Speed Reading in Birmingham
Is this the world’s fastest bookring?
by CaterinaannaNovember 21, 2006
Heaven-Ali pulled the book from her bag and hugged it to her chest, lovingly caressing the back cover.
‘I’m not really sure what to do with this one’, she said, ‘it’s been round lots of the people you think would like it - caffcaff, spike1972, Mol – and I don’t really think I can leave it here …’
When she turned it round we were forced to agree. If you think a volume entitled ‘The Night, They Say, Was Made for Love: Plus My Sexual Scrapbook’ fits the rarefied ambience of Hudson’s Coffee House, then it is time you visited us in Birmingham, for you obviously have the wrong idea.
As the initial laughter died down, one brave soul asked for a peek and started flicking. Then she went back to the beginning and started looking. And then – gasp! – she started reading. In the middle of a meet-up! How rude!
‘It’s so short, it’s not worth me taking it home,’ she said, defensively.
‘OK, good point, pass it here next!’ cried nordie.
‘Watch for when she laughs. Make a note of the page numbers!’ suggested beckydore.
‘Don’t you mean note the BCID?’ pointed out the pragmatic wyldetwo.
Somehow or other, in the midst of these comments and exclamations of delight, disgust and disbelief from the next few readers the idea of a rapid ring was born. Could we set a record?
So round the volume went, with slips of paper toting the full BCID all prepared for people to take home so all could journal. This part of the plan was not entirely foolproof: LyzzyBee’s seems to have ended up as a damp, disintegrating wodge in the pocket of her newly washed jeans. Nonetheless, when it came to closing time, less than three hours later, fifteen Brummie BookCrossers had read the book, although, as I write this, two have yet to journal.
You can see those who have at the journal here, but should I name & shame the defaulters?
Nah! I’m known for being nice! Besides, the day after our meeting, countedx58 thought we needed another 3 journal entries, and there have been four since, so there’s probably no need to nag daddyhuggy & JulieC for theirs (oops!) in order for us to hold the record for fastest bookring – unless, of course, you know better …
P.S. Heaven-Ali planned to take the book to the October Cambridge meet-up for an attempt to beat its own record, and it's since moved on to another meetup. Watch for it at yours!
‘I’m not really sure what to do with this one’, she said, ‘it’s been round lots of the people you think would like it - caffcaff, spike1972, Mol – and I don’t really think I can leave it here …’
When she turned it round we were forced to agree. If you think a volume entitled ‘The Night, They Say, Was Made for Love: Plus My Sexual Scrapbook’ fits the rarefied ambience of Hudson’s Coffee House, then it is time you visited us in Birmingham, for you obviously have the wrong idea.
As the initial laughter died down, one brave soul asked for a peek and started flicking. Then she went back to the beginning and started looking. And then – gasp! – she started reading. In the middle of a meet-up! How rude!
‘It’s so short, it’s not worth me taking it home,’ she said, defensively.
‘OK, good point, pass it here next!’ cried nordie.
‘Watch for when she laughs. Make a note of the page numbers!’ suggested beckydore.
‘Don’t you mean note the BCID?’ pointed out the pragmatic wyldetwo.
Somehow or other, in the midst of these comments and exclamations of delight, disgust and disbelief from the next few readers the idea of a rapid ring was born. Could we set a record?
So round the volume went, with slips of paper toting the full BCID all prepared for people to take home so all could journal. This part of the plan was not entirely foolproof: LyzzyBee’s seems to have ended up as a damp, disintegrating wodge in the pocket of her newly washed jeans. Nonetheless, when it came to closing time, less than three hours later, fifteen Brummie BookCrossers had read the book, although, as I write this, two have yet to journal.
You can see those who have at the journal here, but should I name & shame the defaulters?
Nah! I’m known for being nice! Besides, the day after our meeting, countedx58 thought we needed another 3 journal entries, and there have been four since, so there’s probably no need to nag daddyhuggy & JulieC for theirs (oops!) in order for us to hold the record for fastest bookring – unless, of course, you know better …
P.S. Heaven-Ali planned to take the book to the October Cambridge meet-up for an attempt to beat its own record, and it's since moved on to another meetup. Watch for it at yours!
