More Ways to Waste Time!

In my recent issue of Women's Health magazine, they have this cool article: "100 Most Useful Sites On The Web". They break the websites down into a bunch of categories, including beauty, food, travel, etc. Some of the sites I am familiar with, some arent too exciting ... but there are a few I was not previously aware of and have now found more ways to waste time on the internet.

Rotten Neighbor
RottenNeighbor.com is a neighborhood search engine you can use before moving into a new neighborhood that can help you identify "troublesome neighbors" before you sign the paperwork. Looks like I should have checked this earlier ... I have about 3 sex offenders living within a couple of blocks (and I live right across the street from a school!)

Whatshouldireadnext.com
On this site, you enter the title and author of a book you like and/or are currently reading and they will suggest what should be next on your reading list. I decided to check out what I should read after the book I just finished: Ian McEwan's Atonement and was given the following recommendations:
The Bookshop - Penelope Fitzgerald
Regeneration - Pat Barker
Dear Exile: The True Story of Two Friends Separated (For a Year) by an Ocean - Hilary Liftin, Kate Montgomery
Metroland - Julian Barnes
Tess of the Durbervilles - Thomas Hardy, Nina Pelikan Straus
A Suitable Boy: v. 3 - Vikram Seth
The Story of Lucy Gault - William Trevor
Carry Me Down - M.J. Hyland
Sacred Hunger - Barry Unsworth
The Puttermesser Papers - Cynthia Ozick

And speaking of books, I have a website to recommend that isnt on the 100 list! I recently became a member of this really cool site called Paperback Swap. On this site I list all of the books I have (and want to get rid of) and also list all of the books I want to read. If someone requests one of my books I ship it to them (I pay for shipping) but if someone has one of the books I want they ship it to me (and they pay). Generally it costs about $4 to ship out a book ... so essentially I get new books for $4. Considering the cost of purchasing a new book at Barnes & Noble or Borders, I save a lot of money going this route. The books I want arent always available and bookstores still take a good portion of my spending money, but I check this site first before I go out and buy something new and so far really am happy with it! I searched on Paperback Swap for a few of the books and one was available - so as I type "The Bookshop" is on its way!