Bitchin' Blog Posts
Where Do You Buy Your Books?
by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | February 16, 2010 | Tuesday at 11:22 am | 62 CommentsIn the interest of complete nosyness and curiosity, I am wondering where you purchase your books. I don’t need to know the intricacies of why or what factors influence your purchasing, or how vertical marketing has created a bilateral economic fracture in the foundation of your liquidity. I just wanna know where you drop your dough when you’re buying your books. It’s a really easy survey: I have one biiiig list, and then a box where you tell me what I missed.
Come on down and take my one giant question survey!
Thank you in advance for your time! Of course I will share my results.
Filed: General Bitching, Random Musings
Kim said on 02.16.10 at 02:19 PM • [link]
Steal from the library? Blasphemy for any booklover!
I prefer printed books that I can read the inside cover (and gawk at the outside cover) from a bookstore. And I now swear by audio books after driving I-95 from Baltimore - Daytona in summer heat with three screeching cats. Stephanie Plum had me laughing so much that I took out a few construction cones!
Laura (in PA) said on 02.16.10 at 02:45 PM • [link]
So you don’t want to know where we get them for free? like PaperbackSwap (well, free except for postage) or doing a lot of trading back and forth?
And damn, I forgot to add iTunes under “other” - for audiobooks.
Carolyn said on 02.16.10 at 03:00 PM • [link]
I added Paperbackswap; many of my books come from there. You can buy credits if you’ve used what you’ve earned, so I consider it a purchase. Great for backlists. :-)
Our town has no bookstores of any description (WalMart doesn’t count!), so thank God for the internet.
liz m said on 02.16.10 at 03:20 PM • [link]
If the question was where do I shop for books my answers would be different. Since I went digital, I find I still browse print, then just order the digital later. Or not, if it’s on my boycott for price / window list. Like hey, that Janet Mullany book in the ad to my right here - That’s two books of hers I’d buy if it were digital. But they aren’t.
Terry Odell said on 02.16.10 at 03:32 PM • [link]
Thanks for the uplifting message after clicking “submit.” I needed someone to tell me I’m awesome today! But in the pre-coffee hour, I can’t remember if you wanted only romances. If others count, I should have added Book Clubs like The Mystery Guild, which is where I do a lot of shopping. And they do have romantic suspense, so I guess they should be on the list. Only right now I wish I hadn’t done so much shopping there, because we’re moving and it’s costing one ginormous fortune to ship all those books. More reason to buy more digital.
Cara McKenna / Meg Maguire said on 02.16.10 at 03:41 PM • [link]
@Sarah, I just wanted to check that the “stealing” options are just harmless snark shorthand for “I swap with friends / check stuff out of the library.” I’m afraid to hit the box then have SWAT guys come repelling off my roof and through my window to apprehend me for bibliotheft. Unless they’re hunky SWAT guys with big biceps, stern attitudes, and hearts of gold.
Diatryma said on 02.16.10 at 03:59 PM • [link]
I’m another asking for clarification on the library. Almost everything I read comes from there—I am only recently not broke. I also don’t buy a lot of romances period (like, one or two books that aren’t Patricia Briggs) so should I answer in terms of all books?
rigmarole said on 02.16.10 at 04:10 PM • [link]
I have an aunt who was a librarian and my cousin told me once that her mom stole all their books from work. Yeah, practically every book in their house was the property of the [name of one of the top ten largest cities in the US goes here] Library. When she was a kid, my cousin thought that it was normal for people to take library books home and just keep them. And it’s not like they were hurting for money, by any means. What is it with rich people, anyway? The woman is now retired, thank God.
SB Sarah said on 02.16.10 at 04:26 PM • [link]
The “I steal from the library” was a joke. I confess: I did it. I stole a book from the library. I expect any minute now the Squirrel Hill branch librarians of the Pittsburgh Public Library are going to find me and set me on fire.
And I KNEW I’D FORGET SOMETHING OBVIOUS. Paperbackswap! GAH. Thank you.
And thank you for taking my big ol’ nosy survey.
ocelott said on 02.16.10 at 04:35 PM • [link]
I started off the day with someone telling me I’m awesome. I’m all good.
I basically filled out the “Other” box a lot, since I’m Canadian and our stores aren’t on your list.
Lyssa said on 02.16.10 at 04:47 PM • [link]
New releases that are not availble in audio, chain stores (B and N, Books-a-million) locally unless I have a large order, then Amazon.
Old releases UBS for the initial hunt, then chain.
But most of mine are Audio, from Audible.com preferably (I like their formatting)
spamword=reason28 I have at least 28 reasons why I need more books…
SB Sarah said on 02.16.10 at 05:00 PM • [link]
This is really going to hurt my chances for honorary Canadian citizenship, right? Crap. I’m sorry.
Caroline said on 02.16.10 at 05:17 PM • [link]
Nope, this Canadian still thinks you gals are awesome. You can come be an honorary Canadian up here anytime!
Just bring lots of books to share….
SB Sarah said on 02.16.10 at 05:19 PM • [link]
I always figured that while we sneak the Cuban cigars and cough syrup with narcotics back into the US, you go on covert buying trips to load up on books and bring them back over the border.
Melissa said on 02.16.10 at 05:21 PM • [link]
Sarah,
You were lucky to grow up in Pittsburgh (library-wise)! Carnegie Library is all kinds of awesome. The first time I walked into the main library in Oakland I was shocked and awed by the cafe, TVs and rolling info tickers. Wow. Plus with being able to order from the entire county of libraries to your local branch, almost every romance book is available. My little hometown central PA library was tiny in comparison but had a huge romance section, which I think I read in it’s entirety by the time I graduated high school. I wish we would have had self check out then so the little old ladies wouldn’t have had to see all the man-titty I was reading at age 13.
Did you keep the book or give it back?
HeatherK said on 02.16.10 at 05:32 PM • [link]
Fleamarkets, Goodwill, Abilities Unlimited, Hastings & The Dollar Tree. All great places to find books at great prices, especially since Hastings sells both new & used as well as music, movies, and video games.
PetiteJ said on 02.16.10 at 05:38 PM • [link]
This post is so timely because I have a problem. I have a serious problem that I hope many other readers here endure.
I am not only addicted to romances, which is a given at this site, but I’m also obsessed with trilogies, quartets, series, etc. If I read one book that I really enjoy and then find out there are other related books, watch out! I have to immediately read all the other books in the series. Like now. And collect them all, line them up in order, maniacally laugh over my bounty. It’s a sickness, I know.
I just jumped into the middle of the Carsington brothers series by Loretta Chase with Mr. Impossible, the Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas with It Happened One Autumn, and the Pleasures series by Eloisa James with Enchanting Pleasures all in one weekend. Hey, I had Monday off and the Olympics didn’t start until 2.
So now I am frantically buying all the rest of the books through eBay. It seems like the cheapest and quickest way to get my hands on them. I can’t quite pay full price since it’s so many books but I dislike going to a used book store because of the likelihood for disappointment. I got the books at the library but now that I know I like them I must own them. Like the hero, you are mine. I’m now considering a Kindle, or similar product, more seriously if only for the ease and quickness of satiating my desire to finish the series.
But this Paperbackswap sounds intriguing.
Jane O said on 02.16.10 at 05:50 PM • [link]
I rarely buy books, and do almost all my reading courtesy the library — it’s free and that matters. However, I do frequently ask my library to buy particular books, and they almost always do. Does secondhand buying count?
Anna the Piper said on 02.16.10 at 06:19 PM • [link]
I hit several of the options on the survey, but filled in “Powells” in the comment box just because Powells is ginormous enough to stand out from the indie bookstore crowd all by itself, I think. :)
Deb said on 02.16.10 at 06:28 PM • [link]
Count me in the library gang (not the “stealing books” part, just the “checking out books regularly from” part). Romance paperbacks (along with Science Fiction and Western paperbacks) are taken and returned on the honors system. You can take a big bagful and return them when you’re done. Very nice…and most people seem to live up to their obligations based on how the paperback shelves are always groaning with stock. I find it’s a great way to find new (to me) writers or to read books that everyone is always talking about (like the early Loretta Chase books) that I can never find elsewhere.
I could also spend all day (if I had the time!) going through the books at our local Goodwill. It’s amazing what people donate!
Betsy said on 02.16.10 at 06:28 PM • [link]
I shop at independent bookstores when I can, but when I do shop online it’s usually at Better World Books. Every order gets free shipping, they donate to pro-literacy groups, and sometimes I get free tea or chocolate with my order. It rules.
Stacia K said on 02.16.10 at 07:10 PM • [link]
I don’t think Book Depository is on the list? I’ve never bought from them but I know quite a few international readers who have/do.
SylviaSybil said on 02.16.10 at 07:16 PM • [link]
You missed Hastings. But don’t feel bad, because they suck as a bookstore. They put all their energy into renting videos. I still buy from them because they are five minutes from my house and Barnes & Noble is twenty five/thirty minutes away.
Kat Sheridan said on 02.16.10 at 07:31 PM • [link]
I clicked Amazon, even though it’s often the marketplace (used/third party) I buy from. I also added mobipocket (my favorite e-format), and audible.com.
Katherine said on 02.16.10 at 07:33 PM • [link]
I buy a lot of books overall, but most of my romances I get at the library. I occasionally buy some at the used bookstore (or library booksale) and very rarely buy them new (if I read something at the library that I want to actually own & read multiple times). I confess, most romance does not meet my “keeper shelf” standards, but I do have a few there (mostly Heyer).
Miranda said on 02.16.10 at 07:42 PM • [link]
I appreciate the platitude upon completion of the link survey, BUT the reference to my awesomeness forces me to to respond with a well used quote from my husband—where he would nod and grin while proclaiming, “MR>. Awesome!”
And with a more on topic comment I must say that a majority of my books are won, with second place going to the local salvation army (who would have thought they had books?!)
Scorpio M. said on 02.16.10 at 07:52 PM • [link]
1. Borders or Amazon for new books, whichever is cheaper.
2. Paperbackswap - been living off this site since 2005.
I used to go to the local library for my romances but selection got too iffy and returning on time was a big pain.
Cyranetta said on 02.16.10 at 08:23 PM • [link]
I remembered another source after I finished the survey:
Dealer rooms at cons—sure, some of the dealers are bookstore owners, but not all.
Lexie said on 02.16.10 at 08:38 PM • [link]
“I steal from other people’s houses, but I leave the DVD player…” I wanna kno: have you been spying on me??? My girlfriend and I trade books back and forth all the time, but since we live on opposite sides of the county, the books only make it back to their rightful homes on rare occasions. I have the whole ‘Twilight’ series (yes, I read it on a dare and I immediately did a banishing ritual when I was done) and it’s not mine, but there they are, and to anyone’s untrained eye, mine, for all intents and purposes. Oy and gevalt, both.
Ma’am I couldn’t agree more. I even have a list prepped of whom they should be (I work for them, I admit).
MarieC said on 02.16.10 at 08:44 PM • [link]
Darn! I knew I forgot to add this to my list!! Great way to save some $$$!!!
Anonymousie said on 02.16.10 at 09:30 PM • [link]
Like Paperbackswap, there’s BookMooch which I use a lot. The only real problem is that I have way more credits there than I’ll ever use. I do donate them, though, which I think is also really cool—you can give books to prisons, etc, by donating points and then the organizations where you’ve donated the points can use them to “buy” books from BookMooch users.
Brooks*belle said on 02.16.10 at 09:47 PM • [link]
I’m a book omnivore, evidently. I checked at least half the sources and then print, digital, and audio.
Michelle said on 02.16.10 at 10:02 PM • [link]
I added bookcloseouts.com- I love that store, it is great for cookbooks too, besides fiction.
Caty M said on 02.16.10 at 10:03 PM • [link]
Darn. I knew I’d forget one. Seeing the comments about Paperbackswap reminded me of the hundred books a year I get via BookMooch. (Because why would a mere hundred books or so stand out in my mind? Argh.)
And I ticked whatever the answer was for generic chain bookstore, but specifically it is Waterstones in the UK.
(In truth, the answer to ‘where do you buy books?’ is ‘anywhere they sell books’.)
PattiR said on 02.16.10 at 10:19 PM • [link]
I added eHarlequin.com. You can purchase books and ebooks from all their different lines. The prices are pretty good and they offer a lot of specials like, get two ebooks free, three books for $9.99, etc.
SB Sarah said on 02.16.10 at 10:21 PM • [link]
PattiR: for that omission, considering I was shopping there yesterday, I should be beaten with a hardback book.
Thank you.
PattiR said on 02.16.10 at 10:29 PM • [link]
You’re welcome and no book beating required (unless you like that sort of thing, hey I don’t judge :) ).
I figured it was left off by accident as you had just posted about them on Saturday.
Anna said on 02.16.10 at 10:43 PM • [link]
I have to add to the library users vote. I generally don’t bother buying a lot of books, since my mom works for the library and I can “recommend” purchases. I do it a lot, so I guess that would be secondhand buying?
scribblingirl said on 02.16.10 at 10:53 PM • [link]
I’m with OCD and Caroline as far as Canadian bookstores go but I do troll the used book stores religiously..I’m keeping an eye on those ereaders..
RebeccaJ said on 02.16.10 at 11:24 PM • [link]
LOL! After that last survey, you’re not taking any chances are you:)?
BTW, my code was “bed62”. Bed69 I would have been there, but bed62, not so much.
Kati said on 02.16.10 at 11:34 PM • [link]
I get my audiobooks through Audible on download. That wasn’t listed either.
library addict said on 02.16.10 at 11:50 PM • [link]
I figured eHarlequin.com qualified as direct from publisher.
Kristina said on 02.17.10 at 12:08 AM • [link]
Hmmm technically 3 questions. :0) But we won’t complain too much. I hope.
Claire said on 02.17.10 at 12:10 AM • [link]
Ereader.com. I have a tiny house and a serious problem letting go of books. Electronic format is perfect for me.
Joy said on 02.17.10 at 12:33 AM • [link]
You didn’t mention Used Book Sales. You know, the ones where they fill up several gymnasiums (gymnasia?) with books and it seems like people buy by the box. I go and fill up once a year at the local one. 50 cent paperbacks, although their actual romance selection is not the best (they have great general fiction though).
JennH said on 02.17.10 at 01:19 AM • [link]
Yeah, I’ll second the motion for your honourary (note the extra “u”) Canadian citizenship. You are welcome to our cough syrup and Kinder Surprises (who knew they were banned in the US???) any time you want as long as you keep up this awesome site!
Tina C. said on 02.17.10 at 01:23 AM • [link]
While looking through my book/ebook websites that I have bookmarked, I was reminded of biblio.com, Book Search and Marketplace. It is a great resource for hardcover and out-of-print books and you can comparison shop.
Chrissy said on 02.17.10 at 01:52 AM • [link]
My husband slips a $50 BN card into my key-chain purse once a week. I go to the hospital for tests and treatments one day a week, and take that to the BN nearby for cafe nibbles and latte, and any books I want that week.
So almost 100% BN, though I hit Borders now and then and pick up used/hard-to-find stuff on ebay.
(Yes, he is a keeper. Yes, I do know how lucky I am.)
Kaetrin said on 02.17.10 at 02:15 AM • [link]
I added Audible.com but I forgot eHarlequin which someone mentioned above.
SusannaG said on 02.17.10 at 02:28 AM • [link]
Chrissy, he does indeed sound like a keeper.
Katherine C. said on 02.17.10 at 02:34 AM • [link]
I do most of my shopping at a local independent used/new store where one of the owners, Becky, has super-powers in the fields of book finding (on the flimsiest of descriptions) and recommendations. Being a poor small-town journalist I also am a frequent sight at the library (for me, it’s like Cheers). Sometimes I’ll head to B&N, but I always feel somewhat guilty when I do, as if I’m cheating on Becky and company.
Kim said on 02.17.10 at 02:41 AM • [link]
Sarah, I knew you were joking about the library as you have too much love for books to steal from a library.
For those readers looking for the ultimate book shopping experience, hop a plane to Bristol, England; drive West to Wales; drive Northwest to Brecon; and drive east to Hay on Wye, http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk It i.s considered Europe’s premier Town of Books, resutling from the unique vision (and publicity stunts) of bookstore owner Richard Booth, http://www.richardbooth.demon.co.uk/
On your way back to Bristol, stop by the Roman Ruins and crumbling castles maintained by CADW, the Guardians of Welsh Heritage, http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk You .can also pop into Bath on the east of Bristol for your Jane Austen fix before boarding your return flight home. Happy reading!
Trai said on 02.17.10 at 03:26 AM • [link]
Ack! I didn’t see Paperbackswap—I’ve been using it since 2007 and it has saved me a LOT of money. The only place in my small college town that has romances is the local Stop and Shop… I’ve been using eHarlequin a lot, though.
Bonnie said on 02.17.10 at 03:37 AM • [link]
I find it fascinating how many people do paperback swap and libraries, et al. It’s definitely a sign of the times.
Brenda B. Hill said on 02.17.10 at 09:25 AM • [link]
I buy locally at the New & Used book store near me. They also take trade ins which helps pay for my books. I also order online from Amazon and Ebay..and at smaller publishers sites from authors.
I will be shopping in couple of weeks at the Friends of the Library Old Book Sale in Macon and in May will be at Friends of the Library Old Book Sale in Perry.
I finally retired in Dec 08 after 43+ yrs working so have to spend my money wisely,. LOL.. Been avid reader for over 50 yrs.
orangehands said on 02.17.10 at 10:00 AM • [link]
Dang, I forgot to add e-bay, goodwill, generic used book sales, and the salvation army. Oh, and my HS library used to have a section in the back that certain people could use on the honor system (like you have Deb.)
I added my church-temple sales to the Other list though.
I just picked places I buy; I also get a lot from friends (gifts and/or trades and/or they didn’t want it anymore.) And yes, the library. My library serves me very, very well.
HA! read57: I have about fifty books per bookcase shelf.
orangehands said on 02.17.10 at 10:01 AM • [link]
Chrissy: I hope your treatments do the stuff they are supposed to do. Awesome keeper. :)
GoShawdy said on 02.17.10 at 10:35 PM • [link]
Target, K-Mart and Wal-Mart are fantastically cheap for your run-of-the-mill Harlequin and Silhouette rags, so I checked all of those. I also like to hit up the Petco donation kiosk in the strip mall near the college I go to (Helping shelter pets and available cheap smut? Yes!).
krsylu said on 02.18.10 at 05:37 AM • [link]
I didn’t think to add PBS in the “Other” box. I, too acquire many books from Paperback Swap.
Juls said on 02.18.10 at 08:23 AM • [link]
Does whole sale distributor count for anything? Cause most of my books are bought that way as I work in a used book store where in the owner’s rock and let us order new bks for ourselves and other cool people at a discount. Other cool people being romance readers:-)
Melissa said on 02.22.10 at 10:10 AM • [link]
Anyone who checks “I steal books from the library” - shame on you, and know that I have notified the Library Police!
Seriously, though, please don’t steal books from the library. Every time you do, a librarian gets another gray hair - and the library either has to pony up the funds for a replacement copy or decide that it can’t afford to replace the book. If the replacement isn’t an exact match, catalogers like me have to spend precious time recataloging the book, and the Processing department with have to process it regardless. ::sigh::
Rosa said on 02.23.10 at 08:04 PM • [link]
I wonder if the library/bookswap thing is really a new frugality thing - I’ve always shopped at used book stores, and they always have either an entire room of romance novels or a “no romance novels” policy.
I read too many books to not use the library - we’d be buried under a pile of paperbacks 10 feet deep and die like the Collier brothers.
But I also spend a ton of money on books - most of my new book purchases are romance because they have them at the grocery store checkout and I impulse buy.
Care to comment?
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