What Goes Around, Comes Around
or, How To Weave a Tapestry Out of Books and Friends...
by jessibudMay 17, 2005
You know how we all live for great journal entries? And wonderful book-travelling stories? And amazing circles of serendipity? Well, sit back and get ready, because here comes another one! This is the kind of story that could only happen at BookCrossing.
I joined BookCrossing a little over a year ago. It took me a while before I attended my first Meet-up and when I did, I had no idea that people brought books to exchange. I was quite shy and reluctant to help myself to a book because I hadn't contributed to the pile. But BookCrossers being BookCrossers, they insisted that I have a look and take what appealed to me. Not wanting to be greedy, I chose just one: one I had never heard of and, initially, wasn't really sure I wanted to read (ah, BookCrossing...!). It didn't look like a *happy* book, but something about it compelled me to look at it again and again. I am always attracted to biographies and true stories; I took it home. The book was Autobiography of A Face, written by Lucy Grealy and registered by imabookie (remember this screen name!).
Fast forward a few months. It's September, and I am participating in my very first Release Challenge: the You're Such An Animal release challenge. I am giddy and having way more fun than even I thought possible. I am leaving books in the craziest places and writing rather silly release notes. I hardly log a single catch but what I am getting plenty of -- and loving every minute of -- are PMs from a local BookCrosser who receives release alerts for my area and has been following the trail of my zany releases. She writes me hilarious messages and we begin to chat and banter. We even speak on the telephone a few times. Yes, the BookCrosser is none other than imabookie, the first owner of the first book I “caught” at my first BXing meeting.
Backtrack again, to earlier in 2004 when I received my first-ever PM. It came from Ri, an American currently living here in Toronto. She had PM'd just to say hi and to welcome me to BookCrossing. Just like that. No other reason. I was quite touched by this friendly gesture and, eventually, at the end of the summer, we met in person and really connected. When I recently put my hands on a copy of Truth and Beauty, by Ann Patchett, which I knew she wanted to read, I lent it to her (Ann Patchett was the best friend of Lucy Grealy, author of Autobiography of a Face; Truth and Beauty is the story of their friendship).
If you are beginning to wonder what these vignettes have to do with one another, and how -- and if -- they connect, here is where the magic begins. Here is where the threads of this story begin to come together, to weave an intricate and truly karmic tapestry.
Imagine my delight when the following email (from Ri) arrived in my inbox, last week. It just made me smile and shake my head in wonder!!!! My first catch, Autobiography of a Face, moves full circle, and somehow finds its way back to me, in spirit...read on...
And this is just one example of how the tapestries of BookCrossing have woven through my year... In the immortal words of Harry Chapin: "All my life's a circle..."
*Reprinted with permission
I joined BookCrossing a little over a year ago. It took me a while before I attended my first Meet-up and when I did, I had no idea that people brought books to exchange. I was quite shy and reluctant to help myself to a book because I hadn't contributed to the pile. But BookCrossers being BookCrossers, they insisted that I have a look and take what appealed to me. Not wanting to be greedy, I chose just one: one I had never heard of and, initially, wasn't really sure I wanted to read (ah, BookCrossing...!). It didn't look like a *happy* book, but something about it compelled me to look at it again and again. I am always attracted to biographies and true stories; I took it home. The book was Autobiography of A Face, written by Lucy Grealy and registered by imabookie (remember this screen name!).
Fast forward a few months. It's September, and I am participating in my very first Release Challenge: the You're Such An Animal release challenge. I am giddy and having way more fun than even I thought possible. I am leaving books in the craziest places and writing rather silly release notes. I hardly log a single catch but what I am getting plenty of -- and loving every minute of -- are PMs from a local BookCrosser who receives release alerts for my area and has been following the trail of my zany releases. She writes me hilarious messages and we begin to chat and banter. We even speak on the telephone a few times. Yes, the BookCrosser is none other than imabookie, the first owner of the first book I “caught” at my first BXing meeting.
Backtrack again, to earlier in 2004 when I received my first-ever PM. It came from Ri, an American currently living here in Toronto. She had PM'd just to say hi and to welcome me to BookCrossing. Just like that. No other reason. I was quite touched by this friendly gesture and, eventually, at the end of the summer, we met in person and really connected. When I recently put my hands on a copy of Truth and Beauty, by Ann Patchett, which I knew she wanted to read, I lent it to her (Ann Patchett was the best friend of Lucy Grealy, author of Autobiography of a Face; Truth and Beauty is the story of their friendship).
If you are beginning to wonder what these vignettes have to do with one another, and how -- and if -- they connect, here is where the magic begins. Here is where the threads of this story begin to come together, to weave an intricate and truly karmic tapestry.
Imagine my delight when the following email (from Ri) arrived in my inbox, last week. It just made me smile and shake my head in wonder!!!! My first catch, Autobiography of a Face, moves full circle, and somehow finds its way back to me, in spirit...read on...
Hi Jessibud,
Just wanted to let you know what a small world bookcrossing is. I am reading Truth and Beauty and loving it. I read your journal entry about it and saw that you also read Autobiography of a Face, so I read your journal entry on that one too. Then over on BookRelay, I am sending a package to corry000 with several books. She in turn decided to send me a wish off my wishlist - Autobiography of a Face! And it is the same copy that you had! Weird. She didn't even know at the time that I was reading Truth and Beauty. Just thought it was funny and thought I'd share.*
And this is just one example of how the tapestries of BookCrossing have woven through my year... In the immortal words of Harry Chapin: "All my life's a circle..."
*Reprinted with permission
