Journal Entry 1 by jmg49 from Woodstock, Ontario Canada on Saturday, January 25, 2003

Bought today @ Chapters 

Journal Entry 2 by jmg49 from Woodstock, Ontario Canada on Monday, February 10, 2003

Started reading today. 

Journal Entry 3 by jmg49 from Woodstock, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, February 11, 2003

This is a great little book.
I'm going to keep this one for a while. My wife & daughter might want to read it. 

Journal Entry 4 by jmg49 at Post Office in Woodstock, Ontario Canada on Monday, March 10, 2003

Release planned for Tuesday, March 11, 2003 at Post Office in Woodstock, Ontario Canada.

Sending to "Betsy-STL"
Ithink you will enjoy this book. 

Journal Entry 5 by Betsy-STL from St. Louis, Missouri USA on Tuesday, April 01, 2003

Received in today's mail. Thanks for the trade JMG49! I'm putting this one near the top of my TBR stack. 

Journal Entry 6 by Betsy-STL from St. Louis, Missouri USA on Wednesday, April 16, 2003

I really enjoyed this fable. I recommend this one to all book lovers. 

Journal Entry 7 by Betsy-STL at Controlled Release in St. Louis, Missouri USA on Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Release planned for Thursday, April 17, 2003 at Controlled Release in St. Louis, Missouri USA.

Releasing via mail to another bookcrosser to fulfill a wish. Enjoy alsomama! 

Journal Entry 8 by alsomama from Seattle, Washington USA on Sunday, April 27, 2003

I was surprised to receive this book in the same package with Shopgirl--I didn't know it was coming. I've just started reading it today--and it IS lovely. Thanks so much, Betsy-STL!

***Update*** Oops, I forgot to review the book before I lent it to my son. I LOVED this book. I found the writing moved the story along effortlessly and beautifully. It was easy to empathize with the main character, a young man sent to rural China for "re-education" along with his witty and resourceful friend. And of course the message is very apropros to BookCrossing--the effect of literature on a person's life. I'm creating a book ring for this after my son and my husband have had a chance to read it.  

Journal Entry 9 by spaz572 from Waltham, Massachusetts USA on Sunday, April 27, 2003

My mom gave me this book to read while I'm on vacation in Seattle. She says I'll like it a lot.  

Journal Entry 10 by alsomama from Seattle, Washington USA on Monday, May 05, 2003

I've created a bookring for this book. Each person is to PM the next person on the list for their address when they are ready to send the book on. Here is the order:

1. lightwavz
2. pinewood21093
3. sejent
4. LeapingLizzards
5. nina-ivanovna
6. woodsroy
7. Dr. Brown
8. moogytee
9. mady
10. back to me, alsomama

The book will go to the first person within a few days (early May.) Let's see how long it takes to make the rounds! 

Journal Entry 11 by Barcelona from Seattle, Washington USA on Monday, May 05, 2003

My wife lent me this book. But I have to read it fast so she can send it out to someone else. I will do it. (She is bossy.) 

Journal Entry 12 by alsomama at Post Office on California Avenue in West Seattle in Seattle, Washington USA on Sunday, May 18, 2003

Release planned for Monday, May 19, 2003 at Post Office on California Avenue in West Seattle in Seattle, Washington USA.

I'm mailing this book to lightwavz to begin its bookring journey. I hope everyone enjoys the book as much as I did. When you receive the book please PM the next person for their address to send it on. 

Journal Entry 13 by alsomama from Seattle, Washington USA on Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Just received PMs from pinewood21093 asking to be removed from this bookring and from kbgoffe asking to join. Please put kbgoffe in pinewood's place.  

Journal Entry 14 by lightwavz from Detroit, Michigan USA on Tuesday, May 27, 2003

Retrieved from my mailbox mere minutes ago. Good timing as I just finished my last book minutes before that!! I'll read and journal ASAP and keep this one moving! 

Journal Entry 15 by lightwavz from Detroit, Michigan USA on Wednesday, May 28, 2003

What a great little book! While it takes place thirty years ago, it sometimes seems that it is three hundred years ago! I loved the lyrical description of the Miller's Tale and the underlying moods of the actions as they take place. I could just picture them all perfectly, especially Four-Eyes with his smashed glasses and Luo with his coveted rooster alarm. What would our world be without books? I am happy that our country has never had to ask this question and saddened that China had to go through this...

Sending on to kbgoffe. Thanks again for the bookring alsomama! This was GREAT!! 

Journal Entry 16 by kbgoffe from Beaverton, Oregon USA on Monday, June 16, 2003

I have spent the last week at the hospital, watching over my mother. On Friday (12th) and Saturday (13th) several books arrived in the mail. I just did not have time to get them entered until now. I apologize.

I am really looking forward to reading this book. It is next after the following bookray/ring books:
Home From the Vinyl Cafe
A Perfect Evil

I will read as fast as I can! :)
 

Journal Entry 17 by kbgoffe from Beaverton, Oregon USA on Thursday, June 26, 2003

Journal Entry 18 by sejent from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Thursday, July 03, 2003

Received in today's mail...will start reading today and will journal again when I am done. 

Journal Entry 19 by sejent from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Monday, August 11, 2003

Sending to LeapingLizzards in Fort Myers, FL. 

Journal Entry 20 by LeapingLizzards from Fort Myers, Florida USA on Friday, August 15, 2003

Received this in the mail today. I have a small pile of bookrays to read, but I am a fast reader so it shouldn't be too long for me to get to it. 

Journal Entry 21 by LeapingLizzards from Fort Myers, Florida USA on Friday, August 29, 2003

This little book really made me think about the importance of books in my life.
Thanks for sharing it.

I will be sending it out today. 

Journal Entry 22 by nina-ivanovna from Ithaca, New York USA on Monday, September 08, 2003

Received this on Friday and read it over the weekend.

Not what I expected - a surprisingly light tale despite its complex subject matter. I liked the simple structure of the book, though some of the episodic plot points seemed out of place and rushed - I suspect the book would have worked better as a fable with an even simpler story arc. However, I was impressed with the author's ability to weave so much detail of place and time in such a short work. And the ending certainly left me thinking - always the sign of a good book! 

Journal Entry 23 by nina-ivanovna from Ithaca, New York USA on Monday, September 15, 2003

After a little delay (due to some difficulties finding a reader), this book is moving on and will be in the mail tomorrow. Woodsroy has requested to be skipped, and DrBrown has not responded to PMs, so I'll be sending this on to moogytee. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 24 by moogytee from Sacramento, California USA on Monday, September 22, 2003

It's here ... thank you nina-ivanovna and alsomama. I've been looking forward to this one. I have a little backlog of bookrings right now, but this is a short book so I may wedge it in when I need a break from something else. Hope to have it back on the road by mid-October at the latest.

THANKS FOR SHARING THIS BOOK! :) 

Journal Entry 25 by moogytee from Sacramento, California USA on Friday, October 10, 2003

Journal Entry 26 by mady from Reading, Berkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Received this on the mail yesterday. Fast, no? Thanks a lot moogytee :) I'm quite anxious to read it and the cover looks lovely. I just need a couple of days to finish my current read and then I'll read this one. Also planning on organizing a small Portuguese (Lisbonese?) bookring for this book before returning it to alsomama, as it has already been "approved" :) 

Journal Entry 27 by mady from Reading, Berkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Awww, such a lovely tale :) I have read quite much about China, but mostly about the period before the Cultural Revolution, from Pearl S. Buck. So it was interesting to read something happening during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. It is written in a very simple way, very engaging, but the story is far from "easy".
I can't really imagine my life without reading or seeing books being destroyed/taken from people ;( I am glad to have the freedom to read whatever I want - some 30 years ago that was also not possible in Portugal. I am also glad for belonging to bookcrossing, which allowed me to read this book :) Thanks to all previous readers, especially the bookring organizer and moogytee for taking the trouble to sending me the book.
This afternoon this book will start a mini-bookring here in Lisbon when I'll pass it to another reader. 

Journal Entry 28 by BlossomU on Wednesday, October 29, 2003

This book was just passed to me by mady, and I am already a few chapters into it and loving it. Many thanks to all of you, particularly the bookring organizer!  

Journal Entry 29 by BlossomU on Thursday, October 30, 2003

This was an unputdownable read, so it ended up being also a very fast read - but despite being fast i am sure I will remember this for a long time! And it is a great Bookcrossing book, it shows so very much what a treasure books can be, far more than money. I loved this, thanks! 

Journal Entry 30 by Xana from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Friday, October 31, 2003

Journal Entry 31 by Tarsius on Tuesday, December 30, 2003

One of those books that make your eyes sore because you just can't stop reading them! The story is impressive, sometimes grave and humorous! And their craving for books is somewhat familiar... ;) The book will return to the bookring! 

Journal Entry 32 by fflloorr from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Monday, January 12, 2004

And another bookring! :-) 

Journal Entry 33 by fflloorr from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Wonderful book!
I really can't imagine my life without books, those times must have been terrible :(
By the way, what a surprising ending ;) I enjoyed that! 

Journal Entry 34 by Fantasma from Carnaxide, Lisboa (distrito) Portugal on Thursday, March 04, 2004

I read so many good things about this book that I'm really anxious to begin it.
Going to the top of my TBR pile...
Thanks, Mady!! 

Journal Entry 35 by Fantasma from Carnaxide, Lisboa (distrito) Portugal on Tuesday, March 16, 2004

Maybe my expectations were too high, as the book was so strongly recommended...
It's true, it shows the effect books have on people, how they can change someone's life, and I can't imagine how it'd be to live without them... but I expected more from the story itself.
Anyway, many thanks to mady and it's going back to you! 

Journal Entry 36 by mady from Reading, Berkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Alsomama allowed me to send the book further on.
This is now reserved for Rossella05. Maybe I'll get my brother to read it before sending on :)

Will be sent on Nov 5th. Hope it'll arrive soon! :) 

Journal Entry 37 by Rossella05 on Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Arrived this morning. I love receiving well traveled books and enjoy reading all the journal entries. I also heard great things about this book and hope to start it soon. Thanks for sharing. 

Journal Entry 38 by Rossella05 at Jubilee Line Train at Bond Street in LONDON, -- Trains, Tube, Metro, Buses -- United Kingdom on Friday, June 29, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (6/29/2007 UTC) at Jubilee Line Train at Bond Street in LONDON, -- Trains, Tube, Metro, Buses -- United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

I'm ashamed it has taken me so long to start this book since I finished it in less than a day. It's a bitter-sweet tale that I think would leave few unmoved. Personally it reminded me not to take for granted the availability of books in our society and the impact literature has on our lives.
This book has travelled so much I think it finally deserves a wild release. Thanks for sharing, hope its next reader will do the same. 

Journal Entry 39 by fushmush from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, June 30, 2007

My husband sat on this on the tube last night. Being the husband of an active bookcrosser he knew exactly what was and was quite excited to bring it home to me.

I've already read it (lovely read) but we're about to head off on a trip to Russia and then South America. I'll take this with me and release it somewhere along the way.

Yay! Great fun to be part of this book's journey. 

Journal Entry 40 by fushmush at Hostel Suites Obelisco in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province Argentina on Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (7/20/2007 UTC) at Hostel Suites Obelisco in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province Argentina

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Left on the hostel bookshelf.