My wild releasing problem.

I only joined BookCrossing back in October 2007 and I’m just now trying to really get into the habit of wild releasing. I have to admit that the bookcrossing concept really intrigued me at first so I went on a spree and released about 8 books within 2 days. While that’s nothing for some members, it was a big deal to me. I would run home and see if anyone had caught any of my books yet. There were none.

 This discouraged me at first and I didn’t do anymore wild releases for a while. I became more involved in RABCKs and trades (where I knew I would get journal entries). Then after a couple months, I stopped and thought about the concept of bookcrossing. It wasn’t about the journal entries; it’s about the sharing of books. So what I’ve been doing is frantically trying to find a way of getting into the habit of wild releasing. I took all my available books, labeled them, loaded them in a cardboard box and put them in the trunk of my car so they would always be with me. This hasn’t worked to well for me. I just always seem to forget they’re back there.

So, if you have any good advice for me please feel free to leave it in the form of a comment. This is a habit I need to quickly form.

Books I Have Read 2008

These books are in no particular order:

•  The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
• The Bombshell Manual of Style by Laren Stover
• The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
• How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot
• Milk In My Coffee by Eric Jerome Dickey

Preservationists VS Footprint Leavers

The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life by Steven Leveen

 

 

I can’t remember how long this book has been on my bookshelf. I bought it a while back in hopes that it would allow me to find a way to organize my books and get the most out of them. Leveen makes some good suggestions, but the section that raised some questions in me was the part of the book where he goes into detail about Preservationists and Footprint Leavers.

By his definition, a Footprint Leaver is someone who writes in books and a Preservationist is someone who doesn’t. He suggests readers write in the margins of their books as they read them in order to absorb the information they are reading instead of just forgetting it as soon as they move on to another book. He notes some famous readers that were also Footprint Leavers such as: Harvard professor John Livingston Lowes, Mortimer Adler, and President John Adams. While I agree that it would be nice to leave my kids books that I have written my thoughts and feelings in, I’m still not sure I can bring myself to write in books. They are just too special to me.

 

Sure, I’m involved in BookCrossing and by just sticking a label inside books I’m decreasing the value of some sorts, but these are books I’m passing along to other people in hope that they get some kind of JOY out of them, not some monetary value. However, there are books on my permanent bookshelf that I will never get rid of and as a result they are kept in pristine condition. No writing, no labels, nothing. They sit on my shelf looking pretty and they will continue to sit there until I’m ready to revisit them.

 

Yes, I think if my mother passed away tomorrow and I was left with the few books she has (she’s not a bookworm like me), I would be thrilled to see her writting on the inside. Her thoughts plastered on paper in front of me while she was no longer there. Her thoughts, her feelings about the book she once had in her hands. Just the thought of it makes me want to write in my books so badly, but I know I never will. When it comes to bookcrossing I will register and label my books until my fingers go numb, but MY books will never be tarnished. I just can’t do it.

 

I guess I will forever be a Preservationist. What about you?

My BookCrossing Holiday List

I never knew how generous people could be until I joined BookCrossing.com. Not only have I been involved in RABCK (Random Acts of BookCrossing Kindness) in which I receive a book in the mail from another member with no strings attached, but they also give holiday gifts. I posted my list in one of the forums, just being silly and not really sure if my little wishes would be granted, but lo-and-behold today one of my wishes were granted.

Here was my list:

Posted by MoonBeach03 (40/6) 4 wks ago (11/2/2007 3:25:05 PM BX time)

Good Idea: My List

I know I’m fairly new yet and haven’t really built up a reputation on this site yet, but I figured I’d get involved. Here is my crazy list: Socks with crazy prints.

Bookcrossing labels

bookcrossing wings

to see my crazy family not fight this christmas

paint brushes

chocolates

books to release into the wild

old costume jewelry

and last but not least….

for all my bills to be paid off! Can anyone help me here?? lol

I hope you all have a HAPPY HOLIDAY this year!

I was lucky enough to wake up this morning to a box sitting on my front porch obviously left there by the mailman. I looked at the package and noticed my name on it. After I cut off the tape, I realized it was a box full of 20 books from

lovemylife!

With it being the day before my birthday it was a great surprise! Now I have plenty of books to read AND release! Oh, and I don’t want to forget the fact that I was blessed with wings only last week by another bookcrosser. These people are some of the most generous I’ve come across in a while. It’s nice to know that people like this still exist in the world.

So to all my bookcrossing buddies, Happy Holidays and thanks for the love!