The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List discussion

I signed up for paperbackswap.com. This is a quick and easy way to swap around your books. You send one to someone and you get a point to redeem for another book on the site. All it costs you is the postage to send the book. If you join tell them I sent you!

Swap Your Paperback Books - PaperBackSwap.com

I love paperback swap! I've gotten tons of books through them. I just recently joined bookmooch too which works a little differently but it's great too.

Does anyone know a good website to sell books at other than ebay?

Oh thanks, I hadn't even thought of Amazon even though I have used them in the past.

Sell books? Trade books? I could never do that. It would be like selling my children.

Michael, you keep all of your books?? That is crazy! Well, actually I have the dream of owning a library at home with all the books I've read, I keep the ones I rate 3 stars and higher, it's just going to be a pain for the movers when it gets time to relocate,right?

I do keep them all I still have the first book I bought when I was in the 5th grade. lol. I get rid of the ones I really dont like. But I usuually give them to someone I think will like the book. I have shelves and boxes full of books.

I rarely re-read a book, so it's not worth it for me to keep them. Usually, I try to give them away to other people who would enjoy them. Plus, I'm used to borrowing from the library so I don't get attached to books.

I re-read books all the time.

I'm a stickler for the traditional in-person book exchanges, but they seem to becoming extinct as they stop being profitable around here. I only used to sell the books I didn't like too. But then I rarely don't like a book, so it's getting a bit cluttered around here. LOL! I wish I'd had the forethought to keep my childhood books like you Michael. I only have four books from that era that I thank god my Mum saved from my rampaging teenaged self.

Michael - I so wish I had all my books from way back when! Mine were sold at a moving sale before I hit middle school. :( I have bought almost all the ones I used to own for my own kids. I have labels for the ones they love so I will keep those for them. I keep most of the books I buy for myself. Especially if it's part of a series. I don't re-read as much as I used to, but that's because I have too many I haven't read at all yet.

I keep the really good ones, the ones I know I'll want to read again or that I'll want other people to read but I swap the others. I have a huge book buying addiction (one day I'm going to count all my unread books then I'll come clean and tell you the exact number but it's bad) so swapping lets me get new books without breaking the bank (which I still do-can't help it.)

The way I keep from just piling up the books is I have my "unread box" which sits next to my desk in the study. I do not allow myself to buy any books (except ones that I read with the book club) until that box is empty. Once I pick up the last book out of that box then it is time to start picking up new books.

I admire your discipline Derrick, I'm nowhere near that strong!

Well I have the wife who gets very ill at me when I buy books and the box is still full. So it's not all self discipline, so of it is imposed.

I have no self-displine

I actually got rid of two more books on my shelf thanks to this website! I'm not sure whether to be annoyed or happy. Books, The Alchemist's Daughter and Choke. Both of them I would probably not read again and probably would not lend out to anyone to read, they were good but not "wow, you should read this!". Oh my poor book shelf looks so much more lonely missing two more books :(

Wow! Good discussion. Ditto the admirable Derrick comment. I don't think my husband could possibly influence my bookbuying. I recently had to swap out my TBR bookcase for a bigger bookcase. I will NOT count the books on it. That would just induce guilt. (And of course, there are the books in boxes from my last move 5 years ago that still need to be PUT on it.)

So far I'm loving the new bkcase though, as it is so far not too full to keep me from having categories. There's the 1001 books shelf... The sci-fi shelf... The non-fiction shelf.... The literary fiction shelf.... The useless pulp shelf.... The read it sooner rather than later shelf (including bookclub picks)....

I love to keep books, but I also am a packrat in more than just books, and need to reduce reduce all the time too. My criteria lately has been whether I think there is any chance I will re-read a book. I love to RR, but also love new books. So many books, so little time. Some books get better over time. I think of them like beloved friends.

I've been giving the books that I realistically don't expect to read again to our area's biggest charity bookfair. It's an awesome event, and it has contributed MANY titles to my TBR case (I usually bring books back from the fair by the boxload) so I feel very positive giving books back to it.

I feel better about my "To be read SHELF" now. Thanks Stephanie. :D

Well I have a crazy long list of to-read books (if you see my shelves) I just try and not have any more books than can fit in the box at any given time though. Otherwise I would also have shelves and shelves of un-read books. As far as keeping the books I keep the ones that I think my children will have to read in the future (A Tale of Two Cities, etc) and the ones that I would loan out to people, re-read myself, or tell my wife she should read.

I LOVE Paperback swap...I swear I must have over 1,000 books that I have a hard time getting rid of. My daughter who is leaving for college keeps asking me when I'm going to get rid of my books.

Anyone who likes PBS should check out bookmoch.com. The selection available for "mooching" is far better and you have the choice to send and/or mooch internationally also. They also give you points for listing books which PBS does not. I'm a member at both places and they both have great points but BM is just alltogether more worth it to me. You can't buy points at BM but you really don't have to as long as you have even a few books to list. You get a tenth of a point for every single book you list- always. You also get a tenth of a point for every book you mooch that you mark as recieved. Definitely more worth it than PBS. You can also leave feedback and choose who you mooch from which comes in handy at times. The wishlist doesn't top off at 200 either (which bugs me- my wishlist is WAY over 200!) I'm not affiliated with BM besides being a member but I just love the site so much I usually share the info when I can. If anyone has any questions just message me and I'll be happy to help. If anyone does sign up feel free to add me as a friend- my username is evamarie.

Is it www.bookmooch.com (2 sets of double "o"s?)

Haha! Yes, it is. It's bookmooch.com. Sorry about that. :) If you or anyone else have any questions I'd be glad to help. I love talking about the site because I've gotten and sent so many great books through them. I hope you like it as much as I do!

I love Read It Swap It (UK only I think). No points to earn, just straight forward swapping via the mail.

Don't forget about www.titletrader.com (open to everyone around the world) and www.frugalreader.com (open to U.S. residents only)

I don't know if I could limit myself to a box of to-read books. That's incredible self control!! I keep adding to my book shelf and it makes me want to get back to reading all the time.

On the note of the books you have read - don't forget libraries and local schools. As a teacher I love having a wide variety of novels and nonfiction for my students to borrow - it lets me fall in love with the books all over again to share them. Don't forget it's a write off to donate them and we can never get enough books into our schools!

I am trying to limit my self to 180 titles new and collectible in the new year. GR put me way, way, way over my book budget for 2008-so i thought a number would be easier than $ limit, since I also collect so rare titles too off Ebay. I started my 2009 list all ready-50-60 working titles on it now!?! Yes, I am trying to get a few in before the New Year rings in!

Don't forget your local buy, sell, and trade bookstores half price books is in many states and is growing. (www.halfpricebooks.com)

This is a new one I never heard of I have to check it out. just joined today.

I love PBS. Has anyone swapped books on goodreads yet?

Amy wrote: "I love PBS. Has anyone swapped books on goodreads yet? "

I haven't sent any out but I've recieved several. It's been great for me. The cost is cheap and the books I've recieved have been in great shape. I'm liking it. :)

I love paperback swap and bookmooch I only get my books from those two sites. I also have a lot of points so it like going shopping for free

I like paperback swap, I just don't have a lot of points to spend anymore.