New book registered by Aileron Publishing for subsequent release into BookCrossing.

RELEASE NOTES:

A drawing winner for the title "The Bamberg Affair in THE ALL," was mailed a book via postal service. Drawing participants should go hunting in their mailbox.

Wonderful and exciting surprise for today! Thank you for this #9 copy of this brand new book!!!!

Edit:
There was a drawing in the forum, and I happened to be one lucky winner, wow.
It was cross-posted to several forums, one was Book Wish List.
Original post said:
Five new books are being offered for release into BookCrossing. You can view title information at The Bamberg Affair in the all to see if you are interested.
I am a self-published author and this is my debut title. Several friends feel strongly that this book should be read by as large an audience as possible. They have purchased (5) books for me to release into Bookcrossing, with the hope that the title will gain widespread recognition. It was suggested that the books be released to existing BookCrossing members, since you are knowledgable about the program.

And later the announcement for winners said that total number of gift books was 10.

Edit 27.5.2008: I read the first chapter of this book, which I found very intensive and intriquing. I would like to concentrate on this better, instead of reading it fast in the middle of 'ring jam'. So I let myself wait a bit more, and let other's read this first :-)

*****

I'd like to share this book with other Finnish bookcrossers, if there's some interest for bookring.
PM me to join!

Bookring will start in BookCrossing Kesäpäivät in Helsinki.
(Hardcover, around 350g)

Participants:

* hippolein
* Liinuskainen
* ...
*
* seethroughfaith
* (back to me)

Ring-book arrived home today from Suomenlinna. Thanks a lot Aspen72 for letting this go around in Finland. (had tried to win it also in the draw)

Some luck we have a bit of time to read it, quite some heavy book (at least the weight to start with).

Thanks also to P51Mustang for offering the book ;-)

Managed to finish the book this morning, was a very wonderful read.
Lots of things to think about, together with some story situated in the middle ages inside the catholic church...
Thanks for the book and the ring ;-)

The book is on the way to Liinuskainen (with a small detour over Kuopio and Joensuu).

I got this book last evening from Niora, thanks for the both couriers.

It took me a really long time to read this book. At times I just didn’t have enough time to read this and all in all the actual reading took some time because I did try to understand the logic behind these seven principals of truth. I will try to gather some thoughts that the book made me think. I’m better reading English than writing English so I apologize all the mistakes I will make.

Father Fitz (or Fitzroy) is a Catholic priest (originally from Scotland) and now he is working in the Vatican. Nadina, a dressmaker, is on a pilgrimage and when she arrives to Vatican she gets into trouble with the Vatican priests. Soon Fitz and Nadina are a running away to Bamberg where Nadina lives. On this journey Nadina starts to teach Fitz these seven laws of creation. On they way they meet different peoples and they traveling and encounters are intertwining to these laws.

The book was an interesting mixture of adventure and philosophy (or religion). In the end the philosophical view is very strong and the book concentrates to the Seven Laws of Creation. There are long conversations where the main characters talk about the teachings of the all and the main female character Nadina is the teacher. I had to admit that the whole idea of these laws was completely new to me. The writer refers several times to the Kybalion, and I have never heard from it before, so I did have to google it to learn more. I guess you could see this book as an adventure story, but these philosophical ponderings do interrupt the story from time to time and in some points it feels a bit that the main plot is only a sub-plot and the whole story is subordinate to these laws. I did read this as a story without believing these laws and sometimes these ponderings started to feel a bit tiresome and tedious.

When I look at these seven principles, I can see that some of them have same kind of logic or view as the Bible (or Christianity). On the other hand there are huge differences between these two views. I am an Evangelical-Lutheran (and I do believe in God), so my beliefs are not on the same line with these seven laws. And I’m not going to change my views after reading the book :)

One of the things I disagree with is an idea that we are co-creators with God (according to this book we just have been become proud and forgotten the truth). The other thing is that according to the laws we are living numerous lives in the physical world and then in the end we reach a level of understanding that will allow us to be reunited with the all. And the lives we have been living before (and the deeds we have done before) are affecting to our future lives. So if you are encountering difficulties and troubles, it is because you have done something bad or evil in your previous lives. And if you do something good, you will be rewarded in your next life. And this goes on and on until you have learned your lessons and are ready to be reunited with the all. In my view we have only one life and that’s that. We born and we die and there’s no “second chance”. One more thing that I disagree with is that according to these laws Jesus was only a one great teacher, one of the many teachers. I believe, as it says in the Bible: “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Although I disagree with most of the things these laws say (I have to admit that I disagree with quite a lot of the things that the Catholic Church says, for that matter), it is still nice to see and get to know different kinds of views of the world. It would be interesting to know more about the motivations of the writer. Does he believe in these laws and is he (or his friends / friends of the Nadine?) spreading the message of the laws and the all. I don’t think that the book was written only to tell the story but to tell about the laws of creation.

There are few things that started to annoy me while I was reading this book. Fitz (or father Baillie) start most of his lines with Aye or Nay (or something similar to that). Few of the other character have similar mannerism (for example Archie says all the time: um, uh). This is really annoying in the long run. With Fitz the writer perhaps wants to remind of his origin, but it’s just frustrating. The other thing that just pretty much is driving me crazy, are the accents (especially the German doctor Engels and Ray (originally from America)). Ray has a bit bigger role in this book and writer probably wants to emphasize his background, but the way he’s speaking, is really terrible to read. It’s so irritating! And I was a bit disappointed to the events at the end. I know it fitted to the plot, but still. Fitz and Nadina (and also Ray) are really intelligent and smart character so they really should have known what would happen. I guess you could see it as a result of the fatigue, but still, they are not stupid characters!

But in the end, book was intriguing and awoke quite a lot of thoughts. I found this book only because of the bookcrossing. Aspen72 kindly offered the book as a ring and since it seemed interesting, I wanted to read it. So thank you kindly for the opportunity to read the book.

There will be more readers, but I just have to wait and see who the next one is.

thanks Linuskainen for sending this on

(After reading your PM Liinuskainen I paniced and wondered if I would have time to read this ... but now that I've read your JE entry here... I know I'll make time to read it, as it looks so interesting.


thanks to everyone en route (including our postie who battled up the snowy drive this morning)

Not going to get to this before I leave for the UK on Friday morning ... which means it won't be begun until week 9 (at the very earliest)

I'm the last in this ring - so I'm guessing it doesn't matter -but I've noticed that I've got a bit of adversion to starting hardbacks because they are too hard to read in bed!

Anyway just posting this so it moves back to the top of my TBR pile - and that you all know what's what.

horror, horror, I've only just re-discovered this book. It's been languishing in my office /study for two years. How embarrassing!

I've just starting moving books to a new TBR bookshelf ... this is going there and in a very visible place. Now my memory's been jogged, I'll try to get this read and returned to you Aspen Yard. I'm so sorry about this!