Book Swap

It was time for another book swap in work. It has been 2 years since I organised the last one, and a number of people had enquired about whether we were having another, mainly because they had been having a clear out and had books to bring in. A good book swap is only as good as the books that take part, so the time was ripe to capitalise on spring cleaning ventures.

Throughout the day there were about 60 books on offer as various members of staff brought them in boxes and bags. There were some excellent titles on offer too, and many people were seen clutching their new books, showing other people, talking about which ones they had already read.

I have got better over the years with letting books go. I used to keep them all, but lack of space and a willingness to share have overcome this. Don't get me wrong, there are millions of books in our house, millions. I have just learnt that I cannot keep every one.

I took 3 books in... An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge, Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett, and Ox-Tales: Water by various authors. All 3 had gone at the end of the day, the Bainbridge going first. Ship Fever was an acquisition from a previous book swap.

In return I came away with 3 new exciting books... Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, and Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson.

Oxfam did well out of the ones that remained at the end, about 20 in all.