Books: April 2006 Archives

I have quite a few paper back books I've bought over the years. I need to get rid of some of them since I don't have nearly enough shelf space to house them. In addition, there are plenty of books I own that I just don't feel the need to read again. I'm only too happy to get them into the hands of someone who will enjoy them.

I've tried paperback exchange stores in the past. They seem to work on a store credit scheme, where I get a percentage of the cover price applied towards the next book I buy. That's reasonable but the one in my neighborhood doesn't have the best selection and is open very odd hours. In the end, it seemed like the book ended up being worth exactly 1/2 of a different used book. In my mind one used book (in reasonable condition) is worth one used book, although I'm willing to pay a small transaction fee.

I once tried to sell a few items on Amazon, but I was competing with people selling 49¢ copies. It was hardly worth the bother.

So I mentioned this to my scrabble playing & prolific reader pal, Jennie. She looked around, rejected one site and came back with a solid recommendation for paperbackbookswap.com. I figured I've got nothing to lose, I'll try it. Within 12 hours someone is shipping me two books, "Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass" by Isak Dinesen & "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown. Coincidentally two people want books that I listed, so I'll be shipping those out tomorrow. They even give you a label to print out so that it's super easy to ship.

So what does this cost? Each person involved pays their own shipping, which is about $1.59. The web site indicates that they want to start charging a membership fee in the future to be part of the exchange, but right now it doesn't cost anything. Every book you send allows you to get one book. In addition when you sign up listing 9 books gives you three credits right away.

If you join and list 9 books, I get a credit. So join up and try it. List me or better yet, Jennie, as having referred you.

The Tiger Rising

by Kate Dicamillo

I read 'The Tiger Rising', by Kate DiCamillo a few months back. If you liked the novel, "Because of Winn-Dixie", you'll probably like this book. It is a children's book that deals with topics like bullying, death, and grief without succumbing to cliche, preciousness or preachiness.

The book I am currently reading, which I find myself thinking about the most, is a collection of poems entitled "Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God", by Ranier Maria Rilke. The poems were originally written in German and translated, loosely in some cases by Anita Barrows & Joanna Macy. Some of the poems are completely haunting. Case in point, this one where the writer wonders how God will react to the writers death.

What will you do, God, when I die?
I am your pitcher (when I shatter?)
I am your drink (when I go bitter?)
I, your garment; I, your craft.
Without me what reason have you?

Poetry never translates perfectly -- you can't get meter and rhyme and alliteration to all translate while saving the imagery for a culture who may have no frame of reference. I was really pleasantly surprised when the translators had a somewhat detailed forward where they explain their methologies and the choices they made in order to complete this translation. I wish that more translated books would feature this kind of explanatory material.

I realize reading translations of German poets who write about God is kind of an obscure thing to do for pleasure. It was an unexpected surprise to see that Jan, just yesterday, posted another poem by Rilke from the same collection of verse. Odd ... I promise I didn't pawn my book off on her, beg her to read and it and then browbeat her into discussing it. (I'm sure there are people who will read this, who have had me do that :))