No offense, it is always a great idea, but if your friend K.S. started doing this 18 months ago, she didn't invent the idea. Some friends of mine have been doing it for years now.

Aha! NOW I see what you've been up to! Bookswapping! Next thing you know, you'll be swilling martinis, smoking cigars and writing a blog. Whoops! Too late on two out of three.

Seriously, I love those parties. I'm seriously miffed you held it outside the 212 and failed to invite me!

What a great idea! I think I might have to try this out with my friends.

KTBuffy, alas, it may not be new -- but she invented it for me.

Other former bookswappers, tell us about your expereinces...

LaChiquitaSnarkita, I had no fun at all. I promise. I had to do it for blog material... You're on the list for MY bookswap. Who knows, I might even find a venue inside the 212... I am a maven of mystery, after all.

What a great idea. I'd love to host a bookswap. And God knows, I could add HUNDREDS to the swap pile!

It's a terrible idea for writers like me. This cuts us out of royalties. Bah Humbug.

Sandra Scopettone, I cannot speak for the actions of all the bookswap attendees -- but the 20 titles I contributed were neither ARCs nor galleys nor finished freebies, but instead were hardcover books I purchased at bricks-and-mortar stores (albeit with a "member's discount"). I don't swap books to save money or to avoid buying new ones; I go to swaps because I see books and find authors whose work I would never have known about otherwise. Afterwards, I often buy MORE books by those authors.

Any places like this here in California? S.F Bay Area
From a Child Author

My PBS(Pink Bra Society)group decided that the Book Swap night was a grand idea, and carted several loved or unread tomes with our usual potluck food groups to Bridget's house. Each of us is in some way connected to the book world, so the choices were eclectic & included ARCs and various gems. We made no rules, just spread the books on the empty buffet table and had an ooh & ahh free-for-all. Most of us left with more than we had arrived with (how do they always seem to multiply?), and Jo screamed approval for her top-of-her-wish-list find, while Di true to form asked nicely if anyone really harboured a greater need for her choices than she, and we all lugged our treasures home, with no decrease in the piles of must-reads, but very content.
My Book Club wants to try this now, but perhaps we should have rules?
--Cathy Lee, Ottawa, Canada.