Book Haven discussion

Do you prefer to buy your books or get them from the Library?

I personally prefer to buy them, unless it is a new author. I usually get new authors from the library. The exception to this rule is when I am broke, and have no choice but to get my books from the library. LOL It's probably why my hubby thinks I am a pack rat. Our home has A LOT of books!

I tend to buy only the books I'm thinking I'm guaranteed to love. If it's an author or series that I'm sure I'll read no matter what, then I'll buy it. I love mysteries, but I don't tend to buy many because they aren't ones that I would reread. Most of my personal books are paranormal because I can't always get these books at the library. They are also the books that I reread so they are worth the money to me.


My problem is that with a deadline of a due date at the library, those are the books I read first and let the ones I own collect dust here on my shelves at home. It's almost impossible for me to leave my library without an armful of books so the ones I own sit there longer and longer.

i tend to borrow alot from the library::if i like an author well enough then i'll buy the book/series::however::if i think i'll really love a book and the library doesn't have it i'll check the authors and publishers web pages::where i can read an excerpt::

I used to buy all my books but now that I have cut back at my job I tend to use the library more often. I do buy the new releases from authors that I love though.

Library, unless I can't get it anywhere else and I'm dying to read it, LOL.

I love to own my books. I don't like having a time limit. Also my library kinda sucks either doesn't have my books or is already checked out. I love going to used book stores and getting the deals onlilne. I recently have bought books from betterworld.com

Library!

With having a limited budget and no permanent residence at the moment, the local library has been my lifeline when it comes to my reading addiction.

I'm just blessed that our library system has a pretty decent selection of books that I enjoy reading, and has a very reliable MAYL delivery program. All I have to do is managed my library account online, request the books I like, and wait for it to be delivered to my doorstep.

However, there are a few authors who I will immediately buy once their books come out (ex. JR Ward BDB books, Frost's Nighthuntress books, Feehan's Ghostwalkers, etc). As for the rest, I usually get them from the library.

I like borrowing from the library. But many books I want to read are not available there. Of course, if I find something I really liked from the library I will find me a copy for my keeper shelf.

I borrowed the nighthuntress series from the library and half of the BDB, so i need to buy these now for my keeper shelf. Sometimes I'll buy new authors from the second hand bookstore too.

I use a combination of the two. I own tons of books, because I shop the ongoing library sales constantly. The books are just so cheap, I can't seem to pass them up. Some I'll keep and some I may not depending on how much I like them when I read them. I've traded for quite a few wishlist books on PBS, and occasionally shop the used books stores. I only very rarely buy new and when I do, it's usually online.

I also use the library quite a bit. I have access to two local libraries, both of which have a good selection of romance and other things I'm interested in reading. I've found that they also have the most awesome ILL system. So far I've been able to get every book I requested, and it's very unusual for me to do a search for a book and not find it on ILL.

Unfortunately I have been buying, whether used or new, which is not good for the wallet.:) The local libraries here aren't that great, and even if they were, I'm not sure I would use them, since I had an unfortunate experience with a library book (years ago) that sort of turned me off of them forever...:(

With series I find the Library sometimes starts with book No. 2. Why is that i wonder, surely they know it's a series so why not have the first book?

Auntee, I had my bag stolen with a library book inside, and they made me pay for the book,even tho' it wasn't my fault and i had a crime no. wasn't chaep either! put me off going for while.

I like used bookstores, but there are a lot of books that they don't have. Otherwise, I really prefer to own my books...Although I have too many as it is. LOL

I always buy used books I joke around with friends that I run a used book rescue,lol, I think I have close to 6-700 +/- a few, mostly boxed and stored away except for favorites that grace my book shelves.

I like how my library has an inter-library system, which enables me to request books from other libraries! I think it's something like 105 libraries are connected with mine. It's pretty rare that I can't find a book through that system! LOL

On the average, I read the library book first and then if they are truly affects me in some way, I will buy it.

Joy wrote: "I like how my library has an inter-library system, which enables me to request books from other libraries! I think it's something like 105 libraries are connected with mine. It's pretty rare that I..."

Do you know if your library is connected to WorldCat? That's what ours uses for ILL, and I almost never have a problem finding what I want, but I think the network is even bigger than that.

I'm connected to PrarieCat. LOL But it is close. I'm in will country for IL...

Not sure where to put this so feel free to move it Joy.
www.betterworldbooks.com
Great place to buy books at support a good cause! :)

Lisa Anne wrote: "Not sure where to put this so feel free to move it Joy.
www.betterworldbooks.com
Great place to buy books at support a good cause! :)"

It's okay there. It still kind of relates to the topic. :)

Bookstore!!!!
i love owning my books....
i even write my name and date of purchase inside the cover page.
and when i read an e-book (on the odd day) and it turns out to be a good book, i will search high and low for the actual book to store on my bookshelf.

When I was a kid I loved reading, and used the library all the time, then I stopped reading for fun, and read just the school required stuff (though I liked most of it) but didn't start fun reading again until about three years ago... I tried my library for quite a bit, but like Lauren said:

"I love to own my books. I don't like having a time limit"

That's very me. I like having tons of books to choose from, and not having to give any back in particular in a specified anount of time. I'm a bit of a control freak, so I like knowing I can choose when to read a certain book, and not have to read one book before another just to return it on time. Which means, I could never seem to return any books without having to pay a fee... that's not too bad if you've only checked out a dozen or so books, but I used to go all the way up to the limit and get around 50 books from one (or all) of 3 libraries in my area, so they really added up! And having to pay anything for a book I don't get to keep bothers me.


Also, if you're a romance reader, you know those looks you get from bookstore clerks when you buy a book with a racy cover? I used to get those all the time from my libraries! If it was once or twice I'd hve gotten over it, but it happened every damned time I checked out of the library (and I used to go at least 2 or 3 times a week)! I tried the express check out they offered but with all the fines it was inevitable I'd have to go up to the desk and get get more weird looks (or worse, snotty comments)! So now I stick to swaping or buying... UBS's, Online as well as non online stores (with any coupons/codes I can get ahold of), eBay, and PBS are my regular book stops. I still get the looks when I buy some of my books, but it's not all the time, and I find I care less, knowing I'm about to own a new book (or twenty)!

My bank account might not be too happy, btu I sure am :D

I would much rather own my books, regardless of their quality. Something about having a time limit and having to give back a book just urks me. Back in middle school I would be in the library everyday, so I would simply walk in, grab what I want, and then wave to librarian who had my id number memorized. I loved it...till high school when suddenly the thought of not keeping the book began to repulse me. Plus...I have a literal book buying addiction, I have to buy atleast 2 a month or I'll end up quite moody and noone wants to be around me. lol

Michelle wrote: "I would much rather own my books, regardless of their quality. Something about having a time limit and having to give back a book just urks me. Back in middle school I would be in the library every..."

I know. Half the time when I get books from the library I don't finish them in time, and have to take them back. That really bothers me. It isn't so bad if I limit the amount of books I check out...but that is REALLY hard to do when I am surrounded by thousands of books.LOL

I also love having my own book in my hand. It's a great treat to go to a bookstore, and look at everything. I have exchanged books with friends, and love finding used books online. If I find an author, I try to find all of their books, which often means looking at used.
I just bought a Kindle, and I'm not sure how it's going to go. I know it's just not the same as picking up an interesting title, turning it over to check the synopsis. I'm also a bit worried about that book addiction. If I do find it easier, will I buy more then I can read in a lifetime (I do still have a huge stack of "real" books.

Melissa wrote: "I also love having my own book in my hand. It's a great treat to go to a bookstore, and look at everything. I have exchanged books with friends, and love finding used books online. If I find an aut..."

The book addiction is catching too! LOL Although, I have to say I am a lot better than I was in junior high. At that age, I used to go to Waldenbooks with my best friend every week and spend $25 on books. LOL I always managed to read them though...Now, I spend maybe $20/month. I think it's a lot better. I try to get most books from the library, unless it's an author I already love. If I love the author, I REALLY want to own their books. LOL

I'm an equal-opportunity book addict! I go to the library, to the local bookstores, to Costco & WalMart & Target, to used-book-stores, and online. But I compartmentalize: I buy at the local bookstores only when they have a good sale on books I already wanted to own or gift to someone, the library is reserved for books I definitely want to read but don't want to keep, online purchases are mainly for new books by authors I love (and I use Amazon's 4-for-3 whenever I can), and I look for all the bargains at Costco & Target and the UBS. In fact, my list gets taken to the UBS first before I resort to buying new. Ooh, forgot to mention Audible - and I always listen to an excerpt first, cause I have to like the sound of the narrator. I always have at least two books going at one time - one for listening while I garden or clean, and one for sitting down and relaxing with a book-in-hand. DEFINITELY an addict!

I'm more of a bookstore person. Once I read a book I tend to want to keep it. I have a very hard time letting go of books once their mine. I had a very traumatic time giving up any of them when I last moved, and I'm still over-run!

I do go through spurts where I hit the library, but that's usually because the book I want to read is hard to find, or out of print, or part of a long series that I don't want to buy.

Ugh! I went to the library to pick up the 6 books that they had waiting for me. I get there, and within a day they had sent back 5 of the books! Argh! I really wanted to read one of them too! :(

Man, that stinks. Didn't they tell you when they send them back? I think ours keeps them for a week or so before they give up on you, LOL.

They usually wait a week. :( I went on an re-requested the books. I'm a little upset though because I waited almost 3 months for the 1st book in the JR Ward series. LOL And they sent it back! Argh!

I buy books and I borrow from the library. I have a pretty good used book store locally, and I buy online as well, both new and used.

I've started keeping a library list of books that the library owns and that sound interesting. These are mostly expensive hard cover books that I know I won't want to reread. Or authors I've never read before.

If the library owns the first book in a series by a new author I'll try to borrow it and see how I feel about it. On occasion what I feel is that I have to OWN the 10 books in the series right now!

But some of the time, the library is fine.

I'm a bookstore kind of girl. I usually can't wait for something and I like to own them. I also buy a lot from Amazon.com's used section and get some great deals. My friends love it that I buy and do not borrow because now they can borrow from my library!

I go to the library. Not having extra money keeps me from buying books! I wish I could have all these books I've requested in the last year at my beck-and-call! lol
We also have inter-library system. It's wonderful. And the only time I've come across a book that wasn't in the entire system my librarian went out and had it purchased just for me! I'm going to be sad when we move! I love her!:(

On the downside, my library is in a bad neighborhood, a couple of blocks away from a mental health outpatient clinic, and I have to fight for couch space with homeless people. On the upside (if there is one) I know many of them by name. I just prefer not to have to ask people if they're on their meds and going to treatment when I'm not getting paid for it.

Normally, I would buy the books, but money has been tight lately, which leaves me at the mercy of the library. :(

My library is fantastic. They don't have the books I want (ever) but they get them for me pretty quickly (usually within a couple of days depending on the hold list) and I love my librarian.
We're moving in a few weeks so I have to get a card from the library over there (different county). I'm told it's pretty big but that means not as personal I think. Hopefully I make friends with them as well considering they will see me weekly and will have stacks to give me.

Elvia wrote: "My library is fantastic. They don't have the books I want (ever) but they get them for me pretty quickly (usually within a couple of days depending on the hold list) and I love my librarian.
We..."

We have moved around a lot in the past few years (I now have library cards from 3 states), so I understand why you are getting "library jitters". It usually doesn't matter how big a library is, though. Most librarians will start to recognize you after a month or so. I love the library where we live now, but two of the women who work there are real Dragons! LOL!

Anne wrote: "I love the library where we live now, but two of the women who work there are real Dragons! LOL!
"

Oh we have one of those too!! I never go to the library on her day!
I lost my card awhile back but I memorized my 16 digit number. This woman told my daughter she was no longer allowed to check books out without the card. I talked to my regular librarian and she told me that woman was nuts. I think I got her in trouble for complaining. oops. I'm going to the new library tomorrow to check it out.

She deserved any trouble you brought down on her. LOL! My dragons are usually harmless. Just the usual disgusted looks when they retrieve my stack of holds. I try to grab a classic sometimes to keep the evil glances at bay!

Let them think you're evil! lol...scare 'em! I'm going to love it when I get The Satanic Verses A Novel from the library. If they haven't read it they might freak and think I'm the devil incarnate. haha

LOL That reminds me...a few months ago I thought I would try reading "erotica". I wanted to give it a try to see if I liked it. Anyways, my husband and I went to go pick it up once it arrived at the library, and the "dragon" at our library have me this horrible "dragon look". She even showed it to the other librarian like she wasnt sure if she should "allow" us to check it out. The other librarian just shrugged her shoulders and said "who cares..." LOL

BTW, my library FINALLY got in my JR WARD book! :) I'm sending the hubby to pick it up tomorrow. LOL I requested like 30+ books the other day, and almost all of them have arrive in the past 3 days. :) Yeah!

LOL, Joy. Yay! You can finally read it!

Yep! LOL I am REALLY excited. Everyone talks up the series on GR and I have been so curious. I couldn't justify spending the money though...so I was at the mercy of the library system. :(
LOL The only prob is that I want to start reading something tonight, and Im afraid that I wont finish by tomorrow. :( So, I might end up starting the JR ward series the day after tomorrow. It depends if I give into my book craving tonight...

I can't keep all the authors and their books straight. JR Ward series? Which book are you talking about, Joy?

Elvia wrote: "Let them think you're evil! lol...scare 'em! I'm going to love it when I get The Satanic Verses A Novel from the library. If they haven't read it they might freak and think I'm the ..."

HaHa! I don't think I scare them. They just manage to look diagusted at my poor choice in reading material.

Anne wrote: "I can't keep all the authors and their books straight. JR Ward series? Which book are you talking about, Joy?"

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward...

It's been highly recommended to me by I'm guessing...hundreds of women of GR. LOL :)

Thanks! Duh. It was on my to-read list, but I forgot all about it.

If I am not sure if I will like a book or if I am low on funds I go to the library, but I much prefer owning my own books and not having to pay a fine if it isn't finished on time which happens alot.

Yeah...when I get books from the library I rarely return things on time. :( I either forget when it is due, or I am not finished with all the books by the due date. I hate that about libraries!