Wednesday, November 5, 2003
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Wednesday, November 5, 2003 |
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A book is out there – somewhere By MICHAEL BOYLAN I have not had a lot of time for leisure reading lately, since I got a lead in a local play, but that is a story for a later date. I mention not being able to read for fun because I received a book by James Patterson at the office Aug. 17 and it has sat on my desk ever since. Patterson has written a number of thrillers, including “Kiss the Girls” and “Along Came a Spider,” and I’m sure that this one, “2nd Chance,” is just as good. What makes this book special though, isn’t what it’s about but how I came across it. As I entered the office that steamy August day, I saw the book sticking out of our little, crooked metal mailbox. There was a yellow sticky note on the front that read, “I’m Free! I’m not lost! Please pick me up, read me and help me with my journey! (See inside) — bookcrossing.com.” I thought, “How clever, what a neat way to share books. This will make a great feature.” And then I got busy and didn’t think of the book for a long, long time. I stumbled upon it the other day, opened the flap and saw that “Aunt Di” had released the book Aug. 17 and I felt bad. The book got bogged down at its first stop and I still haven’t spread the word of bookcrossing.com. The Web site encourages people to leave books in all sorts of places around town where people might be seeking reading material — waiting rooms, coffee shops, park benches, etc. If done correctly, the world becomes a library where people may stumble upon free books all over the place and people all over the world may be touched by the books. Isn’t that nice? I also found this interesting because a few weeks before I received “2nd Chance,” I left a real crappy nonfiction book about people who act like vampires at a table in Marco Polo Airport in Venice. Maybe someone picked it up and enjoyed it or maybe it got thrown away. Who knows? The possibilities are endless. Now, I’m not going to leave every book I’ve ever read in a waiting room, but some books are worth sharing. So, today, I have released “2nd Chance” back to the public. It is somewhere in Fayette County. If you find it, read it and pass it on. Also, visit bookcrossing.com and document its travels. This can be done with any book you have and then you can chronicle how far the book has traveled. So, there you go. I have spread the word. Now, back to memorizing lines. |
