As a self-confessed bookstore addict, I'm a fan of book swapping.

At my office we have a "library" of peoples' discarded reads that you can take home for free. I haven't purchased a full-price book in months! I've gotten most of my recent reads for free (thanks to my well-read sister and others), on loan, or at a used bookstore (thank you, Gently Used Books of Douglassville).

I recently heard from Mitchell Silverman, founder of Bookins.com, an online book-trading service where you pay only for shipping. The books are free.

Although I haven't tried the service (I have plenty of free books on my to-read shelf at home), but I thought Silverman's idea was interesting.

"We offer a unique book trading service used by over 40,000 consumers throughout the United States. We have more available books than the largest B&N," Silverman wrote.
"Our site is simple to use, and our service is free."

Maybe I'll try it someday when looking for the latest must-read...

Below is the full release:

Bookins.com Gives New Life to Old Books

Susan Heller from Mountain Home, Idaho, is a self-proclaimed book lover and avid quilter. For the past year and a half, she has been exchanging books with other book lovers on Bookins.com, a simple-to-use book-trading site with 42,000 members.

“I have been able to find homes for books I no longer need and have acquired books I have wanted with the ease of shopping from home,” says Susan.
Bookins.com arranges for members to swap books and DVDs via US Mail with no fuss. They even provide the postage, which is printed right from the website. In return for sending out their own items, members can pick from over 500,000 books and DVDs to get in exchange.

The selection is greater than any Barnes & Noble superstore, membership is free. The only cost is shipping.

Here is how it works:

1. Post books & DVDs you no longer want.

2. Traders request items from you; we'll let you know about the request via email.

3. Mail items using prepaid shipping labels that you print on regular paper. Wrap the item up, tape the label on your package and drop it in any mailbox.

4. When members receive your items, you get points to spend on any of over 500,000 books and DVDs.

5. When you redeem points for books & DVDs, you pay only $4.49 shipping per item. They are yours to keep or trade again!

Trading on Bookins is as convenient as shopping at any other top online retailer. While trading sites like Swaptree, Paperback Swap and Title Trader have been online for years, Bookins.com is the only one to simplify the process. In fact, traders never have to interact with each other as they do on all other sites which often lead to unpleasant disagreements.

Bookins.com is also the only service of its kind to provide a money-back guarantee. If you ever receive an item you are not happy with, Bookins will refund the shipping cost.

Tens of thousands of readers rely on Bookins.com for simple exchanges. It is a great way to read more and spend less!

Office romance is always touchy. Pun intended.

On this sensitive topic and others, I am a fan of author Barbara Pachter's humorous and practical office etiquette tips for every season.

For all you closet - or copier closet - office romance fans out there, here are some words to the wise about Valentine's Day:

Sharing a copier by day and a bedroom by night?

8 Valentine’s Day Rules for Workplace Relationships

Valentine’s Day is coming and that means there can be romance in the air at your workplace! According to business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, author of NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead, ($13.95, paperback, Prentice Hall Press), work is the place where more and more people meet their dates and mates, because that is where we spend most of our time.

But Pachter warns, “Be careful! If you don’t behave properly, an office romance can cause conflict and have a negative impact on your career.”

So as Valentine’s Day approaches, how do you share a copier by day and a bedroom by night with someone without hurting your professional image?

Here are 8 guidelines from Pachter:

1. Continue To Keep The Relationship Private. Just because it is Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t mean that you can start broadcasting your relationship or sharing information about it with others in the office. Even if your company takes a liberal view of office romance, it just isn’t professional to share details—good or bad—with others at work.

2. Keep Your Romance Offline. Don’t post comments about your romance or photos of your Valentine anywhere online. You never know who will see them.

3. Don’t E-mail X-Rated Valentine’s Day Cards. E-mail is not private. Also, do not mail an unsigned Valentine’s Day card to a coworker. Being a secret admirer is not a corporate concept.

4. No Romantic Displays. No physical contact in the office. No secret kissing, caressing, hand holding or sex in the office. People get caught and careers can get ruined.

5. Send Any Flowers Or Gifts To The Home. One man sent his girlfriend a huge bouquet of balloons to her office. Coworkers wanted to know who sent it and spent time trying to figure it out. She was embarrassed. Arrange for late delivery if no one will be home to accept the package.

6. Your Boss Shouldn’t Be Your Valentine. Relationships are tricky enough without your boss or subordinate being your Valentine. If you are dating your boss, have your reporting relationship changed.

7. Remember That Business Rules Apply In Business Social Situations. At any office party or business social event do not dance too closely, use seductive language, drink too much or wear seductive clothing.

8. If The Relationship Fails—Be Professional And Adult About It. Even if you have been jilted and the relationship ends badly you cannot vent your negative feelings in the office. This is the risk of office relationships. They sometimes don’t work out and then you have to continue to see or work with the person.

Barbara Pachter is a speaker, coach and author of 8 business books, including "The Power of Positive Confrontation" ($14.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.) and "When the Little Things Count" ($13.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.). She specializes in business etiquette and communication. Her client list features major organizations worldwide, including Microsoft, Pfizer, Chrysler, and Cisco Systems.

To view my other blog posts featuring Pachter's tips, visit "Santa says don't get soused at the holiday party" (December 2008) and "Book’s tips show how a hello and a handshake can further your career" (March 2008).

I'm the first to admit that I'm not one of those people who's always right on top of their cell phones. In fact, if you've called or texted my cell in the recent past and I haven't gotten back to you, it's not that I'm ignoring you: I probably just haven't checked my messages lately.

So when I saw this news report that Amazon will be selling book downloads directly to your cell phone, I was a little incredulous. My Motorola Razr has about 5 lines' worth of space. Not exactly conducive for prolonged bouts of reading.

But I guess that's not the point. The point is that the technology is now available, in case you're looking for something to read during those moments in line at the grocery store or in the dentist's waiting room.

Rejoice.

And prepare to squint.

Date: 2/6/2009 2:11 PM

Amazon to offer Kindle e-books on cell phones

NEW YORK (AP) — Books that Amazon.com Inc. sells for its Kindle electronic reading device will also be available on cell phones, too.

Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener said Friday that the Seattle-based online retailer is working on making Kindle books available "on a range of mobile phones." The company is not yet saying when the books will be available, or on which phones.

Another e-book provider, Mobipocket, which is owned by Amazon, already sells titles that can be read on numerous smart phones. And on Thursday, Google Inc. announced that titles available from its Book Search service can now be read on Apple Inc.'s iPhone or a phone running its Android operating system. For now that would just be the G1, which is sold by T-Mobile.

Amazon is widely expected to unveil a new version of the Kindle device at a news conference Monday at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York.

The company has not released sales figures for the first version of the Kindle, which it rolled out in late 2007. Amazon said last fall it sold out of the $359 device after Oprah Winfrey endorsed it. The company has made 230,000 titles available on the Kindle, which can download books wirelessly.