Book Swapping

Recently, I've been really getting into swapping books. There are two sites that I've been using to do this, both of which function in slightly different manners.

The first of these, which I have been a member of for longer, is BookMooch. BookMooch functions using a points system. You gain points by adding books to your inventory (1/10th of a point per book), sending books (1 point per domestic book, 3 points per international book) and by acknowledging the receipt of books being sent to you (1/10th of a point per acknowledgement). You spend points to receive books (1 point per domestic book, 2 points per international book).

So far I have received 3 books: "HMS Surprise" by Patrick O'Brian (domestically), "Structured Computer Organization" by Andrew Tanenbaum (from Brazil, a book on the Warwick CompSci recommended reading list), and "Silence of the Lambs/Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris (domestically again). I have sent "Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park" by F.H. Hinsley (to Spain). I should also be receiving "Introduction to Java Programming" by Y. Daniel Liang (from the US, another recommmended book) and "Hannibal" by Thomas Harris (domestically, completing the Hannibal trilogy)

The main advantage of BookMooch is that the sender does not have to be interested in the receiver's books for a movement of literature to take place, as the points from the transaction can be spent elsewhere. The main disadvantage is that it is a site centred around the US and, as such, there are fewer books available at the lower, domestic 'price' for those outside of the US (although the UK is, unsurprisingly, the second most prolific country).

The second of these bookswapping sites is Read It Swap It, which does not use points but instead sets up direct swaps between members. If I'm interested in a book someone else has then I request a swap for it. They look at the books I have in my inventory and if there's something there that they are interested in, the swap goes ahead. If there's nothing then I have to find someone else with a book I want.

I have yet to send or receive anything through Read It Swap It but I have set up two swaps over the weekend which I'll be sending off tomorrow: "The Last Juror" by John Grisham (mine) for "The Nizam's Daughters" by Allan Mallinson, and "Matter Of Honour" by Jeffrey Archer (mine) for "Sharpe's Devil" by Bernard Cornwell. I have had a number of requests for books in my inventory but I was not interested in anything they had to offer.

You will notice that I have not specified where these requests and books are coming from. This leads me on to the biggest advantage that Read It Swap It has: it is a UK-only site. This means that the average paperback can be sent for £1.40 (which is a pretty good price for a book you want). The swap mechanism used by Read It Swap It also means that when I send off a book I know that I'm getting one that I want (as I've already selected it) rather than having to hope that there's something I like for me to spend points on.

This is also Read It Swap It's biggest drawback (not that this is a particularly big one). If there's no interest in the other's books from one party, then the swap immediately falls through. There's no possibility of carrying over swaps to a different user (as there is with BookMooch, say).


I've found both of these sites exceedingly good for getting books I want to have. You may have noticed that the books I have requested have revolved around either the Napoleonic period ("HMS Surprise", "The Nizam's Daughters"), Hannibal or my uni course ("Structured Computer Organisation"). At the moment I'm trying to build up my library in these areas (though I'm just awaiting "Hannibal" to complete the trilogy) which means I often struggle to find books I want both when other people request swaps and when I'm looking to spend points domestically rather than internationally.

If I were simply looking for books I want to read and then pass on, I'd be able to make even more use of these already excellent services.