August Stats

Wild Releases:30
RABCKs: 36
Catches: 2
OBCZ Finds: 1
Bookrays: 1

Year-to-date:
Wild Releases: 223
RABCKs: 121
Catches: 35
OBCZ Finds: 1
Bookrays: 1

Catch #97!

What a great way to end the month! My 97th catch is Michael Crichton's "Andromeda Strain," which I released into the wild back in January. An AnonymousFinder reports that they found the book in a friend's bedroom. Thanks for checking it in, AF!

Wild Release #726

Here is another book that just screams out for a themed release. I gave in to its demands and left Janet Evanovich's "One for the Money" on the ATM at First Commonwealth Bank on East Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg.

RABCKs #239 - #242

I picked up three "All My Children" books on a lark at at the St. Emma Monastery flea market last year, expecting to be amused by the novelizations of the first years of this American soap opera. When I finally did read them, I was very pleasantly surprised by the stories and characters and wanted to share the books with someone who shared my affection for AMC. I posted an offer in the RABCK forum on BookCrossing and  T02S03B11D20 took me up on it. I posted the books—"Tara & Philip," "Erica," and "The Lovers," by Rosemarie Santini—along with "Pretty Poison," by Joyce and Jim Lavene (to fill out the package), to Michigan today. Enjoy!

Wild Releases #720 - #725

I spent the afternoon at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, armed with my camera and a bagful of books. It was a nice, relaxing day, perfect for my meandering, photo-taking, book-releasing ways. I left "Life of Pi," by Yann Martel, on a bench by the tiger exhibit; "Lie Down with Lions," by Ken Follett, in the window of the lion exhibit; "The Predator," by Katherine Applegate, inside the Tropical Forest exhibit; Scholastic Books' "Penguins" with the penguin exhibit; "Into the Blue," by Ben Baglio, inside the PPG Aquarium where the pink Amazon dolphin lived when I was a child; and "All Creatures Great and Small," by James Herriot, on a bench by the escalators on my way out.

Wild Release #719

If you happen to be in need of interior or exterior cans of paint *and* John Grisham's "A Painted House," you may want to head to The Home Depot in Greensburg, where you will find them both together.

Wild Release #718

I went to Aldi Foods in Greensburg this evening to stock up on some things and to leave some other things behind. I left "Change Baby," by June Spence, with the diapers and other baby changing items on my way to the checkout.

Wild Release #717

Circumstances found me in the Helman-Ghrist parking lot on Main Street with Diane Johnson's "Le Divorce" itching to be released. The empty windowsill of the Westmoreland Bar Association in the alley was most inviting, and I couldn't resist. That's where you'll find it, unless someone else gets to it first.

Wild Release #716

I have no plans to visit San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge in the immediate future, so I needed a backup plan for my release of Danielle Steel's "Amazing Grace." While running some errands in town today, I left it on the stairs of Trinity United Church of Christ on Main Street. They sing that song there, don't they?

Wild Release #715

I would have felt guilty leaving Jennifer Weiner's "In Her Shoes" anywhere but at a shoe store. It almost felt like a good deed when I left it in a BookCrossing release bag at the base of a brick column outside the front doors of Payless ShoeSource in Greengate Centre.

Wild Release #714

It's been a rainy day, in desperate need of a little sun. Since the weather wasn't cooperating, I took matters into my own hands. I left "The Sunflower," by Richard Paul Evans, in a zippered plastic bag on top of the newspaper machines on the sidewalk outside Valley Dairy in Latrobe.

RABCKs #207 - #238

More books from appaloosatb's 2009 Library Rescue are on the move. The majority of them had a Christian theme and I remembered reading a thread on the BookCrossing forums about someone needing books for their Christian-themed OBCZ. After a little research, I found the thread, contacted gomboggit to see if she was still in need and was thrilled to hear she would welcome the books with open arms. I packed up the box, adding a few of my own books to fill it up, and sent it on its way to Oregon today.

Wild Release #713

I met some married friends and a newly engaged friend and her fiance at the King's Restaurant in the Hempfield Pointe Plaza for breakfast this morning, so I thought Anna Maxted's "Being Committed" was an appropriate book to leave behind.

Bookray #1

Well, this is exciting! My very first bookray has been mailed to the first reader on the list, jeskawest. Since my copy of this book was ready to travel, I offered to pick up the North American readers on shelj7k's ray so everyone gets a chance to read it faster. I really enjoyed the book and I hope my bookray participants do, too. Safe travels!

Wild Release #712

After dropping off my donations at the YWCA, I headed to Subway on Route 119 in South Greensburg for lunch. Since I was still in the releasing spirit, I left Laura Hillenbrand's "Seabiscuit" on the payphone outside the side door. I hope we have a winner!

Wild Releases #708 - #711

I recently received a box of books from appaloosatb's 2009 Library Rescue and since BookCrossing is about helping books travel, I donated "Sinking, Stealing," by Jan Clausen, "Berlitz Travel Guide: Athens," "Berlitz Travel Guide to Mexico City," and "Higher Than the Arrow," by Judy van der Veer, to the YWCA on North Main Street in Greensburg for their annual book sale to be held September 23-27 at Westmoreland Mall. Happy travels!

Wild Release #707

"The Velveteen Rabbit," by Margery Williams, didn't travel very far in its time with me, I'm afraid. I left it at on the window ledge of the Toys 'R Us store on Donohoe Road—right next door to the Goodwill store where I bought it. Hopefully its next reader will embrace the BookCrossing concept and help it *really* do some travelling!

Wild Release #706

Every so often, I get a craving for Chick-fil-A's chicken nuggets with Chick-fil-A Sauce, so it was no surprise that I ended up there for lunch today. I left with a satisfied stomach and one less book than I arrived with, having placed Louis Sachar's "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" on the ledge outside the front door.

Wild Release #705

Tonight I met an old friend I haven't seen in ages for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Since she is the one who introduced me to Janet Evanovich and her Stephanie Plum series, I thought "High Five" would be the perfect book to release to commemorate this long-overdue summit. We had a fabulous time catching up, and hopefully someone else is having a fabulous time with Stephanie, since the book was gone by the time we *finally* left. (Our sincere apologies to our very patient waitress!)

Wild Release #704

Mom, Sister No. 3, Niece No. 2 and I went to see "Into the Woods" at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh this afternoon. It is one of Niece No. 2's favorite musicals, and though I had never seen it before, I knew that the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood had a part in it. Armed with this information, I chose to bring Jack London's "White Fang" with me to release. I left it on a bench at the very tippy top landing of the theater before the show started, and it was gone at intermission. Enjoy!

Catch #96!

"Midwives" has found a new home, thanks to new member maggsb from Ebensburg, Pa., who reports: "have not had a chance to read yet but sounds very interesting. book was on windowsill at rite aid as i came out am planning on leaving it in another state when I finish it. this is a great idea LOVE IT!! picked it up 8-4-09 must of been sitting there a few days and nobody noticed???" Thank you for noticing, maggsb! Happy travels!

Wild Release #703

Want white teeth? Go to the dentist—specifically the Three Rivers Dental Group on Donohoe Road in Greensburg where you can find Zadie Smith's book on a window ledge outside the front door.

Wild Releases #701 & #702

I made a couple more stops on my way home. First, I stopped at Panera Bread in Altoona, where I picked up a sesame bagel with veggie cream cheese, and left "Fat Tuesday," by Sandra Brown, on a table on the sidewalk outside. My second stop was at the Rite Aid in Ebensburg, where I left Chris Bohjalian's "Midwives" on a brick ledge outside the front door. It's great to be home!

Wild Releases #697 - #700 & OBCZ Find #2

The conference was a big success! I learned a lot that I can't wait to put to good use for the 2010 Daffodil Days Campaign. Before heading home, however, I made a visit to the Nittany Lion Shrine at Penn State University, and left "Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination," by Helen Fielding, on a nearby bench. Next, I headed to the Webster's Cafe on Aaron OBCZ. In fact, I am there now, enjoying a delicious orange vanilla iced tea, and making release notes for Cannibal in Manhattan, by Tama Janowitz, The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant, and Speaking with the Angel, by Nick Hornby; and a journal entry for the one I'm taking home with me: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, by Patrick Suskind. Time to get back on the road!