Spreading the Literary Word

Sometime last winter I saw a paperback novel on a table in the lounge and thought, "what the frick is this?" Turns out the book had been registered at Bookcrossing. At this site, they urge people to register books and leave them in public places. The next person that picks up the book is supposed to read it, go on the website and mention where they read it and what they thought of it, then leave it in another public place. Dynamite idea! Although to be honest, I did not read the book I found; it didn't appeal to me. But the idea appeals to me, and that's why I have written this short, informative, but mostly useless blog entry about it. However, books have travelled the world in this manner.

Best book ever, by the way, is William Goldman's The Princess Bride. It took me years to figure out that the book was a hoax (sorry Mike that I didn't tell you once I found out). Some excellent books that I didn't list in my profile: Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk, Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards, Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen, and Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer. I own a lot of books and will gladly lend them out to willing disciples. End of commercial.