Why I Do It....

Back last September, I mentioned that I've gotten back into Bookcrossing.com, and have been leaving used books around the Triangle area on occasion. I'm continuing to have fun with this, and have actually met a few other local Bookcrossers at a monthly meetup at a Starbucks in Raleigh. I'd been leaving a lot of books at that particular Raleigh Starbucks, which has a nice, multishelf bookcase for used books. The powers that be recently moved it from a prime spot just as you come in the front door, to some wall space on the side of the store (i.e. kind of out of the way!). The past couple of times I've been there to leave books I've registered on Bookcrossing, the shelves have continued to be jam packed with books already (some of them ones I've left before), so I don't think the customers are noticing the assortment of used books as much. The bookcase is out of the line of traffic for the "to-go" customers, and has been replaced by a handy-dandy display of Starbucks products. Okay, okay, not very surprising, huh?!

So, that inspired me to start thinking about where else I could serendipitously leave books around the area. Lately, I've left books in post office lobbies, Wal-Mart, Subway, and a bench outside a nearby nail salon. So far, all of these recent non-Starbucks "wild releases" have disappeared, hopefully into the hands of interested readers, but the only one so far that's gotten an online reponse (or "journal entry") on Bookcrossing is a Weighwatchers cookbook I left on a bench outside a local Food Lion.  The response was pretty cool!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

I was surprised. I was becoming discouraged in cooking healthy and I food [sic] this book. Thank you...


CAUGHT IN MORRISVILLE NC USA


The person who found this cookbook obviously had food on the brain, but I hope it helped her/him through a discouraging spell with their healthy lifestyle change! How often do you have a cookbook with you as you're heading into the grocery store?!

I like to think that any number of books I've left around may be just the book someone needed to run across at that time to feel inspired, comforted, challenged, or less bored! I don't expect to find out who's picked up every book I've left "out in the wild," but it was especially neat to find out about this one, since I'm on a healthy cooking kick too!

Birthdays

Birthdays are on my mind lately. My mom's birthday is in February, and my dad's birthday is in March. They're both in their late 70s, so I'm thankful that they are both in decent health. I have some freinds and co-workers who are caregivers for one or both parents, and it reminds me how fragile life and health can be.

Speaking of which, my dad's youngest brother and my mom's last living aunt have both died in 2010. R.I.P., Aunt Roetta and Uncle Bill! You're both missed.