Week 24 of the 52s...Into The Wild

I've been (im)patiently waiting for my bookplates to show up from BookCrossing, and at last, they arrived in the post.

Twelve stickers, each with their own number, place of origin and other bits of info.  They look cool, and I'm really pleased with my photo...

Here's a close-up.  Can you read the tiny print down by the traveling book icon?  In case it doesn't show up if you've clicked on the photo:  the karma of literature - free and anonymous. 

This whole concept just speaks to me on so many levels.  Anything that encourages reading, broadens the mind, allows the imagination to soar, is a great thing.

It's been fun to design my own plates, choose a book, ponder where to set it free, participate in such a cool experience.

 



I have a difficult time letting go of books, though with the volume of reading I do, if I held onto every book that has filled my mind, I could overwhelm a coliseum.  What I'm saying is:  I still have a multitude of titles to pick from.

I wandered from bookcase to bookcase, pulling one out, putting it back, moving to the next.  At one point in the process, I had a thought: because of where I live--very small town in the middle of nowhere--would it make a difference in someone actually reading my book, or tossing it in the bin?  I can think of dozens of places in Edinburgh to leave a book and never have that thought cross my mind; I know the book would be read.  Does that mean I should chose a book based on the people who inhabit my current geography?

But no.  I decided to take the risk.  Besides the joy of sending a book out into the world, there's also the whole point inherent in the 52s: stepping out, taking those risks, doing something different and hopefully fun.

With that in mind, I chose this book, for two reasons:  First, the cover was designed to look old, well-read, a travelin' kind of book; and, it's a novel that is..."ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero."**
 
It was a great book, perhaps one that wouldn't have been chosen by the person who ultimately finds it...  

Course, I'm still struggling a bit with where to release it.  If the place is too local, I doubt it will go anywhere except perhaps in the garbage; too secluded and it's lost.  I do have an idea or two, so in the morning I'll pick one and hope for serendipity.

This was an interesting thing to do for my Week.  It was fun to chose a book, to officially belong to the global BookCrossing club--though I should probably work on my "fly, be free" mentality.

And maybe I should plan a vacation so I can get into a more populated environment.  After all, I have eleven more stickers and {gulp} books to send out into the world...


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**Editor's Choice, Entertainment Weekly