Every finished book deserves a second reader.
Borrow from book lovers in your city, or trade a story you’ve loved for one you haven’t met yet. Real shelves, real people, none of the bookshop prices.
12,400+
books on readers’ shelves
3,850
swaps completed so far
42
cities with active readers
Fresh on the shelf
Just listed near you
How it works
Two ways to read your next book
Every request is approved by the book’s owner, and you’ll get an email at each step.
Rent a book
- 1Request to rentPick a book in the marketplace and send a rental request.
- 2The owner approvesYou’re notified by email the moment they say yes.
- 3Pay with PayPal and chatPay securely, then chat with the owner to plan the handover.
Swap a book
- 1Offer one of your booksChoose the book you’d like and pick one of yours to give in return.
- 2The owner reviews bothThey see the book you want and the one you’re offering.
- 3Swap and keep readingOnce approved, chat to arrange the exchange. It shows up in My Books.
Everything in one place
Every request, payment and chat, right where you need it
Built-in chat
Secure payments
Moderated listings
I swapped a cookbook I never opened for a novel I couldn’t put down. Two messages, one cup of karak at the corner café, and it was done.
Sara Al Hashimi · Abu Dhabi, swapped 14 books
Membership
One simple plan for every reader
Everything you need to rent, lend and swap books with people nearby, for less than the price of one new hardback a month.
My Kitaab Membership
Billed monthly
AED 49 /month
- List as many books as you like
- Rent up to 6 books a month
- Unlimited swaps with readers nearby
- Chat with owners and get email updates
- Secure checkout with PayPal
- Cancel anytime from your profile
Payments are processed securely by PayPal.
Send a rental request from the book’s page. When the owner approves it, you’ll be asked to pay through PayPal, and then you can chat with the owner to arrange the handover.
