Ideas About Books and Reading

I've got lots of great stuff in my head to get out of my head, through my fingers to the keyboard and on to you, but time this morning is limited, so just a couple of great ideas I've run across in the last couple of days. Both of these ideas relate to books and reading, and both make me smile as a book lover and reader (and I don't think those things are exactly the same).

In fact, book lovers will love this story in the New York Times about leaders and their book collections, It is titled C.E.O. Libraries Reveal Keys to Success. I highly recommend it. After you read it, ask yourself - what keys to success does your library reveal?

Readers, who are less connected to the books themselves (and are willing to actually let go of a book after they have read it) may find this idea more interesting - Bookswapping. I found this idea late last week on the Book Maven Blog. The post called A Night of Bookswapping has been intriguing me every since. I quote Bethanne:

The rules were, and remain, elegantly simple: bring any books in good condition that you're finished owning. You can take the same number as you bring (although by each bookswapping night's end, this rule is usually broken). We pile the books in a central location, pour wine and beer, and grab plates of nosh . . .

She goes on to say that the best part of the evening was the conversation about the books and the ideas they contained.

Imagine doing a Bookswap party at work on a Friday afternoon. Or even a book sharing party where people show up with favorite books in had to discuss them, let others see and touch them (and then place their order at 800-CEO-Read or their favorite online bookseller).

As Bethanne says, this isn't a replacement for a book club, but perhaps an interesting additional activity to try. The conversation may not be as focused, but might be much more serendipitous.

What do you think?

Labels: books, bookswapping, reading

Digg it | del.icio.us | Add to Technorati