Cora Bayes, 5, was delighted with the free picture book she recently picked up, especially since it came with complimentary popcorn. She found her treasure at The Book Ladies’ Book Swap – a monthly event held upstairs at the West Newton Cinema, where bibliophiles can trade or simply take books, all at no cost.
“It’s a wonderful way to pick up a book you might not have heard of, … recycle books, and build community,” said resident Claudia Wu, who took a copy of The Valley of Amazement, by Amy Tan at the July event.
Newton residents Annette Seaward and Nancy Brown – aka “The Book Ladies” – were inspired to start the swaps due to their lifelong passion for reading.
“I love talking about books [and] learning about a new book somebody recommends,” said Seaward.
After trading titles with each other for some time, the women thought it would be fun to include more book enthusiasts. Making their idea a reality, they held twice-a-year book swaps from 2016-2019, at the former L’Aroma Café in West Newton.
Like many other face-to-face activities during the Covid pandemic, the gatherings were put on pause but restarted in 2021, on Brown’s front porch. After a short stint at Flora’s Wine Bar, when it offered coffee in the morning, the swaps serendipitously moved to the movie theater.
Jesse Cerrotti, manager of the West Newton Cinema, enjoyed the coffee and swaps at Flora’s. When he heard The Book Ladies needed a new location for their events, he readily offered the second-floor lobby space – plus tasty popcorn.
“We were thrilled” at the offer, said Seaward. “It’s a win-win.”
“It adds to the overall sense of community,” said Cerrotti, about why he invited Seaward and Brown to hold their monthly gatherings at the cinema. In addition to letting them use the second floor, he also gave them storage space, saving the women from having to lug the heavy items to different locations.
Cerrotti said it seemed like a natural fit since, like film, books are “another medium for storytelling.”
The book swaps have been held at the Cinema for a few months. While many movie patrons discover the swaps unexpectedly, others stop in specifically for the free books and conversation.
“People will just come here and hang out” and build community connections, he said.
At each swap, Seaward and Brown can be found greeting people, sharing their enthusiasm for titles, and helping to point readers to books they might enjoy.
Seaward and Brown estimate that they have about 150 titles in stock at any time, displayed by genre. While some books go quickly, others that have remained for some time eventually are donated to the nonprofit More Than Words in Waltham or to the Friends of the Newton Free Library.
Seaward and Brown emphasize that visitors can bring in titles to trade – but they do not have to. In fact, according to the Book Swap’s Facebook page, “The Book Ladies’ motto is: ‘Bring some books (or not), take some books (please)!’”
The Book Ladies’ Book Swap is held monthly at West Newton Cinema (1296 Washington St.). The next Book Swap will be held on Saturday, August 16, from 12:30-3PM. Find out more on The Book Ladies’ Facebook page or by emailing [email protected].
