Ed Lynskey's Blog: Cracked Rearview Mirror - Posts Tagged "paperbacks"

Yes, I know. We're all going digital, and paperbacks are becoming relics. Even so, there's still a pile of paperbacks that you might want to get rid of without feeling guilty for having to pulp them. Maybe you haven't thought of these ideas, or you have your own to add.

#1. Pass them on to a friend or family member. Maybe a bookwormish niece who hasn't tried your tastes in reading might be receptive.

#2. Pass them on the paperbackswap.com or similar online swap center. I haven't tried one, but the idea appeals to me.

#3. Pass them on to a used bookstore. I've done this and gotten book credits for other books. Remember the owner has to make his or her money, so you're not getting the best side of the deal.

#4. Leave a few in public places like the Metro car. The theory is a reader coming along will pick it up.

#5. Donate them to a hospital ward.

#6. Donate them to your public library. Ours is pick about what they'll accept. The overflow goes to the annual book sale they hold.

#7. Donate them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army which isn't as picky, or so I've been told.

#8. Leave them at the curbside with a sign reading "FREE BOOKS!" You'd be surprised at how fast they'll disappear.

#9. Take a breath and just go ahead and toss them into the recycle bin. I do this with the ARCs I get for review. They're all marked up with my commets and dogeared.

#10. Sorry to say but I ran out of ideas at this point. Maybe you have one to share.


By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"The most fun traipsing along the muggy, rugged backroads of Appalachia since DELIVERANCE."
Barnes & Noble Mystery Blog