Reading in the garden - June 2011

I was introduced to BookCrossing when my younger daughter (later known as tree-hugger) was given a BC-registered book by a work colleague (aka Mai-day) because she thought I would like it. T-H gave it to me and the rest, as they say, is history! I never did work out how they came to be discussing my reading habits – but I’m certainly not complaining!

I loved the idea of keeping track of the books I gave away and by the time I discovered that most Wild Releases are never heard from again, I was hooked. I still get a thrill when a Wild Release phones home.

I soon discovered chatting about books on the Forums and Controlled Releases and OBCZs and RABCKS and PMs with BookCrossers around the world and the BCUK Yahoo Group and …

I went along to a York meetup and discovered the joy of meeting real-life BookCrossers. I went to the Edinburgh and Swindon Unconventions and discovered the fun of large BookCrosssing gatherings. I was supposed to go to the Convention in Amsterdam – but that’s another story! Volcanic ash isn’t going to keep me from Nottingham.

When travelling, I look for OBCZs and BookCrossers around the country. It’s fantastic! I’ve discovered I can post something like: “I’ll be in Cardiff on such a day – anyone free for lunch?” and BookCrossers will come and join me. I’ve turned strangers into friends in Chester and Salcey Forest and Birmingham – and I’ll be near Lichfield over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Anyone?

Yes, joining BookCrossing has been a 6 year voyage of discovery. And I’m sure there’s even more to discover in September. I’m looking forward to meeting old friends, making new ones, releasing books, acquiring books – and celebrating my birthday in style!

In preparation for Nottingham, I’ve signed up for all the Uncon author Bookrays on offer. So far I’ve been impressed by Stephen Booth twice and not by Eve Makis! I’ve started putting books on one side to bring with me and identified something like 40 I can cull from my Keeper Shelves, including my collections of Ellis Peters and Elizabeth Peters. PM me (Nu-Knees) if you’d like me to put your name on one.

Reading more or less 200 books a year leaves me little time for other hobbies. I have absolutely no arts and crafts talents but I can write, and on a good day I can even make my handwriting legible, so I’m getting together a few Knaresborough postcards as my contribution towards goodie bags.

And that’s me! See you in Nottingham!

Me & my girls in 2010

My name is Claire and I joined BookCrossing in February 2009 after reading about it by chance on a review website. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to share my love of reading with other people and the possibility to make someone else’s day by leaving them a little booky surprise.

Within my first week of BookCrossing I’d been sent books by complete strangers and left several of my own books out ‘in the wild’, a number of which had been picked up and journalled by others. Needless to say I was hooked and over the last two years I’ve tried my hands at many BookCrossing activities including meetups, random acts of BookCrossing kindness (RABCK), bookboxes, bookrays and my first Unconvention in Swindon in 2010. My favourite thing about BookCrossing is watching the journeys as my books make their way around the world.

Travelling in 2007

This year I’m the Chair of the Uncon committee and am really enjoying working with the team to create a marvellous event for everyone. I can’t wait for the Unconvention weekend in Nottingham so that we can see all our hard work come together. We’ve got loads of fun activities and events in the pipeline so it should be an action-packed and entertaining weekend.

When I’m not BookCrossing, I’m generally kept busy by my two young daughters (not to mention my husband!) but when I do have free time I enjoy reading (obviously!), travelling, catching up with friends, playing games, watching films, sewing and walking.

Who Am I? by Marco Bellucci on flickr

Over the next few weeks, you will start to see something new on the website (and arriving in your email Inbox if you’re subscribed to email updates). We will be beginning a series of posts introducing you to some of the committee members as well as other BookCrossers who will be attending the Unconvention.

We’d be happy to hear from anyone who is attending the event, so if you think you’d like to tell us all a bit more about yourself please contact me (pingucb) and I can send you some guidelines on what to include.

We hope that these posts will help to break the ice on the weekend itself as well as providing some interesting reading in the run-up to the event.