SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Just like the thread name says... Where do you get you books? Barns and Noble? Amazon? Used book store on the corner? Local library? Or do you use one of those websites that shall remain nameless? Do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper, And why?

I read 99% of the time on my tablet. I like the ease of ebooks and the fact that it can hold a lot of books without taking up space. I use Google books and the Kindle app for book shopping.

I used to buy drugstore paperbacks I could read at work if I saw one that looked interesting. Often looks were deceiving. Now I usually get the newest books from Amazon (ebook), or go to the library.

Nowadays, if I get wind of a book I might like, I most often go to Abebooks and see if I can score an el cheapo paperback. I also use them to get books (sometimes even new copies) of other books in better editions that I know I want for some reason. At the moment I don't do ebooks and am avoiding Amazon until they stop acting like the bully of the block.

I buy paperbacks and hardcovers at Barnes and Noble and at the library bookstore. And I buy ebooks on Amazon.

The bully of the block? How so?

Amazon is where I get most books, although I've got quite a few from Gutenberg.org as well.

No need to violate copyright laws when there are so many great books that are available for free legally. It's not just old stuff either, there are a lot of newer titles released under Creative Commons licenses.

The library is where I get most of my books. The e-books I read on my Kindle come from a combination of sources including Amazon and Net Galley.

Amazon. The last few years that Borders was open, I walked out more and more often without finding anything I wanted. The selection was all Latest Big Thing and More Of The Same. I hear that Barnes & Noble stores are just as bad or even worse lately. And their site makes it really hard to find anything good. I hate the smell of books from the used book store. (Old glue and cigarette smoke, blech) So I buy from Amazon. Mostly indie, but every once in a while there's something from the publishing houses that interests me. I love Amazon; they make the buying experience incredibly easy (too easy! my credit card hates me) and I love my Kindle Fire.

Guy wrote: "The bully of the block? How so?"

Almost all of what's going around about Amazon being evil is misrepresentation, exaggeration, or flat-out lies.

I get most of my books from the local library. My library also offers ebook lending through Overdrive which I use a lot. I like buying interesting editions of my favourite books at second-hand stores or garage sales. I rarely buy new books unless it's an anticipated release from my favourite authors.

"The bully of the block? How so?"

Here's a link to an article on the subject: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014...

You can get more by Googling "amazon Hachette".

Interesting article Margaret, It must be stated that in the modern world of business, any large corporate entity doing well for itself is going to have other large corporate entities crying foul. Especially when the success of the former is solely based off of the customers it gains from the latter. That's sadly how big business is in this fine world we live in.

A couple of looks at the issue from a different angle:
http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/20...
http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/20...
http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/20...

Anyway, not to derail the thread any further, I buy my books from Amazon because they have the biggest variety and the best prices, and they're a pleasure to shop with. Mostly ebooks; there are a couple of authors and series that I still buy in paper, the only things I still buy from the commercial publishers. About 95% of what I buy now is indie ebooks.

Amazon, whose site is one of the reasons I bought a Kindle, rather than some other e-reader.

A little mom and pop used bookstore here in Portland called "Bearly Read Books." I've been buying books there for almost 20 years now. The elderly couple who own it are lovely people and I can't plug this store enough to friends.

I have a Nook also, but I only buy through Barnes and Noble if its a new release I'm greatly anticipating, or if I can't find a paper copy of the book I want for a reasonable price.

Most of my books are probably bought in charity shops - there are several places in my city with clusters of good uns (it's also amazing some of the clothes you can find; I've found some really nice suits), and we also have quite a few good second-hand bookshops.

For bricks n mortar stores I do tend to use Waterstone's (WH Smith's really seems to have stopped trying to compete) and there isn't much in the way of independent bookshops around.

Online I tend to use Abebooks, greenmetropolis and a couple of other second-hand and, for new, I've started using wordery.com. I've largely stopped using Amazon for non-ebook purchases - I do think their market dominance is a problem and feel uncomfortable supporting them - but I mostly get my ebooks through Nook or independents - I'm a sucker for the Humble book bundles every time!


Doc wrote: "Amazon, whose site is one of the reasons I bought a Kindle, rather than some other e-reader."

I bought a Nook, but have the Kindle app on it so I get to use both.

Library, Project Gutenberg on my Sony e-reader, and thrift stores.

I buy my books primarily from Half Price Books, which is my favorite bookstore by far. The one I frequent has a section devoted to clearance sci fi (my favorite genre). I bought the entire Space Odyssey series for $4! Always snagging amazing $1-$2 deals from HPB.

I also collect vintage sci fi paperbacks, which generally requires more sleuthing online. I buy from wherever I can find them - Amazon, Ebay, independent vintage book sellers, etc. I buy where I find the best deal.

Not so much into ebooks, though I do have a Kindle. Occasionally I buy a few ebooks there, but it's rare. There is only one series I follow with any seriousness in ebook form.

Margaret wrote: "Nowadays, if I get wind of a book I might like, I most often go to Abebooks and see if I can score an el cheapo paperback. I also use them to get books (sometimes even new copies) of other books i..."


Well, this may support your point more than anything else, but you do know that Abebooks was acquired by Amazon back in 2008, yes?

I get the vast majority of my books from the library. For those books I do buy, I'm totally indiscriminate and just shop around various online sites for the best price - amazon, fishpond, bookdepository, abebooks, etc. I only tend to shop at B&N when I have a gift card - which I seem to get every Xmas.

Huh I knew about the dispute between Hachette and Amazon, mostly because of what it did to my Yen Press orders(subsidary of Hachette) but man the comedy amounts of spinning going on is funny.

Basically it comes down to Hachette says hey we want to charge more for our stuff and get a higher % of money when using your marketplace, Amazon is like nope no way. It seems like a pretty standard scuffle over prices that is normal and is a sign that we will see book/kindle prices rise again soon. It is slightly annoying, but I can still buy stuff from Hachette off Amazon so it's not a big deal.

Most of the books I own came from Wonder Book And Video, a local used books/videos/music store. They've got an online shop, too.

But we do also get them from Amazon, often buying used through Amazon Marketplace vendors.

I've not gotten into eBooks in any big way (though that's the only format I've published in). I did just put a Kindle Voyage on pre-order, though. I'm thinking it'll be good for books I'd like to read but have no interest in owning (big history books and the like), as well as for making sure my eBook formatting works correctly.

When I'm on vacation at the beach I make sure to buy a couple books at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, DE. They're a really small privately owned bookstore (their gift shop/touristy knickknack sections have gotten a lot larger than their book section, but for some reason I'm almost always able to find a couple good SF books there that I'm interested in). Gotta support the locals!

I love physical books but convenience has won me over and just buy e-books now. I buy from Amazon I have a kindle unlimited subscription. I really like the whispersync feature on the kindle app lets me listen to audio versions of the books on my long commute or while I exercise then I can read when I can sit and relax keeping your place in the book while going back and forth.

I get most of my books through Amazon. If I want physical books I will check out Half Price Books or Powell's whenever I go to Portland.

B&N are the biggest rip-off. The stores won't even match the prices on their website.

One more bit about Amazon-Hachette: The New York Times' reporting on the dispute gets publicly smacked down for bias by a New York Times editor:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/pub...

Back to where we buy books, there's a nice indie bookstore not too far from me I've been meaning to check out, but I'm not counting on finding anything that interests me from the big publishers right now. I'll go sometime and see if she has anything besides Martin/Jordan/Tolkein/vampires/urban fantasy, which was what the fantasy section in Borders was pretty much down to by the time they closed.

90% Library, 10% Amazon.

Most of my most recent books have come from Audible :)

In truth, only about 1/3 of my collection of physical books was bought from a chain bookstore (Chapters/Indigo). The majority of my books were bought at used bookstores. I would love to support more brick-and-mortar bookstores, but to be honest, there just aren't many around!

For what it's worth, all my comics and RPG books are bought from local indies.

I will go into every bookstore I come across and peruse the shelves, whether it's B&N, an Indie store, or used books. If something catches my eye, I'll buy it, but I use Amazon regularly for its convenience and selection. They always have the book I want or the first in a series.

Book People, a really good indie bookstore in Austin, TX.

Guy wrote: "Just like the thread name says... Where do you get you books? Barns and Noble? Amazon? Used book store on the corner? Local library? Or do you use one of those websites that shall remain nameless? Do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper, And why?"

All of the above.

I have no preference of paper v. ebooks for most books, but for art and photo books I prefer dead tree tomes.

For ebooks, I use the library, book bundles, discounted books, direct from author (if possible), and Kobo. Through Kobo, I can go to the website for one of my local indie stores, search Kobo from their applet, and follow the link to purchase. That way, the local store gets a small percentage of the sale.

For physical books, I almost never buy new unless it's one of my favorite authors, and then I try to get a special edition from a small press like Subterranean. Half Price Books gets most of my business, but the local thrift stores have better prices if I can find something I'm interested in. And, of course, there's the library.

To be honest, I mostly buy them at Amazon.
That's because I live in a german-speaking country (not Germany, though) and I don't like translations, if a book is originally in English anyway. Some shops do have English books, but they often cost a lot more than on Amazon. I'm not sure how many of the books I want to read our local libraries have (untranslated), so that's not much of an option either.

I can't really explain why, but I prefer printed books although I know that ebooks have lots of advantages. (I got the kindle software on 3 devices and I love that they can all sync to the current page.)

i refuse to buy any sort of ereader and plan to stay with paper books for as long as possible so i tend to use FOPP, Waterstones as least as possible an 2nd hand bookshops/charity shops.

Tend to find rarer books in the 2nd hand shops so always worth checking out.

Mostly Amazon, but if I'm after something pricey(ish) Abebooks can be great value (got War in the Middle Ages by Philippe Contamine for less than half the cost it would've been on Amazon).

On the rare occasions I venture into town Waterstones is good.

I usually buy fiction e-books and history 'real' books. I do prefer physical copies but for cost, convenience and space (I don't have much of the latter) e-books are good value.

About 60/40% Amazon/Biblio.

I used to raid local bookstores, but I've since moved away from the good ones I liked. B&N and other big box brick stores I've exhausted of all things that I've got an interest in. I don't go there anymore because their prices are high, selection low.

I'm a 100% paper-book guy.

I keep my eyes open for library book sales. The best ones charge for a brown bag and you can fill it up for a couple bucks. I scored about a dozen Elmore Leonard novels that way and I've been a fan ever since.

I have a kindle so all of my e-books come from Amazon. Never thought I'd be down with e-books but the convenience and space is really hard to argue with.

For tree killers I usually go to Half Price Books and see what I can find. I still enjoy reading paper books and I love being able to find interesting, older copies of some books.

If it's something brand new or something I just really want and don't want to wait to find it at HPB I'll hit up Barnes and Noble.

And every so often I'll order direct from the author like I did recently with a first edition The Way of Kings from Brandon Sanderson

Either Amazon or library do the trick for me.

I usually buy mine from amazon, both paperbacks and ebooks.

Amazon. Used and as cheap as possible, never more than £3 per book. Keep adding more to the basket until it reaches £25, which gives me free shipping.

Thinking of getting an e-reader for a while now, but e-books are not cheap enough yet.

António wrote: "Amazon. Used and as cheap as possible, never more than £3 per book. Keep adding more to the basket until it reaches £25, which gives me free shipping.

Thinking of getting an e-reader for a while n..."

You can get quite a few ebooks free, and even more for 99 cents (American). That's much cheaper than a cup of coffee in most places. I imagine the best authors will find another way to make a living if they get very much cheaper, and you'll be reading free junk.

To buy? Bookdepository. I work in the libraries though so I tend to pick up a lot of stuff from work too.

I prefer actual physical books to ebooks. I get most of mine from second hand book stores/book sales

I get my books anywhere I can get my hands on them. Spend allot of time at B&N. I am lucky because I live in the NYC area and go to its flagship store. I also buy from Amazon as well as used on Amazon.

I am paper guy and do not like the ereaders. I love the feel and smell of paper. There is nothing I like better than having a book on my chest when I wake on the couch.

Lately I’ve been trying to work through the huge backlog of books I downloaded from the Baen Free Library several years back. So most of my books have come from there, along with a few free Tor books, Orbit books, and other books that were made available for free in the early Kindle days.

When I do buy new books, I usually buy them from Amazon. I have a Kindle, and I’ve read e-books almost exclusively since even before the release of the first Kindle. The “almost” is because I prefer school textbooks, and the occasional reference book for work, in a physical format. I usually get those from Amazon too, or from one of their third-party sellers.

For me, books are all about the words and the ideas – the things I learn, the entertainment I get, and the ideas they spark. It’s the intangible things that I appreciate about a book, so I don’t feel any need for the books themselves to be tangible. It’s all about which format is more convenient and provides more advantages. For me, that’s usually an e-book.

I've been trying to support my local used bookstore, San Ramon, CA - Bay Books, before I go to Amazon. I usually check books out from the library before I by because I don't have that much shelf space.

I haven't gotten an e-reader yet.

Here in the South Pacific, paperbacks are $30-$40, selection is limited, book depository takes up to 2 months to deliver and my library has few books I want to read. I have kindles but dislike the way Amazon treats its staff and suppliers. I tend now to purchase from the iBook store and read on the iPad or purchase from storybundle.com and humblebundle.com when something interesting comes up. I have 2 years worth of books waiting for me thanks to them. I also have an audible subscription.

Bookstores, markets, online. I've got a bit of a backlog (most of us here seem to have one).

Chris wrote: "I have kindles but dislike the way Amazon treats its staff and suppliers. I tend now to purchase from the iBook store and read on the iPad ..."

Wow, talk about double standards!

If that's the reason, maybe you should get a Kobo instead... At least I've never heard anything too bad about them.