Book Snails Book Group discussion

Where do you typically get your books? Do you buy them, borrow them from your local library, a mix of both? Do you read them electronically? Do you wait for community book sales where you can buy books in bulk for super-cheap? What's your method, and where do you get the best deals?

I have never read an ebook. There is just something about holding an actual book for me. There is even a smell from older books that I just love. I get books in so many ways; people give them to me, library checkout, and I love the huge paper bag sales at said library. I also go onto our local Facebook/Craigslist/Yardsale sites for great deals. There are just so many great used books, I hate to pay full price. Man I sound cheap!

Julie you don't sound cheap, because I do the same thing and shop the same type of library sales. A group of us at church pass books around and I use paperbackswap to fill in books that I can't find otherwise. I have read a few ebooks but I'm not crazy about that, but the library has some of my cozy mysteries in only that format, so I read those instead of using my PBS credits.

Thanks Debbie! :-). I love those library sales!!

I do too. Our library and one other group do a bag of books for 3 dollars. I have learned to limit myself to one bag.

I get books from any place I can, pretty much! I get a lot of Barnes and Nobles gift cards for birthdays and Christmas, which I'll never say no to, but I also don't pay full price. I'll go online and buy used from one of their sellers. That way, I'll only pay about $7 for a book, instead of $25. Of course, you have to be careful which seller you're using though. I once ordered a biography on the Marquis de Lafayette, and they sent me a military journal.

I go to libraries a lot ( I work in one!) so it's super easy for me to get any books I want, thankfully! And my local library has a whole shelf of books that are free to take. A few years back, my aunt, who also loves to read, gave me a huge bag filled with books she got at a yard sale, and there were some real classics, like Hemingway and James! Where she lives, once a summer the whole town has a massive yard sale, and I go with her to pick up books. Last year I got 13 books for $7.

I've never read a book electronically. I don't think I could! I love the feel and smell of real books, and I like to mark them up and carry them around with me. Also, looking at a screen for long periods of time makes me feel a little queasy, so I'll stick with my paper books! :)

As I'm new to the reading idea, so unfortunately i pay full price for books!!
I buy them from bookstores in our region such as Boarders, Kinokuniya and Virgin Megastore.

Check with your local library and see if they have book sales. Goodwill stores also have books,although I never have much luck there. Buying used of course you don't always get just what you are looking for, but it's a great way to try new authors and new genre's without spending a bunch of money. The hunt for me is as much fun as the read.

Thanks Debbie.

Mostafa wrote: "As I'm new to the reading idea, so unfortunately i pay full price for books!!
I buy them from bookstores in our region such as Boarders, Kinokuniya and Virgin Megastore."

Hi Mostafa, I looked up used bookstores in Dubai and found a webpage that might help you, but not sure. It is: http://www.thenational.ae/arts-cultur...

Below is two store options that looked promising:

http://www.houseofprose.com = they are located at: We are in Jumeirah Plaza on Jumeirah Beach Road Jumeirah 1 on the ground floor. We are also located in Dubai Garden Centre, Al Quoz, on SZR near the First Gulf Bank (FGB) metro station
We loved: the considerate positioning of sitting stools at every aisle for the added browsing pleasure of determined shelf-scanners.
Working hours: Jumeirah Plaza, Saturday to Thursday, 9am-8pm; Fridays, 5.30pm-8pm. Dubai Garden Centre, daily from 9am-9pm. Call Jumeirah Plaza 04 344 9021. Dubai Garden Centre 04 340 0006
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http://www.visitdubai.com/en/pois/boo... = they are located inside the Ace Hardware. We loved: the loyalty card that comes with every purchase. Nine books/cups of coffee purchased, and a book is yours for free.
Working hours: Saturday to Wednesday, 9am-10pm; Thursday to Friday, 9am-midnight. Call 04 232 699
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I love a good bargain and hope you can find some also!!

Julie... Thanks a lot, thats a research i didn't even think of doing

Mostafa wrote: "Julie... Thanks a lot, thats a research i didn't even think of doing "

You are most welcome. I am not sure if they are located close to you, but I hope so!!

I usually buy my books, but I have lately been trying to ILL many of them from my local library. Unfortunately, my town only has one small used book store (and its stock doesn't change very often), and the closest Barnes & Noble is 200 miles away. Therefore, it I don't order my books through ILL, I usually buy them on Amazon.

I also download books from Project Gutenberg and read them on my Kindle!

I've heard of Edelweiss, but haven't researched it. Anyone familiar with it?

Benjamin wrote: "I usually buy my books, but I have lately been trying to ILL many of them from my local library. Unfortunately, my town only has one small used book store (and its stock doesn't change very often),..."

Libraries save lives, in so many ways! I don't buy books, just mostly borrow them or get them on the cheap at used book sales.

I live in a college town and we don't even have 1 used book store (paperback exchange) anymore. I think that's shameful for a college town! We used to, but haven't had a decent place to exchange titles and pick up new ones for years. I loved it when we did because I could bring in old titles and get shopping credit; it was a great feeling! We have a Hastings and Books-A-Million, but that's not the same.

I don't group Hastings, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, etc. with the small mom-and-pop stores found in several towns. Those are retail stores and--in my humble opinion--aren't as precious as the small shops you find on a random corner of a downtown street. You're lucky you have a small used book store, although I feel your pain with the sluggish inventory/stock. I would like to see many businesses around here go and get replaced with used book shops! Fat chance, I know...but I'm still dreaming lol.

We have no book stores of any kind with in 25 miles of my town, but we have a great library in the town where I work and the county based library 6 miles from work in the town where I live. The libraries are in the same system but have many different books plus the bookmobile is also tied into the system, so I can borrow many of my series books there and they also offer overdrive e books. Wow even though I live in a rural and depressed coal town in central Pennsylvania, when I look at all the reading resources I've given here I realize how blessed we are here.

That bookmobile sounds great, Debbie!

The bookmobile is out several days a week and runs a regular route hitting little nudge once a month. They have a lot of series books in their stockpile and you can request from there just like any library. I don't know how common bookmobiles are anymore. Ours is very active and very beloved in this area.

Debbie wrote: "The bookmobile is out several days a week and runs a regular route hitting little nudge once a month. They have a lot of series books in their stockpile and you can request from there just like any..."

I'm so envious!!!

I do a bit of everything. I have a TON of eBooks, 99% of which were freebies. I don't often by new releases, but when I do, I buy them form a local indie bookshop or from Barnes & Noble, because I have a membership. I also have a weakness for Library Book Sales, so most all of my books come to me that way. One local library does a Ten Cent Paperback Sale and I've never walked out with less than 100 books. My record is 137, I believe. But come on, Ten Cents! I also am an avid user of my local library system (which connects 35 local libraries from across 5 counties). I borrow books in person all the time, but also make use of digital library resources like Hoopla (which I love for Graphic Novels) and Overdrive (which is excellent for audiobooks).

Bekah wrote: "I do a bit of everything. I have a TON of eBooks, 99% of which were freebies. I don't often by new releases, but when I do, I buy them form a local indie bookshop or from Barnes & Noble, because I ..."

Bekah, 10 cents is too good to be true! I wouldn't leave until they told me to. Yes, OverDrive is awesome for audiobooks!

I'm a book hoarder! I exchange books with friends, frequent my local Barnes and Noble way too much, and also order from Amazon. I also have a Nook that I will use at times. But I always have something to read!

Melissa wrote: "I'm a book hoarder! I exchange books with friends, frequent my local Barnes and Noble way too much, and also order from Amazon. I also have a Nook that I will use at times. But I always have someth..."

Melissa, it's awesome that you make such frequent use of your literary resources!

I'm a book hoarder, too! B&N, Abe Books, local used book stores, book fairs, thrift stores, various online sellers. I do read ebooks on my phone sometimes for convenience, but I generally prefer print copies. I love Project Gutenberg, but I've found that there are various versions of a lot of books floating around and I often hunt down different copies from what I find there.

I used to hoard, but I have learned to read and release. I use paperbackswap a lot. I tell myself I'm releasing, but I keep ordering more.....

I get books from:
Salvation Army and Goodwill ($0.49 to $1.49)
Paperbackswap.com
A younger friend
AbeBooks.com, Half.com
Bookstores, if I'm visiting civilization -- indies, B&N, BaM
Several eBook sources (not Amazon)

Anyone here got over 1,000 physical books at home? I don't, but I know folks who do.

I am slowly consuming my physical books (and passing them on), and aiming for more eBooks in the future.

I haven't counted mine, but I'm pretty sure I do. Don't give me that look...I'm a collector. :P

I figure books are a good thing to collect. I like to sit and look at my piles and boxes and decide what I'm reading next.

Ok, never mind, I overestimated. (I wasn't home when I made my last post. My more realistic estimate is quite a bit lower.) Just ignore me. ;)

Debbie, I completely agree. :) If you're going to collect anything, then I think books are an excellent choice. I love scanning all the possibilities when I'm deciding what to read next.

Just Elise wrote: "I haven't counted mine, but I'm pretty sure I do. Don't give me that look...I'm a collector. :P"

I'm jealous!!! :-)

Just Elise wrote: "Ok, never mind, I overestimated. (I wasn't home when I made my last post. My more realistic estimate is quite a bit lower.) Just ignore me. ;)

Debbie, I completely agree. :) If you're going to col..."

I just love seeing my books on the shelves!! It's just something about it. I need a library room, if I only had the space!

Debbie wrote: "I used to hoard, but I have learned to read and release. I use paperbackswap a lot. I tell myself I'm releasing, but I keep ordering more....."

Read and release, that's a good mantra! I don't think it will work for most of us, though! LOL

StarMan wrote: "I get books from:
Salvation Army and Goodwill ($0.49 to $1.49)
Paperbackswap.com
A younger friend
AbeBooks.com, Half.com
Bookstores, if I'm visiting civilization -- indies, B&N, BaM
Several eBook s..."

Nice book resources, StarMan!

Debbie wrote: "I figure books are a good thing to collect. I like to sit and look at my piles and boxes and decide what I'm reading next."

Books are the BEST thing to collect! Much easier and tidier than a house full of cats LOL.

Julie wrote: "Just Elise wrote: "Ok, never mind, I overestimated. (I wasn't home when I made my last post. My more realistic estimate is quite a bit lower.) Just ignore me. ;)

Debbie, I completely agree. :) If ..."

Isn't it a great feeling to scan the shelves and have so many titles to choose from? :-)

I love looking at all my books,but I'm also a library addict.....Hi my name is Debbie and I'm addicted to books....At least they don't put weight on my hips....I do that all by myself.

I'm a library addict as well! Sorry...NOT SORRY!

I sometimes think "collecting" books is fun simply because there are an infinite variety of covers and content out there, and it's fun to find ones that appeal to you (visually, intellectually, fun-wise, or whatever reasons). And each book is like a vacation -- an escape from reality -- waiting for you.

Or maybe it's like Pokemon? Gotta catch 'em all! ?

Q: Why do you acquire/collect books?
Were you book-deprived as a child? Simply because you love to read? Addicted to the smell of printed books? Or for other reasons?

Q: What's the most fun way you find books?
Yard sales? Thrift shops? Barnes & Noble? Online? Or other?

I have always had books, and I like looking at all the books in a series to read yet. I like to reduce the stack of a series,but I like to have the next in line in my hand. I have started reading some books on Overdrive, because I like cozies and the libraries don't always have them in print, so instead of using my book budget to buy, I buck up and read on my tablet.

The hunt is half the fun of reading. I do local book sales, but only a few dollars for a bag. Then I bring my haul home and figure out what I need to fill in a series. I love paperbackswap to hunt down the books I can't find otherwise. I hardly ever go on facebook, but I spend way to much time on goodreads, PBS and fictfact checking out books and friends.

Great questions, StarMan! I'm not really sure why I collect books. I don't hoard them - it's only books that I really like that I have any desire to buy or keep.

I don't think I was deprived of books as a child, but I did have a pretty long stretch - several years - during which I couldn't find anything to read that I really loved, and very little that I even liked. Douglas Adams and Stephen King were the ones to end that stretch, when I was about 13. I'll always be grateful to them. ;)

When I was in college, after moving a gazillion times and paring down what collection I'd had, I realized how few books I had and it started to annoy me. Sometime in my 20s, I decided that I wanted to have a nice collection/library someday, with nice copies of books that I love. Maybe it was the fact that I'd gotten rid of so many books along the way, but what I wanted was to have a "permanent" collection - books I'd want to keep forever.

I suppose my reason, then, short answer, is that I collect them because I treasure them.

The most fun way of finding books? Hmm. We have a huge book fair here every summer where a lot of independent booksellers set up booths. They have author events and signings, etc. I love going to that. Otherwise, I get a bit giddy every time I go to the Abe Books website. Not only do I usually find exactly what I'm looking for, but page after page of options. 8)

Allison wrote: "Debbie wrote: "I used to hoard, but I have learned to read and release. I use paperbackswap a lot. I tell myself I'm releasing, but I keep ordering more....."

Read and release, that's a good mantr..."

RELEASE?????!!!! Never! LMBO!

Julie wrote: "Mostafa wrote: "Julie... Thanks a lot, thats a research i didn't even think of doing "

You are most welcome. I am not sure if they are located close to you, but I hope so!!"

I went to one of your recommended used book stores..... OMG!!
i was missing a lot, way way much cheaper prices (i bought 7 books for the price of one :)) the range and atmosphere is beautiful..
Thank you for this valuable recommendation :)

Wow good to hear you did so well. That was such a good idea of Julie's to search for used books. Did you find them at a used book store? Maybe you will get a lead on other sales. Do you have public libraries there?

Yeah, i went to a used book store Julie searched for. We do have public libraries (a lot) but i need to check them out still.

Ask there if they ever have sales. The sales held at the local library here is sponsored by the women's club to benefit the library and held right in the library. There are about four different groups in my area that have great book sales several times a year. When I see all the boxes of books at the different sales I am so overwhelmed. I'm glad so many of us want to pass them on.

StarMan wrote: "I sometimes think "collecting" books is fun simply because there are an infinite variety of covers and content out there, and it's fun to find ones that appeal to you (visually, intellectually, fun..."

To answer your questions, StarMan:

1) I acquire/collect books because:
(can I be completely honest? why, of course I can, I'm among book friends!) I THINK BOOKS MAKE A HOUSE A HOME...

2) The most fun way to find books is:
at yard sales, community book sales, and thrift shops...because you spend so little and can walk away with so many goodies! My cousin goes "dumpster diving" and finds paperbacks in good condition every time! She gave me some the other day. For shame that people actually throw books away instead of donating or making them available to the public in other ways!

I don't understand how a person could throw away a book.

Debbie wrote: "I don't understand how a person could throw away a book."

I know. Doesn't it just hurt your heart?

Debbie wrote: "I have always had books, and I like looking at all the books in a series to read yet. I like to reduce the stack of a series,but I like to have the next in line in my hand. I have started reading s..."

Sounds like you have an exact method to your madness, Debbie!