Hamburg bookswapping club

The thread for those looking for a little 'swapping' on the side.

Books, that is.

Here's a link to a site you might want to use to list books for swapping, etc.

OK... a few to get started and whet the appetite.

• J.D.Salinger - Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters / Seymour: An Introduction
• J.D. Salinger - For Esme - with love & squalor
• John Grisham - The Rainmaker
• Mark Twain - Pudd'nhead Wilson
• Chris Stewart - Driving over lemons (An optimist in Andalucia)
• Graham Greene - Travels with my Aunt
• A. Anatoli - Babi Yar
• Richard Rayner - Los Angeles without a map
• George MacDonald Fraser - Flashman & the Dragon
• Len Deighton - Spy Story
• Zana Muhsen - A promise to Nadia
• Zana Muhsen - Sold
• Compilation - The Giant Book of True Crime
• Alan Furst - Dark Star
• Sarah MacDonald - Holy Cow
• Will Self - Great Apes
• Studs Terkel - Division Street, America
• Harold Coyle - Team Yankee
• Alex Garland - The Beach
• David Gibbins - Atlantis
• John Mortimer - The Sound of Trumpets
• Matthew Reilly - Area 7

Huh?

what happened to the rest of this thread??
or am I stupid? (probably, but I cant find it anywhere!!)

There is no rest.
I split it from New in Hamburg or new to this forum because that is for newbies to introduce themselves.

Oh, yeah...
thanks. Wouldn't it be possible to somehow copy all the posts relating to this subject over to here so that all the member names of interested parties appear in one place or something? (It seems you may know how to do something like that...)

Nope... I just typed a new thread. I was kind of relying on the typing abilities of everyone else being good enough to post something here instead.

only the moderators know how to merge...

anyway: you might well be in trouble, book swapping doesn't please some of the locals, mind

Ok, course we can type ;-)

here's a different idea that'll save some of the typing though...
who's up for meeting on Saturday the 3rd of March from approx. 3pm for coffee and cake lounging in the comfortable sofas of Cafe May, Lappenbergsallee, Eimsbüttel, near Apostle Kirche (also bus stop Apostle Kirche). The room is smoke free till 6 pm, there's little tables to spread books out on etc. I reckon "pot luck" is also fun, just bring along (3? 5?) books out of your collection and let's see what happens? But I'm interested in the kind of swapping where you eventually get your own book back...

any takers?

Hi,

I like the idea of meeting up too, only can't make it on the 3rd... anytime over the last two weeks of March would be OK!

I only plan to swap books which I don't mind losing. I think you have to take that approach otherwise you might get upset.
OK...bring a few books at some time and swap if we want.

wrt the link included above... people will still buy books to keep getting new material...you can't keep swapping the same old books around for ever.

I am so glad to see this idea taking off! I will be there on March 3rd with husband and books in tow. Thank you Thank you for suggesting a place that is smoke free! (One of the only things I dislike about Hamburg...)

Also, Dimmer, thank you for adding the link to the debate between Englishbooksandfood and the others. I enjoyed reading it and was disappointed that it was a closed thread to which I could not reply. I wanted to tell Robert that I agreed with a lot of what the others said. The idea for a bookswap came around because I had asked if there were any libraries in the area with English books. I visited Robert's store two weeks ago and was so turned off by my experience that I promply went looking for other places to get books. I need to stress that I was very excited to find that there was an English bookstore in town, and even more disappointed that I had a poor experience. Robert was incredibly unhelpful and completely ignored us when we were waiting to pay for our books. He stood and talked to another customer who had already paid for over 5 minutes while we stood there. We had brought in some books for trade and he gave us only 1 euro each. These books were brand new, read once, some even hard cover, which he could get a lot of money for. I would appriciate more than 1 euro for a book, especially since I was turning right around and spending the money in his shop! I found Robert rude and annoying. The selection was fabulous but I can find an even better selection online. I go to bookstores for the experience. Robert's arguements that amazon.com and bookwapping will hurt his business is absurd. I do buy books on amazon.com, but I buy them used from used bookstores and regular individuals. I have always tried to support the mom and pop stores over big business. By principal I never shop at Wal-mart and am glad to hear that they are going out of business here. However good prices I may get on books online, you can't beat the experience of going to a book shop, smelling the books, holding them in your hands, etc. I will continue frequenting book shops the rest of my life, no matter how cheap books can be purchased elsewhere. The most important thing about shopping in the "real world" is customer service and English Books and Food does not have it.

Sorry for the rant. I just felt like I needed to respond after reading three pages of that debate. I'm looking forward to seeing y'all on the 3rd.

Laurel

@silty
I guess we'll do it on the 3rd for starters and let you know how it was, and depending on how often people want to meet, perhaps there'll already be a further meetup at the end of march...

OK,
Meantime I have added a preliminary list here of what I would be able to swap and never see again.
Ian
PS - click on the Hamburg book swap heading at top of page.

OK. I will try to be there on the 3rd.

I have now "book-ed" a comfy corner for Saturday the 3rd at Cafe May, 3pm, under the name of bookclub (how original)...

I booked for 8 persons even though we're only 4 to date:
Marymanu + Hubby
Hamburg koala
Adi

Any more takers?
If not, we'll have lots of space on the table for books...

Re swapping policies:
even though of course there can be no swapping without the acceptance of the possibility of never seeing your book again, I do think it is surely possible to swap in an A-B-A, A-C-A, A-D-A manner rather than an A-B-C-D manner.

My thought is, if the books are being swapped never to be seen again, then noones gonna contribute their really good ones are they? I would certainly only bring the books I'm happy to lose, and the ones I really like would stay safely home. But if I knew exactly who had the book and the poilicy was to return the book to the original owner at the next meet, before re-swapping, then they'rd be others I'd be happy to share...

just a thought...
looking forward to meeting you!

OK but then we're all going to have to buy an 'Ex Libris' stamping block...or write it on the inside cover.
Anyway, for the books I will put up for swapping I don't really want them back...I'm trying to thin-out a bit.

My husband and I (names = Matt and Laurel) will be there today for sure. We have an appointment to look at an apartment today at 2 pm in Eppendorf, so we will be there as close to 3 as we can be. For now we are just bringing books that we are content never to see again. I like your idea, however, and would be willing to bring other books to swap in an A-B-A manner once we get to know each other and have established the group and swap a bit. Sound good? See you today.

Just for the record as my name has been used in this thread.
I have nothing against bookswoppers.
Hamburg Koala puts her leaflets up by me.
I am not arrogant to most people, what did you do wrong?
Hardbacks are harder to sell than paperbacks and I am not buying books at present so 1 euro was because you were buying and you can buy the books back for 1 euro I am sure they are still on the shelves.
And waiting 5 minutes as I was talking to a customer is not too bad and just proves someone likes talking to me for longer than 5 seconds
Anyway good luck to the swopping party and if you need books to swop I have loads outside at 2 euros or 5 for 5 euros.
I cannot please everyone.
Robert

Sorry I missed the meet. I've been out of action for a while, so have a good excuse but it doesn't matter. If anyone wants to exchange again soon then just post here.

@ Adi,

yeah, we missed you, but had a really nice time, and do hope to meet again sometime in march (as I will be in Australia all of April).

Let's find a date where Silty can also come... how about Saturday arvo the 24th?

We had a great time too, thanks Koala. The cafe was a perfect spot - lots of room, comfy couches, smoke free, great food. Matt and I can't make the 24th but that doesn't mean you can't meet without us. I would also like to start talking about your idea to start a book club (where we all read the same book and meet up to talk about it.) I know another TTer who is interested in joining us.

Ps. Robert, I am sorry to bash you and the store in public. I realize that it would be more effective to message you in private if I have something to say to you. I apologize to the others reading this thread as negativity isn't what we should be perpetuating here. I guess I got all worked up after reading 5 or some odd pages of these people debating!

Hi

I am a big book reader and would definately be interested to know when the next meet will be and how many to bring etc.

Thanks

Shell

Hi,
Back from the wilds of Austria and hoping to swap some books on the 24th if you're still meeting up! What time and where? I get off work at 2 in the afternoon that day.

For some reason the list of books I have available didn't print out on my blog page. Oh well, this thread is good enough - we can do it all from here.

cheers,

Ian

Hi Guys,

2nd meetup of the bookswapping club:

Cafe May, Lappenbergsalle 32, HH-Eimsbüttel (near Apostle Kirche) on Saturday the 24th of March from 4 pm (as I have to work until 3.30 ).
Current takers:

Koala
Silty
Shell
Adi?

As I am going to be away for the whole of April it would be nice to meet further "members" even if Marymanu and partner can't be there this time.
The idea that Marymanu mentioned of having discussion sessions after having jointly read a book is also popular with a further friend of mine, so if it feels good we could see about finding a possible book suggestion for that.

Anyone else???

Hi guys,

Looking forward to meeting you all tomorrow - I assume the book swap is still on

Cheers,

Ian

Yes it is -
I have booked a couch corner (non smoking) for four pm at Cafe May tomorrow (Saturday the 24th), details as above, under the name of "book club", so hope to see you all there! (I'll be there for sure).

And a very good club meeting it was! One's lonesome, two's company, a roomful of bawling babies (!) is definitely a crowd, so K and I left our reserved non-smoking corner armed with books, coats and Kaffee 'n' Küchen to the tables outside for the second meeting of the Hamburg Bookswapping Club. K, it was great to meet you, ich wünsche Dir gute Reise, kommt gut nach Hause and we'll see you again I hope very soon.
- Ian

thanx Ian, that's real nice of you!
I'm well into your "marry me" from John Updike whilst parallell reading Marymanus "Freakonomics" (after having already passed on 2 books from Marymanu - much enjoyed - to Ian as well, so -who knows? - at the 3rd book club meeting, whenever that may be, there may already be the possibility of discussing a jointly read book).

Well, I'm off to Oz, no more from me for a while,...

see youz
Koala

hey guys, just wondering if any book swapping is still being done?? fraid i only have a few here with me, but am desperate for more reading!

Well, not lately, but we're always open to any suggestions meeting up and such. Our last one was a crowd of two, but books were nonetheless swapped!

Second Meeting?!?! Crap… It seems that we were out of the loop or we would have showed. We need to have a third meeting. Between Mary Manu and myself we might have 25-30 books to swap - all good ones, I swear. The Mrs. is out of town until the 19th, so any afternoon or morning after that would be great. I will put a list of books that we have together and post it. Hopefully it will drum up some interest in the next meeting. Maybe there needs to be wine and cheese or something to bring the literary crowd in.

~Matt

Hello Cookie,
It was with Hamburg Koala and me around the end of March. The venue was literary enough in that there were no spelling mistakes on the menu but we had to sit outside because the whole place had been taken over that afternoon by a group of parents with infants and toddlers. A real scream.

Hi guys!

I'm back from Oz and keen to swap again (having read all received books by now ;-)
@Matt: I'm pretty sure you two were away for the last meeting. I seem to remember talking about it to you, and you guys were going to be somewhere (on holidays instead of on the inaugral airbus flight or suchlike).

Anyway:
concrete suggestion for next bookswap meetup:

Saturday 9th of June, 3 pm at Cafe May?

How many takers???

Koala,
We will be there. Between the two of us we have 15-20 books. A short list includes: Wicked, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Shipping News, The Mayfaire Witch Trilogy by Anne Rice (The Witching Hour, Lasher and Taltos), a well loved but readable Shogun, a really funny girlie novel called Can You Keep a Secret?, a few guide books, Until I Find You, The Sex Lives of Canibals, A Time To Kill, and Peter Mayle's A Good Year. Others as well.

Matt & Laurel

Oh hey, The Shipping News! Loved that book. Three times.

The Shipping News is also known and loved by me! The only title I recognized though, so should be fun!

@Silty - are you on for Saturday the 9th at 3 pm too?

Hi Koala,
No, unfortunately at that time I'll be in the salt mines.
-Ian

3rd tentative bookswapping meetup date is Saturday the 16th of June from approx. 3.30 or 4pm at Cafe May in Eimsbüttel.

Who can come?

Matt and I are in - we have lots of books as well as a big stack of English magazines. Any chance we could make it earlier in the day, say maybe 11 or 12?

not I, said the fly

catch you in July sometime, i hope...

well - I'm working till 2pm, so earlier would opt me out...

We have somewhere to be starting at 12:30 on Saturday but we are free Sunday. Any chance we could meet up then?

By the way, I wanted to take a count - who else is coming?

Well, looks like it wont work again.
:-(
Unfortunately I'm pretty inflexible - for work and childcare reasons - so that Saturday afternoons are basically my only possibility for this kind of thing.
Let's find a Saturday in July where Silty may be back, and let's please hear something from Shell and Adi and Peffanie who have expressed interest in the past...

Saturdays in July that would work for me are the 7th or 14th (preferably the 7th).

cu!

Matt and I can do either so let us know what works. I know another couple who would like to come depending on the date as well.

Silty will be back and in a bit and will swap books for food

Turns out that the 7th doesn't work for us. Any takers on July 14th?

Just discovered Toytown and this discussion group. My name is GreyWitch and I live in Holm-Seppensen which is about 45km from Hamburg. I am an AVID reader and owe amazon my sanity. As a result, I have a great many books which I have been looking to donate, give away or sell to make room on my bookshelves. I have tried to start a book-swap at the American restaurant, California 101, in Buchholz but few were interested. My interests are fantasy, mysteries and a few fits of esoteric books.

Authors which I have to swap are Dean Koontz, Jonathan Kellerman, Minette Walters, Patricia Corwell, Kathy Reich, RA Salvatore, Terry Brooks, Joan Hess, Raymond Feist and all of Terry Goodkind to date; plus many more in boxes somewhere. Ten years of ordering books from all things amazon '-)

I have scanned through the messages but didn't see any concrete information about what the rules are if any in bringing books to meets. I would definitely be interested in attending the meet tentatively scheduled for July 7; I would need to know time and place, etc. I would also be interested in getting together with anyone in the Buchholz area to swap books and bitch.

Ten years of talking only to my partner, my cat and myself is a long time. If I sound desperate, I am '-) If I have breached protocol, please tell me.

Hi Grey witch,
welcome!
no rules as yet, as there's only been two meetings to date.
Meeting place is Cafe May in Eimsbüttel (near Apostle Kirche) at approx 3 or 4 pm.
The 7th wont work any more, because Marymanu and cookiemonster can't come, I'm now on hols on the 14th ,
how's about the 21st or the 28th of July everybody?

Me and Cookie can come either of the second two Saturdays in July.