Journal Entry 1 by AlexInLeeds from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, March 28, 2004

Bought to Ring at the Nottingham Meet while trawling charity shops.

From Amazon:
Synopsis
Amsterdam in the 1690s - a boom town with Europe's biggest stock exchange and traders who will stop at nothing to get even richer. Lienzo, a Portugese Jew, stumbles across a new commodity - coffee - which, if he plays his cards right, will make him the richest man in Holland. But others stand in his way - rival traders who do all in their power to confuse the exchange and scupper his plans, his brother who is jealous of his financial wizardry and even his brother's beautiful wife who both tempts and spurns him in equal measure.


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Book Ring Rules (Adapted from psychjo and kleptokitty)

1) Everybody should leave a journal entry when receiving the book and after the read! Please let us all know what you think about it...
2) Also PM the next person on the list for a mailing address and when that person doesn't answer within 7 days MAX! please PM the one after...
3) Everybody should also try to read the book soon (max - one month?)- but in a joyful speed. It's not about how many books someone can read within a certain amount of time - it's about enjoying it...
4) You can send the book via surface mail or airmail - that is completely up to you.
5) If you find you don't have the time to read it when it's your turn please PM and I'll move you to a later slot.
6) Enjoy :-)


Participants

Kleptokitty (UK)
YowlYY (UK)
Numbercruncher (UK)
Tehuti (UK)
daemonwolf (UK)
Myopicmeringue (UK)
Beebarf (UK)
Stensler (US)
ecmwfinswe (Sweden)
AnnevO (Netherlands)
silentdormouse (US)
Metropolitan (Brazil)
Mastulela (UK)
LittleMark (UK)
Winterson (UK)
Amanida (UK)
Nuela (Italy)
esq228 (US)
DP31 (US)
ldpaulson (US)
mlbish (US)
dospescados (US)
LisaGriffith (US)
angellica (UK)
Fire-Dragon (UK)
nice-cup-of-tea (Switzerland)
PRCS (Canada)
ajsmom (US)
CarolinaCajun (US)
WelshHelen (UK)
Drusillamac (UK)

*Please remember to journal when you receive the book and to review it when you're done!* 

Journal Entry 2 by AlexInLeeds at on Sunday, March 28, 2004

Released on Sunday, March 28, 2004 at Nottingham Meet in Nottingham, United Kingdom Controlled Releases.

Passed to Klpetokitty to start the Ring. 

Journal Entry 3 by Kleptokitty on Sunday, March 28, 2004

Passed onto me by Daemonwolf within minutes of her getting back to the pub with it from the shop!

If I can admit to being really sad, I think it's the cover that's drawn me to this book. I think it's lovely.

I have another couple of Rings on the go just now (that'll teach me for going to a meet up!!) but I'll get to this as soon as I can.

Next on the list for it is YowlYY. 

Journal Entry 4 by Kleptokitty on Monday, April 12, 2004

This isn't the sort of book I would normally have picked up, but I've enjoyed it allot and polished it off in a couple of sessions.

I knew nothing about Amsterdam in this period, so it made for an interesting read.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending, but I won't spoil the suprise for future readers by explaining why.

I hope it's OK with everyone if this makes a quick detour from the original list and is read by Numbercrucher before it travels onwards to YowlYY. 

Journal Entry 5 by Numbercruncher from Sandhurst, Berkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, April 17, 2004

I read the back of this when my girlfriend Kleptokitty was reading it at my house, and have asked to be included in the Ring. Apologies for delaying it, but I'll do my best to read it quickly. 

Journal Entry 6 by Numbercruncher from Sandhurst, Berkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 28, 2004

I found this slow to start with but am glad that I stuck with it and could not put it down last night until I had finished it. Kleptokitty has already nabbed it back so that it can be sent on to YowlYY, thank you to everyone who has had to wait for me to read it. 

Journal Entry 7 by YowlYY from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Thursday, May 06, 2004

Journal Entry 8 by YowlYY from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Nothing is quite what it seems with David Liss's characters, right? This great novel kept the promise to be as entertaining and thrilling as any good mystery story, despite the fact that it isn't a mystery at all.
I don't know much myself of the life of the jewish community in the Netherlands of the 17th century, and was fascinated by the strange "world-in-the-world", ruled by strict laws that did not allow much mixing up with the locals. I am going to read a bit more about this time of the history, and have already made notes of some of the books that Liss read in preparation of this novel.

The book is now leaving to Nottingham to visit Tehuti. 

Journal Entry 9 by tehuti from Treorci, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 26, 2004

YowlYY assures me Daemonwolf won't mind if I'm a bit slow with this book. I sincerely hope so as I'm in the midst of my first BC crisis (10 rings and a bookbox have descended on me in the space of 2 weeks!!!). 

Journal Entry 10 by tehuti from Treorci, Wales United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 26, 2004

This was a fascinating read, not only for the details of period and place, but also because of the many twists and turns to the story. It has much of the elements of a whodunnit, although there are no bodies. I'm finally sending this back to daemonwolf tomorrow (sorry for awful delay!!!) 

Journal Entry 11 by AlexInLeeds from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, November 05, 2004

Arrived earlier in the week, picked up from my mom today. Should help me while away a train trip this weekend. :) 

Journal Entry 12 by AlexInLeeds from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, November 21, 2004

This has been reviewed over on my book blog, all comments welcomed! 

Journal Entry 13 by AlexInLeeds from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, December 12, 2004

Hi, just an update. I'm not posting any books out between now and January 5th for fear of losing them in the Yule deluge of post. This'll be in the batch on the 5th. Happy holidays, all. :) 

Journal Entry 14 by AlexInLeeds at book ring in Mailed to fellow bookcrosser, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Released 7 yrs ago (2/3/2005 UTC) at book ring in Mailed to fellow bookcrosser, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way after an extended stay! Enjoy Gail. :) 

Journal Entry 15 by MyopicMeringue on Friday, February 04, 2005

Thanks, Nia :-) It arrived this morning. Am looking forward to reading it.

(And thanks for the postcard too - Leeds looks like a fantastic city.) 

Journal Entry 16 by MyopicMeringue on Friday, December 09, 2005

I have sent this to Beebarf today, and I am very sorry for having had it such a very long time.

I didn't read the whole book. I found all the stuff about business and trade hard to get into, because I'm not very business-minded. I loved the descriptions of coffee though - and the idea of people tasting coffee for the first time, and comparing it with wine. It made me crave coffee whenever I was reading this book. One time I was reading it at work and found myself wandering to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. When I asked my colleagues if they wanted a cup of coffee too, they looked at me funny and said 'You don't normally drink coffee'. So I blamed it on this book, and showed it to everyone! :-)

Anyway, it is quite an interesting book, from what I read of it, although I found it hard to get into. The relationships between characters were intriguing. I read about a third of it.

Thank you, daemonwolf, for starting this bookray. I'd never heard of this author before. 

Journal Entry 17 by Beebarf from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 08, 2006

I thought I journalled it when it got here, but between the chaos caused by Christmas, redundancy and the BC site itself, it must have been missed!

Will get round to it shortly, my current book is nearly finished.

 

Journal Entry 18 by Beebarf from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, July 01, 2006

I couldn't get on with this at all. Will PM the next participant for their address 

Journal Entry 19 by Beebarf from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, February 25, 2007

Still with me, due to my hiatus, but I've PM'ed stensler this morning for their address 

Journal Entry 20 by Beebarf from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, March 04, 2007

No response from Stensler, so I've pm'ed the next participant 

Journal Entry 21 by Beebarf from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Contact made - this book is on it's way to Sweden today! 

Journal Entry 22 by Beebarf at Bookring in sent to the next bookcrosser, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (3/6/2007 UTC) at Bookring in sent to the next bookcrosser, Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 

Journal Entry 23 by ecmwfinswe on Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Now The Coffee Trader has arrived to Sweden. I'm in the middle of moving from one house to another but I hope I can start reading the book during my Easter-vacation.