Free Book Exchange Program

This past weekend I finally got a chance to go to the Bay Area's Free Book Exchange in El Cerrito, CA. They're only open on the weekends, so I had been trying to find time to fit the trip into my schedule since ate July when I found out about them. In a small green and white building, in a somewhat seedy neighborhood, you'll find free books at your fingertips. They encourage you to bring in your used books, to keep the program working obviously, and then they allow you to take up to 50 books for free.

Sure I have my favorite used book stores, but the concept of this place is great, because I don't have to be absolutely sold on the book, worried about being disappointed and out money, and unlike a library I don't need to worry about returning it by a certain date. They have them mostly sorted by genre: history, fiction, romance novels, children's books, travel, cookbooks, etc., and then from there you get to dig through and browse. I picked up 4 fiction novels that sounded fun and interesting, even though I already have about 5 on my nightstand that I haven't gotten to yet, and one massive cookbook. There were a couple others that caught my eye, like a very old story and 2 cookbooks in authentic German, but I left those for someone who might actually be able to read them. I guess I love a good hunt and adventure. So, if you've got a stack of old books lying around, I encourage you to donate them to the free book exchange, and check out what they have to offer; you never know what you're going to find.