Buying Books
I don't buy books until I have read them and really really enjoyed them. (Unless they're like dirt cheap) I kind of thought this was the norm, and that everyone did this, until I started seeing book hauls and brand-new hardback books in my friends' arms.
Personally, first and foremost, books are expensive.
Like I do not have enough money to buy a 20 dollar book that I'm not sure will be worth it yet. One time I earned 300 dollars at once and I got super excited to read a ton of books, but that's only 15 books. Books are almost as expensive as some clothes. It's crazy.
I always borrow books from the library, or my friends (I've been known to treat books well, because I understand that they're like babies) before I get them. This way I can make sure it'll be worth the spending, and I also get to ponder if it's something I'll reread. The one time I didn't do that in recent years, was If I Stay, and that turned out to be a huge disappointment.
But I definitely think there are some benefits to truly owning a book. It really makes you feel good as a reader reading it, and carrying it around, which is almost as important as what's actually inside the book. Not to mention the amazing feeling of just STARING at a perfect book. Happiness right there.
So what do you think? Do you haul books, or are you more of a read-then-buy person? I'm curious. :)
I think my mouth literally dropped open at the revelation that $300 is 15 books -- that's shocking!
ReplyDeleteI'm sort of both ways. I'll occasionally buy a book in hardback if I'm very excited about it or have heard great things about it; for example, I own signed hardbacks of all of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle books, because I love her as a general author. I bought RED QUEEN and ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE in hardback a month ago, but was disappointed by RED QUEEN, so I know where you're coming from there! Generally, though, I buy the first book in a series once it's in paperback, and if I like it enough to continue I'll check out the remaining ones from the library. An exception if I love the series: I have INSURGENT and ALLEGIANT in hardback because I enjoyed my DIVERGENT paperback. And I have definitely been known to read library books and then buy them if I love them enough!
What an awesome and thought-provoking post!
That's a good idea, to buy the first one a bit cheaper and test it out. Yeah, whenever I go to book festivals and such and there is an author there that I know I love, I'll buy books from that person to make sure I can get it signed. Thanks so much for your awesome comment!
DeleteIt's so frustrating when books are extremely expensive. I'll have a 30 dollar gift card, but only walk away with 2 books! That's why I'm usually persuaded to buy ebooks, but I just love reading paperbacks or hardbacks :(
ReplyDeleteTotally agree! Why are they so expensive anyway? Ebooks are great because its the same book for less of the money, but it's not paper which is a huge turn off.
DeleteBOOKS ARE SOOO EXPENSIVE.
ReplyDeleteI don't really buy books unless I want it super badly or am certain that it's going to be a favorite or it's already a favorite and I want to own it. It makes me feel good to buy books but in the greater scheme of things I'd rather splurge on clothes or makeup or McDonald's than books because I can get them from the library!!! And then I can always wait until I have enough money to get them because it's not like they'll ever run out of stock. They don't go in and out of season like clothes do, I can always make sure to pick a book up somewhere.
But still I'm very jealous of people who have big book hauls...
I just had a really weird thought of how cool it would be to have like a library...but for clothes, where you could borrow clothes for free as long as you brought them back and then they would wash them again...
DeleteBut anyway, I agree. If a book is good, I don't have to worry about it not being my size or whatever. It'll always be there. I know! Looking around on blogs with book hauls brings much envy.
Thanks for stopping by!
There was a time when I read books from the library and then bought them but these days I'd rather buy books that I have not read yet. But more than that I buy books that I can't borrow from the library or friends, and believe me there are a lot. That's the disadvantage of being Hungarian... there are close to no English books in the library. *sad sigh*
ReplyDeleteGreat post! :)
I haven't thought about it that way, and how hard it might be to borrow English books in other countries. That's very interesting.
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