Want To Swap A Book?

A few weekends ago my friend B and I decided to head a neighborhood called the Centre Market. While we often go there to have a fish sandwich or grab a piece of pie, very rarely do we ever take the time to saunter up and down the street perusing the eclectic shops, venture into the charming antique shops, or visit the curious little used book store. On the particular day we were there, only a handful of people were milling about. It was cold and blustery for a May Saturday. After spending some time chatting with some patrons in the antiques store, we headed to the book shop.

It has literally been years since I've set foot in the book store, but when I did I immediately loved it. Small and packed from floor to ceiling with books while the Juno soundtrack played in the background, B and I immediately got to work digging through the shelves to see what treasures we might find. Its the sort of book store where books are haphazardly placed on shelves, and you have to turn sideways to get down the narrow aisles. We found some literary classics for 50 cents a piece, a book of poems written by Appalachian poets who so beautifully capture the essence of life in the hills, a Congressional cookbook signed by a local former congressman, a children's book complete with the signature of the author who is also local. We spent more than two hours in the tiny bookstore and barely skimmed the shelves. We are literally counting down the days until we can return and see what else we can find. Its definitely a place where one could easily lose track of time and spend the better part of day.

Katie a fellow blogger who wrote so eloquently about her love of books the other day, explained that to her, reading is as essential as breathing. I know many of us feel the same way. I've kicked around the idea for a few weeks and have finally decided to go ahead with it. I want to have a book swap!

If you would like to participate, leave me a comment with your email address or feel free to email me directly-- mandy(dot)smalltowngirl(at)gmail(dot)com. For the next few weeks we'll spread the word. Then I'll send you a name and address (and blog address) of a person you can mail a book to. Not necessarily a new book though. I think that in the spirit of passing it on, pay a visit to the local used book store or simply pull a book you've really enjoyed off of your shelf. I know for me personally, I am always looking for something new to read and I love getting mail, so I figured why not combine the two! What do you say, want to swap a book?

Feel free to spread the word, the more people who participate the more fun it will be!