‘Found II’ a voyeur’s delight

Found magazine wants to introduce you to the joys of picking up other people’s trash. The Web site phenomenon ( www.foundmagazine.com) is devoted to the mysteries of the discarded, abandoned and forgotten.

“Found II” is its newest collection of love letters, hate letters, stray photos, journal entries, bizarre doodles and old homework. It’s a book so compulsively readable that even the most guilty consciences will find it hard to tear themselves away.

Many of the finds are so brief as to be heartbreakingly poignant — like a Post-it instructing “Gary” to “Please sleep on the couch — we’ll talk in the morning”; a scribbled request that “If you decide that you love me anytime today, please call me”; or an inscrutable note that simply reads “more buns/more cups/less lies.”

But other entries are wickedly funny even in brevity, like a Y2K shopping checklist, the scribbles of a kid practicing mom’s signature for her own excuse note, or the sign-up sheet for “Aging Hippies Volleyball” (all of the slots are still open).

A wanted poster offers a reward of 5 cents for a “very ugly” dog, with the explanation that, “trust me, if you survive 1 day with her you will want to pay me to take her back.” Another poster seeks a pair of dentures. And a hand-made sign offers what might be the most comprehensive excuse note ever penned: “Today is my grandmother’s 100 birthday and there is a raccoon in my bathroom. Will open at 3 p.m. Thanks.”

With its uncensored language and blunt emotions, this book is not for everyone. But readers who enjoy a little introspection with their voyeurism will relish these raw, mysterious glimpses into other lives.