8d ago

Serious question, the book cart at the Portland train station had a sign that said take one leave one and it was mostly Danielle Steel

Best thing you can do is just seed it yourself and hope it catches on. I did this at the library swap shelf near my old place, dropped in a couple Elmore Leonard and a Bill Bryson, and within a month other folks started leaving decent stuff too. People see a cart full of junk and assume that's the vibe, but one good stack changes the whole feel. Hit up a few yard sales or the free bin at Powell's and load up a half dozen paperbacks you don't need back. The mushroom guide person clearly had the right idea, just needs some backup.