BookCrossing Through Middle-Earth
4 journalers for this copy...
After briefly holding a copy of this book at the recent Kansas City UnCon, I realized that I my shelf was incomplete without a copy of my very own. It arrived today & will be read soon.
Journal Entry 2 by terrafreaky at 2011 BookCrossing Convention in -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, etc, Virginia USA on Sunday, February 20, 2011
Released 13 yrs ago (2/21/2011 UTC) at 2011 BookCrossing Convention in -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, etc, Virginia USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Mailing to the 2011 Bookcrossing Convention. I don't get to go but some of my books will! :)
Thank you for picking up this book. I'd love to see an entry telling me that it is safe with you. Do with it as you please... read it (or not!), give it to a friend, keep it, leave it in the "wild" for someone else to find - it's up to you! Enjoy!
Released for HSKT.
Thank you for picking up this book. I'd love to see an entry telling me that it is safe with you. Do with it as you please... read it (or not!), give it to a friend, keep it, leave it in the "wild" for someone else to find - it's up to you! Enjoy!
Released for HSKT.
I have been wanting to read Skyring's book for ages now. YES! *does happy dance* It's short, so I'll read it before the convention and re-release it there. YAY! *more happy dancing to follow*
I meant to read this book before the 2011 BookCrossing convention; that didn't happen. I started it then, but didn't finish it until now. The book was on display in the special BookCrossing history section at the convention before coming back home with me, though. I'm glad I finally uncovered it during my cataloging of Mt. TBR and finished it off.
This book is such a great adventure, and a perfect read for a BookCrosser. This book contains three central elements:
1. an account of Skyring's trip to New Zealand where he, his wife, and his two teenagers visited some amazing sights including some used for filming locations in The Lord of the Rings
2. memories of and stories about places visited during his honeymoon trip in New Zealand 20 years before
3. BookCrossing books found and left along the way
This book had a lot of moments in it that, to non-BookCrossers might seem strange. But they were wonderfully familiar and fun to me. For example, the urge to do a great themed release or to reverse shoplift and sneak a book onto an exchange shelf or shop. Or the disappointment when you find the audiotapes you brought to listen to won't play in your rental car's CD player. Or the desperation when you realize you haven't got enough books to take with you and release on your adventures. Or the way you can find yourself at a meeting of BookCrossers you've never met in real life and suddenly feel like you're with family. Of course, the idea of leaving precious books out in the wild and hoping strangers will find them is strange in and of itself. But in the context of a travel memoir, it lends so much whimsy and character.
Skyring's descriptions of the scenery, museums, places they stayed, and places they visited, might be as close as I come to New Zealand for a very long time, but they definitely did it justice. I also loved the BookCrossing label in the front and the list of books found and released throughout his adventures. How clever! I only wish the occasional photos were of a slightly higher resolution.
Definitely a fun read, and not just because I have met Skyring and his character came out strongly in these pages, like he was sitting here telling me the story in person. I'm jealous of his adventures, but so glad to have gotten a chance to share in them through this book!
This book is such a great adventure, and a perfect read for a BookCrosser. This book contains three central elements:
1. an account of Skyring's trip to New Zealand where he, his wife, and his two teenagers visited some amazing sights including some used for filming locations in The Lord of the Rings
2. memories of and stories about places visited during his honeymoon trip in New Zealand 20 years before
3. BookCrossing books found and left along the way
This book had a lot of moments in it that, to non-BookCrossers might seem strange. But they were wonderfully familiar and fun to me. For example, the urge to do a great themed release or to reverse shoplift and sneak a book onto an exchange shelf or shop. Or the disappointment when you find the audiotapes you brought to listen to won't play in your rental car's CD player. Or the desperation when you realize you haven't got enough books to take with you and release on your adventures. Or the way you can find yourself at a meeting of BookCrossers you've never met in real life and suddenly feel like you're with family. Of course, the idea of leaving precious books out in the wild and hoping strangers will find them is strange in and of itself. But in the context of a travel memoir, it lends so much whimsy and character.
Skyring's descriptions of the scenery, museums, places they stayed, and places they visited, might be as close as I come to New Zealand for a very long time, but they definitely did it justice. I also loved the BookCrossing label in the front and the list of books found and released throughout his adventures. How clever! I only wish the occasional photos were of a slightly higher resolution.
Definitely a fun read, and not just because I have met Skyring and his character came out strongly in these pages, like he was sitting here telling me the story in person. I'm jealous of his adventures, but so glad to have gotten a chance to share in them through this book!
Taking this to a BCinDC BookCrossing meetup so that it can find a new owner.
Making a journal entry here lets me know the book has been found and is safe in your hands. The book is yours now! Read it, give it to a friend, pass it on, or keep it forever--it's your choice.
If you pass it on to someone or leave it "in the wild" for someone else to find, please make another journal entry or release notes here to explain that it's travelling to find another home.
You can remain anonymous on the website or join BookCrossing. Joining is free, safe, and spam free and you'll get an e-mail every time a new person finds this book. You'll be able to watch it move around and find out what other readers thought of it.
I hope you enjoy the book. Happy reading!
Welcome to BookCrossing!
Making a journal entry here lets me know the book has been found and is safe in your hands. The book is yours now! Read it, give it to a friend, pass it on, or keep it forever--it's your choice.
If you pass it on to someone or leave it "in the wild" for someone else to find, please make another journal entry or release notes here to explain that it's travelling to find another home.
You can remain anonymous on the website or join BookCrossing. Joining is free, safe, and spam free and you'll get an e-mail every time a new person finds this book. You'll be able to watch it move around and find out what other readers thought of it.
I hope you enjoy the book. Happy reading!
Journal Entry 6 by 
6of8
at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, etc, Virginia USA on Saturday, September 20, 2014
6of8 at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, etc, Virginia USA on Saturday, September 20, 2014
I believe that I am officially a fan of Skyring on Goodreads.com, despite the fact that I have not read anything he has written beyond email, book reviews, and a few random blog entries. Time to remedy that! Besides this book is on my wishlist. I have bookcrossed with Skyring in Washington DC and Sweden and I am scheduled to do it again in Oxford. I look forward to reading about these adventures. I just hope that there are not too many of the awful jokes and puns he is so infamous. :)
I realized that I did not add my thoughts after I read the book, so ETA to add those here:
Full disclosure: I know the author and consider him a friend. And the world of Bookcrossing is the field on which we met. (I was lucky enough to go on BookCrossing excursions with him in Washington DC and Gothenburg Sweden. ) When you add in the fact that my mother raised me on books about New Zealand, it all adds up to me being predisposed to love this book.
And, I loved this book! Skyring is a gifted writer who can give a vivid image of the scenery and his wry voice is one of his many charms. (Peter is infamous for his puns and bad jokes, lest you think he is all charm. I had to shake my head at his story of the chocolate factory tour, where the guide gave him a sample every time he popped off. Too bad they had a normal sized sedan instead of a station-wagon for hauling the armful or two he must have collected.) I learned so much about the history of New Zealand as well. And a bit about Australia (like the fact that Canberra and the ACT are a municipal area similar in scheme to Washington and the District of Columbia.).
Now I know several insider tips for my dream trip to NZ and I will be writing down info on must see spots (Te Papa and the Botanical Gardens in particular, as well as Milford Sound) in addition to that on the books discussed in the story. I will know to be on guard for toaster deposits. And in that acoustic chamber I will NOT sing the theme song to Gilligan's Island. Instead I will choose Waltzing Matilda, which is what the author sang to a bunch of crazy BookCrossers cum yarnbombers at a tram stop in Sweden late one night. (He sang Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, Too, but I don't know as many verses of that song.) This was truly a special read for me.
One of my favorite types of books to read is the travel narrative and I would say this stands up to almost any that I have read. Maybe not a Bryson or a Theroux, but there is that level of potential. The interweaving of tales from the 1983 honeymoon trip and the 2003 family trip was nicely done, especially with the discussion of the changes. I really appreciated the novel use of the bar along the left side when discussing the earlier trip and on the right side for the later one (and neither for background information and things that overlap). That sort of device would be useful in other books in the genre. The photos were also fun - Pete looks odd to me with a full head of hair.
All told, this was fun and I am glad I didn't wait another second to read it. The copy I read is part of an informal bookring among BookCrossers and will soon be off to another reader to enjoy. However, I am determined to acquire at least one copy for my permanent collection shelf - and I will insist on having it autographed by the author, and by his wife and kids if possible.
I realized that I did not add my thoughts after I read the book, so ETA to add those here:
Full disclosure: I know the author and consider him a friend. And the world of Bookcrossing is the field on which we met. (I was lucky enough to go on BookCrossing excursions with him in Washington DC and Gothenburg Sweden. ) When you add in the fact that my mother raised me on books about New Zealand, it all adds up to me being predisposed to love this book.
And, I loved this book! Skyring is a gifted writer who can give a vivid image of the scenery and his wry voice is one of his many charms. (Peter is infamous for his puns and bad jokes, lest you think he is all charm. I had to shake my head at his story of the chocolate factory tour, where the guide gave him a sample every time he popped off. Too bad they had a normal sized sedan instead of a station-wagon for hauling the armful or two he must have collected.) I learned so much about the history of New Zealand as well. And a bit about Australia (like the fact that Canberra and the ACT are a municipal area similar in scheme to Washington and the District of Columbia.).
Now I know several insider tips for my dream trip to NZ and I will be writing down info on must see spots (Te Papa and the Botanical Gardens in particular, as well as Milford Sound) in addition to that on the books discussed in the story. I will know to be on guard for toaster deposits. And in that acoustic chamber I will NOT sing the theme song to Gilligan's Island. Instead I will choose Waltzing Matilda, which is what the author sang to a bunch of crazy BookCrossers cum yarnbombers at a tram stop in Sweden late one night. (He sang Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, Too, but I don't know as many verses of that song.) This was truly a special read for me.
One of my favorite types of books to read is the travel narrative and I would say this stands up to almost any that I have read. Maybe not a Bryson or a Theroux, but there is that level of potential. The interweaving of tales from the 1983 honeymoon trip and the 2003 family trip was nicely done, especially with the discussion of the changes. I really appreciated the novel use of the bar along the left side when discussing the earlier trip and on the right side for the later one (and neither for background information and things that overlap). That sort of device would be useful in other books in the genre. The photos were also fun - Pete looks odd to me with a full head of hair.
All told, this was fun and I am glad I didn't wait another second to read it. The copy I read is part of an informal bookring among BookCrossers and will soon be off to another reader to enjoy. However, I am determined to acquire at least one copy for my permanent collection shelf - and I will insist on having it autographed by the author, and by his wife and kids if possible.
Journal Entry 7 by 6of8 at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, Maryland USA on Monday, September 22, 2014
6of8 at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, Maryland USA on Monday, September 22, 2014
Released 9 yrs ago (9/22/2014 UTC) at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, Maryland USA
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
"A book is a mysterious object, I said, and once it floats out into the world, anything can happen. All kinds of mischief can be caused, and there's not a damned thing you can do about it. For better or worse, it's completely out of your control." -- Paul Auster
Welcome to Book Crossing -- this book is now yours to read, retain, release, or any combination thereof which suits your fancy. Books registered with Book Crossing are tracked by those who have read them before to see where they will go and who they will meet on their journeys. People who participate in the Book Crossing community often establish friendships and trade books or comments on books and just relish a relationship with other readers across the globe.
I am leaving the above paragraph from my default release notes in this entry, since they also serve as a great summary of this little gem of a book. It really did make my whole weekend to read this book and roam the Antipodes with Skyring.
Obviously, it was critical to find the perfect BookCrosser to hand this off to. Imagine my shock and horror to discover that, despite multiple opportunities, RubyLadyBug (nee CRRCOOKIE) had not read this book. The woman who spent a week touring the highlights and lowlights of Western Europe in a rental car with Melydia, Skyring, and Keri (plus an individual best not mentioned) after the volcano delayed them getting home from the Amsterdam Convention.
So, this is going to Ruby as a way of cheering her up in her own travels. Why, it will be like having family come to visit, without the extra cleaning.
Welcome to Book Crossing -- this book is now yours to read, retain, release, or any combination thereof which suits your fancy. Books registered with Book Crossing are tracked by those who have read them before to see where they will go and who they will meet on their journeys. People who participate in the Book Crossing community often establish friendships and trade books or comments on books and just relish a relationship with other readers across the globe.
I am leaving the above paragraph from my default release notes in this entry, since they also serve as a great summary of this little gem of a book. It really did make my whole weekend to read this book and roam the Antipodes with Skyring.
Obviously, it was critical to find the perfect BookCrosser to hand this off to. Imagine my shock and horror to discover that, despite multiple opportunities, RubyLadyBug (nee CRRCOOKIE) had not read this book. The woman who spent a week touring the highlights and lowlights of Western Europe in a rental car with Melydia, Skyring, and Keri (plus an individual best not mentioned) after the volcano delayed them getting home from the Amsterdam Convention.
So, this is going to Ruby as a way of cheering her up in her own travels. Why, it will be like having family come to visit, without the extra cleaning.
I found this book and I wanted to make sure that it had an updated journal entry before moving on.
I had a box of books that I packed up to send to 6of8 because the books in it all needed to travel to other BookCrossers and not just be left at random. The box sat sealed for YEARS and I never found the money, time, or actual inclination to mail it. I even forgot what was in the box!!!
I know I have read this. I know I have had it around a really long time too!
So I will be re-reading and adding some notes about it and then offering it to the BCinDC folk so that the book can travel on!
I know I have read this. I know I have had it around a really long time too!
So I will be re-reading and adding some notes about it and then offering it to the BCinDC folk so that the book can travel on!
This book has been with me for quite some time and as I cracked it open this morning in preparation for the BCinDC meeting. Reading through it I realized what I time capsule this book is and although I currently cannot fit it into the "time capsule" that I brought with me it fits the theme quite well and as it gets reorganized I know that this book will find a suitable new home and hopefully even more journal entries as members of BCinDC continue to pass it around.
This book is going with me to the BCinDC meeting at the house of ResQgeek ... our first in-person meeting for a long while (due to a global pandemic) and MY first in-person meeting in lots and lots of years as I have been living in Oklahoma a far commute. [I am currently staying at the house of melydia but will be middle USA bound once more in a short while.]
Collecting BCinDC travels!
Collecting BCinDC travels!
I am gifting the care and custody of the "time capsule" box to 6of8 and as it makes appearances may this book collect a few more journal entries, lots of laughs, and travels that we can all appreciate.
