Saturday, November 17, 2007

BookCrossing Catches

When I release bookcrossing books into the wild I am hopeful they'll get journaled, but I don't expect it - my current release/catch percentage is 10.028653295128939. Most of the 349 books I've released have been in well-populated areas where it is likely that dozens of people will see the abandoned book within a couple of hours of its release, whether it's on a park bench or inside a Georgia Straight or Westender free newspaper box, two of my more common release locations. The more people who see it, the more likely that someone will be brave enough to pick it up and check out the BookCrossing website.

In June I released Danger on Shadow Mountain into the wild - literally. Biscotti and I went for a hike in Lynn Valley to attempt Coliseum Mountain and I left it on a log about an hour's hike up from Norvan Falls; Norvan Falls being a two hours hike from the parking lot. The number of people who would see the book that day and even for the following week was much much fewer than for my regular releases, therefore I knew that the likelihood of receiving a journal entry were very slim. Against all odds, I received an email within a week alerting me to the book's capture. So far most catches of mine have ended there, one journaled catch and nothing after. DoSM, though, got re-released and caught again by someone else!

However, the Night Train journey remains my favorite - released by me in Stanley Park, it was subsequently journaled and taken to Europe, where a second finder caught it on a bridge in Edinburgh. But if brevity and mystery is more your thing, check out the catch for 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said.

2 comments:

cher said...

those are really really cool catch and release stories. and great photos!!!!

jblue said...

thanks.. those are just a few examples of some memorable catches.. do you have time to read with two young'uns crapping themselves all the time? you should become a bookcrosser!