Stephen King, Dean Koontz or any title that promises page-turning excitement and she'll be there, engrossed in the action that invariably begins on page one.

She loves them so much that she would often take trips down to the community book exchange in Carcoar, Millthorpe or in Orange to recycle those titles whose contents have been spent, and collect a few others.

"I just love searching through those little book exchanges so much that I decided to set one up here in Blayney," she said.

Opposite the checkouts at Bernardi's Marketplace a small bookstall bulging with all manner of titles is the result of Ms Hawkins' desire to see wide access to free books expanded through the shire.

That decision has been an overwhelming success with one charitable donation of a shopping trolley full of titles rolling into the stall early on Thursday morning, the first day of the initiative.

As a confessed bibliophile Ms Hawkins admits that the collection in the supermarket dwarfs the one in her own home.

"I have thousands of books. My library is full, my bedroom is full and I'm expanding into the kitchen," she said.

A lover of thrillers there is one title that was instantly retrieved from her favourites list when asked for her top title.

"Oh, Stephen King's The Shining," she said, without hesitation.

Getting the stall set up was ably assisted by the manager of the supermarket Geoff Bottom who donated one of the spare product display shelves.

"I really have to thank Geoff Bottom who helped us by setting it all up for us and making the space available," she said.

That space may need to expand though considering the number of titles that rolled in on Thursday morning.

The community bookstall works on a take one, leave one basis. If you see a title that interests you take it home and the next time you're in the supermarket drop one off.

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