Catch #240!

One of the books I left in Little Free Library #7801 in Indiana, Pa., last month was just caught and journalled! An AnonymousFinder says, "We love finding book at the book box."

I love that they found it!

The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library many months after having seen the film (featuring Niece No. 2 as an extra!) and after years of hearing glowing reviews of the book.

Although this was my first John Green book, it was not my first encounter with John Green. I was familiar with him from his Life Hacks vlogs and some of his social media interactions, and he's a likable guy. So what took me so long to read this book? Me. I didn't want to give in to the hype or read a depressing book. How can a book about kids with cancer not be depressing? But I finally read the book because I had seen the movie and knew what to expect.

I probably would not have seen the movie if Niece No. 2 had not been an extra in it. Who wants to see a depressing movie? How can a movie about kids with cancer not be depressing? It was, and it wasn't, and that seems to be the magic of John Green. He tells the truth and he doesn't sugar coat it. Sometimes the truth sucks, but sometimes it doesn't, and the world *is* full of infinite possibilities.

A4, anyone?

I have been making my own BCID labels for years, formatted to 8.5" x 11" paper, as is the standard here in the United States. But since BookCrossing is an international community, I'm venturing past the borders into A4 territory. First up, a little international romance. What do you think? Which label should I tackle next?

2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke

When you remember that "2001: A Space Odyssey" was written in the very dawn of the Space Age, that makes it pretty impressive. Man had not even orbited the moon when this book was published in July 1968, just a few months after Stanley Kubrick's movie.

Arthur C. Clarke provides an introduction on this audible.com download, and it was fascinating to hear the history behind this iconic story. In 1964, he and Stanley Kubrick decided to collaborate on a new project, using Clarke's short story, "The Sentinel," as a starting point. Clarke describes this as "a mood piece about the discovery of an alien artifact on the moon. A kind of burglar alarm, set to go off on man's arrival." Kubrick suggested that he and Clarke let their imaginations soar freely by writing a complete novel from which they could derive a movie script. In reality, the novel and the screenplay were being written simultaneously. Clarke says some parts of the novel were written only after seeing the screen rushes of the script.

Dick Hill was a great narrator for this book, providing excellent voices for each character, and getting through the sciencey bits in a very calm and smooth way that didn't make my brain hurt. This book stands alone very well; it does not need the movie. The movie, however, needs this book. I don't remember completely understanding the movie when I saw it, but after hearing this book, I totally get it. And recommend it.