Bookcrossing Statistics

After reading some discussions recently on the Bookcrossing forums about the numbers of books which are journalled I decided to look at my own statistics.  Obviously there were any number of things which I should have been doing instead but there you go.

Bookcrossers normally categorise their book releases as 'controlled' - when the book is given to a specific person - or 'wild' - when the book is left in a public place for anybody to pick up.  Personally I tend to think about my releases slightly differently.  I have always felt that leaving a book at an Official Book Crossing Zone (OBCZ) is less wild than leaving it anywhere else.  I also decided to distinguish books which I have taken to bookcrossing meets.  Obviously I tend to see who takes these books away but when I set off for the meet I have no idea who, if anyone, is going to take them so they aren't quite the same as most controlled releases.

There are various estimates for the percentage of released books which are journalled, often these estimates range from 10% to 20%.  I have no idea what research, if any at all, these estimates are based on.

Based on 109 books that I have released since getting involved with bookcrossing in 2008 I have 37% rate of journal entries.  This is quite a bit higher than is considered normal.

66 of my releases have been in OBCZ's and 26% of these have been journalled.  This is only slightly higher than normal .

Of my 18 truly wild releases only 2 have been journalled. This represents 11% which is within the range normally expected.

My statistics are skewed by the 69% journal rate on my 13 controlled releases and the 100% journal rate on the 12 books which have been taken away from meetings.

On the bookcrossing forums it is not unusual to hear of books being journalled years after being released.  The journal entries on my books have sometimes been made on the day they were released, usually for books taken from meets, up to 258 days after the release date.

Bookcrossing Celebrity

Yesterday was the monthly Ipswich Bookcrossing Meet, second Saturday of the month 11 o'clock at Coffee Link.  I don't get along as often as I would like because of football commitments but yesterday I was there, and what's more I was the first to arrive. 

One of the regulars had invited a couple of new people along so I wasn't surprised when a woman asked if I was part of the Bookcrossing group.  Completely failing to notice the Kiwi accent or the cuddly Ballycumber I asked if she was one of the people Izzy had invited along.  No, she wasn't.  She was already a bookcrosser who happened to be in the area and had noticed we had a meet up this weekend.  Oh, well nice to meet you I said, and what's your screen name?  I'm Lytteltonwitch she answered.

Well that probably doesn't mean anything to you.  But Lytteltonwitch is something of a Bookcrossing celebrity.  We chatted a little, other people arrived and chatted.  I picked up four books depsite having far too many to read and only intending to pick up the two that I knew Izzy was taking for me.  The the Junior Uncruliars started to get bored and it was time to leave so I could go to work.  And I didn't manage to pick up one of Lytteltonwitch's books.  I suppose it's rather sad that I think it would have been cool to have had one of her books pass through my hands.  Oh well...

Reading Group - What Was Lost

This is quite a slim first novel by Catherine O'Flynn.  It was obviously critically quite acclaimed on release.  There was some discussion of the quoted book reviews when the books were handed out.  Obviously they were all intended to be positive but they elicited quite a mixed response from the group.  It almost seemed that they were reviews of different books.

I found it quite easy to read at first.  It seemed quite a straightforward story of Kate, a young girl struggling to cope with the fact that her mother had abandoned the family and then her father had died.  I had slightly mixed feelings as it seemed that the reader was invited to adopt a slightly smug superiority over the naive central character.

Then the book moved into a second section nineteen years after the events of the first section.  At first it wasn't clear that there was any connection between the two sections other than the geographical setting, or to be more precise the Green Oaks shopping centre.  Gradually it became clear that one of the new characters was the sister of Kate's friend from the first section.  Later it became apparent that Kate had mysteriously disappeared shortly after the events of the first section of the book.

The narrative of this second section was interspersed with italicised monologues from various users of the shopping centre.  For the most part these seems unconnected with the main story line and I found them rather irritating.

The mystery of Kate's disappearance is eventually resolved.  Without wishing to give anything away it was quite unexpected but nevertheless made sense.  I felt that the quotes plastered all over the book were rather over-hyped; perhaps not surprisingly.  As a first novel it wasn't bad, I'd read her again but I wouldn't say I'm a fan.

There were only five of us at the group this morning but nevertheless we had quite an interesting discussion.  One of the readers was thoroughly unimpressed.  The rest of us all found bits and pieces that we had enjoyed but also many things that were dissatisfying.  The general consesnus was 'not bad for a first novel'.

Reading Group - The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

This book, by Maggie O'Farrell, was the new choice for my library reading group.  I thought I would write about here while it is fresh in my mind.  Then I might write about it again, either here or in a new post after we have discussed it next month.

From the back cover blurb it appears that the story is set in two periods, Edinburgh in the 1930's and 'years later'.  I was expecting some kind of two act play.  I was wrong.  The story is told in chunks, for want of a better word - there are no chapters, each told from the point of view of Esme Lennox and Iris Lockhart, the two main characters, and in a few places from the point of view of Esme's senile sister Kitty.

The writing was very readable and both the historical and present day settings were well drawn.  Although billed as 'women's fiction' and very different from my usual reading choices I found that I read the whole book in less than a week.

At first I found some of Iris Lockhart's sections a little frustrating.  I couldn't see how they connected with the main story about Esme.  Towards the end it became obvious why they were relevant. 

The alternation between the different periods and points of view was extremely effective.  It meant that Esme's tragedy came to light quite slowly as we came to know her in her later days.  Much of the power of the book would have been lost had the story been told more chronologically.

The conclusion to the story was, to me, quite unexpected.  It aslo left me feeling slightly disatisfied.  I wanted to know what happened next.  It seemed that there were some major questions left unanswered about what direction would be taken by the lives of the two central characters.

SPOILER

Esme kills her sister Kitty.  I am still undecided about the motive.  Kitty was centrally involved in taking Esme's son from her when she was institutionalised as a young woman after being raped by a suitor at a New Year's Ball.  It is clear from Kitty's rambling recollections that she feels a great deal of remorse for the fact that Esme spent the whole of her adult life in an institution.  However Esme and Kitty are not able to talk about this due to Kitty's dementia, at least if they do talk about it the conversation is not recorded.  I imagine that we are supposed to believe that Esme murders her sister in an act of revenge.  This may well be the case but there is nothing that made it clear to me that Esme had such an intent when she asked to visit Kitty.  The other obvious possibility is that Esme believes she is relieving her sister of her suffering.  Again there is nothing that really points to this conclusion in the book.  Perhaps I just feel so sorry for Esme that I want to look for excuses for her.

I should imagine that the ending of the book will provoke quite a discussion at the reading group.  In fact I will be disapointed if it doesn't.

Group Discussion Notes

Well there were quite a few more people at the group this morning and that in itself made for a better discussion.  Not least because some of the people there today where both more talkative and better at expressing their opinions than on of the two women who had been present last month.

As expected there was much discussion of the reasons why Esme had killed her sister.  Also there was a wide ranging discussion of the motivations of the the other major characters.  Other people's views of Kitty were quite damning.  They saw her as being very selfish and manipulative which hadn't been my impression although I could understand their point of view.

There was also quite a discussion of several other books that people had read recently which was also quite interesting.

My notes on the discussion are somehwat vague as I had a late night and several beers yesterday.  Perhaps next month I will be able to report in more detail.

Reading Group - Northern Lights

My only previous experience of reading groups was listening to Radio 4's Book Club with James Naughtie.  As could be expected of a Radio4 programme this tends to be a relatively high-brow, and certainly in depth discussion, of the month's chosen book - and with the author involved in the discussion as well.

The reading group at my local library was a slightly different experience.

I've thought of joining reading groups before but have never gotten round to it for various reasons, one being that I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to reading a book chosen by somebody else that I might not be interested in.  I have to say that Book Crossing has widened my horizons somewhat and so, after discussing the group with a colleague, I decided to join. 

Looking forward to reading something new I was, I have to admit, slightly disappointed to find that this months book was one that I had already read.  Still it is a good book so it was no hardship top read it again.  As is always the way I noticed things this time that I didn't remember from my previous reading.  Perhaps because I didn't notice them then, or maybe simply because I had forgotten about them.

Northern Lights is a gripping adventure story set in a very believable alternate universe.  Although it is often described as being an older children's, or young adult's, book it contains many themes that I am sure would go over the head of the average teen.  It plays with questions of innocence and original sin, the tension between predestination and free choice, and relationships between adolescents and their parents.  I was looking forward to discussing these issues.

When I got to the group there were, beside myself, just three other people present - the librarian, and two women in their 50's and 70's respectively (I think).  The older woman was keen to tell us that she had found many of the unfamiliar names confusing and that she thought that there was quite a lot of violence and visciousness in the story.  In her opinion it wasn't at all suitable for children.  That seemede to be about the extent of her insight, although she did say she had enjoyed reading the book and would like to see the film.  The librarian was obviously a fan of the Dark Materials trilogy and talked quite a bit about how the themes were developed in the other two books.  The 'younger' woman joined in to a limited extent with some of the discussion.

Over all I have to say it was a pleasant enough way to while away half an hour or so.  It may be that there would be a better discussion with more people present.  The fact that today was Mother's Day may have prevented some people from attending.  I have come away with another book to read for next month - The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, by Maggie O'Farrell.  Certainly not a book that I would have picked up myself but it looks as if it might be interesting; more next month.

2010 Reading List

1. Nation, Terry Pratchett - a Christmas present, I actually started reading it on Boxing Day I think but didn't finish it until just after the New Year so I'm counting it.  A fantastic book.  Many themes that are common to Pratchett's more Discworld novels.  There is even a kind of personification of Death, but this one speaks in italics rather than BLOCK CAPITALS and is not very pleasant.
2. Super-Cannes, J.G.Ballard - found at the Ipswich Bookcrossing meet.Journal here 
3. You'll Win Nothing with Kids: Fathers, Sons and Football, Jim White - found in a charity basket for me by Mrs Uncruliar. Journal here
4. No Time For Goodbye, Linwood Barclay - found in a charity basket for me by Mrs Uncruliar. Journal Here
5. Diamonds are Forever, Ian Fleming - picked up at Coffee Link OBCZ. Journal Here
6. Yes, Minister, Jonathan Lynn and  Antony Jay - bought from library sale shelf. Journal Here
7. From Russia With Love, Ian Fleming - brought home from a monthly meet-up at Coffee Link OBCZ. Journal Here
8. Sword Song (Alfred the Great 4), Bernard Cornwell - bought from the library sale shelf. Journal Here
9. The Taking, by Dean Koontz - bought from the library sale shelf. Journal Here
10. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Paul Torday - bought from the library sale shelf. Journal Here
11. The Blade Itself: Book One Of The First Law, Joe Abercrombie - brought home from a monthly meet-up at Coffee Link OBCZ. Journal Here
12. Northern Lights, Philip Pullman - this was chosen as the monthly title for a book group that I have just joined.  I have read the whole series before and enjoyed them but wouldn't have read this again right now were it not for the book group.  It is a good adventure and sets up some interesting philosphical questions about the nature of sin and religion if you are interested in getting into something deeper.  These questions are more fully developed in the later books, especially the last.  The book group meets again next weekend so another, separate, post might be in order then. Reading Group Post
13. Taking Charge of Anger,   - I haven't finished reading this yet but I'm working through it and it will be the subject of a separate set of posts.
14. Up and Down in the Dales, by Gervase Phinn - picked up at the Coffe Link OCBZ.  Journal Here
15. Cyber-killers, ed. Ric Alexander - picked up at the Coffe Link OCBZ. Journal Here
16. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, Maggie O'Farrell - book of the month at my local library Reading Group
17. Don't Cry For Me Aberystwyth, Malcolm Pryce - received as an act of Random Book Crossing Kindness (RABCK) from AgnesXNitt. Journal Here
18. Be Your Own Life Coach: How to Take Control of Your Life and Achieve Your Wildest Dreams, Fiona Harrold  - Found in a charity shop by Mrs Uncruliar
19. True History of the Kelly Gang, Peter Carey  - picked up at the Coffee Link OBCZ.  Journal Here
20. What Was Lost, Catherine O'Flynn - book of the month at my local library Reading Group
21. Brisingr, Christopher Paolini - Can't remember now where I picked this up, must have been a bargain somewhere which I thought I would pick up to complete the trilogy.  Now that I've read it I find that the trilogy has become a quartet.  When I read Eragon I thought it was ok but extremely derivative.  To give credit where it is due Paolini does seem to have found his voice rather better over time.  I will read the next book but I am more interested to see what he does after that.  I hope he abandons Alagaesia for a setting that is more truly his own.
22. Octopussy and 007 in New York, Ian Fleming - handed to me at the monthly bookcrossing meet. Journal Here
23. Alexandria, Lindsey Davis - book of the month at my local library Reading Group.  I usually journal these separately but in this case I won't as I have got so behind with my blogging.  I have to say that I did enjoy it although it was rather anachronistic in places.  Unfortunately I missed the discussion.
24. The Jane Austen Book Club,  Karen Joy Fowler - book of the month at my local library Reading Group.
25. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde - handed to me at the monthly bookcrossing meet.  Journal Here
26. Lost in a Good Book, Jasper Fforde - handed to me at the monthly bookcrossing meet.  Journal Here
27. Beyond the Deepwoods, Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell - Picked up for me by Mrs Uncruliar at a charity shop or car boot sale or somesuch.  This is the first book in a trilogy introducing a new major character, Twig. I have read other books in The Edge Chronicles and enjoyed them so I am sorry to say that I was rather disappointed by this.  For much of the book there didn't seem to be any real plot, simply a series of unconnected encounters between Twig and various threats.  To a certain extent the connections were made towards the end of the book but even so I was left feeling rather disappointed.  Hopefully the other two books in the trilogy are somehwat better as they are sitting on my bookshelf at the moment.
28. March, Geraldine Brooks - book of the month at the local library Reading Group.
29. Adventures on the High Teas, Stuart Maconie - picked up at a monthly Bookcrossing met a while back. Journal Here
30. River God, Wilbur Smith - I was fully prepared not to like this for a variety of reasons, but I did.  In fact not only did I enjoy reading it but I was close to tears at least twice towards the end.  I will definitely look out for more Wilbur Smith books in future.
31. The Resurrectionist, James Bradley - book of the month at the local library Reading Group.
32. Inverting the Pyramid, The History of Football Tactics, Jonathan Wilson - The youth football team that I manage gave me some book vouchers as an end of season present and this was one of the books I treated myself to.  Quite an interesting read on a subject that I knew less about than I had thought to begin with.
33. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House, Kate Summerscale - found in a charity bin in town. Journal Here
34. Chasing Darkness, Robert Crais - came to me in a Freecycle book bag.  Journal Here
35. The Murders In The Rue Morgue, Edgar Allan Poe - picked up from the library's withdrawn book shelf. Journal Here
36. Devil May Care, Sebastian Faulks - book of the month at the local library Reading Group.
37. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown - came to me in a Freecycle book bag. Journal Here
38. The Various Flavours of Coffee, Anthony Capella - book of the month at the local library Reading Group.
39. Greenmantle, John Buchan - picked up from the library's withdrawn book shelf. Journal Here
40. The Book Thief,  Markus Zusak - picked up from the library's withdrawn book shelf.  Journal Here
41. Otherland: City of Golden Shadow Bk. 1,  Tad Williams Journal Here
42. Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett - a birthday present from one of the little Uncruliars, and a jolly good one at that.
43. The Palace of Strange Girls, Sallie Day - book of the month at the local library Reading Group.   Definitely not one I would have chosen for myself but I really enjoyed this.  Surprisingly I found that the story was, to me, more about the father than his wife or daughters.
44. Hero of Rome,  Douglas Jackson - lent to me by my Dad.  A good book although I couldn't decide whose side I was on.
45. The Jewel That Was Ours, Colin Dexter - picked up from the library's withdrawn book shelf. Journal Here
46. Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall, Kazuo Ishiguro - book of the month at the local library Reading Group.  I enjoyed reading this, whizzed through it in fact.  However, as I have often felt with short stories in the past, I was left feeling that the stories were unfinished - too many questions seemed to be left unanswered for my liking.