February 11, 2009
[This monthly newsletter is sent to members of BookCrossing.com. See the bottom of this newsletter for simple removal instructions.]
Reading Through the Recession
We've been hearing how difficult things are out there; how interdependent we are in these difficult economic times. Sticking your
head in the sand is not recommended in these times, but sticking your head in a book is quite acceptable.
If you find the time, read this great article from our friends at
mentalfloss.com. Perhaps it will help you to realize that this isn't the first downturn, nor
will it be the last, for our civilized society to endure. What better way to weather the storm than to BookCross. Help books
find the readers and help readers find the books. Go hunting for great literature while things stabilize. Release some of your
own books. Participate. To help spread the word and communicate the high-value, low-cost proposition of BookCrossing, we have
enlisted our very own "Twinklebelle" who voluntarily enlisted her services
to give a bit of humor and fighting spirit to some heavy times. We hope you enjoy her passion for BookCrossing so much that you
send her around the globe to show the world the joy of BookCrossing!
We continue to make great progress while we refine and prepare to launch new features and functionality, and Matt is to be
commended on getting the new store up and running. We hope you like the new Reusable Mailers, store labels and multiple shipping
options. As always, we are grateful for the continued support and love of this fantastic BookCrossing Community. You make us proud!
Bruce Pedersen
BookCrossing Co-founder/CEO
Announcing 28th Limited Edition Bookplates: Peace with Geese
 Just
in at the Supply Store is Peace with Geese, our
28th Limited Edition Bookplate, by Canadian artist
Nicole Keshav. Nicole says, "The idea of travelling books is appealing
to me; BookCrossing helps me to make it through the very long Canadian winters with a smile." Her Peace with Geese bookplate
captures a quiet moment in time for a reader beneath a tree, with Canada Geese nearby. A must-have for readers and bird-lovers
alike! Remember, every purchase you make at our Store directly supports the BookCrossing movement, helping to cover costs
for the hardware, software, bandwidth, and of course humans to keep the site and database running smoothly. Help support BookCrossing
by making a purchase today. Your wild releases will thank you for it.
Satisfy Your Shopping Demons at the Newly Redesigned Supply Store
The BookCrossing Supply Store has undergone an Extreme Makeover. You'll find the same great release supplies in a spiffy new
setting. Plus, we're offering different options in mailing via U.S. Postal Service (USPS), based on your order weight, not the
predetermined price rates of our previous shipping service. We're now able to offer three types of payment options for four
different currencies. Plus, you'll find options for creating a wish list and commenting on products you've purchased. We're still
tweaking and adding features to make shopping even better for you, and will be adding a separate apparel line, through an official
offshoot of the Supply Store, any day now.
New to the store are our
Reusable BookCrossing Envelopes,
in two sizes for all your mailing needs. These sturdy mailing envelopes are the perfect answer to facilitate Bookrings and rays as
they are strong (made of Tyvek®) and boldly branded with Ballycumber. The bags are secured with a 3/4" Velcro seal and post office
approved, but if you feel the need to see if the seal has been broken in transit, simply add a Bally sticker to the top for an extra
security measure. Now you can be Earth-friendly while sending your books around the world in style. Sold in the Supply Store in 2
sizes (or grab the "Mixed bag" which has a few of each). Be sure to get yours and be the first to send your tomes travelling first
class.
Still Time to Join The Reader Release Challenge or Enter The Reader Contest or BOTH!
 Last
newsletter, we announced two BookCrossing happenings that center around The Weinstein Company's film The Reader, based on the
award winning novel of the same title by Bernhard Schlink. One is a chance to win some really great prizes by seeing the movie, and
then sending your ticket stub (postmarked no later than February 22), with your screen name on it, to BookCrossing. The second,
separate event is a Release Challenge, going on in the Release Challenge forum right now. Over 50 BookCrossers from 14 countries
are participating in the challenge and have found some remarkable themes, based on themes in or related to either the film or print
version of The Reader. Over 1,300 books have been released in this challenge, but there's always room for a few more —
yours! But you'll have to hurry, both the challenge and the ticket stub drawing end February 22, when The Reader hits the red
carpet in Hollywood at the Academy Awards, where it is up for Best Picture of 2008. For more details on the the contest (including
address to send ticket stub) and the challenge, click here.
2009 Anniversary Convention in New Zealand - Reserve Your Spot!
 There's
still time to register for the 2009 BookCrossing Convention, which will be in Christchurch, New Zealand, April 17-19. Experience the warmth and
hospitality of our New Zealand members, visit an absolutely beautiful land, meet BookCrossers from all around the world and celebrate BookCrossing's
8th birthday in one great weekend. The Kiwis have a really super program prepared, with loads of different opportunities to do as much or as little
as you wish. Visit the Convention website or the Conventions and
Meetings forum for more information. And even if you can't make the trip, you can sport Kiwi
bird wings (which as otakuu, one of the convention planners, points out, is probably
an oxymoron, but only if you look too closely) or the New Zealand flag as wings. (Since the Anniversary Convention has taken to travelling, our
tech team has taken to adding a set of wings to the options in honor of the hosts.)
How About Hosting the 2011 Anniversary Convention?
In April of 2011, BookCrossing will be 10 years old! The Anniversary Convention, celebrated in April every year, is seeking a home. As the
2008, 2009, and 2010 conventions locations were (or will be) in Europe or the Southern Hemisphere, perhaps a North American location would be a
good spot (though if no North American BookCrossing group raises their hand to volunteer, obviously nominations from elsewhere are welcome). We'
d like to gently encourage some sort of rotation of sites around the world, so that all BookCrossers have some reasonable opportunity to attend
an Anniversary Convention, but not set a rigid rule about it all.) Bids will be presented at the New Zealand Anniversary Convention in April,
though you needn't actually be there to speak. An on-site representative at the convention can speak for you (and your city) or you can send an
electronic presentation, or maybe even a live webcast. Even if only one location submits a bid, it's still nice to have some sort of presentation. It's
up to you (and your local group) how you send information about your town. JennyO and
FutureCat have kindly volunteered to help answer your questions about what is involved
in hosting a convention or how to submit your location for consideration. A great place to start getting information is
this article by FutureCat on hosting a convention. There are also several
threads in the Conventions and Meetings forum focused on how future selections should go and for people/groups possibly interested in hosting the 2011
Convention. So why not give it some thought? A decade of BookCrossing is a pretty special thing to celebrate.
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THAT FUNNY FEELING...
The first book we caught
by pandapal
That funny feeling that comes in the bottom of your stomach when you actually walk off with your first BookCrossing book -- can any of you hardened
BookCrossers remember what that was like?...
[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/3046]
IF ONLY THEY WOULD JUST WRITE TO LET ME KNOW THEY'RE OKAY
A BookCrosser's Lament on Unheard-from Wild Releases
by bookczuk
They're out there. I know it. Hundreds of thousands of books that have a BCID in them. Every once in a while, one will resurface, and all the devoted
BookCrossers who learn of it cheer. It's one of the reasons I hang out in the Site Watch Forum sometimes -- to read about the long-ago releases of others
that suddenly pop back up in the BookCrossing World. A recent favorite was The Lonely Guy, the
one and only book (hey, he really was lonely!) registered and released by africanqueen.
Lonely Guy resurfaced 5 years, 7 months, 2 days after he was released, and as wickedlazy, who
posted this catch in the forum says, "He's been lonely a long time!" (Please note, this is not a record-setting time between release and journal entry/catch,
but it is one of the granddaddy ones.)...
[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/3056]
BOOKCROSSING HELPS HOLIDAY MAKER!
How a release alert 4 years ago helps a complete stranger
by KathyS
Over 4 years ago I released a book at a holiday villa we stayed in on the outskirts of Alhaurin el Grande in Spain. Recently, I received an email from a
complete stranger asking me what I thought about the villa as she's about to go and stay there....
[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/3059]
BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
... and our love for them
by Paula Garcia (texaspaula)
Every time I come to the BookCrossing website, I am reminded again of what a pleasure reading is. I recently broke my hip and was incapacitated for several
weeks. Instead of flowers, my daughter (the one who introduced me to BookCrossing) knew the perfect gift for me. She brought me books....
[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/3069]
RAVEN'S QUEST: 200 DOWN, 949 TO GO!
Hitting 200 releases in a long-standing quest
by Linda R. Moore (WhiteRaven13)
Here are some things you might like to know: This is part 3 in a series. Part
1 is here and Part 2 is here. ...
[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/3106]
ARE JOURNAL ENTRIES THE NEW PROZAC?!
This one made my day!
by house-elfdobby
There's nothing more exciting than opening up your inbox on a gloomy winter morning when your body is crying out for some sunshine and finding a new Journal
Entry for a long forgotten book. Especiall
[read it all at http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/3111]
CALL FOR WRITERS
Want to write for BookCrossing? If your article is accepted, you could see it featured here in the next newsletter. What topics do we need? Anything about
books, reading, or BookCrossing — tutorials, release and catch stories, well-traveled book stories, funny BookCrossing experience stories — you
get the idea. Write it up, then submit it here:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/submit
Top 10 Countries All-Time
| USA |  302,426 (40%) |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 80,752 (11%) |
| GERMANY | 50,202 (7%) |
| CANADA | 44,847 (6%) |
| SPAIN | 36,639 (5%) |
| AUSTRALIA | 32,504 (4%) |
| ITALY | 22,668 (3%) |
| FRANCE | 16,049 (2%) |
| NETHERLANDS | 15,274 (2%) |
| PORTUGAL | 10,667 (1%) |
Top 10 Countries Last Week
| USA | 463 (26%) |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 262 (15%) |
| GERMANY | 130 (7%) |
| AUSTRALIA | 75 (4%) |
| CANADA | 73 (4%) |
| SPAIN | 59 (3%) |
| BRAZIL | 49 (3%) |
| ITALY | 47 (3%) |
| NETHERLANDS | 46 (3%) |
| INDIA | 43 (2%) |
Wild books released by our members are being caught all over the world, every day! Our site watch forum is where members post news of great wild book
catches. Here are some of the best from the last few days...
A catch for ecoboy
after 5 years, 7 months and change:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/720116 [A very respectable time to be in the wild- but it didn't quite make the top five longest-time-to-journals
that I know of {wry grin}.]
by GoryDetails
6 years 4 months, Dreamcatcher
finally wrote home...
Good one for Mistletoe:
http://bookcrossing.com/---/255459 ETA: As far as my own meager records go, I believe this is the longest between release
and catch we've seen (unless perhaps Gory has record of something a bit longer)!
by Jare
USA to Australia, reappears after 2 years
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/2293093
by newk
Amazing how something as simple
as a caught release can brighten your day...
I was having a really foul day at work today. Everything I touched turned to crap. Got home and went online to check my email and got notice of a wild release from back in August. To my surprise and delight, the
book has traveled to Brazil. This is my first release that actually left the USA. Well, I've got to be a real simpleton because I'm sitting here with a grin that goes from ear to ear. I'm so glad to have found
this site; it can really take the edge off an otherwise terrible day! http://bookcrossing.com/---/6255401
by GWF
another one checks in after almost 2
years
http://bookcrossing.com/---/5076989 in the same town...wonder if it's one of about 4 chinese restaurants that are around this grocery store...or somewhere a bit
further away?
by tempestsans
"I thank the person who left it..."
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/6336493 This journal entry warmed my heart on a cold January day...
by geishabird
a rather serendipitous catch and JE
http://bookcrossing.com/---/6507269 i'm so glad it made it's way to someone who needed a read! and how wild that they used to live where i live now!
by tempestsans
A nice find by someone new to Seattle
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/6590591 When I wild release a book, I always hope that the finder has the sense of delight and "meant to be" that this one has. She
had just move here a few days earlier and found it while going for a walk. Having been in that situation before, I can just imagine how nice it would be to find a book left seemingly just for me in a still-strange city. I'm
glad this book and this lady found each other.
by MaryWit
Wahoo! I hooked Google! (kinda):
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/5372688 Was delighted to see this book caught, and all the more so because it was clearly allowed to roam around the MIT Museum ever
since I originally left it there. [Or was read and re-released, which is just as good.] And I got to see my book in the "recently caught" sidebar, which I really, really love {grin}.
by GoryDetails
'I give thanks for this website!'
Old detective pocketbook nets an enthousiastic new member:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/6761757
by Moem
I think this Southbank catch deserves a mention:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/
by ETMadrid
All of our newsletters, including this one, are archived on the web at http://www.bookcrossing.com/newsletterarchive.
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