Mail Call

My good friend Ali very kindly included me in what I can only describe as a chain mail, book club. I honestly mean the very kind part. This is by far the coolest chain mail thing ever. You get a letter with instructions and you get some addresses. You send one book to the address on the back of the letter. You pick any book you like and send it to someone you probably don’t know. I mailed out a copy of Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger (of The Devil Wears Prada fame) to Alabama (if I remember correctly). Then you mail six of the same letter and include the address of the person who sent the letter to you. If the chain keeps going, and people hold up their end of the bargain, you get 36 books in the mail.

Well, I love books. Especially free books. It’s like Christmas all year for me. My very first book just came in the mail. Arriving from Aspen, CO (and someone I’ve never met, but know of), came The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. This is a book I have never heard of, by an author I’ve never heard of. I love that because it means that it’s something I might not have picked up on my own. Apparently it involves a rather strange fellow investigating the death of a neighborhood dog. From flipping through it I can tell you that there are smiley faces and various illustrations and diagrams. I have to admit to being really excited about it.

I’m also really excited to insert my 36 chain letter books into the midst of my BBC 100 read-a-thon. All work and no play makes Jamie a cranky reader (not that all the BBC 100 are non-fun books, but I’m definitely going to need a few breaks).

So, if you were someone who received one of my letters, I hope that you are paying it forward. I want some more book lovin’ in the mail.