BookJingle Blog

By now, most of you know that I eat a mostly vegan diet. And I do so for a myriad of reasons, but one of the perks of this diet is that it is very environmentally friendly. Of course I realize that this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but I still advocate for eating one meatless meal a week. Just by cutting meat consumption by as little as 20% (only 6 meatless days a month), the energy saved would be equivalent to that saved when you switch from driving a sedan car to a hybrid vehicle.

People seem to be responding to the meatless Monday campaign. A new study compiling date from the USDA, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the U.S. Census Bureau, the average meat eater in America consumed fewer land animals in 2011 than any year (going back to 2000). One of the boosts to the meatless movement might be all of the great vegetarian options on the market now. It seems every trip I make to Whole Foods I discover a new vegan or vegetarian product. Vegetarians are no longer relegated to the world of salad!

And for those of you out there who are still skeptical, here is a link to 10 meatless recipes to satisfy that meat tooth of yours! Just whip one of these delicious-sounding dishes up once a week, and you’ll be doing your part for the environment while enjoying a great meal. While we’re on the subject of 10, why not check out these 10 Reason to Try Meatless Mondays, and give it a shot next week!

It may seem movie adaptations of novels and books have become a very popular trend lately. Some of the biggest movies of the last few years have been based on books: Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games. Most every novel Nicholas Sparks has ever written has been adapted for the big screen, along with a couple of my favorite books: Water for Elephants, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

When I find out a movie I want to see is based on a book, normally I like to read the book first. But I recently found out that  movies adapted from books are more numerous than I thought. The following is a list of movies I had no idea were based on books:

1. The Prestige

One of my favorite movies of 2006 was based on a novel by Christopher Priest.

2. Shutter Island

Leonardo DiCarprio is perhaps my favorite actor, so I was very surprise to learn that the movie was adapted from a novel by Dennis Lehane.

3. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

I haven’t seen this movie since I was a kid, and I didn’t really enjoy it much then. But this is the first I heard that it was based on Gary Wolf’s book Who Censored Roger Rabbit.

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

While technically a short story and not a novel, the 2008 movie was based on a work by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story is featured in the book Six Tales of the Jazz Age.

5. Mean Girls

Perhaps the most unexpected, Mean Girls is based on a non-fiction book by Rosalind Wiseman called Queen Bees & Wannabes written to help parents and high school girls overcome the high school years.

I am actually very interested in reading Shutter Island and The Prestige. The others aren’t that interesting to me, and I have no daughter to help through adolescence so I doubt Queen Bees & Wannabes would be my cup of tea. It’s just very surprising to find out such popular movies were based on books, and I’m sure many people (like me) were clueless to this.

BookJingle has a unique opportunity for those of you interested in selling more books and making more money called the Book Scout program. This program gives you the tools to find more books and make more money! Using BookJingle’s proprietary PDA and bar code scanner (or Jingle Scout), you can be your own boss, and work your own hours. Some benefits of being a Book Scout are:

• Speed. Results are displayed in under a second. Plus, top Book Scouts may be eligible to receive a bar code scanner attachment. This turns your PDA into a book finding machine. You don’t have to type in a single ISBN.  The scanner allows you to evaluate 15-30 books per minute.
• Knowledge. Jingle Scout devices contain information on millions of books.
• Portability.  The PDA can be taken anywhere.  You are not limited by cell phone service as the data is all located on the PDA.

As a Book Scout, you will also receive a free copy of Guide to Finding Used Books. Plus, Book Scouts get to take part in contests available only to Book Scouts, and are pre-approved to sell multiple copies.

This opportunity would be great for stay at home moms, retirees, students, those interested in working from home or working part time, and book lovers. If you are interested or would like more information on BookJingle’s Book Scout program, contact BookJingle.

Normally when I am sick, I call my doctor and make an appointment which is inevitably days away. Then, I go to the office (which is a 25 minute drive), and sit in the waiting room for 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment. Finally, I get taken back to the exam room, where I have to wait another 15 minutes. All doctor’s offices probably aren’t quite this bad (my doctor has become very popular in the last few months for some reason), but I’m sure you’ve all experienced something like this before. So, not only am I sick — I have spent half of my day doing doctor related things. Because, if I get a prescription, no doubt I will take it to the pharmacy and have to wait a half hour for that to get done.

I just have to share an experience yesterday that was quite pleasant in contrast with my normal doctor’s office experience. I woke up yesterday feeling sick, and thought about calling my doctor. But I knew that I would probably not get in until Friday or even next week. Instead, I looked up the number for the Walgreen’s Take Care Clinic closest to my house (that means a 10 minute drive, as opposed to a 25 minute drive). Not only did they have an option to make an appointment on the website, it also showed what they treat (minor illnesses, vaccinations, physicals), and what the wait time would be. Since it told me the wait time was No Wait, I decided to take my chances and not make an appointment.

I had never tried one of these small clinics that seem to be popping up in grocery stores and pharmacies. I had always just made appointments with my doctor for small things, and tried not to get too frustrated when it was a 4 hour long process to find out I have strep. This Take Care Clinic was so much different. I could see how it might be more of a frustration if it was really crowded, but I was the first one there after opening. I signed in, and 5 minutes later I was in the exam room! The attending Nurse Practitioner was great, and she got all of my information in a timely manner. And the exam was quick, and thorough. Only a few minutes later, I was given a prescription and headed to the pharmacy to wait. I only waited about 10 minutes, and it was done.

I couldn’t believe I had gone through all of the steps of a doctor’s office visit, and I was on my way home in less than 90 minutes. Plus, they take insurance, and the copay is the same as an office visit (unike an Immediate Care Center, in most cases). My point is, although they may not necessarily save you any money, they will surely save you time (and, in my case, gas). Plus, they can get you in and out on the day you want to see the doctor, not when the doctor has time for you. I don’t know why I never went to one of these in-store clinics before, but I think I will definitely be using them the next time I get the flu or minor illness now that I see how quick, easy, and convenient they are.

I have written a few posts recommending book club books, and suggesting questions to ask about books during a book club meeting. If you are interested in starting a book club, or already have one, I found a new resource that could help you out! Although possibly a few years outdated due to its 2000 print date, the book The Reader’s Choice: 200 Book Club Favorites is a great companion for any book club!

The book is what I like to call a book club book book and combines 200 recommendations for book club books based on the recommendations of numerous book clubs. The recommendations come from over 70 clubs across the country, and feature a mix of fiction and non-fiction. The author provides brief profiles for each book, including a few unique traits of the book and discussion questions for the book club.

Something that I found especially helpful about this book — indexes organize the selections by title and subject matter. Say you want to read a book about the environment, the books lists 13 titles that fit this criteria including River and Ishmael. Plus the introduction features essential for starting up your own book club!

I believe this book could benefit from an update including books released in the last 12 years, but it is still a great book to have to help your book club find some little-known book club treasures!

Of course, BookJingle buys all types of books, but the site specializes in purchasing your used non-fiction books and textbooks. The following genres are especially likely to be purchased by BookJingle:

Although BookJingle is always interested in purchasing your used textbooks, it is important to note that they cannot purchase teacher’s editions or international editions.

So, if you have some non-fiction books, textbooks, or current fiction laying around you want to sell, try BookJingle.com.

Or, more accurately, the A/C is on! Today the high in my area is 91 degrees, and not a cloud in sight. That means hot sun beating down on my house, and spiking up the indoor temperature. That also means my electric bill is going to see a spike not usual for the late spring months. Since summer is near, here are some great tips on keeping those energy costs down.

1. Give the air conditioning a rest when you’re away from the house for a few hours (like while at work). Better yet, buy a programmable thermostat that will kick in half an hour before you return (unless you have heat-sensitive indoor pets, of course). Turning down the thermostat to a cool 62 degrees won’t cool the house faster, since the A/C works at full throttle until a set temperature is reached. Did you know that with every degree you lower the temperature, cooling costs increase by about 7 percent? Now you do!

2. Incandescent light bulbs put more energy into generating heat than light, so replace high-use bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). They are a bit more expensive, but these swirly light bulbs burn cool and bright with only a third of the power required by incandescents.

3. Unplug small appliances whenever you can. Computers, cell phone chargers, and other electronics often continue to use power — and radiate heat — even when turned off. The easiest way is to plug items into a power strip that you can use as a master switch.

4. Take advantage of summer weather and cook outdoors, as prolonged baking or stovetop cooking makes the A/C work overtime. Weather not ideal for grilling? Use a microwave or toaster oven, which use less energy and generate less heat. When you need to use a burner, keep pots covered to cook food faster and minimize humid heat in the kitchen.

I know these are relatively small suggestions, but together they can add up to a huge difference on your gas or electric bill! Good luck, and stay cool!

This week I thought I would do something a little fun, and take a look at the best selling books from 50 years ago. It’s always fun to see what people were reading so many years ago. It’s something that used to be done on this blog, but hasn’t been done in a while. I would like to start it up again every first week of the month. It’s interesting to see what books have stood the test of time, and which books we have basically forgotten.

The following are the top 10 best selling fiction books from the New York Times Best Seller List from April 29, 1962.

1. Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter

2. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

3. The Fox in the Attic by Richard Hughes

4. The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

5. The Bull from the Sea by Mary Renault

6. Devil Water by Anya Seton

7. A Prologue to Love by Taylor Caldwell

8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

9. Island by Aldous Huxley

10. Captain Newman, M.D. by Leo Calvin Rosten

So this is what people were reading 50 years ago (give or take a day). I always liked reading the New York Times’ and BBC’s “This Day in History” blurbs, and I think this day in reading history is just as interesting. In 50 years, I wonder which popular books from today will still be in the rhetoric, and which ones will fall by the wayside. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

When you ship your books to BookJingle, did you know that shipping is FREE when you use the BookJingle Media Mail shipping label? Well, if you didn’t know — now you do!

Taking things to the post office can be annoying, especially when shipping costs are continuing to go up, up, and up. But when you sell your used books to BookJingle, the hassle of paying for shipping is over. All you have to do is print out the Media Mail shipping label from your account, put it on your box of books, and you’re good to go!

Free shipping labels are just another way that BookJingle strives to give its customers the best service, and to be the best place to sell your used book online. So, if you still haven’t given them a shot — just do it, already. You don’t have anything to lose (not even shipping costs!).

I just found out (a little late in the month) that April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month. Little did I know last month that I would be embracing Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month by adopting a 10 year old Japanese Chin from my local humane society. I’ve always supported the organization because they do great things for the community, including animal adoptions, low cost spay/neuter clinics, and obedience training. I also participate in their yearly 5k fundraiser, the Waggin’ Trail.

In March, I wasn’t expecting to adopt a dog. But they posted a picture of the dog I would soon adopt on Facebook and I couldn’t stop thinking about him. He was rescued from a puppy mill, and had been rehabilitated by the ASPCA for 5 months. I should also mention that he has only one tooth, a heart murmur, and a huge personality! Everyone at the humane society loved him, and anyone who meets him becomes a fan. And he loves the attention.

After we brought him home, we were contacted by the humane society who wanted to write a piece for their quarterly newsletter. But the Associated Press was also interested in getting his story for an article about the rehab program at the ASPCA. So, we did an interview with each of the organizations. And yesterday the AP article hit the news! It’s pretty exciting to know that people are interested in the piece. It does a great job explaining what puppy mill dogs go through, and how the ASPCA helps them get over the trauma of that life.

I am so glad that they were there to rescue that dog (and countless others) from the horrible life he was living, because I can’t imagine my life without his toothless grin. He has such a great demeanor, and gets along well with all other animals he has encountered (even my 4 cats). I know that he is probably still adjusting to his new life, but I know he has to be enjoying it more than being locked in a cage. I plan to treat him like a king for the rest of his life!

If you are interested in getting a dog, give your local humane society a chance before you go to the pet stores or the breeders. Often, pet store animals come from places similar to where Snarf came from. Humane societies normally spay or neuter all of their animals before they are adopted, because the animal population in this country is out of control. Plus, if the humane society is a non-profit, your adoption fee is a donation to the organization that allows them to save even more animals! If having a dog or cat isn’t your thing, but you still want to help the animals, there are plenty of non-profits where you can donate to help the animals. ASPCA is only one of many that do great things for animals every day!