This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 10:45 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I take everything I read for surface value, and never look for deeper meaning in anything, unless it’s a good book. I was raised on reading, and I have my devoted parents to thank for that. They religiously made sure we had story time each and every night and, now that I am entrenched in the throws of adulthood, I find myself to be considered at best somewhat well-read, at least compared to some of my peers.
This is why I’ve decided to do a product review and giveaway here on The Playpen. I haven’t done a lot of reviews or giveaways, usually because I’m not totally behind the products, but this one was a standout and I think what they offer is significant and important.
The people at BookSwim have come up with a pretty cool idea. Essentially, its an online book rental service that allows you to browse through numerous titles of books in multiple categories and place them into your personal “rental pool”. Books are shipped directly to the home address you specify, up to as many as 11 at a time, depending on the level of plan you purchase (I am currently subscribed to the ‘light reader” plan, or three books at a time, for about twenty bucks a month). When you’re done reading, you drop the books into the provided postage-paid envelope (they always let you keep at least one), drop it in the mailbox and its gone, only to be replaced by the next books in your pool in a few days. Think Netflix for the written word.
BookSwim’s angle is that you can save a lot of money over time by renting books rather than buying them. This is true, but I find there to be a greater value as well. Time and variety. If you are like me, you read a book to your kid about 25,000 times over the course of a few days, then never, ever, ever again. BookSwim’s service lets me keep a steady flow of books coming to the house (saving me the trip to the library, which I have yet to make in almost four years of parenting) while keeping my daughter entertained and well-read.
Cap it all off with user reviews, which are helpful, and a fairly easy-to-navigate site, I would recommend this service to anyone who places value on their children reading books over watching television, at least whenever possible.
Now that I’m done blowing smoke, the giveaway. I’ll keep it easy. Drop a comment on this post by next week, say, end-of-day Wednesday, April 29, and one winner chosen at random will receive three free months on the BookSwim Light Reader plan.
Its just that easy.
Oh, and I should point out that they carry all types of books, not just children’s. Even textbooks. So, admittedly, while I’d like somebody with a little kid to win this, I guess I’ll let it go even if you want to use it for yourself. Finally, and just because I’m feeling patriotic today, I’m going to have to limit the entries to within the continental U.S. only.
Good luck,
Matt
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April 23rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
I have heard Book Swim mentioned before but wow, how fantastic you’re offering a chance to try it out.
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April 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 am
I want in. Love this idea!
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April 23rd, 2009 at 12:36 am
Very cool giveaway!! Exciting, even!! I hope I win. I hope I win. Did I tell you I hope I win?!?!?
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April 23rd, 2009 at 3:40 pm
What an excellent idea! Thank you for this giveaway. My 2 boys (ages 4 and 2) adore reading and books. We read constantly!!
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April 23rd, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Couldn’t agree more about the need for this service for our little ones. We, too, read those books 10 million times in a week, then move on. we’d save tons of money. throw my hat in the ring, will ya?
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April 23rd, 2009 at 7:54 pm
What a wonderful service! We ended up canceling our Netflix subscription because we’d let the movie sit there for months without watching it…
I’m MUCH more of a reader than a watcher.
Both to my kids and on my own. This sounds like fantastic prize. Thanks for the chance!
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April 23rd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Oooh Matt! You have no idea how much this is right up my alley. I’m a huge book nerd.
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April 24th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Pick ME, Pick MEEEEEEE!!
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April 28th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I would use it for all of us, but I would hope it is better than Booksfree, which was TERRIBLE for as much as we read! I do, however, have a little kid, so that should sweeten the pot, right?
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