Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion
Where do YOU buy or get your books?
I get my books from PSB, Borders, Waldens and even a couple from the library.
I'll look for books anywhere. Garage sales and the annual library sale are my favorites. The library sale usually gives me enough to read for a year but I keep buying more anyway. If it's something new from an author I'm loyal to, I'll go ahead and buy new from Barnes and Noble. I'm in their rewards program and everyone is always giving me their gift cards for birthday and Christmas. I love shopping their bargain racks too. I'm a keeper of my books, they are in every shelf and just stacked up against walls in my apt. About 10 years ago, after a divorce, I got rid of many paperbacks and I regret it now. I love my books! As for ebooks, I like the feel and heaviness of an actual book in my hands.
I get my book from many different places. I love Barnes and Noble, I also get my books from library sales, PBS,a used book store in my town called Bookswap, a friend who sells used books and my mother who is also an avid reader
I get my books in a few different places. I think the majority I order from Doubleday Book Club (www.doubledaybookclub.com). I've had a "membership" for about 7 years now. They offer a nice discount on the shelf price, plus I get an extra 10% of and there are a lot of specials (like buy 2 get 1 free and stuff). If I want a book right away then I'll go to Borders, Barnes and Noble, or one of the independent shops like The Tattered Cover on the 16th Street Mall here in Denver. My favorite independent store in Colorado Springs closed down two years ago and it broke my heart, it was The Chinook Bookstore. On Saturdays, my mom would take me down there when I was in elementary school for the reading hour. The bookstore Meg Ryan works at in "You've Got Mail" (The Shop Around the Corner) is very much like The Chinook. I cried the day Chinook locked its doors!
I've been reading the other posts and have written down several of the online sites you all have mentioned. I'm going to have to check them out. I am so glad I've found a site populated by others who read just as much as (or more than) I do! I love this site!
How does one post a new message? I just can't seem to figure it out and I have some info to share!Thanks
a newbie
(obviously)
ahhhhhhh, I see, posting a comment is posting a message...it's all so clear now, lolI do all my shopping for used paperbacks on-line. I've found some great deals by perusing eBay sellers. I hate paying a lot for shipping and handling, so I rarely use Amazon unless I'm buyin g new and get free shipping, or if it's the only place to find what I want. I'm buying up several series and sometimes Amazon used books is the only way for me to fill in the gaps.
I also have purchased recently from Grave Matters, I buy from ABEbooks a lot if I can find a seller with reasonable S&H charges for multiple books. A Book Nook is another on-line seller I've bought from recently.
Glad to be with you!
Christy
tara, i'm so glad to see tattered cover mentioned here! i lived in denver for a couple of years and spent many cold, snowy days (and warm summer days!) in tattered cover. my favorite free time was spent exploring tattered cover, finding a book and sitting down in a quiet corner with that book and a hot cup of tea. i miss those days! there's nothing quite like that here in san diego.
We have them here in Kansas City and I love them,I can always find a few good deals on books.
oops a premature send I meant to say that we have a Half-Price book store here. But I mostly shop on Amazon for my books.Garage sales are also a nice place to look for books, sometimes you can get them for as low as .50.
I'm addicted to buying books from Thrift Stores. Goodwill, mostly. Because they are all (the paperbacks at least) a dollar. THe downsides are.. you know, going to Goodwill, they aren't usually very well organized, if at all, and they can be in not great shape. But I've got some GREAT books for a dollar there. And it's a good feeling.
Have you guys tried the Dollar General stores they have books for a dollar sometimes you luck upon some really good ones.
I cleared out quite a few books for the local library booksale (mostly kids books since they are teens and pre-teens--but kept a few which really brought back memories). I love library booksales, and always go to the one at the shore while we are on vacation. Great deals---hardovers for $1, paperbacks fifty cents. I agree with Patrick---it's hard to find shelf space for them all!Another place I buy books is Barnes and Noble. Rarely do I pay full price, and when you become a member you gets discounts as well as additional discounts via weekly emails. I've found that purchasing books online is often significantly cheaper than the actual store...plus free shipping on $25 and over orders. Also, if you sign up for their mastercard you get a $25 credit which pays for the membership fee.
i buy my books from amazon.co.uk...depending on my budget i buy 1st hand, but 2nd hand is just as good, only thing is that it takes longer to be delievered.
used books are a girls best friend...I often find just what I need on Amazon.com for a decent price and in great or fairly decent condition...and I love a good yard sale...you never know what reading treasure you might find...but I also buy books from BN or Borders mostly during a sale.
I buy most of my books new. I lack the patience to wait for what I want to come in used. I also like to buy my books from the store. Buying online takes away part of the fun. I love it when I get the last copy a store has on it shelves.
I didn't read the whole thread, so I'm not sure if these have been mentioned already....Here are a few of my favorites:
half.com
bookmooch.com
paperbackswap.com
Barnes & Noble (love the Bargain Section where I find authors I might not otherwise read)
And, to find local sales:
booksalefinder.com
I normally buy my books through Amazon, mostly the 3rd party sellers, and I've had excellent luck with them, books matching or exceeding the quality of the listings and usually arriving very quickly. I also buy at Borders, Books-A-Million Barnes & Noble for new books. For new and used book, my favorite haunt is Haslams in St Petersburg, Florida. In fact I was just there today and bought six books... . I've posted them on my "to read" list if you want to see them.By the way, I *love* the name and purpose of this group. I do tend to buy more books than I might reasonably expect to read in my lifetime.
Amazon, usually, but whenever I get the chance I head to Brand Books in Glendale (CA). Great used books, huge selection, and there always seem to be some gems in there that jump off the shelf and into my arms when I walk by.
Half-Price is where I buy most of my books. There's one near my house, and I can't just walk by. I have to walk in.
i usually buy from barnes & noble, though i do love a great second-hand book fair. i cannot, however, just check out books from the library. if i read a book, i need to own it. they're like trophies for me. :)
I buy my books from Borders or Dymocks if they're new release ones otherwise I attempt to find them second hand at 'Archives' in Brisbane, Australia.Twice a year Lifeline has its bookfest where secondhand books are as cheap as 50 cents each. On the last few days you can fill a bag for $5. Cheap as chips. It's tables and tables and tables of books. I've found some of my favourite authors by picking up random books that 'look interesting'.
I've bought at least 10 books this week. I really belong in BBAA.
I just have to put in my own little plug for Powell's Books. It is the bookstore mecca of the universe. I try to make at least annual pilgrimages. The main store is an entire city block. Their website is amazing too.Okay, plug's over.
I hardly ever buy books as I get so many mailed to me for free as a reviewer. However, when I do buy books it's usually over the internet like on Amazon or another bookseller type site. Or I buy used books at a local store. I also pick up books at writer conferences.
I think I've got a favorite in every city I travel to... but not in my hometown/region!Other than the ones in London (Waterstone's off Piccadilly Circus), Sydney (Dymock's), Melbourne (RMIT and several independents for which the names escape me right now),and Wellington(Capital Books), which I used to get to up to 3 times a year,despite the distance from home(due to my business travels), my most frequented favorites are strung up and down the west coast of the USA:
Seattle: Elliott Bay Books
Portland: Powell's Main and Powell's Technical Books (just a couple blocks apart)
Menlo Park: Kepler's (which thankfully rose like a Phoenix some time back)
Los Angeles: Opamp Technical Books
Unfortunately here at home almost all the independents have long since departed this world... and we're left with the one megachain.....and all that entails.
I find my books wherever I can get my hands on them for the best price possible. Mainly at library sales, thrift stores, garage or yard sales, outlet malls, book drives and as gifts. Recently I have been finding much more books on E-bay! Yes it is very addictive because I find a lot of hard-to-find, signed, or first edition copies for a little of nothing. The hardest part is waiting for them in the mail. I have also checked out half.com and I like the wish list part that notifies you when a book you are looking for is available.
In addition to Powells (Excellent site!), Amazon, and the local chain bookstores (no general interest indies close enough), I have rediscovered my local library. It's like a big bookstore, and you can just take the books, and they don't make you pay or anything! It's so cool! TK Kenyon
Author of RABID (Apr 2007) and Callous (Apr 2008)
"a genre-bending story, part thriller, part literary slapdown." --Booklist Starred Review
With the exception of purchasing my comics, graphic novels, and manga from DT Comics, a local independent here in Ferndale, MI. Mostly I purchase my books from Black Expressions Book Club, which I normally order five at a time.
However, I love nothing better than to walk through a book store! Searching out new authors, Border's discounts which are usually placed in front of the store is the best place to luck up on finding James Patterson, Harlan Coben, Edgar A. Poe, and Jeffery Deaver novels for about five dollars!
Amazon would be fourth for me. Lastly, receiving books as gifts or purchasing novels from summer festivals. As much as I love the library... I need to own my books!
I'm a huge proponent for local used bookstores since the days of being an undergrad Literature major. Still the best place as I love to peruse and take home a stack without breaking the bank. Plus you can find those out-of-print gems.I sell for my mom online at half.com and for hard-to-find books have shopped there, but for the most part I just LOVE the experience of wandering through bookstores and discovering new "worlds" to explore.
So for me the big ones, such as Chapters, Barnes & Noble, and Borders, are like Tiffany's to a jewel-loving society snob! Must. Resist.
I use the library pretty extensively, I have read classics such as Dracula online (dailylit.com will send you emails each day with a chapter to read, it's so awesome and free), I go to library book sales, I use half.com pretty extensively, sometimes Amazon (depends on if they can beat half.com's price and shipping is free), and I also comparison shop at alibris.com, barnes and noble online and borders online. I am lucky enough to live in the city where Half Price Books started, so I've got the huge flagship store nearby where I can buy and sell books. They are AWESOME.I also sometimes go into Borders or B&N to shop, but I'm spoiled by lower prices, so I rarely ever pay full-price, although I do get a 20% teacher discount at those places.
My city's library system is amazing and I take advantage of it a lot. I love the fact that I can renew, reserve, and search for books online!
I've got to tell a cool story about Half Price Books. They started it in a laundromat in Dallas and my mom used to go there to do her laundry and buy and sell books when she was a divorcee and my brother and I were really little. I still remember browsing all the romance paperbacks, LOL!
since i get the vast majority of my books on remainder, i browse local independent bookstores -- of which boston fortunately has several. my two favorite places are the harvard book store (NOT the coop) in harvard square and brookline booksmith in coolidge corner. i blame them for everything. there are plenty of used book stores in greater boston, sadly the awesome discovery books in allston is closed (i miss the cats!), but lorum ipsum between central and inman squares is really neat, raven books in harvard square has a good selection but can sometimes be pricey, mcintyre books in davis has treated me well for nonfiction, and there's a new place in porter square on elm street that i haven't visited yet, but looks promising. i used to have good luck in my student days with the used bookstore on beacon street right by st. mary's, but haven't been there in years and years.
In response to Heather's post above, I regret to inform all who might be interested that my favorite Boston bookstore, the Avenue Victor Hugo on Newberry Street, has closed its physical location and now exists only on line. I greatly regret making some time in my life these past 15 years for a return visit to that wonderful bookstore to thank the owners for giving me such a delightful diversion during my years of college in that fine city.For all of us who loved used bookstores, in any city, please take a minute to visit the current website
http://www.avenuevictorhugobooks.com/
and read through the twelve reasons they list on their homepage "for the death of small and independent book stores"....
It is not easy reading, once we get into the list, for we will find ourselves among those charged as guilty.
Nevertheless, it is worthy of our consideration, since so many of us do love our independent bookstores even as we continue to use amazon, Border, Barnes and Noble, and our chains.
one last note, if any of you out there who will read this thread in the future currently patronize an independent or used bookstore in your community, please let the rest of us know who they are and where they are. We can't do much collectively to stem the current trends of consumer buying, but we can take a minute to put out a little positive publicity for our favorite independent bookstores. Think of it as an expression of your appreciation and gratitude for time well spent among their stacks.
If you're in Manhattan on a weekend and the Strand is too busy- and it does get ridiculously crowded- 12th Street Books is just a couple blocks away between University Place and 5th Avenue. It's a small shop below the street. They only carry used books and are *very* selective. Great spot for vintage Penguin paperbacks!
Since I live in Oregon, I have the luxury of visiting Powells. I no longer live in the Portland area, so it's a real treat when I go there! Another favorite bookstore of mine is in Eugene... It's called Smith Family Books. They sell used and new and have this really great cluttery feel.. books stacked on the floor as high as your knees, and overflowing book shelves. It's overwhelming and awesome! Other than that, I like to go to Good Will for used books (I rarely buy new), and the local library book sales are always great. Barnes and Noble occasionally (the only major book store around here).
In all my travels i have only found one bookstore that can lay claim to the title of my favorite bookstore of all time. McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey, MI USA
and it jsut so happens to be like 3 blocks from my apartment...a dangerous dangers game for a bookaholic and compulsive book buyer.
I dropped by Half Price Books yesterday, expecting not to get anything, but was in the neighborhood ... I exited four books, and $30, later. They must have a cross-pollination scheme among their stores. I had been there a couple of times this summer, finding nothing I wanted in my two usual haunts (travel essay and memoir); this time there were a significant number of new titles; the ones I purchased carried stocking dates within the past 30 days.
I currently shop at the library sale at the Mid Manhattan branch of the NYPL and at The Strand, but I have to say I miss Half Price books (a recent NYC transplant from Austin Tx) and am trying to rationalize making a trip to Pittsburgh, Pa which is the closest location to me these days....but as for my favorite bookstore of all time....bookwoman in Austin gets my vote, but then again I used to work there. So when I actually get to buy new book, I try to do so from the little guys. Support your indy bookstores they need you...
I try to get most of my books second-hand. I usually hit Book Review in Rochester, MN. once a week. When I lived in Madison, WI. there is no better store for that than the Book Peddler just off Mineral Point Road. If you're ever in the area, drop in--that's a place for people who truly put books in a place of honor. If I can't find a book I want in a second-hand store, I order off internet sites. It's fast and I don't have to actually go near a mall. (Which I believe to be Satan's experiment in shopping...)
I find it challenging to find hood book stores up here in NH, so I admit to shopping at Borders (the closest is at least half an hour away but I really enjoy the rewards program so I make the trek...and never leave with fewer than 6 books!) I have a Barnes & Noble fairly close to my house and a Waldenbooks near work, but I usually try o stick to the bargain racks.As another reader mentioned, I do shop online with doubleday.com as well. If you pay attention & be patient, you can get some really good deals!
I also go nuts at the annual book sale held at a church near my parents' summer home in ME. Last year I came home with two boxes & a bag full of favorite authors for only $25!!!
I was also curious to hear more from Laura from Sunnydale whose husband was a book reviewer...I would LOVE to do this but have no idea how to get involved. I remember in college we used to get some books sent to the arts editor of the paper I worked for...I was always jealousy that they got books sent to them review, but sometimes they would let me have ones t hey didn't want after they were done with them. If Laura still reads this (or if anyone else who knows how I could break into this aspect of things), please drop a line.
Sean, The Book Peddler on Mineral Point is no more. Pooh Corner and Canterbury Books have also closed their doors in recent years, while other indies (such as Booked For Murder) are still going. For used books in Madison, choices include Half Price Books, Frugal Muse (which has a Mineral Point location), Paul's Books, and Avol's.
I tend to visit the westside HPB primarily due to its proximity to bank and grocery store, but occasionally venture further out to Frugal or B&N (for those books I can't seem to find anywhere else). I used to order a lot of books via internet, but rarely do so now.
I recently did a post on my blog on some of the bookstore offerings in Madison, WI:
http://wordtrix.blogspot.com/2008/01/...
Heather
I get most of my books online - either from Amazon or Paperback Swap.When I do Brick & Mortar stores, I hit up my local Borders, or a used bookstore in Sharon, PA called The Book Rack.
Thanks for the info, Heather & Sean. I live in Prairie du Chien and I will check out the Frugal Muse. Also, I have relatives in Rochester, MN so I will check out the Book Review.Charlene
MY best spot to buy books is at Borders -they usually have a few tablesof buy two get one free - if I'm lucky, I'll find an older book on one of the clearance racks too!! I also don't mind buying used books, and go to Goodwill to get books for 65 cents each!!
My favorite way of getting books now has been the online store Bookwise. It allows me to get a book every month and count it as a tax break, I also get monthly free ebooks or audio books and thousands of dollars worth of training all as part of the process. The best part is yearly book writing workshops with million copy best selling authors all for free.
I have to second Jessica and Janet's plug for Powell's. Whenever my wife and I return for a visit we set aside an extra day for browsing the stacks and bring an extra suitcase for all of the books we're going to lug back. When I was going to school in Eugene, Smith Family Books was a second home for me.Here in Tucson there's a great used bookstore called Bookman's that tends to have just about anything I'm looking for that is more than a couple years old. For new books I tend to stick with Amazon, though for my favorite authors I try to buy direct from their websites if that is an option.
I didn't see anybody mention auctions, both estate and book auctions. I used to frequent both types of auctions and have come home with huge amounts of books quite cheap. At either type of auction you can come away with boxes of books very cheap. Granted you get books you don't want in box lots but if you can get a box of books for $1.00-$5.00 what the heck!
Might I suggest book swapping as a totally amazing way to get used books (gently used and like brand new). Bookmooch.com and paperbackswap.com are the BEST!! They are a book-a-holics paradise! Give a book and you can get a book. Both are great communities for book lovers to accumulate and share. The only cost is the price you pay at the post office to ship any given book to whoever has requested it. And the same cost goes to whoever is sending you a book you request. Its way cheaper than amazon.com's shipping or even the $4s the swapping page here at goodreads asks you to pay.
liberty books,, that’s the only decent book shop i know in Pakistan, I even go a lot to the old book shop :) but there are still alot of books that i miss reading cause they never come to pakistan
I absolutely LOVE Sundog Books in Seaside, FL. Each employee has a shelf with their favorite books....it was neat to see one of the employee's shelves had almost all of my random favorite books. (From "The Handmaid's Tale" to "The Diary of Anne Frank" to some of the strange Charlaine Harris Vampire books!) If I could ever open a bookstore...it would be just like this one!http://www.sundogbooks.com/
Book Buying Addicts Anonymous
Books mentioned in this topic
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Otherwise, I buy alot of my books online at places like Amazon and ECampus while I'm order textbooks, because they're so danged expensive.
My favorite thing ever though is, Titletrader.com. The deal is that you have an inventory of stuff you want to get rid of and when someone want something off it you pay shipping and then get credits to request books on your wishlist. I especially like this idea because instead of donating hundreds of boos that just get thrown out if no one wants them I can get send them off to someone that WANTS to read it or needs it for school. It just seems a lot liss wasteful.