To put it mildly- I love books. I mean I really love books. The problem is that I really love to not only read, but carry, touch and OWN books. I even have a library in my house, (my husband calls it the bedroom) stacked floor to ceiling. But now when I look at my books I think of the trees (and the amount of money spent on those stacks) and know I need to find a better way. So I renew my library card and plan my Saturday mornings at the library instead of the Barnes and Noble and I search for some online alternatives, too.
At Paperbackswap.com you can trade books with other users, print your postage online and get updates on newly available titles (they also carry hardcovers and the beloved audiobooks I love to listen to while I craft).
Bookmoooch.com (my favorite name) allows you to post books and earn points when one of its 100,000 moochers requests your book and you ship it out. You only pay for postage and media mail is still pretty cheap.
Bookswim.com is for the more serious reader. It lets you organize a pool of titles (like your Netflix) and receive a couple of them at a time. You pay a monthly fee of $20- $40.00 and shipping is free. And you can purchase the book if you decide to keep it.
If you seriously must have that book in your hot little hands Betterworld.com offers bargain prices, donates a portion of revenues to Books for Africa, has free U.S. shipping and offsets its carbon footprint with carbonfund.org. So there are some serious choices out there for bibliophiles to go green right now!
1. Drink In Words earrings from rhymeswithmagic
(artist Heather IS a librarian)
2. I Read Banned Books cork necklace from uncorked
3. I Read Banned Books recycled magnetic locket set from polarity
4. Turn off Your TV and Read pins from barrelofmonkeys
5. Mister Donkey brooch from yaelfran
5 comments
Books are like gold, especially the vintage and antique variety. However, it's great to have alternatives. I'm going to check out some of these great book exchanges that you have mentioned! So cool.
I just love owning books too , but getting back in the habit of going to the library is a mighty fine idea. I am going to check some of the links you have though. After all, all my books is what keeps us from painting the bedroom!
This is way too cool, I am glad you found time between creating your fine designs, calculating centrifugal force, and mastering the demands of life to start a blog... I will be flying by often...
And... just a sincere thank you for including me in all of the stellar treasuries that you have in the past, it helped my shop out tremendously, deepest regards...
See you in the wind!
Thanks for the post, Cat. I am going to check out these sites.
Wooooo!!!
Those are great links! Too bad I rather read in Portuguese, although I read technical and knitting books in English...
(I love owning books too, but I buy them second handed, I love the thrill of finding a good book among crap)
nanouke
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