Do you like to interact with your community? Of course you do – that’s why you’re here!
I bet you’ve heard of geocaching. Maybe you like the idea, but aren’t quite that ambitious. Or maybe you’ve checked out Craigslist or Freecycle. But my favorite is BookCrossing.
If you like to read, give BookCrossing a try! At bookcrossing.com you’ll find that the original intent was for members to leave books “released into the wild” to be found by potential new members. The idea has been expanded to include trades with friends, bookrings, RABCKs, and lots more.
The easiest way for you to get into it right now is to go to Keva Juice on south Carson Street and check out the bright yellow box on the bench. That’s my OBCZ, or official bookcrossing zone. Check out the current offerings, and take one, or a few, home. Look inside a book, find the BCID (bookcrossing identification number) and let all the previous readers know that you found it. Then read, and Release!
You can also visit my page at bookcrossing.com, where my user name is, naturally, cherylllr.
Okay, so here are my thoughts and why I haven’s joined yet. I love the idea, but I find myself reluctant to “release” a book I’ve really enjoyed so my theory is that most of the books out there must be, not the best books. I’m sure there are people more generous than me, but still. I would end up releasing mediocre books……and running into a lot of mediocre books. Am I completely wrong?
Actually, what many bookcrossers do is buy another copy of their favorite books to share because they do not want to give theirs up but they want others to know their joy in reading a good book (but not everyone can afford that).
Also, several of us bookcrossers look to this as a way to expand our horizons, exposing us to books we might otherwise have never picked up and read.
If you check out the website (www.bookcrossing.com), on the left side are links to searches and lists. You can search for some of your favorite books and see how many of those are registered. Or if you have a favorite author, you can search to see how many of his/her books are registered. That may help allay your concerns.
Thank you Sweetbunch. In addition, let me clarify that bookcrossing also enables us to trade books with one another, to set up rings so that we mail books to others in a chain and then get them back at the end, and to fulfill wishes for friends. I forgot to mention that we also have a local group, several people who meet a couple of times a month to talk books and exchange them. Check out BookCrossing-Reno in Yahoo! Groups.