What Do You Do With Books When You're Done Reading?

[Elvia]

I sent all of my family a text asking for any old books they no longer want and need to get rid of. I'll be getting a box full of books to add to my list. I don't own a lot of books since the library is my closest friend. lol I'm hoping to own more books using PBS. :)

[Jaimie]

Jessica wrote: Still, I feel justified because I'm saving money since I am not paying full price!


That's how I feel. Books are just too expensive nowadays and my local Barnes and Noble has resorted to putting security tags in their books, usually on the blank part of a partial page. Grrr.

I do like to support a local independent book store I've gone to for years but I usually only go there a few times a year.

Plus, if you think about the whole carbon footprint thing, you're actually helping the environment. Of course, if it's one of my favorite author coming out with a new book I will buy new and I admit to the occasional impulse buy at B&N when I'm supposed to be just browsing. Other than that, if the book's been out for a while, I buy used.

[January February March]

Jaimie wrote: "Jessica wrote: Still, I feel justified because I'm saving money since I am not paying full price!


That's how I feel. Books are just too expensive nowadays and my local Barnes and Noble has re..."

I totally agree! I don't ever buy from the large conglomerates or chains(for not other reason then there isn't one in walking distance...but I still reserve the right to feel self rightous regardless) so when I do buy new it is from this TINY little independent bookstore around the corner from me. I go every Tuesday (because that's when a lot of new books are released) and I go equipped with a list. So I don't stray. Don't look at me that way! You KNOW you're the same way...admit it!

The only books that make this list are just released or very newly released. If the book is more then two years old (or I can't wait another six months for the dang thing to become available on PBS etc.) I fold and order it from 'my' little store. Because I'm weak.

Otherwise, if I can get it used I do. :)

[Wendy]

I belong to paperbackswap. and yes, most books you can wrap and ship them with just the printed address sheet. I always wrap mine in saran wrap first in case they get wet. None of the books I have received have been damaged by this method. I love this site and have gotten a lot of books this way. I am busy, okay, truth be told, lazy so I pay an extra .50cents or so to just print the postage and not have to go to the post office. There is nothing better than coming home from a rough day at work and having a book you wanted waiting in your mail box :)

[January February March]

Wendy wrote: "There is nothing better than coming home from a rough day at work and having a book you wanted waiting in your mail box :) ..."

Tell me about it. Checking the mail has become the hi-light of my day. Which, having said that aloud, makes me realize...I need more hobbies I think. :\

[Jaimie]

There's nothing wrong with getting excited over checking the mail. I also have Netflix. :-)

Wendy, I pay the fee too. It's so easy that way. I bring the book to work, wrap it, and put it in the outgoing mail.

Jessica, I've tried to go into a bookstore with a list and I can't find anything. I think it's bad luck for me. Usually I just browse and I'll find books on my list.

[January February March]

Jo wrote: "I get excited when the mail comes too. I am a member of lovefilm which is the Uk version of Netflix and i buy all my books online ot get them from a swaping website. Yesterday i got home from work ..."

Ha! I got home and I found two books, a bill (boo) and a very lovely (aka DEMANDING ) letter from my neighbor asking me (aka TELLING me) if I can drive her to her work interview today. Jo, I would like to switch mail boxes with you. I think mine is broken. :\

[Jaimie]

All I got in the mail today was the electric bill. :-( But soon... I had three credits from books I sent out, used one on Wednesday and the other two today, then bought one credit and used it for a book someone just recommended to me. :-)

[Jaimie]

I would like to let everyone know that I am officially addicted to Paperback Swap. I've gotten rid of a ton of books and ordered a ton more. :-)

[Elvia]

Me too! Even though I don't have many books to post I'm still loving the site! I received American Gods in the mail today. I can't wait to get more books from my family/friends to post.

[Jaimie]

American Gods is a really good one.

[Elvia]

I got Anansi boys last night too! I LOVE PBS. lol

[Jaimie]

I really enjoyed Anansi Boys. Lemme know what you think.

I just got three books from PBS in the mail today. I'm so addicted! LOL!

[Kristina]

Anansi Boys and American Gods were both great. I just finished Neverwhere and that was fun, too. I think I downloaded Stardust on my phone so I'm sure I'll read that when I'm done with this last Vampire Academy book.

[Jaimie]

With Stardust, you gotta read the graphic novel. It's the best version.

[Kristina]

Alright, maybe I'll pick that up then this weekend.

[Jaimie]

You won't be disappointed. :-)

[[deleted user]]

Kristina wrote: "Anansi Boys and American Gods were both great. I just finished Neverwhere and that was fun, too. I think I downloaded Stardust on my phone so I'm sure I'll read that when I'm done with this last ..."

I'm going to put these three books on my TBR list. I'm just starting my first Neil Gaiman book titled The Graveyard Book. So far, it's really good.

[[deleted user]]

When I'm done reading, I usually just keep it on my shelf. That's why my room is overcrowded. But this year, I knew I had to let go of some books on my shelf because I need more space so for the books that I didn't really enjoy, I ended up selling them on a book sale.

[Jaimie]

Grain de Beaute wrote: "I'm going to put these three books on my TBR list. I'm just starting my first Neil Gaiman book titled The Graveyard Book. So far, it's really good."

Add this: Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

[Jojobean]

I keep all the books I like. The books i dont like i give to my mom who works in the library and she donates them. All the librarians love her because she bring new books for them lol

[Thalia]

I keep them! Put them on my shelf so I can remember both the good and the bad. It breaks my heart to give away or sell books, even if I didn't like them. My shelves are like a map of what I've read!

[Razmatus]

I put them in my shelf to rest in peace, among the mighty pantheon of my memories haha :p

[Mirvan.]

Razmatus wrote: "I put them in my shelf to rest in peace, among the mighty pantheon of my memories haha :p"

I love how you put it. I am very protective of my books. i do not like them to be borrowed. I usually put them all around my bed, sleep with them. They tell me they like that.

[Razmatus]

Mirvan wrote: "Razmatus wrote: "I put them in my shelf to rest in peace, among the mighty pantheon of my memories haha :p"

I love how you put it. I am very protective of my books. i do not like them to be borrow..."

I dont lend my books for one simple reason - I know ppl to whom I would lend them, they are good ppl, but most of them dont know how to properly read paperback without making those ugly scars at the side of the binding... first thing one does when they snatch paperback in their hands is to bend it as if it was a sewn-bound hardback...

[Carla]

I pass them on to family,unless they are my most favorite.

[Nancy from NJ]

I pass them on to friends or family or the library when they're taking donations. Unless I really loved the book, I want somebody elswe to enjoy it and it frees up some space for more although these days I only use my i pad.

[Cheryl]

If they are books I really, really enjoyed and will probably read again, I keep them. I also tend to hang on to the books from my favourite authors or series, such as the Murder, She Wrote cozy mysteries or the Star Trek, Original Series books.

The books that were so-so or I liked but it's doubtful I'll re-read, I donate to my local library.

[Julie]

Now that I have a kindle there are no worries! I do still have hundreds of books on my shelf to read. I sell them on ebay, or half price books. Sometimes I donate to the library or pretty much just give them to paperback swap store. I only keep collectables for my shelf. I hope to eventually have everything on my kindle so I don't have to worry about how to clear up my bookshelves.

[Mirvan.]

Julie wrote: "Now that I have a kindle there are no worries! I do still have hundreds of books on my shelf to read. I sell them on ebay, or half price books. Sometimes I donate to the library or pretty much just..."

you can donate books to me anytime hahahah =P

[Sadie]

I really like to see books on a shelf. I consider it a form of decoration, so I generally hang onto books even once I've read them. Having said that every once in a while a clear out is necessary. At that point the so-so books get passed on to whomever I think would most enjoy or benefit form them.

[Razmatus]

Julie wrote: "Now that I have a kindle there are no worries! I do still have hundreds of books on my shelf to read. I sell them on ebay, or half price books. Sometimes I donate to the library or pretty much just..."

I would never swap an actual book for a... a file... sure, it is more "practical", but I cant bring myself to attach any part of me to a file instead of a book... I'm a bit old school in this, and I am well aware of advantages of e-book readers

[Julie]

The book is still a book. The words and story are what I attach myself to. I could never keep all the books I would like to in physical form. This way I can keep them forever and they can go with me as well.

[Razmatus]

Julie wrote: "The book is still a book. The words and story are what I attach myself to. I could never keep all the books I would like to in physical form. This way I can keep them forever and they can go with ..."

true :)... as for keeping the books, I am not a reader that eats tomes for breakfast so my humble library suffices and will suffice for quite some time... and if not, a new big shelf costs cca. 50 €, which is not that much and it looks neat :P

my job as shop assistant at a bookstore helped me in a way that it gave me many good ideas and helped me develop certain habits that make reading physical books very, very convenient and comfortable and pretty much eliminated the need for a reader for me... dont get me wrong, I know a lot about advantages of e-readers, but as for me, I dont really need or want one

[Julie]

Working in a bookstore I can understand your feelings.
I live a small town, and our library is terrible. We only have one independent bookstore they push NYT bestsellers for the most part. I don't have the room for shelves and storage of books. But one thing that has really been an unexpected pleasure is the ability to try out new authors without plunking down 10-30 dollars. You won't find these books in a bookstore and the majority of them are surprisingly good. Sure, there's the EXTREME need of a good editor at times, but the stories and imagination of these hungry authors is way more impressive than the latest Patterson or Grisham. Usually, they are only 99 cents or many times they are free. The kindle also offers newspapers for less than the newsstand price- not just your local paper either. Try the Global news app on the fire and it will blow your mind. Also, the many magazines in color, cheaper than the newsstand price as well. Really, though I think books and e readers can co-exist. The dream of all the self published and independent authors is to someday see their books in physical print. I have actually had the pleasure of following some of them from free offerings on kindle to finding a good editor, to finding an agent, to seeing their books really published and it's a thrill to see their work acknowledged. I don't know if that could have happened for them if not for the the e reader format. I'm a book junkie, and I DO read at breakfast, break, lunch, and I don't even watch TV at night. Books are way better. I literally carry hundreds of books, newspapers and magazines in my purse. OK, I don't have life. LOL But, no offense is intended. I think we should all work together to encourage more people to read and fight illiteracy. There is no greater joy than a good book, no matter what format your using. (grin)

[Cheryl]

I usually just borrow books from the library. If I do buy any that I'll only read once, I release them through bookcrossing so someone else can enjoy them.

[Julie]

That's an excellent idea. I'm sure hospitals and nursing centers would also accept these donations.

[Razmatus]

Julie wrote: "Working in a bookstore I can understand your feelings.
I live a small town, and our library is terrible. We only have one independent bookstore they push NYT bestsellers for the most part. I don't ..."

you can get any book as long as you know where to look... there are so many ppl coming to our bookstore thinking we got every single book ever published... and in some cases I am just sending them to a specialized bookstore... for example when it comes to english books, I send them to a store in the downtown of Bratislava thats pretty closely attached to one of major distributors of foreign language books in Slovakia, they can get stuff cheap and nice

price is not such a big matter since I dont swallow books for breakfast, so occasional 5-10 € for a book isnt much... and I usually buy thick tomes lol

yes, I agree - reading is great :)

[ImScared3222]

I love to accumulate books. I'm very proud of my collection and enjoy adding books to my shelf. A lot of the times, I reread my most favorite ones and I flip through them for reference. The books that I outgrow, I will donate or sell at yard sales. There's no point in keeping a book when I won't reread and there's someone out there who could appreciate it more than myself.

[Razmatus]

Kendyl wrote: "I love to accumulate books. I'm very proud of my collection and enjoy adding books to my shelf. A lot of the times, I reread my most favorite ones and I flip through them for reference. The books t..."

I am building myself a little library - I know I wont read it all in an instant, but while I work at a bookstore where I can get many good books extra cheap thanks to my discount and while I have first hand feed of knowledge about books, I am trying to accumulate a concentration of good works...

for example my next plan on buying a batch of good stuff:
Fatherland by Harris (sounds like a good and dark thriller)
Phantom of the Opera by Leroux (I love the Nightwish song so I am rather curious to try this one :P)
Rendezvous with Rama by Clarke (scifi classic)
Foundation by Asimov (scifi classic, the description sounds really good)

and I might as well order Complete robot by Asimov (an omnibus encompassing all his robot stories)
and
Ulysses (a challenge into the future)

and of course I wanna get Dune, a recommendation by friend


so you see, I am right now like a scout for some hockey league hehe - I am focused, and poised lol - to get quality books to enrich myself :P

[Catherine]

I am kind of a book hoarder. I love to buy them and collect them. But when I do get rid of books, I usually donate them to my library for their annual book sale.

[Razmatus]

Catherine wrote: "I am kind of a book hoarder. I love to buy them and collect them. But when I do get rid of books, I usually donate them to my library for their annual book sale."

I donated a couple books to my old uni to give away as prizes for various contests they do a couple times a year - Moby Dick (cos I didnt even finish that one), a couple other yellow penguin classics, and an A-format copy of Game of thrones - that one cos I had bought a boxset shortly after buying that one, and had no one to give it to, so I gave it away this way :P

among those books was also Return of the King, the black Harper Collins edition, cos I bought a one volume edition of LOTR :)

[Joy]

I have totes galore of books packed in the shed. I need to donate them to the library. I have complete series of some books. I got my nook to stop buying paper books and hoarding them. lol

[Sheila]

I use to keep everything i bought but then i ran out of room and sold them all.. Our local library is small and funds are short so, i donate every book i buy now,,, I want to spread the love for reading and our local libraries need all the support we can give..
i do keep all cookbooks (i have an addiction)/self help/gardening...etc

[[deleted user]]

If I like the book, I keep it. My shelves may collapse under the weight. Other than that, I pass them on to my sister or mother, and I have some that need to to be taken to the second-hand shop. I need to hunt down a few cardboard boxes for that.

[Elizabeth]

My shelves are stacked high, my Kindle is loaded and I still donate books to the library twice a month.

Want to know what my wardrobe looks like? Pretty lame and I only own 2 pair of shoes!!!

[Julie]

I resemble that remark. Lol

[Mary X]

I either trade them on paperbackswap.com or I donate them to the thrift store.

[Amanda]

I only tend to keep books that were my favorite author or something in the story just meant something special to me. I try to keep the classics but when it doesn't fall into one of those criteria I usually have a book sale, trade them in at a store here that give you credit on them and you can use that credit to buy other books. Or I give them to friends or donate them to Goodwill or the public Library.
I like the idea of just leaving it somewhere for someone to just pick up and find one day and hopefully get them to start reading.

[Karen M]

When I was much younger I was always giving books away or reselling to the used book store but I find now that I really don't want to give up any of my books. I ran out of shelf space months ago so I have boxes under the computer desk with books I've read and have books lined up on a bureau in the spare bedroom. I don't know if it's because I'm older or just my obsession has truly manfested itself but the thought of selling or giving away a book just has no appeal to me at all. I should get rid of alot of them but I just can't do it.