Sip, Swap & Read
Throughout the years, I have acquired many books. Though I’m picky about the books that I keep on my bookshelf. I’m not a fan of keeping books that don’t leave any sort of impact on me, well because what’s the point? For the most part, I would take my ‘retired’ books to either Good Will, leave them on the ‘Free Book Shelf‘ at my previous job, or give out books that I know would resonate better with someone else that I know. However, now with COVID, the lack of daily social activities and starting a new job, my pile has just been increasing and occupying space that I simply just don’t have.
I needed to do something about these books ASAP. I also wanted to see if I could do something fun and safe for my friends, and myself as well. I figured that combining the two ideas would be great, and after some quick brainstorming Sip, Swap & Read: Book Swap was born. It would be a brunch and a book swap, all in one. The concept gave me so much joy! I wanted to invite so many people, but sadly I could only do 10-13, due to space and safety reasons.
BOOK SWAP BREAKDOWN
I created a circle using the chairs in my backyard, while making sure that they had ample space between them.
In the middle of the circle, I had a long rectangular table where I placed all of the books that I had. I separated the books by genre/category as best as I could. (This was to make it easier for people to search through the books that best interested them. i.e. Fiction vs. Non-fiction.
Due to the weather (it was very windy,) I had to keep the food inside. Eventually, the drinks ended up being transferred to the outside, so people could easily get themselves a refill, without us needing to pause the event.
Each attendee was required to bring a book(s) that they felt comfortable giving up as well as an item that could be added to the brunch menu.
The books that were brought were to be placed on the book table with the rest of the titles. This is when attendees would take the opportunity to browse through all of the books, so that when the swap began they knew what they wanted.
In order for everyone to have a fair shot at getting the books that they wanted, I created a game that involved choosing a piece of paper from a bowl, which contained a number and a question. The number determined when each person would go through the book pile (chronological order.)
After everyone went once, it was a free for all.
It was an amazing experience. My friends were able to leave with an assortment of books and with a huge smile on their faces. I was also able to get rid of a ton of books, which no longer served me. I recommend book swaps to all of my fellow readers. This is a great way to update your bookshelves, while spending a great time with friends.
