I'm in need of credits.  I realize the best way to get people to order off of my shelf would be to offer a deal, but I have a hard time giving away potential credits.  Most of my books have been posted for several months, and a few of them were posted more than a year ago, so I'm hopeful that they're nearing to the top of the list and will be requested soon.  So, I'm not explicitly offering any deals right now.  But I thought if I highlighted the books on my shelf, someone might see something they're interested in and order it from me instead of ordering from someone else through the FIFO system.  How best to highlight my books?  I came up with the creative (if I do say so myself) idea of ordering the books from my shelf randomly (courtesy of the list randomizer at random.org), and reviewing them in a number of words based on their position.  So the first book will get a one-word review, and the 23rd book will get a 23-word review.  Even if this doesn't lead to anyone ordering books, I thought it would be fun to do.  And I'll be honest (not necessarily positive) with these reviews.  Because let's face it: if these were the best books I'd ever read, I'd be keeping them, not posting them.  (While I'm not explicitly offering deals on these books, if there are a couple that interest you, feel free to propose a deal and I'll consider it.)  Without further ado:

1. The Bourne Identity :: Robert Ludlum - Thriller.

2. Questions and Answers About the United Methodist Church :: Thomas S. McAnally, Abingdon Pr - Good introduction.

3. The Bourne Supremacy :: Robert Ludlum - Different than movie.

4. Microeconomics Study Guide for 2nd Edition :: Jeffrey M. Perloff, Charles F. Mason, Robert Whaples - Study Guide, but informative.

5. The Bourne Legacy :: Eric Van Lustbader - First Bourne novel by Lustbader.

6. The Trumpet of the Swan :: E. B. White - No "Charlotte's Web" or "Stuart Little."

7. Your Birthday November 8 :: Natalis Press - Nothing groundbreaking, but good birthday gift idea.

8. The Lost World :: Michael Crichton - Not as good as "Jurassic Park" (like movie).

9. Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Betrayal :: Eric Van Lustbader - Lustbader departs more from Ludlum's Bourne with each novel.

10. Bleachers :: John Grisham - Decent football book.  Not legal thriller you'd expect from Grisham.

11. I'm Back for More Cash : A Tony Kornheiser Collection (Because You Can't Take Two Hundred Newspapers into the Bathroom) :: Tony Kornheiser - Collection of columns.  Fun to read, but many are quite dated.

12. 0:01: Parting Shots From the World of Sports :: Steve Wulf - From back page of ESPN magazine.  Fun to read, not worth keeping.

13. Signs of Life in U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers - I haven't actually read this, but I'm sure there's something good in there.

14. Answers to: What Would Jesus Do? :: Beverly Courrege, B. Courrege - Short book, good gift idea for kids or teens who like going to church.

15. Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake :: Frank W. Abagnale, Stan Redding - Good autobiography.  Liked it enough to consider keeping, but decided I probably wouldn't reread it.

16. The Bourne Ultimatum :: Robert Ludlum - Original Bourne trilogy is worth reading, but quite different than movies.  This may be my favorite.

17. Spirits of Christmas: Twenty Other-Worldly Tales :: Kathryn Cramer (Editor), David G. Hartwell (Editor) - I haven't read.  If you know anyone interested in ghosts, this sounds like a good Christmas gift.

18. The Hours :: Michael Cunningham - I wasn't impressed, but this isn't something I would normally read.  Got it free, so I read it.

19. The Cheater's Handbook : The Naughty Student's Bible :: Bob Corbett - Good as a joke gift.  Or, I guess, good if you want to learn the best ways to cheat.

20. Night Shift :: Stephen King - Short story collection.  I'm not King's biggest fan, but I really enjoyed some of these.  Includes Children of the Corn.

21. Jurassic Park :: Michael Crichton - I loved this when I originally read it, around the time the movie came out.  Unlikely to reread, though, so posted.

22. Big Fish :: Daniel Wallace - The book is good, but one of the few times where I think the movie is actually more effective than the book.

23. Strengthsquest: Discover And Develop Your Strenghts In Academics Career And Beyond :: Donald O. Clifton - Of course the one that gets the most words has to be one of the few I haven't read.  That's randomness, I guess.

What a fun idea!  I hope you had as much fun writing these as I did reading them...  and good luck moving your books.  This did inspire me to view your bookshelf!  I'll look at your shelf, although from the selections listed, I don't really expect much of my favorite genres posted there...

Okay, one last bump to hopefully get this some more views.

I know what you mean about doing deals and losing credits.  I felt the same way, until I realized that I spend SO much less on postage by offering deals.  (ie. 1 single book -$2.38- plus 1 single book = $4.76, compared to 2 or 3 books together at $2.77) That way it makes up for the credit loss.  Plus, your books will leave your shelf much faster that way.  just a thought :)