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MN book swap clubs

Join our Book Swap forum to share and exchange your favourite books.

Original poster

Anyone fancy joining me in a new swap club?

932 replies

artifarti · 30/04/2009 09:24

I love reading and now that DS can entertain himself for a while trashing my lounge is 8 mo I am finally getting back into the swing of things. But I always read the same kind of books and so would love to have something different sprung on me!

Here's the basics of how it works (thank you Flamesparrow)

How it works

[ Arti sits back and waits for the flood of recruits, hoping that she doesn't end up looking like a no-mates...]

OP posts:
LolaLadybird · 03/05/2009 17:45

Ok, I've decided! (relieved emoticon).

Pooter - I know what you mean about book being a representation of self. In the end I've gone for a book I read a few months ago which I really enjoyed and was disappointed to finish if that makes sense. It's not a literary great but neither is it chick-lit. A quick check of Amazon's customer book reviews confirms that lots of other people thought it was v good too so I'm going to go with that & keep my fingers crossed that everyone else deems it worthy!

LolaLadybird · 03/05/2009 19:39

Arti - Hadn't read your post before posting mine but no objections here to a bit of salacious content. Gosh - books, chocolate & sauciness - roll on 1st June ...

whinegums · 03/05/2009 19:51

I have no objections to a bit of filth.

Maria2007 · 03/05/2009 21:26

No objections to a bit of filth here either

Have also decided which book I'm sending. It's something written by an author who is not that well known (at least not in the UK)- although both this book & his next were very very well received when published. I really really loved this book & found it fascinating, and I don't think it's an obvious choice (because I would hate for whoever receives my book to have already read it)... but now I'm getting a bit anxious about whether people will like it

Anyway. Am really excited about our club. Roll on june 1st indeed!

LadyBee · 03/05/2009 22:43

well this is all very tantalising!
I have preeeetty much decided on my book, but am also having a few angsty thoughts about it...so will just muse on it a day longer and email when I'm sure

Also no objections to naughtiness...

Maria, my DS has just turned 1 (and has just taken his first steps today!!) . I'm based in SE London but work in central. I might use my work address to receive books, or do you think most books will fit through a standard letter flap? I hate having to trek to the post office to collect packages.

aristocat · 03/05/2009 23:17

no problems here with any naughty bits either....................

is it wrong of me to ask if we are all female? aristocat knows site is called mumsnet but surely men are allowed on here too !!!

ladybee congrats on your DS - you should feel proud, i love it when they make you feel special [even though they've done all the work]

see you all tomorrow

PieceNharmoknee · 04/05/2009 06:17

('tis me humptyndumpy - I've had a namechange)

No objections here and last time I checked I was all woman

Original poster
artifarti · 04/05/2009 07:04

Oh, I wish I'd never started this - it's too hard! I am repeatedly cruising my bookshelves (even in my sleep!) and dismissing books left, right and centre - too popular, too big to read in a month, too poncey, too lite...

Plus although I love reading, I am a terrible skim-reader thanks to university and so I forget plots and characters quite easily. So I keep looking at books and knowing that I loved them but I can't remember for the life of me what happened!

Bother, bother, bother...

(I am a lady woman too!)

OP posts:
Original poster
artifarti · 04/05/2009 07:12

Ladybee - I am assuming most books will fit through the letterbox, thanks to my hardbacks ban. First steps! Wow! Clever DS! (We had our first projectile vomit here last night but I'm not sure 'proud' is the right word...)

OP posts:
Maria2007 · 04/05/2009 08:35

HURRAY! I've ordered my book via Amazon & am expecting it one of these days on my doorstep. I found a 'like new' copy for 0.01, so that's great! Am really looking forward to packing it all up together with the choc & sending it off

PieceNharmoknee · 04/05/2009 11:09

I've choosen my book so I'll be sending you an email shortly artifarti

Original poster
artifarti · 04/05/2009 12:44

Oooh, I think I might have chosen too - and it will also be an Amazon 1p bargain! (Decided against the filthy one in the end - sorry to get your hopes up, girls.)

Just so we know where we are:

artifarti (have details, book & choc choices)
aristocat (have details, book & choc choices)
Dysgu
humptyNdumpty/PieceNharmoknee (have details and book - any special choc requests/hatreds?)
poshwellies (have details, book & choc choices)
whinegums (have details, book & choc choices)
stickylittlefingers
MrsMuddle
LolaLadybird
Itsjustafleshwound (have details, book & choc choices)
pooter
muddleduck (have details, book & choc choices)
LadyBee
FlyingMonkey (have details, book & choc choices)
Maria2007 (have details, book & choc choices)

OP posts:
MrsMuddle · 04/05/2009 17:52

Don't name and shame

I'm so indecisive! I can't make up my mind between two books, neither of which I've read yet! I'll start them both tonight and see which one grips me most.

PieceNharmoknee · 04/05/2009 18:04

How could I forget the choc choices?!

artifarti The only chocolate hatred I have is for chocolate orange, anything else I will happily scoff enjoy

LolaLadybird · 04/05/2009 23:15

Spot the procrastinators!

Arti - I have finally got round to e-mailing you this evening.

Original poster
artifarti · 05/05/2009 13:02

LolaLadybird and stickylittlefingers - received your details (except your choc prefs, sticky ).

sticky - you are lucky. I saw you on another thread slagging off One Hundred Years of Solitude and was going to throw you out of the Club - but then you redeemed yourself by saving Hardy from the bonfire!

OP posts:
aristocat · 05/05/2009 16:38

hi girls,
been chocolate browsing today ( how sad am i )
thought i could check out choccy choices available - but it just left me buying some for me to eat while kids were at school

shame you cant buy willpower in the shops......................................

LolaLadybird · 05/05/2009 17:28

I would be a v thin person if you could buy willpower. Would've stopped me reaching for a second helping of cake when I was with friends today.

LolaLadybird · 05/05/2009 17:41

I've just been reading the thread on 'books you were supposed to enjoy but didn't' (saw a couple you over there!). A couple of the books that I thought about choosing for our book swap club were mentioned several times by others as being tosh - I'm thinking this does not bode well for my ultimate choice!!

Itsjustafleshwound · 05/05/2009 18:38

Personally, I think that as long as you enjoyed it, it is fair game for the book club

Saying that, I made a point of giving that thread a wide berth ....

MrsMuddle · 05/05/2009 20:15

I have emailed too!

pooter · 05/05/2009 23:14

well, i have bitten the bullet, chosen and emailed arti. there is no going back!

Mrs Muddle, i hope you will like it - and i hope everyone else doesn't hate me for boring them to tears. At least it isn't a long read! I was very close to choosing two others, but although they are both really good, i wasn't sure whether they would fit through a letterbox.

I'm so intrigued to know what everyone else has chosen.

Hmm, all this talk of chocolate is making me wonder if i should raid the 'apocalypse/zombie stores' and eat some fruit and nut

Original poster
artifarti · 06/05/2009 09:01

Lola - some of my favourite books are on that thread! Each to their own, I say. I don't expect to like all 14 books but if I like a few that I wouldn't otherwise have read, that's fine by me. We should make a pact not to be too disparaging in our discussions - not liking a book is one thing, writing "what kind of tosser could possibly like this drivel!?" is quite another...

pooter - lol at your zombies stores! And re your email, of course I've made a spreadsheet or at least I would've done if this piece of shit laptop had Excel. A Word table. The horror.

OP posts:
LadyBee · 06/05/2009 22:00

I shall have to keep your Word table shame a secret from my DP, he despairs of me every time I do that instead of using excel

RIGHT. That's it, I've made a decision. I'm going for the lighter end of the scale and hope you'll all enjoy (if not exactly admire) it.

Arti will email in a mo, once I can find your details again.

MrsMuddle · 06/05/2009 22:12

Pooter, even if I don't like the book you have chosen, I will be very polite about it in case you get upset and start sending me horrible chocolate like Fruit and Nut or Dairy Milk.

I am relieved that it's not a long read. I'm in two RL bookgroups, and it's getting to the stage where work is seriously interfereing with my reading time!