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Seamonkey
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 1:33 pm
From Max
Quote:Have any of you seen this site: Bookcrossing.com ? It's a great concept. You read a book, register it to get a specially assigned number, then 'tag' it with that number and 'release it in the wild,' which basically means leave it somewhere public for someone else to find. When the book is found, the person can go to the website and write something about where it was found and how they liked it, then release it again.
If all goes well, your book takes a wonderful journey around and lots of people get a chance to read something they might not otherwise have chosen. I signed up and will be releasing several books in the next few days. I really like this idea! Oh, if you sign up, my username there is MaxFun if you want to say I referred you. This was posted by Max in what are you reading thread, but I have fallen in love with this site and hope we can get a good TVCH presence there: I'm registered as SeamonkeyofTVCH (can you BELIEVE someone already was registered as Seamonkey??? SNORT!!) Azriel is also registered and Slothkitten has visited.. Max, I put you as my referral when I registered, have ordered a release kit and registerd the book I'm currently reading.. I think I'll do a release at the TVCH gathering in Long Beach next week and hope to snare some other TVCHers into this great site/program. Max, thanks SO much for mentioning this. I put the TVCH url for home site too 
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Max
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 1:51 pm
Wow, Sea! THanks! I'm always delighted to pass along a love of reading and this site helps make it a little more adventurous. Here's a little story for ya. Yesterday, I had to take my mom to the hospital for some tests. I took the book "Midwives" with me, all set up with the release kit stickers, and left it in the main lobby waiting area. Turned out I couldn't stay with mom during the 2-hour test, so I went home for a bit. When I came back, the book had been moved from where I left it, but was still in the general area. I sat down and opened my Palm Pilot to continue reading the book I have on it (one of Anne Rule's wonderful true-crime tales). A lady came into the waiting area in a wheelchair. She asked what I was reading and we talked about books a bit. Then she noticed the "free" book on the table nearby and said, "Wow, do you really think that's free?" I decided to play dumb. I looked over and said, "Let's take a look," then picked up the book and placed it on her lap so she could reach it (she was disabled and didn't have much of a reach). I told her it sure looked free and that I had read that one and really liked it. She said she'd been wanting to read it as part of making her way through Oprah's book list, but hadn't had a chance to yet. She read the inside sticker about how BookCrossing works and told me about it. She thought that sounded really cool. About then, her friend came and said he was ready to go. She asked him to put the book behind her in her chair so she could take it with her and, as he walked and she wheeled away, I could hear her telling him about why the book was free and how you were supposed to read it, register it on the website, and then pass it along for someone else. It was pretty cool. I hope she enjoys that book as much as I did.
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Seamonkey
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 2:07 pm
What a GREAT story!! I loved that book as well. I'm hoping to send books home with some TVCHers and hope they will pass them on.. I cannot WAIT!! I was already planning to bring books, but NOW.. I just hope my KIT arrives before then so I can do it up right!!! I'm starting physical therapy Monday, think I'll eventually leave a book there, and at my orthopod's office and my primary doctor's office and later at the hairdresser's and.. so on ..
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Slothkitten
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 2:49 pm
Max,your story about releasing Midwives was so much fun to read..Thanks to you and Seamonkey for keeping Bookcrossing on my mind.I went back and registered(whaat!no other slothkittens?) Am going to order my kit and pick my first wild book tomorrow. The hospital,Dr. offices are excellent places to "release"...hmmm, now that I think of it,there's a ton of places,oh boy! I think I'm going to release some childrens books,too.I posted prior that I've dropped off books @ the laundrymat many times over the years..I love garage sales etc.,and buy any old kid books that I enjoyed as a child,got a great copy of "A Wrinkle in Time" a few weeks ago. Ya'll..this is exciting!! Positive vibes for your PT,Seamonkey.
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Seamonkey
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 5:33 pm
SK, I also thought of children's books as well. I've also left books at various places.. often at hotels if I finish up a book while staying there.. Maybe I'll find some used copies of To Kill a Mockingbird or something like that and leave them near junior highschools. Well guess I should just see how my first release goes, huh? PT, well I have hopes about it, for sure..
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Tabbyking
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 7:53 pm
please leave all bestsellers in front of my door where i can easily find them in 'the wild'. thank you in advance
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Seamonkey
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 9:29 pm
Snork, Tabby, your profile won't make that very easy!! Actually, you can also use bookcrossings to see where books are being released and go seek them out, I think.
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Seamonkey
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 9:32 pm
Bookworm has also registered as BookwormTVCH.
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Tabbyking
| Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 11:00 pm
sea, just drive around until you see my flag door this sounds like a wonderful thing. i have tons of books and our library won't take them because they don't want to have to 'process them'. i mean brand new, hardbacks and paperbacks, read once. it reminds me of the 'yellow bikes' that started in seattle. all the unclaimed bikes at the police departments or that people donated were painted bright yellow. you could borrow a bike, then leave it at your last stop. someone else could then use the bike. the only thing i didn't understand about it was if you came out of the library, or wherever you had ridden to on the bike, and wanted to ride it back to where you started from, it might be gone! at least you don't have to pedal a book. just travel with your mind...
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Cindori
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 6:21 am
Max, You don't know me, but I hope you don't mind that I said you referred me to bookcrossings! I'd seen the site before but had long since forgotten it, thanks so much for reminding me! ::Back to Lurking::
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Slothkitten
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 7:45 am
Tabby,I had the same experience trying to donate at the library..it surprised me because many times over the years I have checked out books that had a sticker inside saying Thank you to so&so for donating this book. The yellow bike thing sounds so cool..maybe to solve the problem of "dude,wheres my bike?" people could check out the bikes like books...not near as freespirited as having them all around for the taking,though. Years ago,I frequented a library that had beautiful framed prints of famous artists and even some reproduction sculpture that you could check out..that was a blast!I remember a few times,the pieces were too large to fit in my car,had to call my friend with the truck(check out was 4 wks,and you could renew a couple times).
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Max
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 9:22 am
Cindori, no worries at all! I'm just glad to pass the info along 'cause I think this is a great idea.
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Jan
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 3:29 pm
I gave you as a reference too Max..so maybe you'll get a free tshirt yet! I registered as janoftvch as jan was also already taken. (of course, that seems more plausible to me than that someone already had seamonkey as a moniker! who would have "thunk" it,seamonkey? )
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Max
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 3:38 pm
Free t-shirt? Heck I didn't even look to see what you get for referrals! I was just happy to see that people were signing up after I mentioned it! LOL
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Seamonkey
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 4:27 pm
I used you as a referral, too, Max.. maybe when I grow up, I'll get some referrals I am putting you all on my "friends" list too.
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Jan
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 5:02 pm
Sigh, Seamonkey, I tried to put both of you as references but it would not allow that many keystrokes.
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Marysafan
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 5:04 pm
I am MarysafanTVCH and I used Seamonkey as my reference...because she is always giving me such great books to consider...and I felt I owed her something for that.
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Seamonkey
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 5:20 pm
Actually I found out I have several refs.. thanks a bunch.. Marys.. I'm adding you to my friends list too!! I've been enjoying bookcrossings site today and cannot wait to release my first book into the "wild"..
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Reiki
| Friday, October 10, 2003 - 5:49 pm
I signed on late last night after reading the other thread. I used Seamonkey as a reference too. I'm Reiki-TVCH over there. I have listed my first book to release but will have to wait for sticker paper before I can release it. It was also interesting to see what books have been released in my area. I think it would be cool to find someone elses released book.
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Sia
| Saturday, October 11, 2003 - 10:21 pm
Does anyone want a bunch of books by/about Edgar Cayce? I have never read them, don't have any interest in them. My dad got them at an estate sale. They're paperbacks. I'll ship you the entire box and I don't want anything for them unless you want to pay the parcel-post shipping. Otherwise I might burn them or donate them to the library.
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Azriel
| Saturday, October 11, 2003 - 11:26 pm
Hey, if someone else from here joins put me (Azrielle) as a reference. I want a gold star like Max & Seamonkey! 
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Bgood
| Sunday, October 12, 2003 - 6:21 pm
Azriel, I put you down as my reference. I signed on as Bgoodtvch. I hope you get a gold star and a T- shirt!
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Azriel
| Sunday, October 12, 2003 - 7:29 pm
Thank you, Bgood! I put you on my friends list 
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Azriel
| Monday, October 13, 2003 - 12:16 am
Woohoo! I released 3 books into the wild today! It was so exciting. I went to a local shopping mall and walked around with my shopping bag full of books. I didn't want anyone to see me leave the book because people here will follow you for a mile to give back something they saw you drop. I put two of them out on different benches. The mall was full of people so I had to keep looking all around and I practically ran away from the benchs after I put the book down. I probably looked like I was up to no good! I left the third one in my grocery shopping cart. I couldn't resist going back to the benches upstairs and I saw that one of the books had already been picked up. I hope it was picked up by someone that will actually read it and not some cleaning lady that dumped it in the nearest garbage because she couldn't read English! That was so fun. I'm going to find some more books to register
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Max
| Monday, October 13, 2003 - 8:53 am
Hey, my first 'catch' got registered! Someone picked up a copy of "Songs in Ordinary Time" that I left at a Starbucks. Let the journey begin!!
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