Chicks On Lit discussion
where do you get your books?
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Holli wrote: "I'm sorry that you don't want to self-promote your online bookstore. I would love to check it out...I see nothing wrong with self-promotion....how else will we know about your store and what you offer? So please...feel free to share it with us....I'm sure others would like to check it out also! "
I am trying to catch up this morning and enjoyed learning where others get their books; thanks Cathie for the discussion! I had no knowledge of paperbackswap.com or any other places to order books on-line until I joined this group.
I totally agree with Holly's comment and would check out Brianna's on-line bookstore if I knew the link. I am always looking for new places to feed my addiction and would be happy to place an order with a fellow book lover who has actually joined in on discussions here on Goodreads.
I just have to add that I love this Chicks on Lit group and have made so many new friends because of it. Although there are discussions that don't necessarily have to do with reading books, I so enjoy getting a glimpse into other's lives, including (possible) speed dating, problems with men, glorious new pregnancies, fellow dog and animal lovers, etc. and now find that I have to check up on my fellow chicks daily! Thanks goes to Tera for starting this wonderful group!
Chicks on Lit rocks!
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Brianna shared the link to her bookstore with me privately, (I asked her for it), and I've checked it out and it actually looks like a great store! Prices are very good, comparable to Amazon prices on the books I checked, (big % off), and they also offer free shipping on qualified orders over $25 (like Amazon). I've bookmarked the website and plan on checking it when ever I want to order a book. For others who would like to check it out, the store is called Boone Bridge Books, and the website is:
http://www.boonebridgebooks.com/index...
I have a strange obsession with owning books. I love getting them used or as gifts. I love the used books on Amazon and that is where I get a lot of my books. I secretly one day want to have a library room in my house where the walls are covered in the books I have read :)
I always check paperbackswap.com first for a book I'm looking for and then I go to Amazon if I "have to have it". There is also nothing I like more than spending a few hours in B&N! Usually, whatever I buy, I am able to swap later on paperbackswap. I do keep my favorites and have several enormous bookshelves that I think my husband wishes he could pack up forever!! I just remind him that there are worse addictions and he's lucky that mine is books : )!
I had to stop buying books after the last time I moved... my book boxes outnumbered the rest of our worldly goods, and it depressed me to know that I was relegating them (again) to a life of darkness in another basement... so, I'm a total library freak. Other than cookbooks and gifts for family (of course I continue to buy books for my sons, I hope they'll read 'em someday-- they've still got room on their bookshelves), I haven't purchased a book in a few years-- it's kind of like an addiction-- so I stopped cold turkey... maybe if I ever own a house with floor to ceiling bookshelves, I can return to my shameless book collecting ways.
Jess and Heidi...I also dream of having a room with floor to ceiling bookshelves and the ladders that run around on tracks past them.....wouldn't that be fun? My boyfriend would think I was crazy!Sheila thanks for sharing the link to Brianna's website.....I'll be sure to check it out.
Boone Bridge books is a wonderful site!! I just received an order from them recently. They had just about everything I was looking for and the prices were great too! Sorry, I forgot to mention them. I'm still new to checking them out in my book hunting routine, but it's a great place for getting books for those of us that still buy. Sigh....I also dream of an entire room of shelves for all of my books (and my kids' books too).
I work at a library and get 95% of my books from there. If our system doesn't have a book I want--which is very rare--I use our wonderful interlibrary loan system. I only buy books that hold special meaning for me and that I want to re-read every few years. Otherwise, I'm not wasting the money or space to purchase them.My husband and I search thrift stores for books, too. And if I need or want to, I can get books 40% off through my work. It's a great deal.
I have also bought books from Amazon and eBay. I rarely go into a new bookstore because I'm not going to pay full price when I don't have to. Before I worked at a library I used to live in used bookstores.
And I agree with some others here--we shop at the places we know about. It's hard to shop at independent bookstores if we don't even know they exist.
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I just checked availibility of some books online. If I wanted The Heretic's Daughter, I would be #64 on the waiting list, if I wanted The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, I would be #301 on the waiting list.
I did check to see if they had the video The Crucible (to go along with reading The Heretic's Daughter, and while they don't have it at all in DVD, they do stock 2 VCR copies (both checked out). I am #1 on the waiting list for it though!
And since they check out books and videos for a 3 week period, I should get a copy to watch relatively soon. But for the popular books, not a chance. No way I am waiting around for my turn to come up when I am #301 on the list!
Sheila wrote: "I am amazed how some of you are able to get most of your books (especially anything half way new) from the library. It is almost impossible to get anything even relatively new from our library.I..."
I have the same problem with my local library(ies), Sheila. There is such a small selection, and even if they do have what I'm looking for, the waiting list is so long that it isn't worth it! It's such a shame.
Luckily for me, there are a lot of small, local bookstores in my area where I frequently buy books for very cheap. This is only good for classics and older books, however, as new books rarely pop up on the shelves. If I'm looking for a new book, I usually check out half.com or thriftbooks.com. Very rarely do I venture into Borders or the like.... it's just too expensive.
I buy them all kinds of places,especially used bookstores, which is why I have so many. So as of this semester (I teach college), every class session I'm bringing a book to class that I read. I tell the students about my experience reading it, and I read a bit from the dust jacket. The first person who says she/he wants it, gets it!Today I gave away a signed copy of Alice Sebold's memoir "Lucky" and a signed copy of Ishmael Beah's book about being a boy soldier.
I used to buy all of my books from BN, Border's, Amazon, etc. Then I rediscovered the library. I don't mind the waiting lists because libraries usually order MANY copies of popular books and the wait makes it more exciting. Not to mention, I've still got books on my own shelf that I've never read so if there's nothing waiting for me at the library, I read what's on my shelf. If it's something I really can't wait for or it's a series I already have part of, then I'll buy it.
Kate you are awesome.....I would have loved to have been in your class this semester!! For what you could teach me and for that book opportunity....great idea!I've been #300 and something on my library waiting list before for a book and the longest I had to wait was a month. It goes very quickly so don't let that put you off Sheila. I thought the same thing until I went ahead and put myself on the list just to see how long it would take. It went by quick! :)
We have a small independant bookstore in our city and I love to go there. Their range of books is very good and they order what ever you ask for. They even order expensive books for you so that you can have a look at it before you buy it. If you don't like it you don't have to buy it. I can spend hours in that bookstore without getting bored.
Stef, don't you just love those hours spent in a quaint little bookstore? :)
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I put myself on a wait list at our library 3 months ago and I was then #6. I just checked, and I am now up to #2.
Like I said in my last post, I am #1 for the video The Crucible, and figure I WILL get that in a month, but a popular book...no way. (smile)
And yes, they do have more copies of the popular books. But with 20 copies, if I'm #300, I can do the math and dividing 300 by 20,
that is 15 people for each 1 book. When a book becomes available they hold it for up to 2 weeks for you to come in and get it, then it is checked out for 3 weeks.
So I figure 1 month for the book being in each persons account, so that means at least 15 months to get a popular book (and then if people return late, or leave it the full 2 weeks before they even pick it up...don't even get me started...LOL.)
Maybe someday we'll have a better library, but I think I'll have to stick with shopping around to try to find the best and most affordable places to buy new releases I want to read.
My goal is to fill up my Bookshelves. I love Hastings. They have a great USED book section.
I love paperbackswap, so lately most of my books have come from there. I do pick up a book from the clearance section of Barnes and Noble every once in awhile. If I have a gift card (usually around my birthday or Christmas) I'll absolutely 'splurge' and buy a brand new book but really I have too many sitting in a pile to read - it's more worthwhile to just wait for a new release to be not so new.We used to have the best little bookstore around here but unfortunately it closed and I haven't found another one like it.
I never expected to live in Columbus Ohio (and I think I can probably speak for Holli too)... but we definitely have the BEST library system in the country (in fact I think there's some sign proclaiming their #1 award for best library nationally)... they have many, many branches, lots of books and a great staff.
We do have a great library system here in Columbus....I love it....and utilize it constantly!!
Years ago I used to use a tiny library out in the sticks where I lived....it was when I was writing and getting published too...so many of the books I needed were research and of course not at my little store front library but, I learned that almost anything could be transferred. It was amazing to me how quickly I could get my books. They were not bestsellers of course but I loved how helpful and nice the librarians there were. Nowadays I buy my books because I have my own online bookstore and the temptation is too great when I can get them at cost and I discover new reads everyday. If anyone ever wants to check out it's http://www.boonebridgebooks.com . We love our business and just pour our hearts into it so thank you all of you that went to the effort to find us. You are all the best -
Holli wrote: "I'm going to have to agree with Kristen and others up there when they say it was interesting to see where others buy books (chain, independent, or otherwise) and I didn't take it as anyone being do..."Well said Holli!
I also cannot wait until there's a room in our home with floor to ceiling bookshelves on every wall though I don't think I'll add the roller ladders!
The libraries here are fantastic! There are 2 within 5 minutes of here that I can walk to, 2 within 15 minutes and the county library is about 20 minutes or so away. (There's another branch too but it's more than 1/2 hour away so I don't use that one). The one right in town (5 minutes away) will order in anything they don't have in house and it usually arrives within 3 days. (Except for Eat Pray Love! I was on that branches waiting list for a year but I was glad I bought that one). New or old, it's never a problem though sometimes the waiting list at the 2 main branches is a bit long. (Check the smaller branches since they don't always have a long waiting list for new/hot books & sometimes they don't have a wait at all!)
Jess and Heidi...I also dream of having a room with floor to ceiling bookshelves and the ladders that run around on tracks past them.....wouldn't that be fun? My boyfriend would think I was crazy!I have dreamed of my own library with floor to ceiling book shelves and ladders that run around on tracks for as long as I can remember. It would be so cool!
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Brenda wrote: "I have to admit I love to own my books. I don't even re-read books. I will lend them out but always make sure I get them back. I am not like this with other possessions, just my books.i>Brenda, that sounds EXACTLY like me. My SIL (Courtney) thinks I am crazy but it's a crazy obsession I have. Now she has introduced me to bookmooch and I am slowly but surely starting to give some of them up but I still keep the ones I love. :)
I just spent part of my lunch at Half Price Books! I love that place, when they have the stuff I want!!
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On a positive note though, since I saw that Lolita was high up as a possible choice for one of the May books, I put one of the older versions of it on my wish list on PBS, and have been notified this afternoon that my wish is granted and the book is being shipped. I love PBS!
I am a mixture....many new authors and those that are older books I tend to get at the library. However a favorite author or even a series I will buy...typically at Borders (I hate Barnes & Nobles here in town) but I have been going lately to the new Books-a-million...also on used books there is one great one in town called Gardners and its a treasure trove that is the size of a small TG&Y (how's that for showing my age...they have been gone from here since the mid-80s) and then once a year I go to the Holland Hall Book Fair in Tulsa that has been going on for 50 years next year. Its a private school that raises scholarship money by selling used books that fills up the size of 3 gymnasiums. Its a total zoo! It was about 2 weeks ago this year and they are already announcing the 50th book fair next year on Feb. 27th...so if you are near Tulsa, OK its a must!
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Hi...usually I buy my books off Amazon, and I prefer used, but sometimes I buy new. I also buy form Borders only if I have a coupon. Lately, I've been finding some really great books at my neighborhood Goodwill. I mean really good books! I checked out Jane Eyre from the library and by the last 100 pages, I decided to purchase a copy for my collection. I'm going to urge my daughter to read it.
I'm with you about Goodwill Emily! I find great books there both for myself and also the kids in my family.
I love The Half Price Book Store. I enjoy browsing the clearance area - that's where I discover hidden treasures. You can't beat getting a hardback fairly new, very gently used book for $1. I also like to pick up CDs there. I was a library girl but it was getting harder and harder to finish books by the due date and I ended up renewing them again and again.
I, too, have become a library junkie. I tend to read a book or two a week and that was really hurting my wallet. Plus, the Collier County Public Library allows you to browse online and request and they pull the book for you, which I LOVE! I just run in and grab the book. I also love Barnes and Noble, You don't have to be a member to get good deals. I am on their e-mail list and get coupons virtually every week. And I ask for their gift cards for Christmas. I could go to other book stores in the community, but they are the best.
I also LOVE the flea markets in town. Lots of old people in my Florida community who love to get rid of books.
I cannot pass anywhere that carries books without having a peek. I get them wherever I can lay my hands on them!
I have learned so much already from fellow readers comments and recommendations from just a few months on GR,this is a perfect place to share other places where to find our treasures! If there are online places where we can go, please share!