I think this would count as a themed release... Tonight I bookcrossed a book from the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure series called The Third Planet From Altair. I left it in a book exchange area at a games cafe called The Adventurers Guild. I thought it was fitting as the book itself is a sort of game, and the name of the establishment fits with the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure series.
There are several books in the photo, but mine is the one that is a little out of place-- propped on the ledge at the right side of the fireplace rather than on the mantle used as a bookshelf or in one of the piles on the hearth. http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/14021126
On Saturday, I released a book called "A Question of Loyalty" which is a historical fiction novel about the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion. I left it at a place called the McKenzie Printery & Newspaper Museum, which is located in the one-time home of the leader of the rebellion during which the book is set.
This book was journalled today by people who found it just after I released it back in July. It was found by Americans who have had it travelling with them this summer. It has visited twice as many states in the past several weeks as I have in my entire life so far, lol, and is now going into a LFL at the finders' home in California. The finders seem excited about the idea of bookcrossing, and they've joined, so that's cool!
And yes, it sounds like these people have covered a lot of ground! Chris and I have a map of the USA where we colour in the states as we visit them, and so far we've filled in 13. Most of the time when we go into the US we're just in our border states (New York and Michigan).
Another pretty iconic thing in these parts is the Maid of the Mist-- the tour boats that take people up close the falls at Niagara.
Since 2013, the Maid of the Mist only operates from the USA side of the river and such tours on the Canadian side are run by Hornblower Niagara Cruises. That's a little bit of semantics though-- for ages you could go on the Maid of the Mist from both sides of the river, and since it's such an iconic thing that has been replaced here by a company that does the same thing under a different name, tourists from near and far still call it The Maid of the Mist, even though technically that's not a thing here anymore.
I released a book called "Strange Events of Ontario: Chilling Tales of Phantoms, Curses, and Hauntings" in front of the ticket wickets for the boat cruises, because the book contains the First Nations legend that gave us the name Maid of the Mist in the first place.
... for ages you could go on the Maid of the Mist from both sides of the river...
We went on the Maid of the Mist when I was a kid, in 1977...I'm not sure whether it was from the US side or the Canadian side since we visited both on that trip.
I released a book called "Strange Events of Ontario: Chilling Tales of Phantoms, Curses, and Hauntings" in front of the ticket wickets for the boat cruises, because the book contains the First Nations legend that gave us the name Maid of the Mist in the first place.
Personally, I have never been on Maid of the Mist. I've been to the Canadian side too many times to count, and I've been to the American side several times as well, but I've never done the boat. I'm not fond of water, so I don't think I'd enjoy it! I did tell my friends' children I would go on it with them once, but there was some reason we couldn't go on it that day (I forget why), and it hasn't come up/we haven't been back together since! I may have evaded it, but if the kids ever remember, I suppose I'll have to take a boat ride with them!
My first release at the Poetree. (Click on the image in the release note to enlarge it to see the sign: "Stop and read the poetree" and to see the poems hanging from the tree.)
Over the weekend I went to a Summer Festival hosted by the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto. My friend and her husband (who's from Japan) are members of the JCCC, and they invited my husband and me to attend the Summer Festival with them. There was supposed to be Tanabata stuff, and we kind of had a Tanabata wedding, so they figured it would be a nice thing for us to come to (it was)! Anyway, while we were there I released the "Japan" book from a "Festive Foods" series. Each book in the series contains recipes for traditional foods as well as information about the culture and life in whichever country's festivals are featured in that particular book.
No JE yet (and I'm having a problem with the photo's orientation), but it was quickly taken.
Released at the Poetree. (Click on the image in the release note of the second or third books - for some reason it won't work on the first - to enlarge it to see the sign: "Stop and read the Poetree" and to see the poems hanging from the tree.)
Great release! Their church-themed LFL box is so cute! In July I did a release at a church-themed LFL too. The release was only themed in a personal way (I left "The First Four Years" at the church where I got married on my fourth wedding anniversary), so I didn't post it here, but if you want to see the photo of the other church-themed LFL, here's the link:
30. The Hawaiʻi Snowman - http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/15133383 Released in Hawaii: released on the preschool grounds since the book was originally a fundraiser for them.
I left a children's book about Roberta Bondar (Canada's first female astronaut) at a rocketship themed playground over the weekend. The photo was taken a bit further away, so you can see a lot of the play structure in the picture. The book is visible on the bench on the left side of the photo.
Over the weekend, I left a book called "Highway Girl" at an unusually crowded rest stop along North America's busiest highway. I have had at least one catch from this rest stop in the past and as I said, it was very crowded when I was there (it was a long weekend and the highway was moving terribly slowly) so hopefully someone found a book to occupy their time in the passenger seat :)
Last year, during the 150th anniversary of Canada's Confederation, I read a book from the "Dear Canada" series called "A Country of Our Own: The Confederation Diary of Rosie Dunn." It was set in Ottawa at the time of Confederation. Over the weekend, Chris and I visited Ottawa and I left this book in Confederation Park-- not far from Parliament Hill. It was late and dark while we were in the park, but I left the book sitting on a bench near a big fountain that seemed to be the centrepiece of the park. The photo is dark but I think you should be able to see the book on the bench in the left side of the photo. The First Nations Veterans monument can be seen in the background, and behind that (across the street) is the Lord Elgin Hotel.
This release was kind of themed, but only in a broad sense, and was kind of a joke between Chris and me.
I left a book called "Bloody Tower: A Tudor Girl's Diary" in an eastern Ontario town called Kingston. Kingston is home to Canada's Penitentiary Museum, and the book is about the Tower of London-- a very famous (infamous?) prison. Kingston is also home to some old fortifications called Martello Towers, one of which is now a museum. We actually wanted to see that museum while we were in Kingston, but it turns out that it's closed for the entire year! This was a source of frustration for us; Chris said "Bloody Tower..." about the closure and this book became a bit of a joke between us.
Anyway, between the Martello Towers and the Penitentiary Museum, Kingston seemed like a fiitting place to leave this book-- but I didn't leave it at the Pen Museum or in sight of the Martello Towers or anything, just in Kingston in general. I actually left it at a cafe just off of the highway. I'm not sure if it should really count as themed or not, but I thought I'd share it anyway. The photo is once again rather uninteresting.
Last week I released a book about a young RAF officer during the Second World War. I left it at Camp Picton, an RAF Bombing and Gunnery School from that time. Camp Picton is now the home of Loch-Sloy Business Park, so there are various small businesses that use the old buildings. I left the book outside of an art gallery which was, back then, the officers' barracks. The book is on the sign in the foreground of the photo.
When a Canadian dies serving abroad (a member of the armed forces, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, or a civilian serving with these organisations), their remains have to be examined by the chief coroner. The bodies are repatriated in a ceremony at our largest military airfield, CFB Trenton, where they are met by members of their family as well as dignitaries. The bodies are then processed close to 175 km to the coroner's office in Toronto. The route is pretty much a straight shot down highway 401; thus that section of 401 has been named The Highway of Heroes. There are dozens of overpasses between Trenton and Toronto so all kinds of people come from near and far to stand along the route, especially to fill the overpasses, as a tribute to the fallen and a show of support for the grieving families. It's nothing official, it's just a thing that people started doing which has become culturally important around here.
Anyhow, I released a book called "Highway of Heroes: True Patriot Love" which was written by a photographer/journalist who has covered a lot of these ceremonies and processions. I left it at a rest stop on the Highway of Heroes a little over a week ago. Unfortunately, there wasn't a great place to leave it, but in the end I left it propped against the foot of a photo-prop moose in a Mountie uniform.
And if you're interested, there is a slideshow of some of the journalist's pictures here (many of them are in the book I released): https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Love that freebie rack. So anyone can leave anything there for anyone else to pick up for free?
Yes, it was up for the whole convention (officially Thursday-Monday, but I think people were registering as early as Wednesday) - mostly literature advertising various books, movies, tv shows, conventions, and clubs - including some newsletters. But also a few for freelance editors, proofreaders, etc. I wasn't the only one leaving books: I picked up a few that I registered & re-released. Someone even left some toys. :)
WorldCon was much more literary than I expected, which was wonderful for me, although the dealer room was slightly terrifying in terms of budget & luggage! :p
101 - https://www.bookcrossing.com/---/15167171/ Harlow & Indiana (and Reese): A True Story About Best Friends...and Siblings Too! [about 3 dogs which are also on the front cover]
Today, we visited the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum which is being host to a B-29 Superfortress (an American WW2 bomber) on the last Canadian stop of its summer tour.
Recently, I read a book called "Flygirl" which is about a Women's Army Service Pilot who ultimately flies a B-29, so I thought it would be fun to release this book at the museum near the B-29 while it's here. The mascot of the WASP was a little gremlin named Fifinella, so when I found out that this particular B-29 is named "Fifi," I knew I had to make it happen, lol.
Luckily there was a shady rest area with picnic tables very close to Fifi herself, and that gave me a prime spot to leave my book on this very hot and sunny day. It was very busy, but I did manage to grab one of the picnic tables nearest the plane (as you can see from the photo) and I don't think I was even noticed by the random man who came and sat on the other side of the table, lol (he's cut out of the photo).
Today, we visited the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum which is being host to a B-29 Superfortress (an American WW2 bomber) on the last Canadian stop of its summer tour.
Excellent themed release! I got to see Fifi myself when it stopped in Nashua; love those old warplanes!
That's very cool! I still haven't heard from the book I left with Fifi, but I am hopeful that I will eventually. Last year I did a few WW2 Aviation themed releases (4 I can think of off the top of my head), but I actually haven't heard from any of them. Oh well, maybe someday!
Yesterday I released a children's book called "Junie B., First-Grader: Aloha-ha-ha." It's about a girl in first-grade going on vacation to Hawaii, and the cover is made to look like a snapshot of a little girl at the beach. I released it on the last day of summer vacation, in a KidLit specific LFL in the little beach town that we visit with friends each summer. It's right across the street from the beach cottage we usually rent. I'd hoped to leave the book on the beach itself, but construction and weather prevented me from doing that, so I settled for the LFL instead.
The Sea, the Sea ( https://www.bookcrossing.com/---/14143279/ ), wild release, themed, photo (with guest seagull!). And a quick catch! All the nicer as the book had been through several BCers' hands - and was a book that I enjoyed.
I haven't had the chance to do any releasing in a while now, but I did get a JE this week on a book released in August. It was from my Space Themed release. I'm glad the finder enjoyed the book and the themed release :)
I did a kind of two-part themed release today in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. The book I left was called "Camp X: Shell Shocked." I left it at a newly opened square in town called Pat Bayly Square.
The first part of the theme relates to the first part of the title (Camp X) and to Pat Bayly. Pat Bayly was the first mayor of Ajax, but before that-- during WW2-- he was the man who handled communications for Camp X, the Allied intelligence base that was located nearby in Whitby, ON.
The second part of the theme relates to the second part of the title (Shell Shocked), to the content of the book itself, and to the location of the Square. Back in the 1940s, the site that has just been renovated into Pat Bayly Square was the site of Defence Industries Limited-- the largest munitions plant in the British Empire. The action of this particular book from the Camp X series takes place in/around DIL, and part of the new Square is a monument to the DIL workers (and other war workers).
The monument itself is a two-sided relief sculpture (depicting the plant workers on the front and soldiers on the back), and I left the book in a protective bag, hangning from the hand of one of the women filling shells on the line.
The monument itself is a two-sided relief sculpture (depicting the plant workers on the front and soldiers on the back), and I left the book in a protective bag, hangning from the hand of one of the women filling shells on the line.
Chris and I went to a pub in Pickering (a town over from Ajax) called the Tudor Arms Pub, and on our way out I released a copy of "Bloody Tower: A Tudor Girl's Diary." It's a kids/YA book so I left it in the vestibule, propped up on some candy machines. The release photo for this one was difficult because of physical and situational constraints, so it's not a very good photo.... but you can see the name of the pub on the window and the book is there in the lower right of the photo.
Today I released a kids book at the Canadian Veterans' Memorial in Waterloo, Ontario. It kind of explains to kids what Remembrance Day is all about. We've got another month until Remembrance Day but I had a good opportunity to release it today, and I figured that it wouldn't necessarily be bad for someone to find leading up to the day, rather than on or just after the day itself.
I originally planned to leave it propped up on the monument, but as it's a kids' book I wanted to leave it where little hands could get to it... the memorial was a little bit high and was surrounded by a small garden, so instead of on the monument I left the book sitting on one of the large rocks edging the path around the statue (in the foreground of the release photo).
THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER by A.B. "Banjo" Paterson There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around That the colt from old Regret had got away, And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a thousand pound, So all the cracks had gathered to the fray. All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far Had mustered at the homestead overnight, For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are, And the stockhorse snuffs the battle with delight.
21. The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City, by David Lebovitz https://www.bookcrossing.com/---/15010984/ Released in a cafe. It even had a French Poodle waiting outside. There is a cafe on the cover.
This weekend I released a few books at cenotaphs/war memorials in honour of the Armistice centenary/Remembrance Day. There are photos of all of them. One has been caught so far (the first one).
***this one is the only Second World War book of the lot. I just had to do this one in this location because, I don't know if you'll be able to see from the pictures or not, but the statue and the book cover are very similar***
This weekend I released a few books at cenotaphs/war memorials in honour of the Armistice centenary/Remembrance Day. There are photos of all of them. One has been caught so far (the first one).
I just had to do this one in this location because, I don't know if you'll be able to see from the pictures or not, but the statue and the book cover are very similar***
Nice themed releases. And I particularly liked that photo.
Very short JE, but the finder joined the site. In the JE the finder indicated that he/she enjoyed the book and has re-released it somewhere in the same city where I left it (Brantford).
"Oh, it is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't. More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read."