Thursday, November 13, 2008

Booking Through Thursday: Why Buy?

I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY?

Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?

If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?


Well, it took me three posts to explain why I don't use the library, and you can visit them for futher background on that. Post 1, Post 2, Post 3

But yes, I buy books. I love books. I like the way they look on my shelf (currently stacked instead of upright, lol) I like the feeling of wandering around the bookstore and picking one out and yes the instant gratification of ordering one online right after I read a review.

I also love to support the authors I love. I like to know that if I want to read a book, it's already languishing there in my TBR pile and I don't have to hunt it down. Buying books makes me happy in a way few other purchases do. (except for maybe like a new Andrew Peterson cd)

I do give books away, but I think there's a chance I'd like to read it again, I keep it.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

During times like this, we readers need to support our favorite authors and pubishers.

caite said...

I do have a 'thing' about actually owning books.

And I love libraries. I have many happy memories in them as a child. No issues with fines or lost cards or such.
But...when I first moved to my town, I had an embarrassing incident with my dog eating a bunch of library books...a long story.
So, coward that I am, I went to the county library..but it is really pretty bad in terms of new releases. I can't wait on a long, long waiting list when I want to read a book. I need it NOW! ;-)

S. Krishna said...

Supporting authors I love is a big reason I buy books!

Lori said...

Loved your posts about why you don't use the library! I buy mine mostly too.

Jewelz said...

I've blogged about it over at my book blog.
Please go check it out

Take out the spaces in the blog address below :)
www. reviewzbyjewelz.blogspot. com

Jewelz said...

The link to the actual post is:
http://reviewzbyjewelz.blogspot.com/2008/11/why-buy-instead-of-borrow.html

Annette said...

I buy books and I use the library. I love the library, and I visit the library at least once a week. I do not save every book I buy to read, if I did I would run out of room in my house. I only save the books that I know I'll read later, or that I can use as reference books. I love the fact I can check out books, hard back expensive books, and can keep them for as long as 9 weeks, then turn them back into the library for someone else to then read.

Stacie said...

I love to buy books but because I don't have an unlimited amount of money, I also use my library. I don't like to wait until someone returns a book when I have decided that I want to read it right now. I also don't like having to read books in a specified amount of time (2 weeks). Then having to go a renew it if I am not done. I do have some favorite books that I read from the library and then went out and bought because I wanted to have my own copy. Also, many of the books I do own were given as gifts and I try to keep those. Our book club gets our monthly reads through interlibrary loan, so we don't have to purchase the book every month which I truly appreciate.

Literary Feline said...

Book retail therapy is very effective, isn't it? :-)

Jackie B. said...

I do not frequent the library anymore either. I like to read at my own pace. Sometimes I can read a book in two days and sometimes it takes me over two weeks. I own so many books but I got most of them thru garage sales, Freecycle, or flea markets. I love to get a good deal on a second hand book. I have also purchased them on sale thru Half.com or books-a-million. Rarely have I paid full price for any. Yes, I do get a certain satisfaction from being a book owner!!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm a librarian assistant at a mid-sized suburban library and I check out a lot of books. I use the library to try out new authors to decide if I like them enough to buy them and to check out audio books on CD and MP3 which can be horribly expensive to buy (some audio books retail for over $90.00 for the same story that costs $25.00 as a book)

When I find an author I enjoy I do buy his or her books to the best of my ability. Reading horror, very often the books come out only in expensive small press versions ($50.00-60.00 for a average hardcover, $15.00-45.00 for trade paperback).

Having said that, I do belong to three horror-book-of-the-month clubs which get authors into my hands that rarely get into a library. If they're good solid writers, I try to get them into my library which results in more sales for the author.

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