Waiting to hear back about something that I'm not going to talk about specifically here is pretty stressful (but if you want a hint, let me remind you that I just graduated and am not currently employed full-time), and because of that I've been particularly mopey today. I alternate between draping myself over the couch (which gives me back-aches) and draping myself over the bed (which causes me to fall asleep). I had originally promised myself that today would be a "No Internet" day, just to try. Um... it didn't quite work out that way.
At about four in the afternoon the chocolate cake craving that has been haunting me for a few days not demanded to be met, and I made a quick outing in the heat to buy a chocolate cupcake from Blu Boy Chocolates. The clerk asked me if I wanted the chocolate cupcake with chocolate butter icing or plain butter icing. Um,... "Chocolate chocolate," I replied, with perhaps too much tremble in my voice. He smiled, as if confronted with something he was familiar with. Better fill this order quick.
Back home, and chocolate cake craving (temporarily satiated), I began exploring my new paperback swap account (that's www.paperbackswap.com). Basically, you list books you own and don't want, then other members request those books and you agree to cover the cost for shipping. Each book mailed means you get one credit to order a book from someone else – they pay for shipping so you get the book free. After posting ten books (after you post your first ten you get two free credits) I started looking.
Let's just say their browsing function could use a bit of work. You can pick categories, but only one at a time. Say, I want to look for books that fall into the "Arts and Photography" category. I do. I get a list of subcategories, such as "Art History" and "Individual Artists" and "Design", but I can only pick one... I can't check box all the ones that I'm interested in. Meaning it took me three more hours to find a book that was something I was interested in, and also something that was available. They would be better to use a browse function similar to the one at ravelry.com, which is about the best I've found.
Right, so, you can search for books that no one else currently has posted and add them to your wish list. That puts you "in line" to get that book when it is finally posted. Unfortunately, it seems that all the good books have waiting lists, and I was anywhere from second in line to 222nd. In that time I got two requests to mail books that I had listed... meaning I had to purchase credits to print out the postage and then wrap the books up (the cool thing is, you don't need to provide much packaging other than two letter-sized sheets of paper and some packaging tape. One of those sheets of paper has the postage printed on it already). I wanted SOMETHING to be on my way to me, NOW. I found a nice, recent printing of "Catcher in the Rye." A recent printing is, in fact, important to me as it seems that most books from the '70s have very small print, no margins, and the print is practically set solid. Not fun, something that book publishers seem to have figured out in the past 15 years, which much more reasonable (and readable) typography. Well, I am a type snob, what do you expect?
Though my first foray into Paperback Swap was disappointing, in that it took me three hours to redeem one credit, and only then for a book I am only casually interested in reading. During that time I fully staffed my wish list with books I may or may not ever get. Perhaps the transaction costs are worst on the first try, and will get better as my wish list automatically notifies me when a book I want is available from here on out. Or when I learn of a new book I would like to have. And perhaps it will encourage me to try books I would not otherwise bother to read. Until then, I'll leave my evaluation of the web site open-ended. Good idea, lots of promise, still a few things that could be done better.
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