Anonymous Question the Third
Mar. 5th, 2007 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snugglekittyWhat do you do with all the books you've read? Donate 'em to the library? Store at home? Or trade 'em online?
The majority of books that I read, I don't own. I almost never buy books new. I generally borrow them from the library, or from friends. I usually have at least ten books on hold at the library at any given time, and am willing to wait a month or two to read a new book if I don't have to buy it. So, most of the time, the answer is "give them back."
However, I do sometimes own books. I have a weakness for used book stores and a positive hard-on for free books. But I don't feel the need to keep a book unless, once I read it, it gets five stars on the Honey book scale. And that doesn't happen often - last year, less than 10% of the books I read were fives. For a long time, my solution was to bring the books to book swaps, give them to friends, or donate them to Goodwill or the library.
Recently, though, I've been using PaperBackSwap.com as a place to trade books. As long as the book meets their criteria (no water damage or excessive usage, etc) you can swap it. Of course, there are some books that no one is interested in, but many of the books I post about get requested shortly after I list them. I imagine that I will keep using this, with Goodwill or the library to take the ones that are too damaged or that no one seems to want even after a while. (Libraries don't generally put donated books in their collections - they just sell them at book sales to benefit the library.)
I worry a little that this will make me a less desirable book swap participant - my books have been picked over, after all. Maybe I can make up for it with enthusiasm? But I haven't been invited to any book swaps recently, and my impetus to host them has been reduced, so perhaps it's not that important.
ETA: The Answer Store will be open until March 31st. Ask 'em if you got 'em!
The majority of books that I read, I don't own. I almost never buy books new. I generally borrow them from the library, or from friends. I usually have at least ten books on hold at the library at any given time, and am willing to wait a month or two to read a new book if I don't have to buy it. So, most of the time, the answer is "give them back."
However, I do sometimes own books. I have a weakness for used book stores and a positive hard-on for free books. But I don't feel the need to keep a book unless, once I read it, it gets five stars on the Honey book scale. And that doesn't happen often - last year, less than 10% of the books I read were fives. For a long time, my solution was to bring the books to book swaps, give them to friends, or donate them to Goodwill or the library.
Recently, though, I've been using PaperBackSwap.com as a place to trade books. As long as the book meets their criteria (no water damage or excessive usage, etc) you can swap it. Of course, there are some books that no one is interested in, but many of the books I post about get requested shortly after I list them. I imagine that I will keep using this, with Goodwill or the library to take the ones that are too damaged or that no one seems to want even after a while. (Libraries don't generally put donated books in their collections - they just sell them at book sales to benefit the library.)
I worry a little that this will make me a less desirable book swap participant - my books have been picked over, after all. Maybe I can make up for it with enthusiasm? But I haven't been invited to any book swaps recently, and my impetus to host them has been reduced, so perhaps it's not that important.
ETA: The Answer Store will be open until March 31st. Ask 'em if you got 'em!
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no subject
Date: 2007-03-05 08:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-05 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-06 04:32 pm (UTC)It seems if you want hits, you need to send to bookcrossers. The bookrays were nifty too, when I knew I'd finish a book in a few weeks.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-05 10:27 pm (UTC)Set them free in the universe!