I love to read, and I have loved it as long as I can remember. According to my mom, I’ve been reading since I was 4 years old. I don’t think I remember that, but I do know that the library, books, and reading were a major part of my youth. I used to go to the library every Monday after school and exchange my books. I would sit there and read until about 4:45 when my dad got off work and met me there. Generally, in that time, I would have picked out 8 books (1 for each day of the week plus one for the time at the library) and returned the one I had just finished. Once I got into college, my pace slowed down, but I still read when I could. The day that I turned in my master’s independent study, I went to the library to celebrate. I checked out 4-5 books and read for the next week straight, I think.

Recently, I’ve gotten a little claustrophobic with all the stuff we have in our house, so I decided that I should list some of my books on some book swapping sites. I listed books on BookMooch and PaperBackSwap. The idea of the sites (with a few differences of course) is that you list books you’ve read. Someone else requests them and you send your books to people that want/need them. Then, you find someone who has books you want/need and you request those books. Of course, the books I want right now are also ones that 300+ others also want, so we’ll see how soon I get them. Haha…

But, why should I save all my swapping for people I don’t know and have no contact with? Anyone wanna swap with me? I’m putting 5 books up for a swap. If you want one of mine, offer me one of yours. I’ll pay my shipping, and you pay yours. I’m going to list my books, books I have liked in the past (to give you an idea of what my tastes are), and books I want now. If you think we could make a match, either leave me a comment or e-mail me at casey at berbs dot us.

First, books I have and want to give away:

A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon- This was a book I had to read for one of my elementary education classes in college. I remember it being a good book, and I remember being somewhat tempted to read the rest of the series (The Orphan Train Adventures). It is a book that is appropriate for kids in the upper elementary grades. I would say it would be good for an advanced 3rd grader or an average fourth or fifth grader. There are some themes in the book that are somewhat intense for kids of this age (orphans, family/sibling separation, families that do not adopt the children out of love but are looking for labor or servants) so be aware of that if you are intending to give this book as a gift or to someone younger than 14ish (?).

A Time to Kill by John Grisham- This is a great book. It’s a crime drama. It’s about a man who kills two men who raped his young daughter. This book isn’t in great condition. I got it off the library swap table. It has the library book tag on the side and the barcode on the back. The binding is broken and page 117-118 falls out. It’s definitely readable, but it’s not fresh. It’s a book worth reading though.

The Witness by Dee Henderson- I read Dee Henderson’s books The O’Malley Series and The Uncommon Heroes series. I really enjoyed those books. I thought The O’Malley Series were her best books though. This book is good, too, but I didn’t like it as well as the O’Malleys. I think that I got so attached to those characters I missed them when I was reading this book. It’s a Christian suspense book. There’s a little romance in it, too, if I remember correctly, but it’s definitely PG.

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus- This book is light chick lit. It’s about a woman who becomes one of “those” nannies to a wealthy New York family. The job starts out as caring for one small child. She ends up becoming much more than just a nanny. It reminds me a little of The Devil Wears Prada Nanny Edition.

Every Storm by Lori Wick- I read this book quite a while ago, so I’m not all that clear on the details of it anymore. I remember something about a plane crash and that’s about it. It’s Lori Wick. That should say it all. The main character is sweet and maybe a little unrealistically perfect, and there’s romance in it. Also, this is Christian fiction and PG. It’s a good book. It’s hardcover in case that matters, too.

Books I have read in the past and liked:

See the list above. I liked all those. I have read books by Susan May Warren, John Grisham, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Lori Wick, Anita Shreve, Dee Henderson, Dr. Sears, Mary Doria Russell, John Piper, Henri Nouwen, and Beth Moore.

Books I am looking for right now:

I’m particularly looking for

You: The Owner’s Manual by Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

The Shack by William P. Young

You can try me on Christian fiction and non-fiction, but I’m not interested in the Beverly Lewis/Amish type of Christian fiction.

Ready, set, SWAP!