Journal Entry 1 by psychjo from Bristol, not specified not specified on Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Do you ever sit on the tube/train/bus and wonder what sort of lives the other people lead? Than this is the book for you!

Strange one this - each page is about a different person, each of whom is sitting on a tube train. I think each page has 253 words on it too. The fun thing for me was discovering the connections between the people, and seeing 2 different sides to lots of stories. I would not advise you to read while on the tube....! (You'll find out at the end of the book why, but you might be able to guess from the description below.)

From Amazon:
A Bakerloo tube train with no-one standing and no empty seats can carry 252 passengers. The driver makes 253. Each one has a page devoted to them, divided into three sections - what they look like, what they are thinking and inside information - and some of them are going to die.

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I had sent my copy of this book out into the world as a bookray (253 by Geoff Ryman), but it seems to have got lost in the post. The lovely YowlYY has found another copy for me and so I am now transfering the remaining people on the bookray list across to here.....

9) Leggiona (Italy) [Received: 29th April 2004]
10) Agnul (Italy) [Received: 30th June 2004]
11) BlackLilith (Italy)[Received: 14th July 2004]
12) beckys (Lecco, Lombardia Italy)[Received: 20th October 2004]
13) Lorelei03 (Flushing, NY, USA) [Received: 22 July 2005, Sent 2nd October 2005]
14) Jenh (Cardiff, UK)[Received: 13 December 2005]
15) Spaceystacey (Bridgeton, NJ, USA)[Received: 24 April 2006; Read: 22 April]
16) Freesia (St Albans, UK but currently in Australia) [Received and read: 16 November 2006]
17) Moraelyn (San Bernadino, California, USA) )[Received: 27 April 2007; ]
18) celestialblnder (Putney, Vermont, USA)
?? 

Journal Entry 2 by YowlYY from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Monday, April 26, 2004

The book is leaving tomorrow to Italy...I hope this journey will be without problems and the book will reach Leggiona soon :-) 

Journal Entry 3 by leggiona on Thursday, April 29, 2004

Hurray, the book has finally found its way to Italy!
I've had a look at the first pages: I had no idea the author was such a humorist :-) 

Journal Entry 4 by leggiona on Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Sorry to make the journal entry so long after finishing the book, I've been horribly busy with work lately :-(
I've always watched people on trains and buses and I admit to even listening to their conversations: sometimes it's a real challenge trying to guess the meaning of some bits of dialogue.
I appreciated the mix of humour and tragedy; I've wondered if it's possible that all the people in a train have such "interesting" lives, but yes it is true that everyone has scars, and longings, and joys too.
A paradox about this book is that you would like to read little by little to avoid pressing all the characters together, but at the same time if you delay you forget who is who and miss something. 

Journal Entry 5 by leggiona on Wednesday, June 30, 2004

BlackLilith has asked to be skipped, so the book has gone to Agnul, who received it from my hands an hour ago. 

Journal Entry 6 by agnul from Milano, Lombardia Italy on Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Got it and started reding it... couldn't wait to get on the subway to do it. :-) 

Journal Entry 7 by agnul from Milano, Lombardia Italy on Sunday, July 11, 2004

I'm usually too sleepy to notice other people on the subway... nah, just kidding. Who knows, that robot in a suit and a tie could be a nice chap to know... mhhh the T-shirt that blonde is wearing is ugly... hey careful with that backpack...

Hey wait a minute, that was my stop ! :-)

I liked this book. 

Journal Entry 8 by BlackLilith from Città di Castello, Umbria Italy on Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Just arrived and on my high TBR...please wait... ;-) 

Journal Entry 9 by BlackLilith from Città di Castello, Umbria Italy on Thursday, October 07, 2004

No time to read, a busy time in my soul and I keep it for a very long time. Sorry, please forgive me. It's ready to start again. 

Journal Entry 10 by beckys on Thursday, October 21, 2004

It arrived yesterday, totally unexpected. Thank you! :-) 

Journal Entry 11 by psychjo from Bristol, not specified not specified on Saturday, June 04, 2005

Beckys has sent to Lorelei03. 

Journal Entry 12 by Lorelei03 from Flushing, New York USA on Friday, July 22, 2005

Recieved on the day of the first London tube bombings.

Chilling coincidence. 

Journal Entry 13 by Lorelei03 from Flushing, New York USA on Thursday, July 28, 2005

Well, once I shook off the coincidence (and knew all my friends in London were ok), I enjoyed this book. You can't really "get into" a book formatted this way - meaning you can't lose yourself, but it was quite engaging. The "ads" within the book were amusing and reminded me of Jasper Fforde.

In my NY tube experience, I think quite a bit more people are reading or sleeping than was represented here, but I guess that'd make for a boring chapter!

PMed Reading-fairy next on list.

8/10 UPDATE.
Just heard from Reading-fairy who has asked to be skipped (permanently), so I will pm next in the ring!

9/25 UPDATE
This is very odd - still having trouble pasing this on! Will pm next next!

10/02 UPDATE
On its way to jenh! 

Journal Entry 14 by jenh from Oadby, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, December 13, 2005

This book arrived this morning :) Fantastic - Am looking forward to reading it. 

Journal Entry 15 by jenh from Oadby, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, January 24, 2006

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I tended to dip in and out of this book, and flicking through it as I tried to get to the connections in between some of the passengers.

I have often sat on the bus journey into work and have watched people that I see every morning and wondered what they do (perhaps I'm a nosy parker!). This was the ideal book for me.

Will PM the next person in the list :)

Edited: Have had problems with PM's getting through but it seems to be OK at the moment. Have PM'ed Raynebair as Veracity has asked to be skipped. 

Journal Entry 16 by jenh from Oadby, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, April 16, 2006

I've had no reply from Veracity or Raynebair. Onto the next person in the list. 

Journal Entry 17 by spaceystacey from Bridgeton, New Jersey USA on Thursday, April 27, 2006

Just received in the post on Monday, April 24th, 2006. Will be reading shortly and then rereleasing.


5/22/06 A fast enjoyable read. Different from all other books that I have read. I have only recently had occasion to ride any type of public transportation and have frequently wondered about my fellow riders. Will be mailed off to the UK just as soon as I have Freesia's address. 

Journal Entry 18 by freesia from Perth, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, November 16, 2006

I loved reading this fascinating concept of a book! The characters were fascinating and it really inspired me to write something in a similar vein! The advertisements within the text for the different things readers can do with the book remind me a lot of those in Jasper Fforde's books. Ah, this postmodern world!

This has taken several months to get to me and - because I've been travelling - was forwarded to 3 addresses! Thanks so much for sharing. Will contact the next person on the ring.

Edited to add that Veracity is not bookcrossing at the moment, so I'm PMing Jords. 

Journal Entry 19 by freesia from Perth, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, December 07, 2006

No response from Jords, so PMing torialouise. 

Journal Entry 20 by freesia from Perth, Western Australia Australia on Wednesday, January 03, 2007

No response from torialouise, PMing Ember83. Come on people: you signed up for this, someone must want to read it! :-) 

Journal Entry 21 by freesia from Perth, Western Australia Australia on Monday, January 08, 2007

Ember83 can't take the book: contacting Moraelyn. Hopefully this time will be lucky.... 

Journal Entry 22 by moraelyn from Rialto, California USA on Friday, April 27, 2007

received safe and sound today! I'm looking forward to reading it, but I have a few rings ahead of it. It's been a bad year. If you want me to send it on I will. Thanks for the chance to read it :)