Gently Read Books

[Henry]

Hi All,

I had this discussion with my face-to-face book club last night and the topic turned to the delima of what do we do with our formerly read books. I personally save the ones I really liked, but others I might pass on to friends, trade them in at a local book store or donate them to my local public library. One idea that came up was a online site called www.paperbackswap.com I was wondering if anyone else has used this site or had any other recommendations.

Best regards,
Henry

[Paula]

I do bookcrossing.com. I don't keep the books I've read unless I really like them either. After registering them on the computer at bookcrossing.com, I pass them on to friends and family or just put them out somewhere. It's fun when someone journals one of your books and you can see where they end up. Bookcrossing tracks the book each time it is journaled so you know where it is. The rate is about 10% of books you put out get journaled but it's really fun. I've had one go to Ireland from here, and many different states as well.

[Adrianna, Owner of Cafe Libri]

Great suggestions, Cari and Paula! I also offer books to online friends, either as a gift or in exchange for a book they have that they want me to read. I usually only do this with people that I trust and have been friends with for a while.

[Paula]

That's what I do with my better books Adrianna, but my keepers I only lend to my Mom! LOL

[Adrianna, Owner of Cafe Libri]

(laughs) I don't lend any of my keepers. I am a bit neurotic with how I handle my books, and I would probably be scared that someone would bend the cover or something silly. :P

For my birthday, I had a book party where everyone who attended got a "gently read book" that I picked out for them as well as a bookmark, which I created online. It was a very successful party, and everyone had a lot of fun comparing what book they received. I want to host another party like this soon because it is a great way to pass on books to other people and to get more family and friends reading.

[Terri]

Hey Henry:

I'm part of the Cafe Libri book group. I too joined Paperback Swap (PBS). They are fantastic. The only bad thing I can say about it is that a lot of the books I want have a long waiting list--but then, I have so many others to read in the meantime I don't mind the wait. I actually put a book about Abraham Lincoln on my list in 2008 and then promptly forgot about it. I'm just now getting to the top of the list for it. It's a great way to get rid of the books you no longer need and I've saved a ton of money from buying books at the bookstore. I can't even go into Barnes & Noble anymore--it seems to always run me about $100 when I leave. I'm a book addict. So...try it, you'll probably like it!

[Terri]

Adri: What a great idea for a party! I love it! I'm pretty persnickety about my books too so the ones I list on PBS are ones I know I'll never read again. The books I keep are usually reference books (gardening, spiritual, etc.) or books that I know I'll read again like The Stand, The Last Lecture, Poisonwood Bible...etc.

[Adrianna, Owner of Cafe Libri]

Terri wrote: "Adri: What a great idea for a party! I love it! I'm pretty persnickety about my books too so the ones I list on PBS are ones I know I'll never read again. The books I keep are usually reference..."

Yeah, it was probably my favorite birthday party ever!

[Adrianna, Owner of Cafe Libri]

People could also swap there books here at Goodreads too!