Journal Entry 1 by samulli from Weimar, Thüringen Germany on Friday, December 29, 2006

Found this one on my last bookshopping trip to London. I have no idea what it is about, but I liked the blurb and the cover art, so am giving it a try. 

Journal Entry 2 by samulli from Weimar, Thüringen Germany on Saturday, March 17, 2007

Finally I found the time to read this book. I am very glad I bought it, because I liked the story a lot.

We are a careless species. We lose things without knowing. But sometimes they leave behind a tiny fragment of themselves that lets us guess at the original. For my grandfather it was a feather; for me, a face.

Journal Entry 3 by samulli from Weimar, Thüringen Germany on Monday, March 19, 2007

I have Jinglefish's address already and will send out the book tomorrow.
But the ring stays open for more participants, who can be added to the end of the list. 

Journal Entry 4 by Jinglefish from Woking, Surrey United Kingdom on Thursday, March 22, 2007

Received safely today with feathers intact! Will read and journal as soon as I can. Thanks samulli for this wonderful opportunity. 

Journal Entry 5 by Jinglefish from Woking, Surrey United Kingdom on Friday, March 30, 2007

Samulli has given a great review above - one that I pretty much agree with.

I admit to finding the book a little disjointed in the beginning but I think I may have been distracted with other things happening in my life at the time and the fact that I was reading only one or two chapters as snippets. Once I sat and spent time reading bigger chunks (50 pages + in one sitting) the book became much more enjoyable with a more human face. I confess to prefering the historical tale woven around the bird and Joseph Banks more interesting than the modern narrative but both held my attention and I thought Miss B____n was a strong woman for reasons that become apparent.

I'm off now to see what extra historical information I can discover about Banks and his contribution to our understanding of naturalism and to find a picture of the "Mysterious Bird of Ulieta" - which is quite plain in comparison to the bird envisaged in my imagination!

Will be sending onto Tregossip in the next few days. Thank you samulli for the opportunity of enjoying this book.

02/04/07 - Posted to Tregossip today. 

Journal Entry 6 by Tregossip from St. Austell, Cornwall United Kingdom on Thursday, April 05, 2007

Arrived safely yesterday - wow what a surprise inside, will now have to find one of my own to add. Thanks one and all
A book to finish and the into this one

The small dark one with a white flash comes from Corkie the cockateel, who's just started his spring moult. Corkie lives with a friend of mine in St Austell and I'm grateful to both of them, for both providing and collecting.

The book was a very good read and samulli's review excellent. Have Starry-Starry addy so posting on 

Journal Entry 7 by Tregossip at In the hands of the Royal Mail in St. Austell, Cornwall United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (4/19/2007 UTC) at In the hands of the Royal Mail in St. Austell, Cornwall United Kingdom

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Journal Entry 8 by Starry-Starry from Llandrindod Wells, Wales United Kingdom on Friday, April 20, 2007

Thanks Tregossip and Samulli. This one has been on my wish list for a little while so I'm looking forward to reading it. Not sure if I will have any feathers to contribute, will have to go and have a look in the garden :o) 

Journal Entry 9 by Starry-Starry from Llandrindod Wells, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, May 07, 2007

Really enjoyed this interesting and compelling book. I thought the mystery was very well paced, the historical and modern narratives worked well together and because of the shortness of the sections, I never felt irritated to leave one period to return to the other, which sometimes happens in these types of books.

I also found the historical notes fascinating and the book tied in well with my current interest in anthropology and evolution - a happy coincidence that this book arrived at just the right time. I'll go and have a quick look in the garden as there are sometimes bird feathers out there, but I probably won't have anything to contribute, but I loved seeing the other donations and the leaflet from Jinglefish.

Ill PM Lindyloumac shortly and hopefully send it on its way next Saturday. Thanks Samulli for setting up the bookring it certainly didn't disappoint. 

Journal Entry 10 by LindyLouMac from Viterbo, Lazio Italy on Saturday, May 26, 2007

This title arrived safely yesterday with thanks to samulli for organising the ring and to Starry-Starry for mailing to me. I have already found a fluffy little white feather and added it to the collection! samulli's review has made me think that this title may appeal to my husband. He was a microbiolgist for many years and also enjoys natural history. So I will offer it to him while I read the bookring ahead of it. If he reads it this will not hold the ring up in any way I promise! 

Journal Entry 11 by LindyLouMac from Viterbo, Lazio Italy on Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Well I actually got to this title first and quicker than expected. If there is time my husband is going to read this while we wait for an address to send it to next.
This novel has a refreshingly different theme. Using the real life explorations of Captain Cook, and James Banks naturalist a tale is told of the mysterious bird of Ulieta. A painting of which is in The Natural History Museum in London. Two interlinking stories, one period, one present day using known facts are weaved into a novel that is part mystery, part romance and gripping throughout.
I am glad that I decided to read this as I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. 

Journal Entry 12 by LindyLouMac at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, June 10, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (6/11/2007 UTC) at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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En route to the next particpant in Norway 

Journal Entry 13 by LeishaCamden from Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Friday, June 15, 2007

This book arrived in the mail from Italy yesterday, June 14th. What a fascinating package! ;-) Thanks to all of you for keeping the ring moving and especially to samulli for sending the book out into the world. I'm really looking forward to reading it, it sounds like a wonderful book from what everyone has said about it. ;-) I'll journal again once I've read it. 

Journal Entry 14 by LeishaCamden from Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Thursday, June 21, 2007

I started reading this book yesterday, June 20th. Haven't gotten very far yet, have only read a couple of chapters. The two storylines are so far apart, in more than one sense; I'm really looking forward to discovering how they intertwine with each other. :-) 

Journal Entry 15 by LeishaCamden from Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Wednesday, July 11, 2007

I finished this book on Friday, July 6th.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book. It took me a while to really get into it, but once I did, I was just fascinated by the story. I loved it. :-) Now it should soon be jetting off to France, but I probably won't be able to send it for about a week and a half ... I'm leaving on vacation on Friday - going to my family's cabin in the wild Norwegian mountains :-) - and won't be able to get online or to a post office while I' there. But I have PMed bestfriends for her address so I should be able to send the book very soon after I get home.

After which I will also write a slightly more in-depth review of the book. There is so much to say about it, I love it. :-) I just wanted to let everyone - especially samulli :-) - know what's going on. I did find a couple of feathers btw - magpie feathers, one black, one white. It's perfect that they're from a magpie, because only a couple days after I started reading this book, I was privileged to see a very unusual sight (and in fact not far from where I later found the feathers) - a baby magpie. :-o OK, a juvenile, but still. That is so weird, you never see those, you only ever see the adult birds. How many magpies have I seen in my life, and never one that wasn't fully grown. And then I see one for the first time like two days after I started reading this. ;-) Life is strange ... !!

More to come. For now, take care, everybody, and thank you for sharing!! 

Journal Entry 16 by LeishaCamden from Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Thursday, July 26, 2007

Back I am!! :-)

Well, after reading through everyone's comments again, I'm not sure how much I can have to add - especially to samulli's review which is absolutely excellent. I so agree. But I really want to say something more about this book. :-) As an animal lover and as someone who feels a great and genuine concern about where the world is headed and what our species is doing to all the other wonderful animals that share the planet with us, I felt that this book really spoke to me. It dealt with a lot of issues that are important to me. Questions were raised, but fortunately (I think) not answered. The book lets the readers do a lot of thinking for themselves, which is always to the good.

The story in the book, or I should say stories, are both fascinating and really pulls you in. Unlike some ;-) I didn't really have a favorite time period. I felt that both settings were very well described. Davies is a talented writer and I was quite impressed with the way his language altered according to which period he was 'in'. The twist at the end was very welcome, I was getting really worried there for a while!! LOL! I sat there thinking, Oh no, he can't do it ... !! I am no great genius when it comes to solving literary puzzles - I can never guess who the killer is, even when it was the butler who did it ;-) - but maybe I enjoy the suspense all the more for it. :-)

I am quite fascinated by birds, especially parrots, and so was intrigued by the thought of all these extinct birds which are almost or completely lost to us, except in some cases for a few tantalizing glimpses. Even though they have the ability to fly (almost a kind of magic, isn't it) they still cannot escape the depredations of our species. The story of the passenger pigeon is especially poignant and frightening ... maybe I will quote something in a second JE here. I think I will.

This book should be widely read. Without preaching, and in an entertaining way, it brings up a lot of important questions which everyone in the world today needs to think about. What is our purpose on this planet, if we even have one? Are we really the masters of the universe that we think we are, or are we only one among a vast crowd of animals that all have equal claim to the space and resources they need to live? And if we are, then by what right do we steal from them what they need, to add to our own choking surplus of non-necessities?

Thank you samulli for sharing this book with all of us, and thanks to everyone who participated ... especially Jinglefish for finding the info on the bird that she kindly has included with the book. I love the fact that the story is so real. :-) I have bestfriends' address so the book should be on its way very soon. 

Journal Entry 17 by LeishaCamden from Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Thursday, July 26, 2007

This is an excerpt from the book 'Fire in the Turtle House' by Osha Gray Davidson, in which perhaps the most gripping story, for me, was this, about the fate of the passenger pigeon:

The sleek, brightly colored bird (which only slightly resembled its cousin, the urban-dwelling European immigrant, the common pigeon) was once the most abundant bird on the continent, accounting for 25 to 40 percent of the entire bird population of the United States. John James Audobon wrote that when a flock of pigeons passed, “the light of noonday was obscured as by an eclipse.” He later observed the aftereffects of the great flock’s roosting: trees, with trunks two feet in girth, had collapsed under the weight of so many birds. It looked, he wrote, “as if the forest had been swept by a tornado.” Like forest fires, such intermittent damage was probably an important component in keeping the forests healthy, clearing out deadwood and allowing for new growth.

Even the “inexhaustible” flocks of passenger pigeons disappeared almost overnight, in evolutionary terms. An estimated 5 billion birds were reduced to a single flock of some 250,000 individuals by the end of the nineteenth century. A group of hunters found the brood in April 1896 and by the end of that bloody day only around 5,000 individuals remained. By 1909 the number of living passenger pigeons totaled just three – two males and a female, housed in a cage in the Cincinnati Zoo. The males died in the following year. For four years, the female named Martha was the last of her species. The crowds that passed before her cage were looking at a living fossil. On September 1, 1914, at approximately 1 P.M., she died, and the passenger pigeon was gone. In the span of a single person’s lifetime, a species had gone from a population of several billion to extinction. 

Journal Entry 18 by LeishaCamden at Sent surface mail to the next on the list in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, July 27, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (7/27/2007 UTC) at Sent surface mail to the next on the list in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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This book will be sent off to bestfriends in France after I get back from seeing 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' tonight. Phoenix - get it?? ;-)

One thing I forgot to add, the one thing about the book that annoyed me: the name of the supposedly Norwegian character, Karl Anderson. This is a surprising mistake in a book so thoroughly researched - with that name, the man is obviously Swedish (and probably spells it with two s's); the Norwegian version of the name is Andersen. As a Norwegian born and bred, I cannot let this pass unremarked!! :-)

Thanks again, everyone, for sharing. bestfriends, I hope you will enjoy the book as much as we all have!! 

Journal Entry 19 by bestfriends from - Ergens in de provincie, Gelderland Netherlands on Saturday, August 04, 2007

In my mailbox today. Thanks.

This is the first time I''m afraid to have more rings in the house than I think I can handle. I never had more than two at the same time and with this one I have three, not counting the one I finished and mailed on yesterday.

Well, I''m the last one on the list, that''s a consolation. Seems to me that this is a book that deserves undevided attention! 

Journal Entry 20 by bestfriends from - Ergens in de provincie, Gelderland Netherlands on Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Started reading just before I left for a very busy long weekend abroad and decided to take it with me, although I didn't expect to find the time to read. But I did and actually even finished it as I found it unputdownable. I don't have much to add to the entries above.
My five-word-review would be: Refreshingly different, well written, thrilling, moving and instructive. What more can I say.

A painting of the mysterious bird of Ulieta, is being cared for at the Natural History Museum, London, UK


 

Journal Entry 21 by bestfriends at Controlled release by mail in Controlled Release / libération contrôlée, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- France on Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (8/14/2007 UTC) at Controlled release by mail in Controlled Release / libération contrôlée, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- France

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The book is coming home again! Congratulations on a successful ring and thanks for sharing.

BTW: Jinglefish printed the pages from the NHM website (see link above) and enclosed them in the book, with a few words written on them about the feathers. I forgot to send it to samulli! Just PM-ed her about it and quoted the note. Sorry Jinglefish!
 

Journal Entry 22 by samulli from Weimar, Thüringen Germany on Saturday, August 18, 2007

The book has found its way home safe and sound and looking at it you''d never guess it left the house at all. Thanks to all of you for taking such good care of it and for keeping it moving. Thanks especially to bestfriends for the bomb-proof packing and the beautiful Amsterdam postcard. :o)
As far as I remember this is only the third or fourth of my bookrings ever to return home to me and I''m very happy right now. Cheers, guys, you are all fantastic. 

Journal Entry 23 by ajsmom from Quesnel, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, September 26, 2007

woohoo! Received today, thanks, Samulli! 

Journal Entry 24 by ajsmom from Quesnel, British Columbia Canada on Monday, October 29, 2007

After reading all the comments from the bookring, I don't have much to add. I found this book thoroughly enjoyable, as I thought I might as soon as I opened the front page to find the publisher had inserted a beautiful feather. I'm assuming it was the publisher - if not, it's a lovely touch to a lovely book. I have added my own feather to the back; it is a tail feather from a grouse common to our area, found in the bush by AJ.

I am awaiting instructions from samulli as to where the book heads next - thank you so much for sending it out to me!! 

Journal Entry 25 by samulli from Weimar, Thüringen Germany on Thursday, November 15, 2007

This book will do another short bookring-round. These are the participants signed up so far:

pammykn (US)
Joanthro (US)
starflash (UK)
mallary (France)
ana-b (NL)
bilbi (France)

Hopefully in the end it will return to me. *keeping fingers crossed* 

Journal Entry 26 by ajsmom at mailed to next reader in Postal release, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases on Friday, November 16, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (11/16/2007 UTC) at mailed to next reader in Postal release, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases

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Sent to pammykn via air mail! 

Journal Entry 27 by pammykn from Decatur, Alabama USA on Sunday, December 09, 2007

Thanks for including me in this ring/ray! Mailing to joanthro Monday 12/10/07.

12/09/07
TITLE/AUTHOR: THE CONJUROR'S BIRD by Martin Davies
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Fiction/2005/306 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand Alone
TIME/PLACE: 1770's/South Seas & present, UK
CHARACTERS: James Banks/Naturalist;John Fitzgerald/Natural History Professor.
FIRST LINES:That Thursday evening I was working late, removing the skull of a dead owl

COMMENTS:
11/24/07 rec via bookcrossing ring/ray. Alternate stories between past 1770's & present. The Ulieta bird was an ordinary thrush type bird found in the South Seas and now extinct. Supposedly there is one preserved bird left and a collector hires Fitz to find the Conjuror's bird. A mix of history, mystery & romance.
 

Journal Entry 28 by Joanthro from Denver, Colorado USA on Saturday, December 15, 2007

The book arrived safely in yesterday's mail. There are at least 8 feathers in the back of the book plus the beautiful one in the front! I never read the journal entries until after I have read the book, so I will just have to wait to learn about the feathers, but this justs adds more enjoyment to this bookring. Fabulous! 

Journal Entry 29 by Joanthro from Denver, Colorado USA on Tuesday, January 15, 2008

This was a very enjoyable read. I enjoyed both storylines and how they were interwoven with each other. I also appreciated the care the author took to keep the known facts accurate within the storyline.

Unfortuntely, most of our birds have gone south for the winter, and the remaining sparrows and Canadian geese are keeping their feathers on them so I couldn't contribute to the collection. Thanks samuli for the lovely read and to all for making such a great bookring experience!

Mailed to starflash earlier today. 

Journal Entry 30 by starflash from Crawley, West Sussex United Kingdom on Friday, January 25, 2008

Received today, thank you 

Journal Entry 31 by starflash from Crawley, West Sussex United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I expected to. The story could have been interesting: I have read two other books with a dual storyline/narrative lately, in which the prose and characterisation were handled with far more expertise than in this book. I thought the characters dull and one dimensional and the narrative uninspired, occasionally contradictory. I read it on holiday, so I was able to whip through it quite quickly; if I had been at home with less time I may not have bothered to finish it.

However, reading an author new to me is never a waste, there is always the pleasure of another favourite waiting to be discovered. So, thank you for sharing anyway!

I will send this on to the next participant by surface mail early next week. 

Journal Entry 32 by Mallary from Ginestas, Languedoc-Roussillon France on Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Received today thanks!
I have one other bookring book ahead of this but I will be quick, I promise!
 

Journal Entry 33 by Mallary from Ginestas, Languedoc-Roussillon France on Saturday, March 22, 2008

I absolutely loved this book , I could hardly put it down!
I loved the fact that it was based on just three historical facts and the story was woven around each.

I found myself so entrenched in each part of the story (it alternated between modern day and the 1700's) that as the chapters ended I was anxious to start the next to pick up the story again. It was well-written, well thought out and completely believable. One if the best book I've read in a long time.

Pming ana-b for her address. 

Journal Entry 34 by Mallary from Ginestas, Languedoc-Roussillon France on Thursday, April 17, 2008

This book is now on it's way to ana-b, enjoy!
My daughter gave me a beautiful, tiny, blue-striped bird's feather that she found on a walk and we have added it to the collection in the back! 

Journal Entry 35 by ana-b from Gouda, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, April 25, 2008

I received it this morning. Thanks. I'll take it with me on holiday.
What a beautiful front cover. I absolutely love it, the colour red, the lettertype, beautiful. 

Journal Entry 36 by ana-b from Gouda, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, May 16, 2008

I really enjoyed this story or better the two stories. They're beautifully intertwined. I followed the link to the Natural History Museum. It's nice to see a picture of the bird everybody is looking for in the book. Just heard on the radio that also in The Netherlands many birds are on the Red List, that means they are at risk. What a pity. 

Journal Entry 37 by ana-b at By mail: to a fellow Bookcrosser in - Per post of in persoon doorgegeven, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, May 16, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (5/16/2008 UTC) at By mail: to a fellow Bookcrosser in - Per post of in persoon doorgegeven, Zuid-Holland Netherlands

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On its way to Bilbi. Only one to go samulli. 

Journal Entry 38 by bilbi from Chambéry, Rhône-Alpes France on Friday, May 23, 2008

Received today ! A really feathery I must say ;-)
Two books to read before starting this one !
Thanks for sharing \o/
 

Journal Entry 39 by bilbi from Chambéry, Rhône-Alpes France on Thursday, May 29, 2008

A great book !

I told my library to buy it ! (it was published in France last February)

I loved it when there are different narratives in a book \o/

It's also a book that makes you surf the internet ;-) 

Journal Entry 40 by samulli from Weimar, Thüringen Germany on Sunday, June 08, 2008

The eagle has landed!

Uhm, I mean, the book has returned home. :) And considering how far it has travelled, it's still in pretty good shape. And I really can hardly believe my luck to have it returning home for a second time.
I'd like to thank all of you for making this seond round a success as well, for keeping it moving and for reading and enjoying it. Now the book will take a well deserved rest on my shelf for a while. 

Journal Entry 41 by Into-the-Blue from Stade, Niedersachsen Germany on Thursday, April 08, 2010

Received today with 3 other books. Thanks for the great RABCKs!

April 13th. 2010:
When I put the book into the TBR-shelf assorted after the author's name, I noticed I already have a book there by Martin Davies. The German title translated into English would be "The flora-painter". I checked that one for the original English title and well it is the "conjurors bird". Since reading German is easier for me and I always need English books to offer at the Int. forum I will put this one on AVL now. Still thanks very much for sending it to me!! I am sure I will find an interested reader for this one soon. 

Journal Entry 42 by Into-the-Blue at -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Niedersachsen Germany on Sunday, April 25, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (4/26/2010 UTC) at -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Niedersachsen Germany

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Journal Entry 43 by wibba from Foxton, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Sunday, May 02, 2010

received yesterday from into-the-blue