Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

QUESTION I'm new to goodreads, except for a brief fling a few years back.

How does one procure the books one wants to read without spending all one's money?

Sadly, my library seems to think the Romance genre is below them.

Thanks,

Julie

I always watch out for discounts at places like Books On Board. Fictionwise used to have some great deals but they closed down the other day :(

What sort of romance do you like Puppitypup?

um. perhaps try just going to the book store and reading them there, without buying. I hear some people do that. Though I know it is very very hard to even think of going into a bookstore without buying something. but my trick to that is not to bring money.
can't buy anything without something to buy it with :P if any of that made sense.

I like romantic tales with depth - no silly bickering.

I trade for mine through paperbackswap.com and use the library. Mine has a pretty decent romance section.

Puppitypup wrote: "I like romantic tales with depth - no silly bickering."

All Romance is another online bookstore that sometimes has deals and gives rebates and a free book after 10 purchases (as I recall). But these are all for ebooks.

Do you read ebooks or are you a paperback girl?

I find a lot of books to read for free on Amazon. Pixel of Ink is a site that provides updates twice a day on books that Amazon has available for free or discounted.

Also, have you tried talking to your library about interlibrary loans?

Oh, good idea MacKenzie! And I prefer e books, but I'm okay with a real page-turner as well.

My public library is very receptive to requests for books. It doesn't hurt to remind them that they are the "public" library and it's their responsibility to provide reading material for everyone.

I'm lucky to live where I have a local public library and a very large city library system close by (across the river) that offers outlying cities cards as well. The large library system used to be very snotty about romances, but because of patrons requesting books, their catalog now has a large romance section.

Both library system are also quickly expanding their e-book selections, including romances! I think that's a trend that's happening all over the country, so if your library hasn't jumped on that band wagon you might want to request that as well. If you live in a rural area, some of those small libraries belong to libraries consortiums that are sharing e-book libraries.

Good luck!

I have a poor library system by me, but I can request books, or even have a book brought in by a bigger library. I purchased an e-reader because I've found that they are usually alot cheaper than a paper back, or even free when the Author is doing a promotion. I also swap alot of paperbacks with ladies I work with, and spend alot of time looking through used book stores etc. I also get paper back books second hand from Amazon or Ebay very cheap. Failing that, I have to save up if there is a particular set of book I'd like. At the moment I'm saving for Donna Grants Dark Warrior Series, because I haven't found this set cheaper anywhere :(

i use ebay for print books quite a bit - search for book lots, and you get ppl who are selling bunches of books together - usually for discounted rates

Puppitypup - If you have a Kindle, you can join Lendle.com or Booklending.com, sites where you can get people to lend you books. Now, that's only available for books the publishers allow to be lent but I still get tons of books that way.

Also, if you write reviews and have a blog, you can join Netgalley.com, a site where you can get Advanced Review Copies (ARCs) of upcoming books. Now, if you don't have a blog and are new to GR, publishers may not approve you but it doesn't hurt to try.

They all make a good point as well. My library is in connection with Overdrive, where you can download audiobooks, ebooks, music, and more. Hopefully your library will be helpful in your searches.

You might also want to check out ebookfling.com. They are like Lendle.com and Booklending.com. I have had decent success of lending and being lent ebooks that way. Of course the book have to be allowed to be lent. What I like most about ebookfling is that you can create a wishlist and when a book becomes available you are sent an e-mail. The first to grab it gets it. Hope this helps.

Wow, thank you for all the great ideas! I did some research this morning and found out that I am eligible to join two other library systems near us, and one of them is a big one! And I will be checking out those lending sites today.

Thank you everyone, and keep posting if you have more thoughts :)

Julie

If you sign up to receive email updates from sites like Samhain and All Romance, they send you discount codes on occasion. Also I don't think anyone mentioned Smashwords, another ebook store that has decent prices and free books. I'm cheap and usually just get the amazon freebies unless I find a must have! :)

I get a lot of my books at the library. Plus free e-books. kindlehooked has a lot of free books. http://kindlehooked.blogspot.com/2012...
I also enter a lot of giveaways so I get free books. And I write reviews so independent authors will send me their books sometimes for review.

I put a lot of free kindle books on here: https://www.facebook.com/IndieAuthors...

Here's another site for free kindle books http://www.freebooksy.com/?utm_source...

Also check out mobileread forum. They have a Deals, Freebies, and Resources forum which always has a monthly thread with free and bargain romances. Some of the books are only free for a day or so. Here is a link to the current thread: Free and bargain romances in January 2013

I hit the charity shops once a month as I like to read real books and they are always changing the books there

I am lucky as well since we have a massive library and I also buy them online and at a used bookstore where I can turn in old books for store credit!

I don't normally do shameless plugs, but since my title is free on amazon for the next five days...

http://www.amazon.com/Return-to-Me-eb...

Paige Frey left her Montana homestead after graduation with the intention of never returning home; not for weekends, holidays, weddings...or funerals. When news of her mobster step-father’s death reaches all the way to the big apple, Paige's first reaction is a resounding good-riddance to both Giovanni Denmari and her sizable inheritance. Only the sage advice of her roommate Erik convinces her to return home to claim what's hers.
But if she thought returning to Montana would mean a simple weekend trip, she was dead wrong. Family dysfunction, ex-boyfriends, Erik's bizarre behavior and probate quickly turn her mountain retreat into a madhouse.