2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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Where do you buy books?
I really like Abebooks! They have a lot of different editions. Be careful and check the seller (one time I didn't get a package). It's kind of like eBay but only for books!
I like books a million. They have a lot of bargain books. They also have a lot of sales and if you join their club the shopping is free. I also shop Amazon.
Amazon, mostly. Also lately I've been using half [dot] com. The prices are so good. I got many books for as little as .75 a copy and the shipping is cheap too.
As there is a fixed retail price for new books in Germany, and I work in a bookshop, I don't order many books online. When I do, I buy second hand books from booklooker, medimops and rebuy. I'm not sure these platforms sell outside Germany even.
I'm terrible with Amazon - I have a Kindle and it's so easy to download e-books especially as I've just found out about Bookbub which is a website that lists free/cheap ebooks (I'm sure there are other websites like this).I've recently found out about Book Depository which has a wide selection of books and free shipping worldwide.
I mostly buy books on bol.com, which is kind of a Dutch version of Amazon. I also like BookDepository, Amazon, and recently Bookbub for ebooks. It depends on the edition I want and the price+shipping costs.
Since I exclusively read e-books, I have a love affair with Amazon :)
For all you Bookbub lovers, there is also Early Bird Books. I know, it's addictive all the really great deals! My e library exploded after discovering those two sites, and not just with books that they offered, but with actual books I wanted to read!
my e-library is full to bursting because of bookbub and a couple other sites like bookbarbarian and I can't remember the other one,the other way I get books to read for my kindle is that my local library has a good selection of E-books.
I buy mostly on Amazon as usually I'm in need of a specific book. If I feel like browsing, I go to my local Half Price Books.
I have been super lucky to actually work with the Library system, so if i can't just borrow them I like to go to used bookshops. Grey bears, goodwill, logos etc.
Have you try www.bookdepository.com ? I do not live in US so for me is more difficult to buy physical books but this is a great option and they also have great sales. The other day I ended up buyin "by mistake" 4 books.Also I know that in US http://bookoutlet.com/ is pretty good I have seen pretty great deals.
Lately abe books has been my source for paper books. Free shipping. Amazon gets the rest of my money with prime membership shipping deals and kindle.
I get a discount as a Barnes & Noble member and a lot of their classics collection is pretty well priced so I usually walk out of there with a handful of books. Physical books are more appealing to me but occasionally I will get some on Amazon and i-tunes.
I began buying books from Amazon when they first went online. I continue to use them these days for my kindle. I also make other small purchases and am always impressed with their service.There was a time many years ago before so many places were selling used books and ARC'S on the Internet that I would visit The Strand Bookstore in Manhattan weekly. For 97 cents, I would buy advanced review copies of books that weren't even published yet. But then The Strand renovated the store and added a new floor and the Internet sellers were there as soon as the store opened emptying the shelves. I have nice memories of shopping at The Strand and would often take books friends from the Internet when they visited.
I read digital books exclusively but still love visiting The Strand. :D
When I'm not buying off Amazon or some other book store, I'm obsessed with BookOutlet.com. They sell books that are pretty much overstock/damaged books from other retailers, etc. You can snag some massive deals on tons of different genres of books, even new releases and popular series. If you go for scratch & dent copies (slightly damaged), you just can't argue with the prices. Free shipping over $35 too! I pretty much live on the site.
I use BetterWorldBooks.comThe prices are amazing (better than amazon usually) They ship quickly and they donate books to the less fortunate and schools too. They also try to have a smaller carbon footprint. The really great prices and quality of the books I receive is too good a deal to turn away from though!
I occasionally will still buy a book at full price from Barnes and Noble if I just really don't want to wait for it at all.
I still enjoy wandering through a good used book store as well.
And often times I just use the library. I don't buy every book I read. Only the ones that I'm really sure I am going to enjoy.
B&N, bookbub and Amazon are the ones I usually use to get my reading materials.
Goodwill. Lol. I have bought so many from my local Goodwill. There were so many times that I got complete sets of series in almost new condition. Otherwise, I hit up the libaries' mass book sale. I can get some great books from there as well. If it's a book I can't wait to get donated to Goodwill, I shop Amazon.
I buy books from places like goodwill, amazon freebies and garage sales. I get freebie books daily in my email from 5 different programs. I would be in trouble if I went into a bookstore and was told I could get as much as I wanted would need a semi to bring all my books home.
Joan wrote: "I like books a million. They have a lot of bargain books. They also have a lot of sales and if you join their club the shopping is free. I also shop Amazon."Yes I agree!
I buy books from thriftbooks because if you have a total that adds up to $10.00 you get free shipping (always a plus because its expensive) and it's usually pretty quick delivery wise. Books A Million. And of course my local library always have old books/rare gems they sell for $5.00. I used to get emails that would give you free ebooks but I'm not into electronic reading.
Everywhere I go I look for books! While I LOVE and support the public library...I am also like a dragon with my treasure hoard of books! I often check out Goodwill, the local Senior Center, the friends of the public library's book sales, yard sales and any little free library I run across. I also live in Oregon close enough to journey to Mecca.....aka Powell's City of Books in Portland, OR.
Everytime I am out and about I normally pop in to a charity shop or 3 just to see if there is anything, I don't have a bookshop in the town I live in and I don't drive. Never really thought about buying books online
Goodwill for sure!! At two bucks a piece I don’t have to feel guilty... plus the treasure hunt is the best part.
I love my amazon and kindle unlimited not that unlimited is buying lol
eBay a lot of the time and charity shops. I love a good rummage in some of my local charity book shops.
I usually order off of Amazon whenever I actually buy books. Sometimes I take advantage of sales BAM is having as well.But honestly, I don't really buy books too often. Instead I'll just get books from the library and only buy them if I loved them and might want to do a re-read in the future.
I buy everything for my kindle from Amazon. But the prices are going higher and higher, so I utilize the library as well.
I usually read e-books because it's much easier for me. So I buy from Amazon.For kids books I usually go to B&N
I hardly buy a book. I prefer Library instead buying a book.
Since I am a huge Apple fan, I always go with iBooks. I have the Kindle app as well, but I never buy anything there.
Kadijah Michelle wrote: "Hi,I am addicted to Amazon. I love that I never have any trouble finding the book I want, and I love their prices on new and used books. But lately I'm getting some push back about how I should g..."
Thrift stores are good places to look! I like Half-Price Books because they are cheaper than places like Barnes and Noble. Most of the time, though, I go to the library.
I love my dead trees, but I also think that you should recycle whenever you can. So I buy the majority of my books from Goodwill, Savers or second hand stores and Thriftbooks. In rare instances I do buy from B&N, if it's new and I NEED to have it or it's a series I want to keep in the same edition or I am desperate for it NOW.
I live in a small village in north-east India, the only bookstore in my village has academic books. So I buy mostly from Amazon and Flipkart(Indian Amazon). But for the last 6 months I was living in Guwahati, a city in Assam, and I discovered this bookstore cafe called Not Just Books. They sell a lot of stuffs from coffee mugs to hand bags but mostly they sell books. I became a regular customer there and it was also the first real bookstore I got the chance to explore.
I have recently found that I like the Dollar Tree to find the occasional book. I have picked up random books there I might never had before because "Hey, they are a dollar!" and I have been pleasantly surprised.
Keturah wrote: "I have recently found that I like the Dollar Tree to find the occasional book. I have picked up random books there I might never had before because "Hey, they are a dollar!" and I have been pleasan..."That's how Lesra found "The Sixteenth Round" By Rubin Carter and Lesra ended up helping Rubin to his freedom. Isn't it Amazing
I use my library and Amazon. Digital only though.
Chapters.... 🤑I am addicted to the store. An expensive habit I'm trying to break!
I swear by Thriftbooks.com I get such good deals (most books start at $3.79) and if your order is over $10 you get free shipping. You also get a $5 coupon for every $50 that you spend and the shipping is SO quick. Generally they say it will take 4-14 business days and I've never waited over 7 days for any books. Their selection is huge and even if they don't have the book at the moment you add it to your wish list and it will notify you when it comes in. I love it so much I have the app on my phone.
Dana wrote: "I swear by Thriftbooks.com I get such good deals (most books start at $3.79) and if your order is over $10 you get free shipping. You also get a $5 coupon for every $50 that you spend and the shipp..."Me too, I swear by it. I have only had issues with one book from them and I have ordered a lot from them. After Goodwill/Savers, I would say Thriftbooks is my second most bought from store.
Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "I swear by Thriftbooks.com I get such good deals (most books start at $3.79) and if your order is over $10 you get free shipping. You also get a $5 coupon for every $50 that you spend ..."Same! I love going to the Goodwill near me! And yes with Thriftbooks, in the many years I've been buying I've only had 1 book that came all highlighted and written in (it was a psychological memoir so I assume someone used it for a class) but it never stated that in the remarks when I purchased it so that was disappointment (the remarks more than the highlights) as it was distracting to read. Other than that, it's been amazing.
Dana wrote: "Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "I swear by Thriftbooks.com I get such good deals (most books start at $3.79) and if your order is over $10 you get free shipping. You also get a $5 coupon for every $50..."Normally i buy books in Acceptable condition, so I expect marks, dings, whatever. But I bought a Very Good Condition and got a library book. No big deal really, just annoying lol.
Though one of my "Acceptable" books came signed by the author, so that's pretty cool.
Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "I swear by Thriftbooks.com I get such good deals (most books start at $3.79) and if your order is over $10 you get free shipping. You also get a $5 coupon ..."Oh that is totally awesome!! Yeah I generally go for the acceptable or good condition, so I was surprised when the good came back with all those mark ups. I think my favorite has been so far, twice I've gotten a little note from the seller with their rating of the book and nice wishes for me with reading the book. I thought that was such a sweet thouch.
Dana wrote: "Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "I swear by Thriftbooks.com I get such good deals (most books start at $3.79) and if your order is over $10 you get free shipping. You also ..."Oh I love things like that. I used to work at Savers/Value Village in the book department. I would flip through pages and make sure everything was out of it, no book marks, or money or whatever. But occasionally I found little notes like that and I always left them in because it was a nice little surprise and treasure to find.
Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "Keturah wrote: "Dana wrote: "I swear by Thriftbooks.com I get such good deals (most books start at $3.79) and if your order is over $10 you get free shippi..."I agree it is absolutely a wonderful surprise to find!
I mostly go to the bookstore but since it doesn't have a big section of English books, I'm also using bol.com (it's like amazon for the Netherlands) because if I'm lucky, I can also find secondhand books there too. I usually prefer getting secondhand books (that's why I'm always behind lol). Unfortunately, in the city I'm living in, there's isn't a wide range of english books (like 2 shelves) in the secondhand bookstore. I have some free time in May and I'm taking the train down to Amsterdam so I could go to all the bookstore to find some books.
I hit the thrift stores mostly Goodwill, and the library book sales.I'll buy books on http://bookoutlet.com mostly when they are under .99 cents. Library for new books.
I get my free ebooks from
https://openlibrary.org
I am addicted to Amazon. I love that I never have any trouble finding the book I want, and I love their prices on new and used books. But lately I'm getting some push back about how I should give others a chance, so I'm asking you, what other online outlets do you use to buy books?
I say online because I do not drive, so getting to many of the used book stores in my area is difficult*, and I will not buy books at a retail store when you can find a perfectly good used book. The only time I buy a new book is when I have no other option.
*I do check my local used bookstore and yard sales frequently for the books I want to read.