I've enjoyed interacting with other readers around the world, exchanging books and gifts with other readers, and participating in the forums, etc.
I've read so many books that I would have otherwise never read if I hadn't received recommendations from other Bookcrossers, participated in Bookrays and Bookrings (this is where readers on Bookcrossing send books to other readers to read and pass on to the next reader on the sign up list), or been given books as gifts by other generous Bookcrossers.
Case in point, I signed up to participate in a Bookray on Bookcrossing to read Devil-Devil by G. W. Kent, which is a mystery novel by a new to me author. I recently received Devil-Devil by G. W. Kent in the mail from a Bookcrosser in Brazil and will begin reading this novel soon.
The REALLY COOL part for me is that this physical copy of Devil-Devil by G. W. Kent has traveled around the world LITERALLY as this novel has been read by Bookcrossers in several European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and has now reached me in the USA!!
The other really cool thing is that Devil-Devil by G. W. Kent has also been read by 18 Bookcrossers before me and I can read each journal entry made by each reader online and discover what each person thought about the novel. How cool is that? Once I am done reading Devil-Devil by G. W. Kent, I will be mailing it to another reader here in the USA.
I'll be sure and let you know what I think of Devil-Devil by G. W. Kent once I've finished reading it. Until then, happy reading!!
That sounds like a great thing you are doing. Do you ever get books by authors from other countries?
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't received books from authors in other countries. That would be a cool idea though.
DeleteThis is so cool! Does every person write their name in the front of the book? That would be such a cool way to document it's journey around the world in the physical format :) Thanks for sharing this; I'll have to check it out sometime!
ReplyDeleteLaura @BlueEyeBooks
No, readers do not write their names on the book's cover.
DeleteIn a very brief/basic synopsis, here's how it works...
Step 1: You visit Bookcrossing's website and create a free account online. You create a screen name for yourself at the time you create your account on Bookcrossing.
Step 2: Bookcrossing members choose to register books on Bookcrossing and are given a Bookcrossing ID Number, which is then written on the inside cover of the book (usually with other details like when, where, and by whom the book has been registered).
Step 3. The Bookcrosser who registered the book can chose to do a wide variety of things with the book they've registered... In the case of Devil-Devil by G. W. Kent, the Bookcrosser who registered this book chose to share this book with other avid readers/Bookcrossers around the world by creating a bookray for this book... Essentially, a bookray is a book that is set to be shared by an infinite number of interested readers world wide.
Step 4. From there, Devil-Devil by G. W. Kent is mailed from person to person. Once a person has received a book they login into Bookcrossing, type in the Bookcrossing ID Number, and make a journal entry that they have received the book... Once they finish reading the book, the person leaves another journal entry giving the book a rating of 1 star to 10 stars based on how much they liked the book, and finally, they mail the book to the next reader making another journal entry stating how/where they've released the book...
Step 5. Every time a journal entry is made for a particular book you've made a journal entry for, all the previous readers who've made a journal entry for that same exact book will receive an email letting them know which Bookcrosser (you see their Bookcrossing screen name) has received and read the book.... They will see the rating you give the book and any thoughts and comments you care to share. It's all shared digitally.