Fiction

BookCrossers tend to be obsessed with books, especially finding BookCrossing books in unexpected places - or even expected places . . . so it's not unusual to check the Go Hunting places before travelling to new areas to see where BookCrossing activity might be taking place . . . Hence our stopping for coffee in the Morrisons supermarket in Ilkeston while taking a short break in rural Derbyshire this week, after learning that it had a charity bookshelf of books available . . . This was one of them - but now it's in North Yorkshire with me!

From the Front Cover (which I didn't notice at the time): 'Dibdin has a gift for shocking the unshockable reader' Daily Telegraph

- but that's not me. I prefer to think I'm sensitive rather than unshockable, too willing to empathise with the victim. Some actions are so appalling that we ought to be shocked by them, always . . .

So I'm not sure why I started reading it . . . but I didn't get far before giving up. The macho atmosphere of rural Italy wasn't one I wanted to hang around in for long. I'm definitely the wrong gender for this book!

Left with the other books on these well-stocked, well-tended bookcases!

Nearly two million people around the world give their books a unique BookCrossing IDentity number (BCID) before sending them out to find new readers. Since the start of the scheme in April 2001 over thirteen million such books have been put into circulation. This is one of them!

Our hope is that we can track the progress of our books once they've left our hands - and that's possible if finders like you visit the website, key in the BCID and leave a comment, however long or short. It's fun, it doesn't have to cost anything, although the site always appreciates donations towards running costs, and you can remain anonymous if you wish. You don't have to join but if you do you'll be able to number and track your own books!