Books in English – let’s trade!

All this talk on others’ blogs about fancy schmancy Kindles and other e-readers has me coveting your plain old-fashion (and perhaps now-abandoned) paperbacks (or sweet hardcover) books!

Plus I know that obtaining good reading in English can be a pricey enterprise here in Brazil.  Planning ahead, I brought well over a hundred titles with me when we moved.  In the final weeks before we shipped our things I remember browsing independent bookstores for the THICKEST books, and then deciding if they sounded interesting to me.  Lots of books on my shelf have more than 800 pages to them.

I’m currently reading “World Without End” by Ken Follett; follow up to his “The Pillars of the Earth” Oprah selection success.  It weighs in at 1,113 pages in hardcover.  My wrists hurt!  It’s an easy read, but the volume itself makes it attractive.

So what do you think?  Want to trade books?

Tastes vary.  I have a lot of non-fiction, political stuff e.g. “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy” – which is excellent, BTW. And some sociological takes on Brazil or historical fiction or biographies.  I also like human dramas, true adventure tales and many classics.

Others expats I have traded with enjoy murder mysteries, crime or courtroom novels, popular fiction and always a few classics.

If we were to trade I propose people post a list of what you have available and that those seeking to receive the books understand that they will pay for all shipping costs.

Before I comb through my shelves and type up a list, I thought I would send up a trial balloon and see if there is any interest in this idea.

Sound good?  Would you participate?  For logistical reasons I’m pretty much talking to folks who currently reside in Brazil.  Others could probably get the books locally for less than the shipping costs if we were to mail to the US or Europe, for example… right?  But books in English (beyond a few “airport novels”) are hard to come by and stupid expensive here (said airport novels can sell for R$22).

Let me hear from you all and we will take it from there.

And a special shout out to Musings’ Reader and GingerV at Flowers and More for your generosity sharing your books with me already.

What say ye expat bloggers?  Wanna trade? Whaddaya got?