Book Crossing Sticky Note
I love reading. Magazines, brochures, pamphlets, graphic novels and regular books. I’ve bought books at stores, through the internet, at yard sales and second hand stores. But some of my favorite books are the few that I “caught” in the wild, left behind by others on purpose for someone to find.
I love finding a book because I feel that someone really liked it and didn’t want it to sit on their shelf. They wanted that book to be found by someone else who would read it and love it. A well worn, dog-eared book is like a favorite stuffed animal that has been loved so much it is threadbare. How sad is the book with a great story that is only read once.
Well, I just found this totally awesome site called
Book Crossing that allows you to “set your books free” so that someone else can “catch” the book and read it. When you are done, set the book free again for someone else to find. You can follow your books’ journey as it is passed off and hunt for books that have been set free in your area.
In the last 30 days, books have been released in 80 different countries. You can click on your country and then find an area close to you where a book has been released. Start an adventure by searching for a wild book!
But you don’t have to wait ’til you find a book. You can sign up and start releasing your own books. It is free to register. Pay $15.90 and you can get a starter kit with labels and sticky notes (see picture) for 25 books. You don’t have to use this kit, but I think you will have better luck finding new homes for your books if you do.
This is a great project to do with your kids this summer and a wonderful way to share your favorite author.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
I take all my used paperback books (and those given to me too) to Operation Gratitude. They will pack the books, again, paperback only, into the boxes they ship overseas to our troops. While I think its great to leave a book for someone to find, I think it’s way better to send it to the troops.
I never thought about sending some of my books to the troops! i will have to check into that! I do share with my neighbors, and I do occasionally leave one on the bus for someone to find if I am done reading it!
Amd there are also “Friends of the Library” groups at most public libraries. They accept used books and resell them to purchase additional things that the libraries need. (They are also a good source for used books.) In some areas they have full-time bookstores, other areas have book sales once per quarter. But you can be guaranteed that your used books will find a “new home.” One “Friends” group I participated with had a number of customers who purchased books which were shipped to schools and public libraries in the Phillipines or other countries.