Dear Members,

We can't imagine life without books. They've been with us forever-- from the fairy tales we read as children, through novels and science fiction and thrillers and memoirs, they've offered escape, instruction, entertainment, laughter and wisdom.

One thing we keep finding out: the genre of a book doesn't necessarily predict what it might add to your life. Young adult books can give new perspectives even to grown-ups; some humorous books can contain a deeper truth.

So it shouldn't have surprised us when we stumbled across some serious wisdom in a cookbook! Yes, a cookbook.

It says Start where you are. Feed yourself. Do your best, and then let go. Be helpful. Slow down. Don’t be afraid of food. Those are among the notes that Alana Chernila has on her refrigerator, and they also make the chapter headings for her cookbook, The Homemade Kitchen: Recipes for Cooking with Pleasure.

The book goes right to the heart of a complex daily struggle for many. To eat organic, local, fresh and healthy -- to do everything right -- while the reality may be a grumpy hungry family at the end of a long day of work. Alana admits that sometimes she hates cooking dinner too! The Homemade Kitchen is a lovely cookbook -- it's beautifully photographed and includes basic recipes as well as fancier fare. But the author's philosophy offers an extra dimension -- like many books, this one is more than the sum of its parts.

Encountering The Homemade Kitchen reminded us again to stay adventurous in reading, to try books that might not be in a favorite genre, or a new author we've never heard of. Members have often told us that PaperBackSwap makes it easy to discover new authors or genres, since it's not a huge commitment to get a book, and every book can be swapped again for a different one when you're done reading.

We'd like to give away a free, brand-new copy of this cookbook to one lucky commenter on our Blog! If you leave a comment there telling us about a book that surprised you -- that you didn't expect to enjoy as much as you did-- before the end of Sunday June 26th, you'll be entered in the random drawing to receive The Homemade Kitchen . We'll announce the winner in the blog next week!

Happy Adventures!

Richard and
The PaperBackSwap Team


Amazon Showcase Book

By popular demand, we're showcasing a Wishlisted book that is not currently available in our Market, but which is available in NEW condition at a substantial savings off retail. Use any of the Showcase links below to go to Amazon -- remember, your purchase (of anything) there will help support PaperBackSwap!

 

The Girls by Emma Cline
The Manson Family, from the inside. Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult....read more
Order at Amazon


Used Books Currently Available for Swapping

Order these books for credits; repost them when you're done reading and get the credit back!

 

Olive Kittredge by Elizabeth Strout  At the edge of the continent, Crosby, Maine, may seem like nowhere, but seen through this brilliant writer's eyes, it's in essence the whole world, and the lives that are lived there are filled with all of the grand human drama -- desire, despair, jealousy, hope, and love.....read more
Browse Literary Fiction currently available for swapping

 

Vanished by Karen Robards When she receives a call from a child who sounds exactly like her missing daughter Lexie, Sarah Mason turns to her closest friend in the world, P.I. Jake Hogan. ... read more
Browse Romantic Suspense currently available for swapping

 

The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld It is 1909 and both Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung travel to New York. The morning after their arrival, a beautiful young woman is found dead in an apartment in one of the city's grand new skyscrapers, The Balmoral.The next day brings a similar crime in a townhouse on Gramercy Park.....read more
Browse Historical Mysteries currently available for swapping

 

People of the Wolf by Kathleen O'Neal Gear, W. Michael Gear In the dawn of history, a valiant people forged a pathway from an old world into a new one. Led by a dreamer who followed the spirit of the wolf, a handful of courageous men and women dared to cross the frozen wastes to find an untouched, unspoiled continent... read more
Browse Historical Fiction currently available for swapping

 

Innocent by Scott Turow Audio CD, Unabridged. The sequel to the genre-defining, landmark bestseller Presumed Innocent, this book continues the story of Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto who are, once again pitted against each other in a riveting psychological match after the mysterious death of Rusty's wife.....read more.
Browse audio books currently available for swapping

 

Hornet Flight by Ken Follett It is June 1941 and the war is not going well for England. Across the North Sea, eighteen-year-old Harald Olufsen takes a shortcut on the German-occupied Danish island of Sande and discovers an astonishing sight that will change the momentum of the war. He must get word to England...read more
Browse Suspense currently available for swapping


Market Spotlight Books

In the PBS Market, available new at bargain prices!

 
A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger
London, 1385. Surrounded by ruthless courtiers -- including his powerful uncle, John of Gaunt, and Gaunt’s flamboyant mistress, Katherine Swynford -- England’s young, still untested king, Richard II, is in mortal peril, and the danger is only beginning...read more
Retail Price: $25.99
New in the PBS Market (Hardcover): $2.79+1 credit (save 89%) or $6.69 (save 74%)
Browse Historical Fiction currently available in the Market

 

 

The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe  by Nathan Filer
Ellen Branford, a high-powered Manhattan attorney, is going to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish--to find the hometown boy she once loved, and give him her last letter......read more
Retail Price: $26.00
New in the PBS Market (Hardcover): $2.29+1 credit (save 91%) or $6.19 (save 76%)
Browse more Women's Fiction currently available in the Market

 

Shadow Woman by Linda Howard
Lizette Henry wakes up one morning and doesn’t recognize the face she sees in the mirror. She remembers what she looks like, but her reflection is someone else’s. To add to the shock, two years seem to have disappeared from her life ...read more
Retail Price: $27.00
New in the PBS Market (Hardcover): $3.39+1 credit (save 87%) or $7.29 (save 73%)
Browse Thrillers currently available in the Market

 

Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg
In this superb novel by the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Open House, Home Safe, and The Last Time I Saw You, four women venture into their pasts in order to shape their futures, fates, and fortunes.. ...read more
Retail Price: $26.00
New in the PBS Market (Hardcover): $3.39+1 credit (save 86%) or $7.29 (save 71%)
Browse Contemporary Fiction currently available in the Market

 

Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season by Jonathan Eig
IApril 15, 1947, marked the most important opening day in baseball history. When Jackie Robinson stepped onto the diamond that afternoon at Ebbets Field, he became the first black man to break into major-league baseball in the twentieth century....read more
Retail Price: $26.00
New in the PBS Market (Hardcover): $0.00+1 credit (save 100%) or $5.09 (save 80%)
Browse History currently available in the Market

 
 

Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies: On Myths, Morons, Free Speech, Football, and Assorted Absurdities by Chris Kluwe
From Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe comes this uproarious, uncensored take on empathy, personal responsibility, and what it means to be human...read more
Retail Price: $27.00
New in the PBS Market (Hardcover): $0.00+1 credit (save 100%) or $5.09 (save 81%)
Browse Humor currently available in the Market

 

Harvest by Jim Crace
A remote English village wakes on the morning after harvest, looking forward to enjoying a hard-earned day of rest and feasting. But two mysterious columns of smoke mar the sky, raising alarm and suspicion...read more
Retail Price: $24.95
New in the PBS Market (Hardcover): $2.29+1 credit (save 90%) or $6.19 (save 75%)
Browse Historical Fiction currently available in the Market


NEWS

Refer and Earn! Have you invited your friends to join the club? Remember that you can get up to $5 for each friend, with no limit! You can share to Facebook (easily done from the Invite page); you can also send Invite emails directly from the Invite page. Make a YouTube video! Your invitees will get a discount on membership, you'll get $, and the club will get more books to share! It's a win-win-win! Read more about the referral program on the Invite page.

Update your software, protect your computer... Because of a known serious vulnerability in older system software, everyone needs to be using the most current Security Protocol when on the Internet. PaperBackSwap is required to update too, and older, vulnerable browsers will not be able to access the site after June 30, 2016. So if your software is old, update now! It's a quick task that will protect your computer and your personal information. If you are using Internet Explorer, go here to update. If you are using Mac, upgrade your MacOS for free on the Apple site.  Read more here.

   Amazon Prime means free streaming, free shipping...  One annual membership fee gets you 2-day free shipping and a ton of other perks. Don't have Amazon Prime yet? Use this link to Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. We think you'll love it!



PBS Local Chapter News

New Local Chapter:

Upcoming Local Chapter Meetups:

We'd love to share your Chapter news - if you have some, please submit it to us

If you want to be a Local Chapter Leader for PBS, you just need to have a PBS Nickname, a viewable public profile, and enthusiasm! Check the Local Chapter Leaders Forum List of Official Chapters to see if your area already has a local Chapter. If not, and you want to do this, just contact us. There are no formal guidelines for being a Chapter Leader. All of the information is in the Local Chapter Leader Discussion Forum topic. If you are an official Chapter Leader and want us to include your upcoming meetup in the Newsletter, send in a message to us with the date, at least a week before the end of the preceding month.


MEMBER OF THE MONTH

(Erin G. - egrove2)

Ever wonder how those "No Image Available" blue boxes magically disappear and are replaced by book cover images? It's volunteer members like Erin G who work tirelessly behind the scenes to find cover images, cropping them and resizing them and uploading them. We all do judge books by their covers -- a good cover image makes a book listing much more appealing! Our database compiler doesn't always supply images to us; sometimes the images are blurry or tilted, and sometimes the wrong image gets included with a listing. Super-Erin helps fix all that. Not only does she submit lots of cover images, she also helps correct data on listings when it is missing or wrong. Several Image and Data Approvers wrote in to nominate Erin.

Erin, your hard work has not gone unnoticed! Thank you for improving the database for everyone. You are Member of the Month for June.  Congratulations!

If you have any nominations for Member of the Month, submit them to us here. The Member of the Month gets a newsletter mention and a nifty MoM icon to wear on profile and forum posts with pride.  So go for it! Tell us who's helped you in the Forums, who's been a great swapper, who in your opinion is a credit to PBS.  We are keeping a list of all the nominated members. Who knows--one of them might be YOU!

DEAR LIBRARIAN

Dear Librarian - I see that there are different levels of membership. I'm not sure which one is right for me. Any tips to help me decide? --  Torn in Tucson

Dear Toots,

We're happy to help with this! Different members use the club differently, so we've created a few options:

  • Standard Annual Membership is $20 a year, and it allows you to request an unlimited number of books using Book Credits only -- no Swap Fees.
    • Additional features include a 500-item Wish List and a fee-free postage printing once a month
    • You can read more features here
    • So if you swap a lot, or you want a big Wish List, or if you just like to keep it simple and want to have to track only your Book Credits and not keep track of Swap Fees, this is likely the best bet for you.
  • Limited Annual Membership is $12 a year, and comes with 30 "Free Swaps" which replace Swap Fees so you can request 30 books in a year using only Book Credits.
    • This membership comes with a 200-item Wish List and a fee-free postage printing every quarter (every 3 months). 
    • So if you request 2 or more books a month, this membership will be economical for you. Also, if you participate socially in the club this membership (and Standard Membership) allows full access to the Discussion Forums and Personal Messaging.
  • A la Carte Membership does not have an annual fee. Instead, you pay 49 cents Swap Fee (in addition to the Book Credit(s) needed) for each book shipment you request.
    • The most convenient way to do this is to put some PBS Money into your account (for example, $5) and then the Swap Fees get deducted from that, when you make requests.
    • This membership comes with a 100-item Wish List and the ability to send Personal Messages from book transactions.
    • So, if you request fewer 2 books a month, and you do not participate socially in the club (you don't need full access to Discussion Forums and Personal Messaging), this will probably work for you.

We hope that helps! There is a lot more detail in the Help Center.

Dear Librarian - I sent a book that had writing and underlining in it. The other member marked it received with a problem. But I sent a Personal Message beforehand describing the book! When I didn't hear back, I mailed it. Did I do something wrong?  --  Uncertain in Uncasville

Dear Cassie,

Unfortunately, yes! Highlighting, underlining and writing in books are all not permitted. There is an exception for textbooks, travel guides, and cookbooks. If you want to swap one of those you have to follow the procedure of sending the PM describing the book (as you did), and you also have to wait for a reply PM consenting to the book's condition. If you don't get a PM reply, you can't send the book.

You'll understand why this is important if you keep in mind that that other members may not read their PMs regularly, or someone might read the PM and cancel her request (and in the case of a Wish List book this will offer the book to a different member, who has not gotten your PM).  So that's the reasoning behind having to wait for a PM response consenting to your book's condition -- if you get that consent (and if you have described the book accurately), you know the book's condition won't be a surprise and won't result in a problem swap. We know no one wants to send a problem book! That's why waiting for the consent PM is necessary. We hope this info helps for future swaps!


The Last Word:

  • Are you REALLY not reading the Blog? You don't want to miss out on Free Book Friday book giveaways, author interviews, awesome book reviews, and so much more! 
  • As always, don't forget to start your Amazon shopping from the link at the top of the PBS site - when you do this, a small percentage of your purchase amount comes to us.  So whenever (and whatever) you plan to purchase on Amazon, start from the Amazon link at the top of the PBS site. It's an easy, free way to support the club!