Who's ready for the weekend?! I know I am! I'm introducing a new(ish) feature for Fridays to re-cap the week's posts & to propose a question for my followers. Feel free to get involved by linking up at the bottom. If not, I'd love to read your responses in the comments. Thanks!
This Friday's Question:
Buy or Borrow: Where do your books that you read come from? The bookstore? The library? Do you prefer to own a book, or have it on loan?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As someone who is studying to be a teacher, I feel as though I need to be an advocate for libraries (which yes, I highly support & encourage! they are fabulous institutions!)... However, I don't utilize my library as much as I should. The majority of my books come from the bookstore or are on loan to me from other readers/bloggers. A small handful are sent to me via publishers for review, as well. I have a membership with both Barnes & Noble and Amazon. If I am purchasing a book online, I tend to use Amazon more these days. I've had better luck as far as shipping goes. There is a Barnes & Noble in my neighborhood which I utilize from time to time. I also have a Half Price Books in my neighborhood as well. I can usually count on them to find older titles. I support my local indies as well, and I even order from indie bookstores across the country. It's safe to say I go big and small when it comes to my place of book purchases.
The amazing friends I've met through book blogging have opened their mailboxes to me as well. I love reading a book and sharing it with my friends. I know we can't always afford every book, so it's helpful to spend the few dollars on shipping, and share a fabulous read with my friends.
If I really, truly love a book I will buy myself a copy. I don't mind borrowing though, which is why I really need to start utilizing my library more often. I hope to rectify that in 2012!
Posts
I love my library! There are about 9 or 10 libraries in the area that are all connected, and you can request any book and they'll bring it to the library you choose. So I basically do all my library "shopping" online and then just go and pick them up when they're ready. It's awesome, but also a problem because I end up with HUGE stacks of library books that I know I'm never going to finish reading. And you can keep them out for up to five months! Craziness... haha.
ReplyDeleteGreat question today, Ginger! :)
Hi, Ginger! Happy Friday!! I'm one of your most recent followers. It's great that you can share books with your friends. I think most of us will answer that we prefer to own the books we read, but, of course, one's financial situation is a factor. In my case, I actually have to try to curtail my book buying, because it's really turned into an obsession...
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like you're pretty levelheaded about the whole thing! Good for you!
Maria @ http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/
I don't utilize my library much either, except for their online e-books. I probably should, but 1) I'm lazy and 2) I don't do too well with loan deadlines. I like reading at my own pace and time!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you need to get a Kindle ;-)
ReplyDeleteI wish I have an Indie bookstore near me, but I live too far away from the bigger cities that have them.
I have a similar kind of issue. I know that Libraries are great, and I genuinely believe that I am an advocate of them, but I just don't use them. I think part of me dislikes that so many people have held and read the book I hold and read. As a bit of a germ-freak, it kind of bothers me.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could do what you do and support Indie stores as well... I tend to use Amazon almost exclusively!
Borrow! Love, love, love my library. I particularly love that it's part of a large network of libraries, so I can request pretty much anything and pick it up at the closest location... for free. Free is good.
ReplyDeleteI have a membership with both B&N and Amazon, too, but I really only use Amazon and am just waiting for the B&N membership to expire (and will not be renewing it) because Amazon is much more reliable with the shipping times. B&N says they provide "express" shipping (1-3 days), but I've often had to wait a week for a package to arrive and I am impatient to get my books!
ReplyDeleteI buy from different bookstores and the library sale, borrow from the library, trade and receive IMMs and RAKs. :) Any way I can get my hands on books, works for me.
ReplyDeleteI don't shop indie as much as I should, unless there's a signing. You should definitely look into borrowing ebooks from the library for your Nook for older books you've been wanting to read!
ReplyDelete~Jess @ Gone with the Words | My
TGIF/FF post!(If you followed my blog via GFC you will no longer be able
to get my feed via GFC or Blogger and I would be sad to lose you as a follower!
Click HERE to follow
my new feed! THANK YOU!)
I do love learning about and visiting the indie bookstores, but like others, I usually don't shop there unless there's a book signing. Honestly, I try to make use of my library (and I work in one!), but sometimes, you've just GOT to own the book rather than borrow it. However, with all that I've obtained in the past year, I think I'm good until the next major book signing. :)
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate when it comes to utilizing the library more - I've been a library card holder ever since I moved here, but I've only used that wealth of resources once or twice. That's a travesty in my eyes since I'm so passionate about books and reading! I'm definitely declaring right now that, as soon as my TBR has reasonably diminished, I will definitely be borrowing more books from my library.
ReplyDeleteI prefer Amazon too when ordering online, although I'd rather visit a bookstore when I can. I just discovered Book of Wonders at the end of last year and I absolutely LOVE that place. Barnes and Noble is a staple though, since it's the most accessible from where I work.
Holla at your library! They will be happy to see your beautiful face!
ReplyDeletePart of the reason I hit up my library so frequently is that small town living = lack of big bookstores. There is a little bookstore about 30 miles away, but that's it. I use Amazon quite a bit as well for my purchases. They have proven very reliable with shipping and the retroactive discounting on preorders is top notch!
I can't wait for you to be a teacher. I JUST CAN'T!
I love, love, love sharing with friends. That is totally why I started blogging to begin with. Just wish I had a posse of book buds closer.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that before ALA, the library was my best friend. Oh, and Amazon definitely had my number as well cause we're part of Amazon Prime with free 2 day shipping. Yikes. Right now I feel like I have so much to read that I'm going to return my books to the library so I'm not a complete hoarder of all the awesome books. I am really excited to have friends to share and swap books WITH now, and hope that I can return the favor to the people who are sending some my way. I don't have contacts with publishers yet, so really this is all brand new!
ReplyDeleteYeah for another library supporter! I love Half-Price Books as well. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteJennifer @ Feminist Fairytale Reviews
I'm really lucky to have a great, close library that has a big selection of books, so I go there a lot. But I agree that it's a lot of fun to share/swap with other readers. It's always nice to read a book that a friend loved.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!
Thanks again for hosting the TGIF! It makes me happy to see so many people who love their library!!!! I'm a librarian ---- so I'm definitely glad to see that people go to their local library for materials. I get most of my books from my library (or through interlibrary loan if we don't own what I'm looking for), but if I buy, I go to my local indie, or Book Depository UK.
ReplyDeleteLibraries are definitely under-utilized. I have an amazing library a block from my house and I haven't been inside. I don't even own a library card.
ReplyDeleteIt's just so much easier to have the book delivered from Amazon or to browse B&N after library hours which is usually when I have the time to browse.
But as a future teacher, I agree that getting to know your library is important so that your students can learn about the value of libraries.
Great post topic again this week!
Most of my books comes from my library which is down the street when I come back from school, I order them online then when it comes I go and get it. Majority of the new releases books are available there so I usually don't worry :) But if the case is that my public library doesn't have it, I resort to my school library which I go and ask them to order & then I borrow from there.
ReplyDeleteUsually after I read a book and its really good & its a definite "I love it" book I go and buy the book, usually on Barnes & Noble. The other case where I buy the book is if I've been stalking it for a long time and both the cover & the plot sounds fantastic is where I buy it. The third case would be when a lot of my friends recommend a certain book.
Thanks for hosting TGIF :) This is my first time doing this feature & I look forward to continue doing this feature.
Well, I'm definitely a book buyer, mostly out of necessity since there just aren't placed to borrow books in my country.
ReplyDeletePlus, I really like owning the books!
I wish I used my library more too. But with the kiddo, it's hard. He's SO noisy! Haha. :D
ReplyDeleteI prefer borrowing from the library. I have memberships at two different public libraries and my school's. If I absolutely love a book and I want to read it again and again, I'll buy it. Also, if it's another book in a series that I love I'll go to the bookstore, or Half Priced Books if I'm not looking for anything specific and the library's closed.
ReplyDelete