I think this is a great idea that deserves a little pruning. One book is a task. Twelve books is an ordeal. One book is a priority mail flat rate box for $5.35, two days anywhere in the US (and like $9 outside). Twelve books is a large priority mail flat rate box for $18. I find that ambitious things are best started modestly - having one book show up on your doorstep is an invitation to read. Having twelve books show up... well, shit. I've got both the Nausicaa collection and Toynbee on one shelf, staring out at me, daring me to begin. Have had for nine months. In that time I've gone through several dozen books.
Good point. Maybe a bit biblical too. Eight? The number of seats around the table? (People may already have read 'em, may not want to read all of them.) Or, you know what, let it be the eight (or twelve) most hubwheeled replies here, one book a piece. Edit: Although to be clear, the idea wasn't that each person finished all twelve books and sent them out together, rather the first person received all the books and then, book by book, as she finished, sent one out to various other people over the course of the year.
I think that works just great if Patient Zero is you. There's one person with a demonstrated desire to get this project going, and there's one person in your scenario upon whom the lion's share of effort is heaped. Make those two individuals into one individual and I'll bet things happen. COMPLETE OTHER THOUGHT Just about everything I've done for bl00sreviews was an audiobook. It's child's play to crack those down to an m4a that can be played by anything. I could also just distribute the bl00sreviews books far and wide without any postage or international boundaries coming into play, and as bl00sreviews was kind of the patient zero for this endeavor, it dovetails.
I like it. The epidemiology of literary gifting. I take your point about digital, and infinite distribution rules, but in this case I'm drawn to the idea of dirty, massy matter traipsing the world and picking up the oils from Hubski fingers like an international Name Of The Rose without the poison or the murder. When the singularity uplifts us all into a silicon dream, the books will be left behind, their pages curling in the almost absent wind.
Sending these off one by one and having a network of mailers is a much better idea, imo. It would end up that way, regardless, with the original receiver forwarding them, so might as well just skip the first step. Plus, seeing others' progress will reinforce the need to contribute.
Sounds very beautiful, can't participate unfortunately - shipping things over the Atlantic is not cheap.
Many Hubskiers are based in Europe. Don't rule anything out!
Okay, another reason. I live with my parents, if I start getting packages with stuff and say "they came from my internet friends" they would and should not react well.
True enough. You should have Poste Restante in Sweden though.
What? I'm sorry but i don't know what you are trying to say.
Poste Restante is an international system of mail which allows people without residential addresses (or people travelling the world) to have packages arrive at a local post office and to collect them in person. https://www.posten.se/sv/Kundservice/Sidor/Poste-restante.aspx
We have that, it is the only way we get post but since I live with my parents they might get the message that something has arrived before I do. And that would not lead to a pleasant situation.