Released at Marion Square -- farmer's market in Charleston, South Carolina USA

Not sure where I got this, but its destiny is to become a BookCrossing Book. Left down at Marion Square, for the next reader to find.

I have read this book years ago, when it first came out. Here's my review at the time:

I know this book got a lot of good press, but I really wasn't that enchanted by it. I think that Monica Ali did a superb job in conveying the drabness of Nazneen's London world, her pompous and pitiful husband, and the narrowness of the society created by the Bangladeshi immigrants in the neighborhood...but I still didn't develop an affection or intimacy with any of the characters.

The tool of using letters from Nazneen's sister as a way of opening a window of fresh air into her stifling (is that spelled right? It looks funny. Where is spellcheck when you need it!!!) life was a good touch, but hardly original. (But this is Ali's first novel, I remind myself, which is one more than I have written, let alone published!)

One review I had read before reading the book likened Ali's main character to one of Jane Austen's women--trapped and smothered by a society that encourages her ignorance. All I can say is though I'm glad I read this, I'll stick to Jane!
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I picked this up wihile we were at Folly Beach and took it home with me to Asheville. I left it in the same bag I found it in outside of our favorite little India place downtown where we like to stop after church at St Lawrence (which my husband calls St Larry's). I found the book dull but the cover was pretty and finding a free book was AWESOME!!!

What are the chances? Weird released book syncronicity

Last week I was up in the mountains of Georgia and made a mad dash to see some friends in Asheville who have a small Indian restaurant downtown called Chai Pani (and it's FABULOUS!). I didn't release anything on my trip to Asheville because the weather was so rainy and I didn't have any plastic bags to leave them out it. As my friend and I walked into the restaurant, he picked up something out in front of the shop. It was a book in a bag! I was dying to see if it was a BookCrossing book, because it would be really fun to find one, since I've released so many. He told me he'd put it on the bench by the door, so I eagerly went to see if I could "catch" it. But I got a huge shock! It was a BookCrossing book I'd released back home in Charleston down at Marion Square earlier in the month. I'd left it in a plastic bag down at the market (see the picture in the first journal entry'.) As can be seen, someone visiting Folly Beach had found it and took it home to Asheville, and left it out for someone else to find! How weird is that?! I could have had a wild catch, but it would have been my own book. So I left the where I found it.

The coincidence so intrigued me, that I finally gathered opinions in the BookCrossing forum if I should add this story to the book's journal and then re release the book in Asheville, even though the note might be dated. The unanimous opinion when I last checked was YES! So I did. (As you can tell by reading this.)

i saw this book, one of my own releases in Charleston, at the restaurant when I was there on July 18. No idea if it's still there, but forum opinion was that I should re-release it, since the AF who left it there didn't make a release note. It's worth a trip to Chai Pani even if the book isn't still there. Talk about yummy and fun!

To the finder of this book:

Welcome to BookCrossing, a unique community of book lovers, sharing their libraries with the world. This book is now yours to read, enjoy, keep or pass on to another reader. The BookCrossing ID, which you entered in the "Enter a BCID" box on the website, is unique to this copy of this book. If you make a journal entry (either anonymously, or as a BookCrossing member) all previous readers of this actual book will be notified by email, and can follow the book as it travels. BookCrossing is free to join, completely confidential (you are known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address) and a heck of a lot of fun. Be on the lookout for other books left in the "Wild"!

PS And if you find yourself liking BookCrossing, there may be local BookCrossers who meet regularly in your area. Come join us!