For years now, Americans have been reading less, according to polls and studies. Books sales have been flat. And with the latest surges in the cost of living, it’s a good bet these trends will continue as our discretionary incomes shrink. But even if book sales decline further, it’s possible that reading for pleasure is poised to make a comeback. After all, humankind cannot exist on television and the Internet alone… at least we hope not. Enter Novel Action, an online club that lets avid readers clear their shelves of the books they no longer want in exchange for books they’d like to read. For $25 a year, members can receive as many new books as they’re willing to donate to the centralized library. You select the titles you want by searching the database, order however many titles you like, and then send an equivalent number of books from your personal inventory to the library in exchange. Once they are received, your “new” books are sent to you. Other book-swapping clubs, such as Paperback Swap, which is free to join, have members ship directly to each other. A credit, or “point,” is earned every time you ship a book to someone; these points can be spent on books you want sent to you. Shipping fees are paid by the sender. Just for listing your first 10 titles in the database of over 2 million books, Paperback Swap will give you two points. And in case you were wondering, Novel Action is not just for novels; there’s plenty of nonfiction to choose from. Similarly, Paperback Swap is not just for paperbacks. Still not sure? At Novel Action, nonmembers may purchase books, but there’s a $2 surcharge on each order. If you decide to join, all of the charges for that calendar year (up to $20) can be applied to your account. Love the concept? Check out Swap a CD and Swap a DVD for the same swapping action applied to music and videos.