This post isn’t exactly cooking related, but since I’ve mentioned our local public library and a few issues I’ve had with it, I thought I’d tell you about an alternative I’m testing. It’s called Bookswim, and the best way to describe it is like a Netflix for books. You make an account then put a group of books you want to read in a” pool”. Depending on which payment/reading plan you’ve chosen (the light reader plan sends you 3 books at a time for $23 a month plus a free trial), Bookswim sends you some of the books, along with a postage paid envelope. When you’ve finished, you send your books back and Bookswim sends you more books from your pool. Meanwhile, you go and refill your pool. As long as your pool is full of books, they’ll keep sending them.
Pros: Along with a few current novels for which I would have had to pay about $35 total, I’ve finished “A Homemade Life” and have David Lebovitz’s “Sweet Life in Paris” on the way. I obviously will not get to keep the cookbooks in my cookbook library, but this is a great way to kind of test the books and see if they’re worth buying.
Another benefit is that if you like books about style, diets, health fads, or things that tend to evolve rather quickly, being a member of Bookswim will let you surf through books you might be interested in temporarily. Or books that you want to read, but probably won’t need lying around the house a year from now.
And finally, something I appreciate is how after I’ve selected a book or shown interest in something, a recommendation comes up. Amazon has this feature too, but in this case instead of having to pay for a book that’s been recommended, I just throw it in the pool.
Cons: Bookswim is growing and the site is not perfect. For instance, I’ve entered a few authors into the system and only a couple of their books came up. Also, I put “Scumble” by Ingrid Law in my pool for Fuzz (she loved Law’s first book “Savvy”), and for some reason “Scumble” got displaced by “Zero History” by William Gibson which I’d ordered for Todd. I went back again to try to find Scumble and it didn’t even come up. Where did it go?? Fuzz has been waiting patiently for Scumble, but since it seems to not be available, we’re going to have to keep waiting or buy it anyway. But these issues could have been due to my not managing my pool correctly. I’m still figuring it out the process.
If you have a great library system and have learned the ins and outs of how to use it, this might not be for you. However, if the library is not an option for you and you buy at least one new novel a month and end up throwing it in a pile or trying to find a friend to share it with to justify the money you’ve spent.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Anna,
I’m sorry to hear your local library isn’t helpful. Ours has an online feature where I can request books I want to read. When the book comes to the library branch I have chosen, I get an e-mail and the book is placed on the hold shelf for 10 days for me to pick up. I can have up to 30 books on my request list. It’s a great service, and it is free! Maybe Texas needs to put some of that oil revenue into public libraries.
This is cool. Personally I use book-trading websites. If you want to check them out, I find them very worthwhile. You can get rid of books you don’t need anymore, read some used books, and then trade them back out again.
Swap – http://swap.com/
Bookins- http://www.bookins.com/index.php?invite=1cR7cY
Paperback Swap – http://www.paperbackswap.com
CL, we have that too. My “issues” are a bit quirkier and convenience is a factor as well. But if you are happy with your library and enjoy the process of using it and can get the books you want fast, you are lucky!!
Kristin, thanks!
Anna, Where do your Bookswim books originate from and return to? I looked at the Bookswim website but couldn’t find their warehouses. The reason Netflix works for us is that the Netflix center where most of the movies we get is just an overnight mail away. And the strange or old movies we order usually aren’t much farther.
@CL (and Anna),
Many Texas libraries, including Austin, do have a reserve system. In fact, Austin has one exactly like the one you described, CL. It’s especially helpful since we have 21 branches of the library. I’m sorry that you’ve had trouble with the library in the past! I’ve got several friends who are public librarians; not an easy job (sometimes seemingly thankless), but I know they do the best with what they have.
As a retired librarian, I am sorry that you have issues with your public library and would be interested in hearing more about them. But thanks for pointing me to Bookswim. There are some books on my TBR list that the local libraries don’t have.
Can you believe I just bought a bunch of books on Amazon right before I came here? I should have waited. Haha. I bought On Rue Tatin. I’m excited to read it. Do you have any novel recommendations?
Oh I bought this too: http://www.amazon.com/Those-Who-Save-Jenna-Blum/dp/0156031663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288893958&sr=8-1
I also am a big fan of PaperbackSwap.com for recycling books I’m done with. I used to take them to HalfPrice Books but got tired of never getting what I felt was a fair price for them. For awhile I would donate books to local nursing homes/assisted living centers, but they stopped taking them. Then I found PaperbackSwap and fell in love. For the cost of 4th class postage you send off your book(s) when someone requests it and then you can choose an equal number of books from other members, and they have a HUGE selection of books. You can also set up your wish list for books that are not currently available but as soon as a member posts one, you are notified so you can order it if you still want it.
Interesting post, Anna — and the other comments too. We love our local library too. But the audio book selection is slim (I listen to books while I paint sometimes — multitasking!) Does Bookswim have audio books too?
Are paperbackswap.com and bookswim only for US residents? I live in a small town, and although I’m grateful that we even have a library here, more often than not, they don’t have or cannot get/order a specific book I’m interested in. I would love it if non-US resients were eligible for bookswim or paperbackswap.com.
This sounds super interesting, Anna. Had never heard of it before. I used to read books by arm load, now I slog through a couple pages a night– but I love the idea of an endless supply coming through. Thanks for this!
We should have a Cookie Madness book club!