open access

When I went to the movies a few days ago (to watch In Bruge, great movie!), I noticed a little stack of books neatly shelved side by side with Popcorn and Sweets. Of course I approached to check it out and that`s how I got to know a project called “Book Crossing“. The idea is to register a book you own on the website, release it in a public space and track it`s journey throughout the world. The people who take the book with them can write in a journal on the website so you will know whatt they thought about it. After reading it you release it again. It´s kind of a large organised free book club and with a tagline like “make the whole world a big library” they are sure to get my support. I have some Sci-Fi books I am going to give to the cause, try to find them if you live in Vienna. Of course you can just pass it on to a friend who will pass it on and so on. The only rule is to write a journal entry on the website and not to hold on to the book. I am not sure this will work with the majority of austrians, but anyways, most of the books are in english. A good exercise in “non-attachment” for my fellow buddhists out there.

I stumbled across Ian Rankins “The naming of the dead” and I am very glad to get to know this author in this way because I don`t think I would have bought the book. It`s a crime novel set in Edinburgh at the time the G8 were having a meeting there in 2006. Lots of political commentary, slick scottish slang and a cynical detective make up for a great read. I am not through with it yet but 200 pages into the book the plot of organised crime, serial killings of rapists and the “suicide” of a bureaucrat is unfolding in a very nice way. It`s casual noir, not as manic as James Ellroy but hard to put down.