Hard to believe it is already Sunday, again! Times flies when on a cruise ship in the Caribbean with some of our wonderful PaperBackSwap Members!

Last Sunday was just a few moments ago, when we scallywags climbed aboard the Norwegian Sun cruise ship, and off we sailed from Tampa.

After stops in Honduras, Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel we are now steaming north, full speed ahead, back to Tampa. Back to our real lives.

The weather has been, well, weather. We have experienced rain, humidity, warm breezes, sunshine, hot temperatures, more rain, hot temperatures, even more rain, hair-frizzing humidity, sunshine and really hot temperatures. Then really, really high humidity with really, really hot temperatures and sunshine galore. And it all has been glorious!

The sunrises have been stunning, the sunsets even more so. We have eaten great grub, drank much grog, secured much booty, danced quite a few jigs, and discovered treasured friendships that will last us lifetimes.

We have had a blast!

We wish you were here and hope you consider joining us on the next cruise for PaperBackSwap Members!

May your seas be calm and your distant shores filled with treasured moments.

Richard “PegLeg” Pickering and his band of merry mates.

By Cheryl G. (Poncer)

It is hard to believe that come the fall, PaperBackSwap will be 10 years old! What began as a way to swap books with other avid readers across the country has turned into so much more.

For me, it has become a lifeline, a lifeboat, a connection to friends near and far. I have had the pleasure to meet and make friends with folks across the US, friendships that will last a lifetime.

I first found PaperBackSwap in a tiny blurb in a Women’s Day magazine while waiting for my husband in some doctor’s office, there were too many doctors at the time to even remember which one.

I tore out the blurb (yes, selfish!) and stuck it in my pocket. It was deposited on my desk with the other scraps and items that my pockets always seem to collect. And there it sat for months and months. After he passed away, I found the scrap of paper and decided to investigate. Heaven knows I had too many books just sitting collecting dust. Some I had read upwards of 3 times, whiling away the hours of endless doctor visits and hospital stays.

In 2006 I signed up for an account. Being the suspicious person I was trained to be, I keep looking for the “catch”. Never did find it, and soon enough my cynical side took a backseat. The members were so kind! And generous! And funny! And the friendships started within the very first few months of my being a member. Receiving books was great, forming friendships was life altering.

And that bring us to the cruise in October 2014 for Members and their family & friends.

We are sailing from Tampa, Florida on Norwegian Cruise Lines, on the Norwegian Sun.

We will embark on October 26 and return to Tampa on November 2, 2014.

Come join The PaperBackSwap Team and Tour Guides on a 7 day cruise to

• Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
• Belize City, Belize
• Costa Maya, Mexico
• Cozumel, Mexico

While we are at sea, your Tour Guides and Cruise Committee will be hosting multiple Wishlisted Book Swaps, a PBS Trivia Contest, a Scavenger Hunt, a Duct Tape Contest, a Q&A Session with members of the PBS Team, a Halloween Costume Contest, a Genre Dinner, Get-to-know-you Bingo, PBS Team Meet & Greet and a Cocktail Party. Our final stop will be Cozumel, Mexico, where lucky raffle winners will take a Jeep ride around the island with PBS founder Richard Pickering.

Inside Cabins are $535 per person. Oceanview Cabins range from $615 to $635 per person.  Space is limited–the cabins are almost gone, and once they are all gone we cannot get additional cabins at these prices! Registration is open until June 30^th or until cabins sell out.  Don’t let the ship leave without you.  You can register for the cruise by filling out this form and our Travel Specialist will contact you.  Details are available in the Discussion Forum topic.

Come with us, meet some new friends, get together with old friends, celebrate PaperBackSwap’ 10th Anniversary with us on the sea!

“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.”  ~ William Butler Yeats

“The world is round so that friendship may encircle it.” ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

“Friends… they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams.” ~ Henry David Thoreau