Reading Guidance

I like to read.

I have done, in fact, for most of my life. The first book I ever checked out of a library in my own name was Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", the summer I was 7 years old. It took me most of the two week loan period to work my way through it, but I did get a good introduction to how the dictionary works out of the experience. Not to mention a cracking good story for a boy that age.

I've long since taken to buying the books I want to read rather than waiting for them to appear on the library's shelves. One problem that has long plagued me though has been what to do with the books afterwards? I don't worry too much about the flash paperbacks, it's easy enough to drop off a box of them with the Sally Army or the like. It's all the rest of them, the one's I know I want to re-read at some point.

I must have about 2,000 books in my apartment right now. I would almost certainly have more if not for all the time I spend on the computer reading blogs, news, what-have-you. Pretty much what you're reading now, for example. Since mine is an upstairs apartment, this is probably a good thing. There's only so much space around the edges of the room to support yet another stack of books. While reading this post at Tamara K's:

http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2007/08/news-flash-people-are-ignernt.html

I came across something way down in the comments that may well offer at least a partial answer:

http://www.bookswim.com/

Rather like Netflix does with DVD's, these people rent books. You can apparently buy the copy you receive if you wish, there is no time limit on how long you can take to complete what you already have and apparently no obligation to make a selection until you're ready to do so. And the shipping (both ways) is included in the rental fee - which isn't quite the same thing as the advertised "free", but we'll just let that one pass by, shall we?

All in all, I think this one worth a try.