Romance Tip 12:
- Book Trade!
Single? Books are
magical. If you already read and have friend who read, you probably exchange
recommendations all the time already.
Book recommendations are a little different from book trades though—I’m
not suggesting you give away your favourite books, rather that you loan them
for a short period of time.
Choose a book that you think a friend would love—but one
they wouldn’t necessarily read on their own. Something outside their favourite
genre. Something that if you simply recommended it and they looked it over,
they probably wouldn’t pick up. They do the same for you and you both commit to
reading the book in a week or a month, depending on what works for the two of
you.
It’s a great way to expand your literary horizons and it
gives you both something new to talk about.
Dating? For me,
sharing books with lovers has always been one of the most intimate, important
acts I can do. Books are so important to me and the characters and worlds
within them so special, that sharing my favourite authors and series is a way
of sharing a very special part of my soul. I don’t let myself be disappointed
if my partner doesn’t love the same stuff I do, we all have different tastes,
but I’d be very hurt if they didn’t at least try and read it.
Sharing books about our passions, regardless of if those
passions are sci fi, gardening, finance, romance or Pomeranian sledding teams,
is a fantastic way for our partners to learn more about our interests. There is
nothing better than giving a partner a book they are doubtful about, only to
have them love it and recommend it to their
friends.
Reading together is a great way to spend time together,
being intimate, without feeling like you have to be fully attentive. It will
give you something new to talk about and, who knows, you might find a new
favourite author or hobby!
Remember! It
takes most authors between six months and two years to write a book. If you’re
loaning and borrowing books, the author isn’t seeing any extra profit, no
matter how much you enjoyed reading it. However you can do the author a huge
favour by popping on to amazon or goodreads and giving their book a star
rating, as well as writing a short review. You don’t have to write a novel of
your own, just a few lines about what you enjoyed can really make an author’s day
and help boost their sales.
