Book Swap Sites

Everyone's looking for ways to save money these days, and we book lovers are no exception -- much as it might pain us to pass up a book purchase!

But here's a palatable alternative: look into these and other book swap sites where you can trade your well-read titles for unread ones you've been looking for. All it will cost is postage (and in some cases, like BookSwim, you don't even have to pay that!).

Paperbackswap.com: claim more than 1 million books up for trade. Mailing fees paid by sender. Register and then list your own books.

BookMooch: similar to Paperbackswap; international. Added bonus: you can elect to donate points to literacy nonprofits (I suggest Open Books).

BookSwim.com: calls itself the "Netflix of books." Its website description: "the first online book rental library service lending you paperbacks, hardcovers and now college textbooks...{direct} to your house...We stock all the latest bestsellers, new releases, and classics with free shipping both ways! Read your books as long as you want - no late fees! Even choose to purchase and keep the books you love." Note no shipping costs!

I haven't tried BookSwim but let us know if you do; in fact, if you use or decide to try any of these, and/or come across other sites that connect used-book traders and readers, cme back to Bookishkablog and share your experience and comments with other readers.