Catch #10!

A second book from the Greensburg Holiday Parade was caught, bringing me into the double digits at last! "Charm City," by Laura Lippman, was caught by mbrant246. Thanks for picking up the book and welcome to BookCrossing!

Wild Release #92

It took me forever to read "Spencerville," by Nelson DeMille. I did read two other books for SSM missions between the first time I cracked open this book and the last time I closed it, so that could account for what took me so long! Since I'd been staring at the cover on my nightstand for so long, I was anxious to set it free as soon as I was done reading it. The opportunity presented itself tonight when I went to get takeout from Cozumel, THE best Mexican restaurant outside of Mexico. The margaritas on the rocks are a must-have when eating in. I left the book in a zippered plastic bag on the sidewalk rail by the front door.

Wild Release #91

"The Merchant of Venice," by William Shakespeare, was released at The Sunset Cafe in Greensburg as my third SSM challenge.

I had planned to leave "A Room with a View," by E.M. Forster, but as I was telling my niece how much I enjoyed the book, she asked if she could read it. Luckily, I had "The Merchant of Venice" as a backup. I left the book a couple of hours past sunset because I was otherwise engaged at 4:53 p.m., but I DID leave it at The Sunset Cafe, so at least I got a sunset in there! Mission Accomplished!

This week's challenge, set by dicentragirl, follows:

What: SSM 1118- Celebrating Different Cultures
When: November 18th, 2007
How: Pick books about a country other than your own, or books that take place in a country other than your own. Release locations can include ethnic sections of grocery stores, ethnic restaurants, specialty stores... Use your imagination!

Catch #9!

Finally, a catch! And of one of my favorite books, too. An Anonymous Finder's 5-year-old son noticed this at the end of the Greensburg Holiday Parade and took it home. That boy will have a bright future, I'm sure! Thanks for journaling, AF. I hope you and your son enjoy the book as much as I do.

Wild Releases #81 - #90

Today was the annual Holiday Parade in Downtown Greensburg--a fabulous opportunity to release lots of books. I convinced my sister and niece to go with me and act as human shields while I released a book or two on every block of the parade route. I think I was spied a couple of times, and though no catches have come in yet, I'm hopeful that they will. The books I released were: Charm City, by Laura Lippman; The Princeton Imposter, by Ann Waldron; The Horse and His Boy, by C.S.Lewis; Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, by Kate Douglas Wiggin; Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë; Ellen Tebbits, by Beverly Cleary; The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner; Labyrinth, by Jon Land; The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary; and Class Clown, by Johanna Hurwitz.

RABCK #47

I saw a posting in one of the BookCrossing forums a few weeks ago looking for a copy of a couple of books, one of which I happened to have in my possession. I had to wait for Mom to finish reading it for her book club, but Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants" is now on its way to BethanieKay in Texas so she can send it to her Secret Santa across the pond.

Wild Release #80

Another breakfast meeting at Eat 'n Park means another release on top of the newspaper boxes outside. I left Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, on my way into my breakfast meeting; it was gone by the time I left the restaurant to head back to the office. Now, how to get people to journal them as quickly as they pick them up?!?

Wild Release #79

"The Lady and the Unicorn," by Tracy Chevalier, was released at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg as my second SSM challenge.

I fully expected the museum to be closed and the parking lot to be empty, it being Sunday and all, but the lights were blazing when I pulled in and people were leaving left and right. I had to circle the block a few times before I was sure that nobody would witness my drop (I like to be stealthy. You don't have to be, but I like to be). I was finally able to leave the book in a BookCrossing release bag propped up on a statue in the parking area just a smidge past sunset. Mission Accomplished!

This week's challenge, set by dicentragirl, follows:

What: SSM 1111- Art for Art's Sake
When: November 11th 2007, at Sunset
How: With the birthdays of Georgia O’Keefe and Monet this week, we celebrate art and artists. Pick a book about your favorite artist or maybe an instructional art book. Releases can be at galleries, art supply stores, or anyplace that says “ART” to you.

Wild Release #78

I met my beautiful new niece, Maggie, today. She's just a little over a day old and smiled every time I held her--she has good taste. I found the perfect book to release in the lobby of Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh--"Blood Work," by Michael Connelly. "Blood Work." Get it? You can get "Blood Work" in the hospital. Hahahaha!!! Unless someone else finds it before you get there. I crack me up.

Wild Release #77

I had to do a little grocery shopping for the St. Vincent DePaul food bank's Christmas bags (stuffing, instant potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, coffee, tea, dessert, etc.) so I headed to Aldi Foods in Greensburg. They have really good prices on a bunch of stuff and I was able to fill the bag for about $15. I left "The Nanny Diaries," by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus in one of the grocery carts that are secured out on the sidewalk. You should be able to get to it without putting a quarter in for the cart ;)

Wild Release #76

"Latte Trouble," by Cleo Coyle, was released at The American Coffee Shop in Greensburg as my first SSM challenge. SSM stands for Sunday Sunset Mission and apparently, they used to happen all the time. Everyone around the world would release a particular kind of book at a particular kind of place on a predetermined Sunday at their own sunset time. When I first started BookCrossing, I noticed an unused forum called "SSMs" whose description was "The forum to discuss top-secret SSMs. If you don't know what they are, DON'T POST HERE!" I waited and waited for someone to post something there and finally was rewarded. Now the SSMs have started up again and I'm looking forward to participating in as many as I can.

This week's challenge, set by dicentragirl, follows:

What: SSM 1104- Coffee, Tea, Come Read Me!
When: November 4th 2007, at Sunset
Who: YOU!
Where and how: Grab your book to be released and head to your favorite coffee house or tea shop.

Although The American Coffee Shop was closed, it being Sunday and all, I left it in a BookCrossing release bag propped up on one of the chairs on their sidewalk just a smidge past sunset. Mission Accomplished!

Wild Release #75

Well, the whole month of October passed with zero catches. I guess that will happen, but it's disappointing just the same. Looking forward to a better catch rate in November, I released The Complete Plays of Sophocles at Lynch Field in Greensburg. I left it in a plastic bag propped up on a bench that looks at the inside track.