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Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Dec 21, 2006 1:34pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I was poking around in the glossary and noticed a defination for Book Crossing. Has anyone signed up and done this? It sounds really cool.

I have left magazines in the seat pockets on airplanes for the next traveller. Though I guess I never know if someone actually gets to enjoy it, or if the flight attendants take it and just tosses it. Any flight attendants out there.....do things like that get tossed or are they left out for people to read?

Anyway, this book crossing thing sounds great! Basically you "register" your book and just leave it somewhere public for the next reader to come along and take it. I love the idea...love bringing books to read on trips, but hate bringing them home once finished.

I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this.

vicki
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58160 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 1:36pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I signed up for it and left some books at the Medical Group I go to, and the cafeteria in our building, but I never heard from them again. For all I know, the books were just thrown out.
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58160 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 2:02pm
Thread (disabled) Board
My mother-in-law mentioned this to me about a week ago. She didn't have all of the details but had the basic idea. I will ask her where she got her information from (I don't know if she read about it or knew someone who did it). It sounded really interesting though, and I wouldn't mind checking it out.



Amy of LUNA crew
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58163 by LUNA crew
Dec 21, 2006 2:06pm
Thread (disabled) Board
If you go to the glossary right here on AQ it leads you to a website that you can sign up on it. I was just wondering if anyone has done it and had success with it. Though what is success....that you can see that your book has moved from where you left it to somewhere else? HMMM sounds like a hitch hiker to me!
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58160 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 2:13pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Funny/Tragic Book Crossing Story...

I was letterboxing in a park in Nashua, NH...on our way back to the car we were picking up some of the trash we saw lying around...a coffee cup...a wrapper...and a book that had been left in the rain...and was all wet and muddy. I thought it was weird that there was a book on a path in the woods. Thought maybe someone lost it and how sad it was that the book was definitely ruined.

Fast forward about a week or so...and I was doing a Virtual Letterbox here...I don't remember the name of it...but you had to find a certain website...happened to be BookCrossing.com. As I looked around...I began to wonder....could it be? I looked up Nashua, NH and it just so happened there were books logged in that had been left in various places...one of which was the park we were in. Clicked on that link and found out that yes, indeed, someone "thoughtfully" left a book...on a path...in the woods...the day before it rained.

It was kind of neat getting the "story" of why it was left there. But also sad that the person didn't take the precaution of bagging the book or something? What a waste of a book. I hope that doesn't happen to a lot of book crossing books. If you're going to go through the trouble of buying the special stickers that you're supposed to put in the book...and you want someone else to read it...why would you leave it out in the elements unprotected? Ya know? Maybe it's just me!

So...moral of the story....sounds like a fun time...but protect your books! *GRIN*

D5 Mama
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58165 by Smimle
Dec 21, 2006 2:18pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Wierd...when I read that description of it, public place to me meant airport, bus station, doctor's office....never in a million years would I have thought outside on a path in the middle of the woods....

too funny.

I didnt really look carefully at the website, are you supposed to buy the special stickers to put in the books? I just thought it got assigned a number that you write in the front of the book.
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58166 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 2:27pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I didnt really look carefully at the website, are you supposed to buy the special stickers to put in the books? I just thought it got assigned a number that you write in the front of the book.


You don't HAVE to buy the stickers - you can just write the number in the front of the book. But somehow I think the stickers might make people more curious.

TG
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58168 by Trekkie Gal
Dec 21, 2006 2:36pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I just looked at it, they have the cute little logo on them, but you can easily download that on to your own labels.

I registered, lets see if I find any books to set free. Its true, though I have a bunch laying around if I can send them somewhere that someone may enjoy them then its great!
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58169 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 3:08pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I registered a bunch of books a couple of months ago. I've put them in restaurants and left them on benches in the woods. I've bought labels, and printed my own. I also bought some pre-printed ziplock bags for outdoor use.. When leaving them indoors, I put a post-it on the front that says 'Free Book', so that they don't just get dumped in a lost & found. I keep several in my car prepared for both indoor and outdoor planting.

I've heard back on two of them so far. Both times the finders had never heard of bookcrossing before, but it interested them enough to register to the site. I have yet to find one, but then I haven't gone out of my way to look for any.

:) FreezyCat
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58165 by Smimle
Dec 21, 2006 3:11pm
Thread (disabled) Board
leaving a book in the middle of the woods is one of the dumbest things i've ever heard.

what a waste of resources!

:(
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58172 by Alyson Wonderland
Dec 21, 2006 3:18pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Yes...I agree leaving the book in the woods unprotected was a bad idea...but the main idea of book crossing is fun/neat!

D5 Mama
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58172 by Alyson Wonderland
Dec 21, 2006 3:19pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote leaving a book in the middle of the woods is one of the dumbest things i've ever heard.

what a waste of resources!



The ones I left in the woods were protected from the elements and in spots that get a fair amount of traffic, so that hopefully they wouldn't sit out too long. I look at it as an unexpected surprise for someone.

:) FreezyCat
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58174 by Bikercats
Dec 21, 2006 3:34pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Like a letterboxer!!
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58172 by Alyson Wonderland
Dec 21, 2006 4:22pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote leaving a book in the middle of the woods is one of the dumbest things i've ever heard.


Funhog, Pungent Bob, and I found one at a campsite along the Eagle Creek trail. In a plastic bag, as well it should be. We figured it was probably left by a thru-hiker of the Pacific Crest Trail (it was that time of year) so another thru-hiker (or any backpacker for that matter) to pick up and read.

Pungent Bob decided to give the book a go, but from the pieces he read to us, it sounded pretty terrible. I have no idea if he actually finished the book or not or what he finally did with it. =)

-- Ryan, who's hoping to read the last Harry Potter book while thru-hiking the PCT ;o)
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58160 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 4:53pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I signed up for bookcrossing about a year ago (before I learned about letterboxing) and registered then released a handful of books. You can print out stickers, bookmarks, etc. and I think the concept is pretty neat. But it probably works better if you live in a metro area where there are more people who are likely to play. I never heard back on my books, got discouraged and gave up. I never found any books either.

But then a couple months ago, someone on the talk-lists here suggested paperbackswap.com, which is awesome!!! You can offer your extra books for trade and choose books from other members' lists. It's a straight barter system where you only pay when you ship a book. I've traded about ten books so far. If you love books, take a look.

-Murray7
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58185 by Murray Herd
Dec 21, 2006 5:05pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I never had much luck hearing back on the books I released. I have no idea if most of them got picked up or tossed.

I left one in a letterbox once, as sort of a first finders prize. It sat there for months. I don't know if the finders didn't want it, or just didn't know what it was. It was marked with the stickers and Post-It, though.

Ryan-- Isn't HP VII a bit heavy for thru-hiking?

DebBee
Long hikes, (Was Book Crossing)
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58182 by Green Tortuga
Dec 21, 2006 5:07pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote -- Ryan, who's hoping to read the last Harry Potter book while thru-hiking the PCT ;o)


WOW you are going to be gone for a long time! How will we ever survive without you??????!!!!!!!!
2,600 Miles!!! Sounds like alot of fun to me I am so jealous!
My friends and I are planning a 75 mile hike for the spring along the finger lakes trail . You are making me feel inadequate and like a wuss. :-) I wish I could get off of work long enough to do some serious miles.
chadams
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58171 by Bikercats
Dec 21, 2006 5:10pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I've been doing bookcrossing releases for awhile now. I don't often hear back from my books, but some day... :) I'm LibraryGrrl there too.

I compare it to hitch hikers often. :)

LG.
Re: Long hikes, (Was Book Crossing)
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58190 by chadams
Dec 21, 2006 5:10pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Ok I was letting it go, but now I have to ask....what is thru hiking? Apparantly something very long according to this!

Where do you go and how long does it take?
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58160 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 5:19pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I was introduced to Book Crossing by the same person that introduced me to Letterboxing.
Now when I see a book left laying around, I smile that knowing smile :-)
I love the idea of recycling books and adding the treasure hunt aspect.

I need to check with my friend to see what she's into lately. She's always a bit ahead of the curve!

Take care, Orion
Re: Long hikes, (Was Book Crossing)
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58192 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 5:21pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Thru hiking is picking one of the really long trails--the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest, for instance--and going from one end to the other without breaking the trip up. Takes lots of months...

Ryan's already done the AT so now he's planning for the one on the "left coast". ;-)

If I took HP 7 on a hike with me, I wouldn't be able to hike for reading!

Knit Wit
Re: Long hikes, (Was Book Crossing)
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58192 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 5:26pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Thru hiking is when you Backpack an entire trail from beggining to end in one jaunt. And by trail we are talking long trails. Ryan has already thru hiked the appalachian trail which starts in georgia and ends in Maine. It takes six months or so to hike. and that one is onle 2100 miles. the Pacific crest trail is longer if I am not mistaken. It is a really fascinating thing to read up on. People mail themselves packages along the trail to have food. I would love to do it but could never afford to.
That is why I have to settle for a measley 75 miles over 5 days and 4 nights is the plan!
chadams
Re: Long hikes, (Was Book Crossing)
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58195 by knit wit
Dec 21, 2006 5:29pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote If I took HP 7 on a hike with me, I wouldn't be able to hike for reading!


me either! With the last book I read it in like two days. I couldn't do anything but read when I wasn't working!!!! I had to know what happened next. god the wait stinks for the next book.
chadams
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58187 by DebBee
Dec 21, 2006 6:11pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Isn't HP VII a bit heavy for thru-hiking?


Not really. I read HP the Fifth while thru-hiking the AT for free. The key to doing it light is picking up just the chapters you need as you need them in the shelters after hikers before you ripped out the chapters they'd already finished.

Quote I would love to do it but could never afford to.
That is why I have to settle for a measley 75 miles over 5 days and 4 nights is the plan!


It's not terribly expensive when you think about it to do a thru-hike. Thrifty hikers can do it for less than a dollar per mile. I think I averaged about $1.50 per mile. Yes, over 2173 miles that ends up being $3,259.50--but name just one activity you can do for SIX months that will cost less than four grand. When it comes to affordability, few activities can be done cheaper. Less than $20/day. Maybe $25/day if you really want to go wild. =) Start saving today!

If you keep a regular blog with lots of Google ads and get enough people to read and click them, the hike could even pay for itself. In theory. I wouldn't actually bet the farm on that, though. ;o)

-- Ryan
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58202 by Green Tortuga
Dec 21, 2006 6:33pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Thrifty hikers can do it for less than a dollar per mile.


Ahh, but that's not taking into account the money lost with no paycheck coming in. Or the babysitter's fees, because None of us want to take our dear children on a hike that will last longer than a couple of hours! Or the travel expenses to get To the thru hiking trails since not all of us are lucky enough to live close to them (It would take me another 6 months to walk to either). Or the expense involved in getting a flabby body into shape for such a trek. Etc. The way I figure, if you could con Grandma into raising the kids for six months, and got really cheap tickets, and got in shape on your own staircase and treadmill, you might get off with a mere $15,000 price tag. And for a luxury, that's not too bad.

I guess what I'm trying to say, Ryan, is that you are a lucky man indeed to be able to enjoy such an extravagance at any price. Enjoy yourself!! And maybe send the rest of us a picture or two!

Stacy-green with envy
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58205 by Nitrocat
Dec 21, 2006 8:58pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Thrifty hikers can do it for less than a dollar per mile.


That's all well and good, but what do I do about everything else that gets put on hold? Do I still pay rent so that all my belongings still have someplace to live while I'm gone? So that I have someplace to come back to when I'm done? How do you work all that?

FG
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58220 by Fire Goddess
Dec 21, 2006 9:06pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote what do I do about everything else that gets put on hold? Do I still pay rent so that all my belongings still have someplace to live while I'm gone? So that I have someplace to come back to when I'm done? How do you work all that?


Gosh, no, while you're on the trail, you must stop paying ALL OTHER EXPENSES. Why would you want to pay rent so all your furniture has a place to stay while you're gone? *shaking head*

Of course, it does help when you don't have much in the way of worldly possessions, mortgages, kids, etc. =)

-- Ryan
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58160 by Crazyolis
Dec 21, 2006 9:10pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I have left magazines in the seat pockets on airplanes for the next traveller. Though I guess I never know if someone actually gets to enjoy it, or if the flight attendants take it and just tosses it. Any flight attendants out there.....do things like that get tossed or are they left out for people to read?


When Magazines are left in the seat pockets, the flight attendants will take them and read them and/or place them in the magazine racks on the plane after they have read them, for the next flight attendants and/or passengers. I also pick up books that are left behind, if we can track down the person who left the book (if is a Hardback New best seller for instance and they were using their seat card with their name as a bookmark) we will page them in the airport. After all, it is usually a $25 book. If it is just a used paperback and we have no way of tracking down the person, usually a flight attendant or pilot will want the book to read themselves. Sometimes we will also leave these in the magazine racks of the airplane for passengers to see.

When I first started flying for Piedmont in the 80's we had a Gideon Bible on all the airplanes. Just like in the hotel rooms!! And we provided magazines for the passengers. Now with all the cut backs very few magazines are available to passengers and even when we do have magazines (first class international) they are really wierd titles. Home Appliance, Laptop, Washington Today, Automoblile and Ebony. The best of the bunch is Ebony.

Also if you have been on a plane lately, we have an annoucement before we land that if you have any trash or reading material that we will collect it and not to leave it in the seat back pocket. All these newspapers and magazines,( we will throw most of them away), but if we have not read them, we will save them or if the paper is not all messy and relatively new, we will put it in the magazine rack for future passengers.

-Amanda from Seattle
Re: Book Crossing
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58191 by LibraryGrrl
Dec 21, 2006 9:14pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Also, you don't have to print out the info on labels. You can print it on regular paper and just tape it into the book with clear packing tape. I have done some bookcrossing books, but it is VERY much like hitchhikers and you rarely hear about the book ever again. I dropped out of bookcrossing and started Paperbackswap.com which I really enjoy and I get a lot more action out of it!! And you know that the book you enjoyed is going to someone else who really wants to read it too!!

check out
http://www.paperbackswap.com
and be sure to let them know that samanark sent you! :-)

-Amanda from Seattle
Re:Thru Hiking
Board: Yakking It Up
Reply to: #58202 by Green Tortuga
Dec 21, 2006 9:21pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Actually, if you want to read about Ryan's adventures hiking the AT, he is writing a book about all that if you can wait a year or two. But if you want to read them now, you can right here at Atlas Quest;

http://www.atlasquest.com/adventures/

I think volumes 31-47 detail most of the Appalachian Trail.

-Amanda from Seattle