My New Obsession

A non-confession: I'm easily distracted by bright, shiny objects. First it was blogging (hi!). Then, it was Facebook (still the 2nd place I log in each morning). And as of Friday, it's PaperBackSwap.

Ahhhhh, PaperbackSwap... This post is my ode to you...

I started off posting 10 books to get the 2 free credits, and immediately ordered Libra by Don DeLillo (my local library does not have it) as my follow up to enjoying Falling Man so much. Those first 10 books I posted had been sitting on my bookshelf -- even sitting on the prime real estate of the bookshelves here in the new house -- but I knew I could part with them without second thoughts, or an overwhelming need to hold and stroke. (You all fondle the books you love, right?) Immediately, 3 of those books were requested, so I mailed them out. I now had left FOUR book credits available to me.

I found myself perusing our bookshelves and grabbing two or three at a time and posting them. Suddenly, my PBS bookshelf had about 30 books on it. Then, I remembered the 10 boxes of books that are sitting in the garage at the old house waiting to be driven to Friends of the Library. Well, I swung by there after dropping my oldest off at school this morning, grabbed the ones I thought most likely to be loved by another, and I now have over 100 books on my PBS bookshelf! I just finished packaging up my 10th book to mail it out.

Yes, this has cost me about $30 so far, but knowing that I have credits available to order 11 books of my choosing, makes me not just a little giddy.

It's a simple cost analysis. Even at Costco, I spend $8-9 per paperback. To mail a book to someone (even a hardback) costs me about $3. So now I'm getting books for just $3 each -- a savings of $5-6 per book! I've sworn to only order the ones I can't get from the library. And I think even my husband will approve. Well, I know that he does because I was so excited about it, I told him. He, of course, told me he already knew about the service. (Whatever. He's not that hooked up. I mean, really. He's not even on Facebook.)

And in the time it took me to write this post, another of my books has been requested. Better go package it up. I now have TWELVE book credits to use. :)