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TheLostBook

From Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom
Age 109
Joined Thursday, October 2, 2008
Recent Book Activity
Statistics
4 weeks all time
books registered 0 30
released in the wild 0 279
controlled releases 0 93
releases caught 0 32
controlled releases caught 0 62
books found 0 16
tell-a-friend referrals 0 11
new member referrals 0 13
forum posts 0 420
Extended Profile
Update: The Lost Book ran until July 2009 and is now finished - apart from lots of travelling books!



The Lost Book was nominated for a 2009 BAFTA Scotland Award and a 2010 BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award!





About | Release challenges | Books caught | Free labels | Bookrays




The Lost Book is part of The Lost World Read 2009, a reading campaign that celebrates Arthur Conan Doyle’s 150th birthday and Charles Darwin’s bicentenary. We're bringing people across the UK together to read a classic adventure tale of a lost plateau, discovery and dinosaurs - The Lost World.

The Lost Book is a collaborative adventure in storytelling. It’s taking place online and anyone can join in. At its heart is an animated web series. Episode one launched on 30 January 2009. It follows the adventures of investigative journalist, and BookCrosser, Aileen Adler and her dog Watson as they try to solve the crime of a stolen book. We want lots of people to get involved: watching, reading and telling stories.

As well as inviting you to help write the web series, we have a creative writing competition to create the stolen book. Special guest writer Jasper Fforde has set the scene with two intriguing newspaper articles about the book - the journal of a 2004 expedition to Arthur Conan Doyle's Lost World. We're inviting 100-word entries each week and will gradually reconstruct the missing book from these microstories.

BookCrossing is going to be a big part of The Lost Book. From January 2009 onwards there will be release challenges, wild releases and bookrays linked to The Lost World. We have some exclusive bookplates to download and we'll be encouraging the existing BookCrossing community to help us find new members.






The Invisible Inc. secret society of bibliophiles release challenge saw 134 books released - see the results on the forum.

Watson the dog set a release challenge! 107 books were released as part of this challenge - check the forum post for the final scores.




Books caught!

  • Aileen Adler had a catch! The Big Over Easy caught by new member acorner at Renroc Cafe, Montgomery Street, Edinburgh, 01 February 2009 - blogged on 02 Feb.
  • Quick Read Edition of The Lost World caught by new member technoboy at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Leith, 06 February 2009 - blogged on 07 Feb.
  • The Lost World turns up in Castle Douglas on 18 February 2009, thanks to new member Ilar - blogged on 23 Feb.
  • The Lost World found in Edinburgh on 27 February 2009 and now travelling to London, thanks to new member mrsplinter - blogged on 05 Mar.
  • The Lost World picked up in Edinburgh on 28 February 2009 and going to Australia next, courtesy of new member Melsy0 - blogged on 05 Mar.
  • The Lost World reviewed in Dalkeith, near Edinburgh on 02 March 2009, by new member karimaster - blogged on 05 Mar.
  • The Lost World picked up by CaterinaAnna at a UK World Book Day event on 07 March 2009.
  • Being Emily caught by new member blue-fiddle on 09 March 2009 - blogged on 12 Mar.
  • Being Emily spotted by new member Dilks from Spain on 24 March 2009 - blogged on 26 Mar - and passed on to another new member, Backhouse.
  • Buddha Da picked up by new member technomonkey at The Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh on 24 March 2009.
  • Melsy0 journaled Buddha Da on 26 March 2009, before introducing it to her book group.
  • The Lost World is travelling to Budapest with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and new member catherine17n.
  • Aileen Adler has a second catch! The Dumas Club, hunted down by an anonymous finder on 02 April 2009 after we posted its location on The Lost Book - blogged on 03 Apr.
  • The Earth Hums in B Flat picked up, appropriately, at a concert hall by new member JuJuDollie on 03 April 2009.
  • Buddha Da reviewed by new member MollyWonder in Edinburgh on 05 April 2009.
  • The Lost World picked up by new member rossbuddie from Amsterdam on 10 April 2009 - rossbuddie says "thelostbook.net and bookcrossing.com are my nicest finds on the internet so far in 2009".
  • Catches from the 2009 BookCrossing Convention in Christchurch New Zealand: The Lost World Reader's Guide picked up by KiwiinEngland, and a second copy picked up by awaywithfairies - who also collected a copy of The Lost World; The Lost World also found and released by Tinina67, a third copy found by bookworm76 and a fourth copy picked up by Pixette; Darwin: A Graphic Biography found by nut; and Buddha Da found by bookworm76.
  • The Earth Hums in B Flat found by a new reader in Edinburgh on 03 May - who joined BookCrossing as FibieT and left the book in the Wild Mountain Cafe in Aviemore on 14 August 2009.
  • The Changeling found by Bibliomane34 in our Edinburgh treasure hunt, 04 May 2009 - blogged straight away!
  • Lilian's Story plus concert tickets found by drutt in our Glasgow treasure hunt, 04 May 2009 - blogged 05 May.
  • The Gargoyle being read in the bath in Edinburgh by new member neverjudgea on 05 May 2009.
  • The Gargoyle picked up and journalled in record time by BCer BinglyBingBong, 06 May 2009
  • Buddha Da finds a queue of readers with BCer busguide in Tranent, 13 May 2009.
  • Lilian's Story picked up on Conan Doyle's 150th birthday by new BookCrosser urbanbookchick, blogged 22 May 2009
  • The Changeling finds a new reader in new member Portobello-book after being left in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh on 03 June 2009.
  • Another copy of The Changeling finds a reader, this time an AnonymousFinder in Glasgow. Journalled 05 June 2009.
  • AnonymousFinder strikes again, this time with a copy of Lilian's Story by Kate Grenville, journalled 05 June 2009 in Glasgow.
  • Another AnonymousFinder picks up The Changeling in Cloisters Bar in Edinburgh. 10 star review 11 June 2009.
  • The Lost World reaches Oslo and new member Ajer on 13 June 2009 - blogged 14 June - and then a second new member Smokkfiskur journalled on 22 June. Next stop Bulgaria!
  • Lilian's Story starts its journey with new member, and SCO concert-goer, MaryMillar on 13 June 2009 - next stop Texas, USA! - blogged 14 June.
  • A 9-star review for The Changeling from another concert-goer on 18 June 2009
  • One Moonlit Night caught by new member bookwormsm at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, 25 June 2009
  • New member feasulwen finds One Moonlit Night after an SCO concert in Findhorn and plans to take it to South Africa. Great JE: "The book is linked to a whole online world".
  • Life of Pi found in Edinburgh after the BCUK UnCon release walk and already in Essex, 06 July 2009
  • Buddha Da was captured by KiwiinEngland on the release walk, enjoyed, and passed on to Nu-Knees.
  • A copy of The Lost World found in The Forest in Edinburgh by BookCrosser harmaja, who journalled on 12 July 2009 and plans to pass the book on.
  • The Lost World quick read edition turns up in Iowa with new member jcfinke on 16 July 2009.
  • New member LilMissClueless bought a copy of The Lost World from an Oxfam shop on 22 July 2009 - wonder how it ended up there?
  • The Lost World is pronounced a "Ripping Victorian yarn" by an AF, 28 July 2009.
  • New member Paborama found The Lost World in the Edinburgh Festival Theatre and plans to take it travelling, 02 August 2009.
  • skeleton found and enjoyed Life of Pi after a Writers Bloc event in Edinburgh, before sending it travelling again on 05 August 2009.
  • Another copy of Life of Pi is found and appreciated, 03 August 2009.
  • The Earth Hums in B Flat reaches alisondavina via ReadItSwapIt, 12 August 2009.
  • Being Emily is found by new BookCrosser vivax - having somehow made its way from a Scottish Chamber Orchestra Event to a library! 27 August 2009.
  • The Gargoyle was picked up at Queens Hall, thanks to the SCO, by new member fleurione, who's intriguiged by the black page edges - 01 September 2009.
  • Being Emily caught at Renroc Cafe in Edinburgh and enjoyed by BCer bluewitchygrub, 08 September 2009.
  • One Moonlit Night caught in Birnam, 30 September 2009 - the AF says "Look forward to leaving it to be found somewhere when I've finished with it."

  • Reviews of The Lost World following the BCUK UnConvention in Edinburgh in July 2009:

    LittleSuz in Edinburgh: "thought it was an 'OK' rather than a great book" - 05 July 2009. Passed on to rockyhorror1978 in Canada who said: "A quick and easy read. I enjoyed the plot and it was interesting to see how Conan Doyle includes Darwin in (there were several mentions). What struck me while reading this book is the mystery that the Amazon held 100 years ago and the fact that it continues to do so." - 22 November 2009.

    KiwiinEngland in Dublin: "This "boy's own adventure" story is packed with dinosaurs, lost civilisations, dangerous journeys to parts unknown, infighting within the team of explorers, as well as fighting with unknown animals and apemen." - 08 July 2009

    erinne in Edinburgh: "Good stuff all the way through. Heroes and scientists - some of them even in one person." - 28 July 2009

    an anonymous friend of Cinderess in Oxfordshire: "Ripping Victorian yarn. I bet half the characters end up in an Alan Moore graphic novel." - 28 July 2009

    treehugger in York: "This is very much a book of it's time. ... Groan! I'm glad I read it though, because I enjoyed being wound up by it!" - 09 August 2009

    peaceangel in Northern Ireland: "I had not read it before, and found it extremely sexist and old fashioned. However I did read it to the end to see what would happen and found the ending rather disappointing." - 12 August 2009

    LyzzyBee in Birmingham: "A smattering of colonialism and old fashioned attitudes, but also a good, old-fashioned gripping read. Particuarly liked the scene near the end with mayhem in Oxford Street!" - 18 August 2009

    molekilby in Wales: "This was a book that I probably wouldn't have read had I not received it through The Lost World read project. It is a classic Victorian romp..." - 22 August 2009

    PeaMartian in Durham: "Recommended for everyone who likes an adventure!" - 27 August 2009

    Nu-Knees in North Yorkshire: "It captured my imagination at the start and held my attention to the end." - 02 September 2009. And, bluenoser in France: "Some of the ethnic comments, gathering of dead specimens of rare creatures and other no-nos that are definitely politically incorrect today made me wince, but otherwise I was there right along with the four adventurers!" - 11 October 2009.

    MrPPotter in Hampshire: "Boys' Own stuff...quite good until the end " - 08 September 2009

    peaceangel in Northern Ireland: "an old classic, rather old-fashioned and indeed somewhat sexist and very stilted, but a good enough read!" - 25 September 2009

    verenka in Vienna: "I really enjoyed the book. I don't read a lot of classics so I was surprised how much I liked it." - 30 September 2009. This copy was then passed on at a meet-up and journalled by an AF: "I found out why it's a true classic. Caught me on the first page." - 02 December 2009

    discoverylover in New Zealand: "I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! ... I'd thoroughly recommend this!" - 05 October 2009

    This copy caught by gingergeoff was BookCrossed without being read (he has another copy), and has since been caught twice! First by bethanya in the National Botanical Gardens of Wales, who then took it on holiday - where it was caught by an Anonymous Finder in Waterford, Ireland.

    suedo in County Durham passed a copy on at the Durham meet-up, where Jakwode picked it up: "a classic in it self an adventure" - 28 November 2009

    wyy from Aruba: "I'm proud to be one of the more far-flung participants of the 'UK's Largest Reading Campaign'." - 30 November 2009. Plus, a long and detailed review (with some spoilers) from rainbow 3 in Edinburgh on this copy: "This was a fascinating read in that it must have been a major contributory influence, a sort of blue print, for the twentieth century’s action-packed thriller and subsequently the blockbuster film!" - 04 December 2009

    sjr1969 from Birmingham: "Prof Challenger rules!" - 23 December 2009







Download the specially designed The Lost Book bookplates for your own books. (Update: no longer available.)

There are four bookplates per A4 page. Print them onto J8169 (99.1 x 139.0 mm) labels or use plain paper and glue.

They'd be particularly good for copies of The Lost World or linked books - perhaps a book about dinosaurs, or one featuring a journalist, or one written by Arthur Conan Doyle or Charles Darwin. Be creative!

If you use one of these bookplates, you can opt to make your book part of The Lost Book project by sending us a PM with the BCID. If you do, we'll make a Journal Entry and then blog every time the book is caught. We want to celebrate the fun of BookCrossing to get lots of people interested in joining, and what's more fun than books getting caught?!




Bookrays: We list our bookrays at The Bookring Directory!




Our books have visited 23 countries so far:



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