Box O' Books

Awhile back I came across an idea that Dara had put together called Dara's Box of Books.

Excited about the opportunity, I signed up and patiently waited.

Dara recruited a list of great bloggers who would like to do a book swap on a bigger level.

She started a cardboard box filled with 13 books that she was willing to part with and then sent it to the next person.  I was third on the list and received mine a few weeks ago.

Here's what I found in my box of books:

I looked at all 13 books, read their summaries, and even checked the reviews on Amazon and here are the four that I picked:

I chose Lady in Waiting, The Radleys, Juliet, and The Postmistress.

Room was also a selection in the box and I loved the book but I already own a copy so it's off to someone else who can enjoy its storyline.

For every book that you take, you replace it.  So if you liked all 13 books, then you replaced those with 13 more. I chose four but when looking at my extensive book collection, I chose these:

The River Between Us, The Red Tent, Water for Elephants, Making it in the City, and The Five People You Meet in Heaven

If you're keeping count, you'll notice I put in five books when I only took four.  I had an extra copy of Water for Elephants in which either me or my freshman year roommate accidentally spilled coffee on.  I didn't want to put in a book with a stain on it, so I added another book to even things out.  It's still in great condition so I'm hoping someone can enjoy it or donate it to a charity that can enjoy it. 

 

Overall I thought it was a decent experience.  The idea is really fun and one that I enjoy, however, there's the risk that you'll get a box filled with 13 books that you don't like and you'll have to spend the money on media mail to send it someone else.  I liked the four books that I picked and am interested in getting the opportunity to read them.  However, I had zero interest in the other books that were in the box so that's 4 out of 13.  I had really hoped to see a Sophia Kinsella book because I haven't purchased one of her chick lit books.  I would like to try one especially after reading the summary for The Wedding Night.  The books that I did put in are often given really good reviews and a plethora of reading styles could enjoy them.  I would probably give the overall experience 3 out of 5 stars because the ladies were great, but I wasn't all too keen on what was put into the box.  I did however get 4 books out of the process and that's always a great thing.