them never to be found again!
It good, clean fun and allows you to share your love of reading with likeminded individuals. What's not to like?
I was fascinated by the idea and wondered if any my friends or family had heard, joined, released, gone hunting etc. My quick poll determined that a couple had heard about it (but it had not sparked their interest enough to check it out) and the rest had never heard of it (this is dispite reading the Sydney magazine where I was introduced to it). Wonders never cease.
I have been a book lover for many years, sharing books with all my friends and family and sometimes being asked if I work for the publisher. I can get a little animated when talking about a great book I've read... but working for the publisher? I wish.
The concept of BookCrossing combines your love of reading with mystery and fate. By that I mean leaving books in public spaces and wondering who will find it, read it or be curious enough to log onto BookCrossing.
I wish, in hindsight, that I'd stumbled across a BookCrossing book and been introduced that way. Instead, I hope that the books I've released and the many more I intend to release fall into the hands of the uninitiated.
To date, I've released four books and not one has been caught. It's only early days I guess, but the thrill of checking if a book has been caught every few days is a real buzz.
I enjoyed selecting which books from my rapidly expanding shelves I would release. Preparing them for release was also fun, choosing the best possible location for the labels and bookmarks. Something catchy that would invite you to pick up the book and decide whether to engage in the BookCrossing journey.
Attempting to release my books though was akin to a comedy routine. My first attempt resulted in me being followed out of the public place by an earnest individual and stopped with a polite, "Excuse me, you left this book on..." Strike one. My second attempt felt like a commando exercise as I was too focused on being watched. I waited and waited until one individual left the space I selected and when they finally decided to leave, the place became incredibly busy. Strike two. Finally, I released all four books successfully (well, that's debatable as none have been found yet.). I may have released them never to be found again!
It good, clean fun and allows you to share your love of reading with likeminded individuals. What's not to like?
