Another aspect of Bookcrossing that I just love, one that is completely controlled by membership and the creativity in the "challenges" is an amazingly fun thing to experience! So what is a release challenge? It is, in a way, a game where Bookcrossers challenge one another to release books under certain perameters: Books with red covers, release at public events, books made into movies, etc. An entire
forum has been created at Bookcrossing for the challenges.
So, with my renewed activity in Bookcrossing, and my personal goal this year of 250 releases, I decided to participate in some challenges. I'm taking part in the "3 Every Week Challenge", challenging people to release an average of 3 books each week: "The Ultimate Challenge", in which you gain points based on books you read and release, and extra points if they meet the monthly theme: the "Never Judge A Book By Its Cover Challenge", where participants are encouraged to release books whose covers fit certain weekly themes (for instance, last week was books with images of water on the cover): the "2013 Movie Release Challenge" where, you guessed it, we release books that are based on, or have been made into movies.
The real challenge here is finding books that fit into as many challenges at once as you can! Makes for crazy thought patterns, let me tell you. The closest I have come would be
The Third Option, which fit the theme for the Ultimate Challenge as well as the Never Judge A Book Challenge!
You might think, "wow, that's a lot of books, where do you get them all?" Good question! Honestly, you don't have to spend a fortune to amass a large quantity of books. Most public libraries will have big sales of used books where you can get books for fifty cents, or in some cases, massive clearance sales where you fill a paper bag for just a couple bucks! Thrift shops often sell paperbacks fairly cheap. Sometimes, used book stores will have sales as well. I go to Book Worm Used books in Riverview, FL, where they have an entire back room full of clearance books... 5 books for a dollar! Give me 30 minutes in that room, I will emerge with 15-20 books that somehow fit my upcoming releasing needs! So for just a few bucks, I have a ton of books to set free, and I'm doing several things: feeding my hobby thus engaging in self-care; supporting the local economy; leaving books in random places for people to find, often brightening someone's day, hence spreading random acts of kindness and joy!
Viva la Bookcrossing!
2013 Releases To Date: 15
Total Books Released: 3166
Total Releases Journaled: 199
Catch rate: 6.28%
