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December 20, 2005
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IN THIS ISSUE...



BOOKCROSSING NEWS

A VSTB in New Zealand

kiwi ballyThere's a VSTB* wandering New Zealand now. Follow the adventures of Kiwi Ballycumber, who is travelling the country and keeping a photo album of all the sights encountered. What a wonderful way to armchair travel — and to whet our appetite for the New Zealand BookCrossing Convention in February 2006.
*Very Special Travelling Book


Take a Walk in Book-Loving Salcey Forest

Salcey Forest, aside from being a lovely spot, has the unique distinction of being the only forest we know of with two BookCrossing Zones tucked amongst the trees. And now the Forestry Commission have mentioned BookCrossing on their website, complete with a link to the SalceyForest bookshelf (managed by Weebly). A second cafe in a forest Near Ayslebury will be opening soon, which will be maintained by Katybean. The forest rangers report finding books on the paths released after previous meetups and carefully leave them there for others to find. Click here for the website. Our link is on the right-hand bar.


On The Radio And In The News

It's hard keeping up with all the mentions of BookCrossing in the Media these days. For instance, we know for a fact that co-founder Heather Pedersen has been interviewed by several radio stations, including WPSU, the National Public Radio affiliate station in Central PA. Bookcrosser LyekkaMarengo was also interviewed for the spot which can be found on the station website after December 16. Penelopita was also interviewed on French National Radio.

If the written word is more your style, there's a nice article online about a grant received by a BookCrossing teacher to help get her students involved with spreading books in the community. Click here for details. Or if you'd like, an article at haaretz.com


BCUK Unconvention Website Now Live

Want news about the BCUK Unconvention? A website devoted to it is now up and running: www.bcukunconvention.co.uk. Here you can find all related information for UnCon06 — including the current list of attendees and, when finalized, the agenda for the weekend. Information on local hotels, a message board and lots of other valuable information is there, so be sure to visit! The BCUK Unconvention is in Birmingham, June 30 through July 2, 2006.


Special offer! Fly with a friend!

Now through the end of the year, purchase any gift certificate from our Supply Store and get a month's worth of wings for yourself and the recipient of your choice! To take advantage of this offer, make sure you indicate the accurate screen name of the person you want winged in addition to yourself in the comments section of the order form. Just our way of helping you wing your way into the new year!




NEW BOOKCROSSING ARTICLES

BC GATHERING 101
Creating Fulfulling BC Gatherings: Tips for Every BCer
by Neesy

Many BookCrossers have attended a BC gathering and once they do, they make one of two choices: either come back for more fun, or never return again. Here are some practical tips for every BCer when attending a gathering:...

[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/1830]


MA’AM - CAN I TURN THIS ONE IN?
BookCrossing.com Scarecrow is a hit!
by Holly (kz4ufo)

The amazing thing about releasing children’s books is getting to watch the spark of interest in a child’s eye and hearing their comments....

[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/2084]


100TH BOOK RELEASE
Granville TAFE OBCZ Celebrates the Release of 100 Books
by Julie Ford (jford22)

TAFE NSW - South Western Sydney Institute, Granville College has an OBCZ where books have been released for students and staff for the past year....

[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/2093]


CROSSING DOWN THE ISLAND
From northeastern Scotland to south of London...how I ended up on a BookCrossing-a-licious trip
by Linda Raven Moore (WhiteRaven13)

It started with a suitcase in which nestled several promised books and a package of BookCrossing postcards. It ended up being a BookCrossing frolic down the length of Great Britain. ...

[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/2097]


HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM BOOKCROSSING!

by BCNewsletter

2005 will soon be a memory, and before Father Time goes to bed in the first time zone where there's a BookCrosser, we wanted to wish you a Very Happy New Year from Ron, Heather, and Bruce, the Volunteer Support Team, and all of us on the Newsletter Team....

[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/2117]


CALL FOR WRITERS

Want to write for BookCrossing? If your article is accepted, you could see it featured here in the next newsletter. What topics do we need? Anything about books, reading, or BookCrossing — tutorials, release and catch stories, well-traveled book stories, funny BookCrossing experience stories — you get the idea. Write it up, then submit it here:

http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/submit




GLOBAL BOOKCROSSING GROWTH CHARTS

Top 10 Countries All-Time
USA 194,052 (45%)
UNITED KINGDOM 40,049 (9%)
CANADA 30,603 (7%)
GERMANY 28,155 (7%)
SPAIN 21,003 (5%)
AUSTRALIA 19,159 (4%)
ITALY 14,195 (3%)
FRANCE 7,850 (2%)
PORTUGAL 6,044 (1%)
NETHERLANDS 6,044 (1%)

Top 10 Countries Last Week
USA 653 (38%)
UNITED KINGDOM 149 (9%)
SPAIN 125 (7%)
GERMANY 108 (6%)
AUSTRALIA 85 (5%)
CANADA 76 (4%)
FRANCE 54 (3%)
INDIA 34 (2%)
ITALY 32 (2%)
NETHERLANDS 26 (2%)



THE LATEST WILD BOOK CATCHES

Wild books released by our members are being caught all over the world, every day! Our site watch forum is where members post news of great wild book catches. Here are some of the best from the last few days...

"fun and imaginative" - nice catch for JanTigger - a year later!
http://bookcrossing.com/---/433329

[I wonder if the book's been hanging out at the bagel shop all this time (or possibly has been read and returned without comment several times), or if the finder just didn't get around to journaling until now...]
by GoryDetails

Cody's Release--2004
I just got notified that a book I released for "Cody's Release" in April of 2004, has just been journeled (Atlantic Encounter: A Novel of World War 2 at Sea)
by mplsmary

International catch, from the Netherlands to Germany to Canada!
Hurray, AND a new member!
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/420319

I haven't been wild releasing lately, so am very very VERY pleased with this catch. Thanks, celestine-luven!
by owlet

What a nice catch of a great book!
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/1438999
by kiptrix

Have not read a book in 14 years...
This is my most recent catch...
That is, someone caught my book...
Please read on...

Book Title: THE TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
Author: Carol Beach York
______________________________________________
"Monday, December 12, 2005

Sorry about the delay…. I originally found The Tree House Mystery several months ago but I just found it again. The book got mixed up with my daughter’s books and I thought it was lost. I found it yesterday and plan on passing it on tomorrow.

I'm a 31 year old male, married with a one year old daughter.

I originally found my book when I was making a routine stop at my bank. I had to make a deposit in the over night deposit box and there it was. It was resting on the handle and I had to move it to open the drawer. I was curious and I noticed the note on the cover. I was thinking of leaving it for the next person but I felt compelled to take it. There was a car
waiting behind me so I had to make a quick decision. I was almost nervous. I have no idea why.

I took the book home and read it the next day. That was the first book I've read since the 11th grade when we had to read To Kill a Mocking Bird. My reading usually consists of SI, Maxim, FHM, Baseball America and the Plain Dealer Sports page. I would be the last person to visit www.bookcrossings.com but here I am." CAUGHT IN BRUNSWICK OHIO USA

~AWESOME! Chubs~

by chubsiewhubsie

My RABCK flies over the oceans…
…already the Atlantic and the Pacific and finally(?) the Indian: http://bookcrossing.com/---/2520915.

Some BXers may be used to this sort of thing, but I'm chuffed right out!
by Dunzy

New member from a seasonal release
http://bookcrossing.com/---/825608
by phantomreader42

I felt like I had found a prize!
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/2080516
by TracyShannon

Carmel to Oz in one step. Woot!
http://bookcrossing.com/---/3091581

by avanta7

How newspaper articles make hunters out of normal people...
http://bookcrossing.com/---/3067451

Translation:

Caught in a Chocolaterie in a small street at the city hall in Heidelberg. Was somewhere near the newspapers. I decided to hunt the book after reading an article on Bookcrossing and found out its whereabouts.
Since I am a real fan in reading books and had something to do in the city of Heidelberg I gave it a try to search for it.
Read that this book was released three weeks ago and didn't even have hopes that it might still be there- but it was!
I think I'm going to read this book and release it again afterwards. Maybe I'll put it into an empty locker at the main station or so.
by Katti

No news from #500 but #501 has already checked in!
I released book #501 yesterday morning and by afternoon it had already been caught and journaled! Hooray! I don't think I've ever had any caught so quickly.

http://bookcrossing.com/---/3511387
by alrescate

Never give up hope.....long lost book found. ;-)
http://bookcrossing.com/---/799563
by zizzr

AF horrified by children's classic
This is one of Wolfboy's wild releases, his very first wild-caught book! However, the finder was not at all pleased with Little Red Riding Hood...
http://bookcrossing.com/---/3459202
by rainwolfe

SHE'S STOKED? Nothing compared to me!
After a long, loooong dry spell of NO journal entries, got one for an Elizabeth Berg (7 months after releasing it), the wonderful one from the guy who found the Kipling stories, and now this: .... all in one week! I tell you, I am FULL of the Christmas spirit right now.

http://bookcrossing.com/---/3491251

(edited to correct journal entry link)

by kestralwing

Fastest catch ever...
...for me, anyway. No sooner did I make the release note than did I get the journal entry notification.

http://bookcrossing.com/---/2405882
by cosmicflurk




SSM 31

SSM 31 Ring Out The Old; Welcome The New on December 31

ssm logoFast away the old year passes. Hail the new, with our SSM 31 (and yes, we grant dispensation for it to be on Saturday again). Take a moment to celebrate the positive, the hopes for this world we all share. Cast your book to the BookCrossing Fates at a place that celebrates the freshness and new start a new year offers, kind of like making a wish on birthday candles. It can be a quiet park bench at a moonlit lake, a New Year's Celebration or even Times Square! Choose your book to reflect your hopes for the coming year. Then close your eyes tight, make a wish and set your book free.

Please accept our wishes of the season and a heartfelt wish for peace on earth, good books to all. See you in 2006!

If you need a hint to help you know what to do for the SSM, click here. Wings go to BOOKWORMINUSALL and a BookCrosser who wishes to remain anonymous for the idea for this SSM and to Wyando and Solittletime for coming up with the logo for you to use for SSMs.





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