Book Blind Date

[terpkristin]

So this "idea" seems to be making the rounds this week but I haven't seen it posted here. Basically, libraries encourage people to try something new by wrapping books in brown paper and suggesting people choose books at random to "take home on a blind date." Book blind dating

I love this idea, personally. :) I think it'd be even more fun to get a group of people who'd want to do it, then do a secret-santa type thing where everybody gets assigned someone at random to send a book to. But, in the spirit of true blind dates, the idea would be that each sender would look at the books that the reader has liked, and pulls one off their shelf that they think the reader would enjoy. You know, like setting someone up with a friend. :D

[Dawn]

That is a great idea.

[Michelle]

I love this idea. I wish I had more time to read random books suggested by strangers. Problem is I'm a book junkie, can't stop myself from buying them. Just counted all the ones piled up waiting to be read or re-read and got to 49. Maybe I can get through them all this year! I'm cut-off from buying more until I get more read. :)

[Leesa]

I love this idea :)

[Dara]

That's a really cool idea. Might end up reading something you would otherwise overlook and end up liking it.

[Jlawrence, S&L Moderator]

An excellent idea!

terpkristin wrote: "I think it'd be even more fun to get a group of people who'd want to do it, then do a secret-santa type thing where everybody gets assigned someone at random to send a book to. But, in the spirit of true blind dates, the idea would be that each sender would look at the books that the reader has liked, and pulls one off their shelf that they think the reader would enjoy. You know, like setting someone up with a friend. :D "

Maybe you could do it through a Goodreads group? The group moderator (I nominate you, terpkristin ;) ) assings the members to each other, members check out each other's reviewed book lists to get an idea of what book to send. Although, *completely* random could be fun, too (with books if not with actual dates ;) ).

[San]

I joined this group just so I could say that this was a good idea! Also, don't trust Jlawrence!

[Tamahome]

Jenny has another term called 'speed dating books', where you read a little bit of a bunch of books to find one you like. She didn't say whether you sleep with them.

[Kristina]

My library is doing this right now! They wrapped the books in valentines paper and just wrote a hint about it on the front. I scored a date with a cute little historical fiction. There is a survey to fill out afterwards to let them know how your date went. I've only just started mine, and while I like historical fiction-this is a time period I wouldn't usually choose, so I'm excited to try it out.

[Tyler]

We're doing this as well at our library. I wrapped The Scar and just glued a map of Bas-Lag on the front, hoping to intrigue some folks.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Tamahome wrote: "Jenny has another term called 'speed dating books', where you read a little bit of a bunch of books to find one you like. She didn't say whether you sleep with them."
If that's what it takes....

Also, I'm a music librarian and I did a display similar to this idea, but instead of blind dates, I wrapped newer recordings and labeled them by genre, and advertised something like "find something new to love."

[terpkristin]

So...if people wanted to do this, I could help facilitate it. I guess at a first cut, it'd be US-only, and anybody who did it would have to pay their own shipping. But if there were people who wanted to do it, I'd be up for helping coordinate...