Just the other day I decided to amble into my neighborhood Barnes and Noble and check out their YA section.
Normally, I get books from the library because I find it way too expensive to buy the books myself. Have you seen the prices of books lately?! A hardcover is between $15 and $20 which is totally out of my budget.
Every once and a while, though, I like to go look at the shelves of books that I will never own to see if there are authors I recognize or interviewed, books that I've read, etc. Besides the fact that I saw basically every book that's ever been reviewed around the blogs there, I wanted to buy around 2/3 of them. Ugh. I was this close to buying Lauren Myracle's Bliss. But sadly I don't actually have the $17 it would take for me to be its happy owner. *sigh* I was down about it for the rest of the day.
I can't stand going into a bookstore very often because I have no money, and all I will be doing is torturing myself with the dream of having a lavish and YA filled personal library; a dream that is probably never going to happen. I do have some books at home, but most of them are review copies or books that I bought to have signed at author events that I've gone to.
Needless to say, I will be asking for piles and piles of books these holidays. Even books that I've already read. I just like having the actual material evidence there for me to hold.
Some books on my wishlist:
1. The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
2. Skinned by Robin Wasserman
3. Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Suplee
4. The House of Night series by PC and Kristin Cast
5. How To Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
6. Bliss by Lauren Myracle
and about a bajillion others that will be too painful to call up and remember. Urgh.
Do you guys buy your books? Rent them out from the library? What's your personal bookshelf like?
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My library doesn't have a single book that came out less than 3 years ago. So if I want to read something new, I have to wait until I'm visiting a city which has a good library, hope someone sends me a review copy or break down and spend the bucks at a bookstore. The problem is of course that I'm a bookaholic so I want to read nearly everything and my shelves are already sagging...
ReplyDeleteSince I got my license, I've been going to the library more. It's nice for three weeks to go by and not have to spend any money on reading material. However, I love owning books. So I tend to buy a lot. I have...I'm not even sure how many books on my shelf, but it's like two-thirds of one of my bedroom walls, and even that's not enough space, plus what I have in the attic. Getting books from the library...it's just not the same as reading new books and owning them.
ReplyDeleteI'm more of the library person. I usually buy manga but that is only once a month. My bookshelf is dominated with manga and a few books that I received in someway in the past without actually spending my own money. I've been winning a lot of books lately so I am not able to buy anything else because I have to finish them all along with the library ones. If I tack in the collection of all of my old books from elementary school, my bookshelf would be much bigger.
ReplyDeleteI'm at the library all the time - our apartment is pretty small so there's just nowhere to put any more books (plus there's the expense, like Liv pointed out).
ReplyDeleteLenore, can you request new purchases at your library? I do that at my library quite a lot and while they don't buy absolutely everything I request they're very good at adding new books to their collection.
Hi! I've been enjoying your reviews and had to respond to this post - I get almost of my books from the library where I work (and if they don't have something, I just ask to order it). I only buy books after I've read them, if it's something I know I'll want to read multiple times
ReplyDeleteLike C.K. said, we're usually happy to order books when a customer asks -- and Lenore, you could also ask at your library about inter-library loan. They may charge you a bit for shipping, but it's still less expensive than buying books new!
P.S.love the pic in this post -- my mom did that once with my books when I was little, and I never quite forgave her. I couldn't find anything!
My library has this interlibrary loan system that is amazing. Lenore, you should definitely ask if your library has something like that. The one my library has is completely free and you name it they have it, any book, movie, cd and even video games.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, i'm half and half. If a book sounds interesting but i'm still uncertain I use the library system but if I read a back cover review and the covers awesome I usually cant help myself and I buy it.
We don't have very much room in our tiny apartment for tons of books and shelves. So, I found this site Bookmooch where I could get books I want to read and then send em back out to someone else when i'm done to get something new. It helps alot because I have to decide I really truly like a book to keep it cuz I know if I keep it I wont be able to get another book in return for this one. So it helps me weed out what i'm keeping cuz i love and what i'm keeping just for fun and wasting space.
Wow. That bookshelf is VERY OCD and amazing. I need one that big!
ReplyDeleteI would love to own every book that I have read (except of course for the ones that I didn't really like.) But, alas, the issue of money is a huge hinderment. I don't go into bookstores very often either, for fear of bankrupting my checking account!
Which is probably why my holds list on my library account has over 40 books on hold. I love my library, because they get new books very quickly.
I go to the bookstore, pretty much for books in a series that I own, authors that I LOVE, and for the next book in any series that I am loving to read from the library, but cannot wait around for the next book to come from the hold list.
For example: right now, I am reading The Kingdom Keepers by: Ridley Pearson and am very seriously thinking about going to Borders and getting the next book. I cannot wait for 5 other people to finish the next book before I get it! And who cares if I already have 20 books out from the library?! I will read that book first, just so I can know what is going on in the series.
OK. Rant over. I just might copy and paste into a blog post of my own!
~Meredith
Oooh! Also, I when I DO go into a bookstore, I usually have my camera with me. So if I see some books that I would like to read, I take a picture of the book title so that I can put it on my TBR list at home.
ReplyDeleteAs for the problem of owning every book I have read, over at amazon.com, I have created a list called Books I Have Read, where I just add the book that I have just finished. And even if I re-read a book, it will not count it. That way, I will know exactly how many different books I have read in a year!
~Meredith
I used to use the library a lot and only bought design books or books i really really liked. And then somehow that flew out the window and i buy like everything now. I even decided to stop reading library books so i would be forced to read my own books but all that that has done is make me buy more things i could have just checked out from the library.
ReplyDeleteI get books from the library, and occasionally buy them, but usually paperbacks and not hardcovers anymore.
ReplyDeleteBut for the most part, my bookshelves (and floor) mainly contain review copies. The mailbox is where I get the majority of my books now, lol.
I still love going to the bookstore because I like seeing books in their final stage, and looking at the covers. :)
Okay, that's it. I'm buying Bliss for you! I have a Barnes and Noble gift card I have been meaning to use for about a year now on just the perfect book. I have been getting so many books from bookmooch lately I haven't needed to use it. You do such a great job on here providing me with awesome reviews so I can put books on my wishlist that you deserve on from your own! I just knew there was a reason I was saving it this long. Email me your address and I will send it to you. koratheexplora@gmail.com
ReplyDelete-Korianne
I use PaperBackSwap.com. That and the 2 times a year I get money (birthday and Christmas) keeps me in books. Oh, and contests. I enter a lot of contests and am lucky enouh to win sometimes. :)
ReplyDeleteBlogging has provided me with some as well. I try to accept few though since I get overwhelmed easily when I *have* to read a book.