8.17.2009

Renting Books

I just read about this intriguing new website called Book Swim - it is the Netflix of books. In other words, for those unfamiliar with Netflix, you can rent and return books for a flat, one month fee - postage paid and no late fees.

I think the fee is a tad bit high for me right now - $25/month being the most reasonable package. But I can see myself possibly using this in the future - if I could find books that would be resourceful for homeschooling is my main interest at this point. It would also work well if there were some books I really wanted to read and knew I would have an opportunity that month to read, I would probably buy just a one month plan. Our local library has a pretty bad selection of books and is a pretty run down building and I think I'd rather pay $25/month for books to be sent to my mailbox than to go to the library.

Like I said earlier, the plan is too much money for me right now- I barely finish one book a month and at that rate it's cheaper to just buy the book itself :)

But I am curious - does this idea of renting books online appeal to you? Would you use it now? In special circumstances? Or do you think it's silly?

7 comments:

Bethany said...

Intriguing... But I do think $25 is too much for me too. I hardly ever have time to read. And if my library doesn't have the book I want, we have a lovely inter-library loan system. Does your library have inter-library loans too? That might be a good way to get the books you need to read. :)

Stacy said...

I think its a bit silly, but then again we live 5 minutes from the library, and we have a pretty good one here.
That's definitely too expensive for my tastes too.
Inter-library loan could be a way to get books that your library doesn't have.

Amber said...

Way too expensive, but if it were cheaper it is something I'd probably get a lot of good out of. For now, Paperback Swap works just fine for me. :-)

Kristin said...

I would love, love, love to do that. Not in my budget right now but I could see using it in the future. I use my library a ton and use inter-library loan a lot too but I could still see using this, especially for newer books. Our library system is super small and it is hard to get new books...especially the obscure titles I want to read. They don't spend a lot of budget on strange things only I would read!

Jodi said...

$25 is on average 3 book/month... Some months I read that many and other months I am lucky to get through 1 book. So for me buying is cheaper... and there is a "book swap" book store here. She gives you a % of the value of the book and you can put it towards the books in store, which are all at a lower cost because they're hand me downs too!

Amanda said...

Well... books... I don't think I would like that idea too much. Its very expensive, as you've mentioned... but I have this thing about owning my books. Craig has to beg me to use the library... but if I have my own way I buy them, cuz then I can read them again... and you never know where the books have been before and whose sneezed all over them. :)

Catherine said...

I think that is way too much unless you live in the middle of nowhere no where near a library.

I agree with the other people who said that I read so rarely I might as well just buy the book outright.

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