Where do you get your books from?

[Janice]

The local Library or my daughter's extensive stash, although she reads a lot of different things than I do, but, she really has a lot of great books! She "banishes" books to our "other" bookcases if she doesn't like them and I've read quite a few of the "banished" books and really liked them! We all have different likes and dislikes!

[Heidi]

Now, I have audio and digital sources and I moved away from the library as an extension of my lifespace. I feel pangs of guilt about that and have made many aborted attempts to return to the stacks. I fall in to used books stores when I am close to them, I am drawnto independents when I travel, national stores when I'm out shopping for other things. Mostly I buy paper books through Amazon.

[Kat]

I use my library, I have a kindle and download freebies and cheap books from amazon for that, also like ebay and charity shops. I use amazon for new and used books and on occasion supermarkets and greenmetropolis.

[Nancy from NJ]

I used to haunt all of the used stores in our area and also Manhattan but with the advent of the internet and books being sold online, most of the used stores closed up or have very little stock since what is out is gobbled up by dealers. So today I visit two libraries and also download those books to my I PAD that I want to read slowly or keep on my I PAD after I finish them. I also have a large collection of hardcover and paperback books I moved twice in the last 8 years. These titles have been with me for years, Maybe someday I'll read these very old to be reads or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

[Margot]

OMG! Moving and books! Those two words should not be in the same sentence!

Fifteen years ago I moved to where I live now. I moved with 75 boxes (yes 75, no typo here) of books. And in those 15 years since moving, I bought a lot more! I have bookcases in every room of the apartment. There is hardly room for frames on the walls!

I have 4 Ikea Billy bookcases in my bedroom, full with only ballet books. Those are mainly hardcover and a lot of them with photographs on good quality paper... often "papier glacé" (I don't know how to say that in English, sorry). So they weigh a ton! I can't even imagine moving again!

[Savanes]

Margot wrote: "OMG! Moving and books! Those two words should not be in the same sentence!

Fifteen years ago I moved to where I live now. I moved with 75 boxes (yes 75, no typo here) of books. And in those 15 yea..."

Wow that's insane Margot!

[Lina]

Margot wrote: "OMG! Moving and books! Those two words should not be in the same sentence!

Fifteen years ago I moved to where I live now. I moved with 75 boxes (yes 75, no typo here) of books. And in those 15 yea..."

I need that amount of books in my house. Like now. I currently have like 20 books or so at my flat (but so many more at my mom's place). Simply because I don't have room for my books, and I hate it.

[Margot]

Yes Vanessa, it's actually quite insane! But I don't wish to be cured!

Lina, someday you will live in a house full of books and of children reading Harry Potter ;-)

[Savanes]

Margot wrote: "Yes Vanessa, it's actually quite insane! But I don't wish to be cured!

Lina, someday you will live in a house full of books and of children reading Harry Potter ;-)"

I can understand why. ;)

[[deleted user]]

I usually purchase from my library bookstore as I know it benefits the reading program my own children participated in when they were little. The proceeds provide the art supplies needed for the story time projects. It's a way for me to give back. I also make the rounds of my favorite thrift stores here in Las Vegas. We are blessed with quite a few and the rotation of books are in the thousands. I then am able to keep quite a nice sized home library going. When I finish my books, I trade them at my favorite used book store for more, thus ensuring they stay in business; or donate back to the original sources, like the library bookstore so others can purchase them again. Win/win for all. I do get a few from abebooks.com or amazon. I own a kindle and it is busting at the seams with freebies I download weekly. I also utilize my local library for books I want that are missing from series I own or Interlibrary loans from across the USA if I am desperate to read a particular book and it is no longer in circulation locally.

[Kat]

Supermarkets
Ebay
Amazon
Whsmith
Charity Shops
Some other websites
Library as well.
Read it swap it(swap site in UK)

[Nancy from NJ]

I use two libraries for books I want to read but don't necessarily want to buy. And I'm not sure why I buy what I do and borrow from the library either. One library is in the town where I live, the other is one town over where I work. I usaed to buy from a local Barnes & Noble store, Amazon online and Paperback Swap. But today with my heavy usage of a Kindle on my I PAD,I buy everything from Amazon. I also am into audio books and do borrow these from the library too.

[Ashley]

I love to shop at Barnes & Noble! And my mom and I go to auctions all the time and get loads of books for cheap. But my favorite place would have to be the library in my states capital. Twice a year they have a massive sale where you get paperback books for a quarter or hardbacks for fifty cents to a dollar. It's my personal favorite "holiday" :)

[Kat]

Ashley wrote: "I love to shop at Barnes & Noble! And my mom and I go to auctions all the time and get loads of books for cheap. But my favorite place would have to be the library in my states capital. Twice a yea..."

I'd love to auction for books :)

[Rachel]

I don't have time to finish reading this thread ATM but I never thought and said no when my dad asked if I wanted a nook for Chanukah a few yrs ago. It's the first time he's ever asked then not gotten what I asked. Well I have 4 kids and I'm not well (since birth but also progressively worse ) and now my ex hubby is injured mentally n physically from a car accident that landed him in hospital for months and more therapy etc so he isn't working. We live on SS. And my dad helps. So I really wanted the choice #2 he'd given me $300. Well he gave me the nook color a couple mos after it came out and it's the BEST gift ever. And I love my LV purse he got me one year. Lol
I have lots of issues relating to my bones and pain n weakness as well as tendinitis flare ups which Unlike most ppl I can't get any injections for that to relieve so I spend a lot of time reading stuck in a chair with sciatica etc too and its SOOOO much easier with my nooks. Yes I have 3 now :0) I have ipad2 and iPad mini (I love my Daddy...being a teacher he's always encouraged my love of books ) but the books specifically are shaped to be one hand hold able and the original nook glow is perfect for any lighting and the lightest, and u can page fwd OR backward all while holding with the one hand. Which in bed helps. The battery life is also tremendous! With heavy reading I try n top off weekly ish (it also charges to 100% super fast vs the more tablet type and was a sanity saver during 12 says with no power after superstorm sandy...especially once my kids left after the first wk....I think I charged it only once at the diner with generator just to make sure, MAYBE topped off a second time...just to be sure...while my phone and everyone's iPads were there daily!) but u can go wks with moderate reading of like 1-2 hrs a day. The one sans light is even longer. My new love is the nook hd 7 ish inch. $79 on Black Friday!
So this is getting long and tedious but I have to say tho I wish I'd saved all my books thru my life I've no real place to keep them and I'd send a bag every other wk to my mom to read as they'd visit and I'm not the type to re read with all the great reads I've still to get to. I've purchased many books I've yet to read like hundreds but very many were 92% off so I grabbed at that price. Many others were on sale for a buck or two bc they either wanna hook u on a series or another author similar to others you like. They recommend based on past purchases. And sooo many freebies. I quit grabbing ones id prob not take if they cost $ (if they sounded just ok in case I could never buy another) bc its hard enough to see what I have at about 1500 on nook alone and it'd take forever to read what I have if I never added another (hoard much?) even stopped the daily trips to my fave deal page on fb and mostly quit opening emails with free n great deals tho it bothers me what I've missed so I try not to think about it. Lol tho I have a kindle app (also have a good sz collection on iBooks and a few on kobo n google play) and on kindle I have never even put a cc just have strictly books that were free many of which are not cheap except they had a special for a day or weekend. This is how they get up in rankings and get some reviews, interest thru word of mouth Etc going. It's not that they're always free n they stink.
My point is I love BN and would spend all day there if I could but honestly how many free books are there? How many books that are new or next to new go down by a huge % for even a day. So for those of us frugal by necessity or by choice an ereader is a great thing in my opinion. I'm sure you all heard more typical pros n cons and yes they are great for travels etc but there are just a few other aspects to what makes them great to me.
Saved the very best for last...I can finish a book at 2 am and if I wasn't a greedy pig who over bought n was looking for my next read bc there went the last of the 5 I bought last wk at the store, instead of having to wait til they open and I can get there...BOOM I can be in one second on BN 24/7 holidays u name it and grab the book of my choice after reading summaries and possibly reviews, press the price button and then touch the word confirm and boom in 15? Seconds it's on my nook. Then I press download and boom it's now readable whether I'm near wifi or not or even shut wifi to preserve battery. So I'm stopping now but I can prob go on on this topic in particular (I'm wordy to begin with, sorry!) for a year! lol
Ps I still love books. I just love all the above and also since I did tend to give my books away (since I lost all my most special like complete works of Shakespeare, all my plays novels and coffee table books and so many goodies down to cliff notes lol when I was 25 in storage thx to my ex) and I read once it makes sense to me to pay half the price at most...most times (only exception a very few brand new releases but still cheaper) ... And get twice as many reads!!!! Ok off my soapbox and I respect those who just can't do without a paper book in hand...I too love the smell n that was my original argument to Dad...I needed a book in hand. But at the least there are places for both in our world I think!!!

[Kimberlee]

The library here is awful, so I buy books at the local bookstore and amazon. I usually get books on my kindle then purchase the real copies of the ones I love.

[Rachel]

Ps the reason I mention tendinitis tho painful it's certainly not serious but I happen to get it in my arms. So the lighter Nooks that are molded to fit on one hand are great for that n weak arms or fingers like from RA Etc in general. I saw some anti ereaders so felt the need to show another POV on what a life saver Ebooks can be.
But the short answer for me is BARNES AND NOBLE all the way!!! Lol

[Christopher]

Most of my books have come from Amazon in recent years. Previously I have got them from second hand book stores and charity shops. I also borrow from the library if I want to read something, but don't want to buy it.

[Ashley]

I get a lot of my books through bookmooch.com or thrift stores or my husband buys them for me for special occasions

[Lisa]

Most of my books come from the library. I live on the border of two states so I can use two different public libraries with inter library loan access to about 15 libraries.


I still can't pass up looking for books at yard sales, thrift stores and of course library book sales.

[Sam]

I love to be surprised, so book swap shelves and the library are my favourite places to get books. I wish we had a second hand bookshop around, but alas, there's no such thing where I live atm.

[Sophie]

I try to shop around but most of my books come from Amazon (Kindle store) or Waterstones. I have started ordering books from the eBay store, Wordery. They sell at a reduced rate and their delivery is super quick. I've also just got a new library card as I keep forgetting to use the library!

[Elizabeth]

Lately... I've been getting my books through my state's digital library. They don't have everything I want, but I just haven't been able to get to the library and the WPLC has a decent selection. Since summer is just around the corner I'll have more time to actually go, which I'm really happy about.[:

[Sara]

Goodwill, they're really cheap there! And I sometimes borrow from the public library

[Patricia]

I get most of my books from the library or library book sales. There is a Goodwill 2 blocks from my house and I can usually find good books there.

[Canadian Jen]

Library, online, book sales!

[Akemi]

* Amazon
* Powell's (indie new & used bookstore), especially when I sell off my books and have some credits to spend
* library -- I often request books there. Tax $ well-spent.

[Marie80]

The library and the local bookstore!!!

[David]

i tend to use the library and i also use amazon under the free kindle books i have tons that have been free so i have lots on the kindle.

[Kelani]

I get them from friends or the used book store. Rare occasion when I buy a brand spanken new book. Library occasionally.

[Siavash]

i get my books in the internet , or bye those in the bookstore in downtown .

[Rachel]

Wow that was a looooong reply last year; my old dr was more generous with pain meds during acute flare ups. Lol My apologies. Still agree with all I said but could've said it faster.
But my answer remains B&N with an occasional book not avail there from Amazon. I do go in person and let My youngest choose his books by browsing but my girls order their paper books right from Amazon. They tend to know what they need to order for school or from recommendations. I wish we got to the library more. They've cost me a lot losing books when younger tho so I grew leery. The fees grew to be more than the book costs new for you or me. Better to just grab them at a good price.

[Karen]

My small town doesn't have a real bookstore. There is one about 30 miles away. But there are two special sales each year.
The library 30 miles away has used book sales every spring and fall. There are three big rooms full of books of all genres, hardback and paperback, audio and more to browse through.
Every sale I remind myself about the piles of unread books at home. Every sale a few more come home [alright, a dozen last spring].
The local library has a nice selection and just moved to a bigger building [is moving]. They have an ebook service too although I don't have a reader.
I love this group. I am finally really trying to make a dent in the piles of interesting titles gathering dust in, on and in front of my bookcases.

[Joyce]

I like to read on Kindle and also "real" books. Half & half. I really wish I could force myself to go to the Library instead of buying books all the time, which has become a problem since I have more than I can read in a lifetime.

[Daniel]

Amazon market place serves my needs perfectly. Do love a rummage in a charity shop and however much I love a good book store, the sheer ease of finding a title in seconds, ordering it and it being there the next day can't be beat

[sonya]

Borrow from a library for now

[Anita]

Mostly I buy from Amazon, I have gotten a lot of really great books for a penny (sometimes a little more, but rarely do I pay over a dollar if I can help it). I think the most I've spent on a book from there was maybe 4 bucks.

My other favorite go-to place is a place called Raven Used Books in Northampton, Massachusetts. It's one of those neat little places, tremendous selection and you can easily lose a couple of hours just wandering through the place.

[Yvonne]

I get most from the library--both in person and online ebooks. They have used book sales as well.

I also purchase mainly from Amazon for Kindle ebooks.

Once in a while I'll get something from Barnes & Noble

[Gin]

Several outlets available to me for books so I have issues with too many (as if there was really such a things) so here are my fav's in no particular order:
Library
Goodwill
Habitat for Humanity's ReStore
Amazon (KINDLE! and Used books)
B&N
Paperbackswap.com (US only)
Bookmooch.com (International)
Swap bin at the library
Yard Sales
finally - not optimal but Airports (so expensive)

[Kath]

I use Bookoutlet.

[Laura]

Very rarely do I pay full price for a book, I can't afford it the way I read. So it's the library, thrift stores, yard sales, and Goodreads Giveaways for me.

[Mimi]

I love library...., but most of my books are from AMAZON /kindle/.
Whatever wasn't purchased on Amazon won't probably make it to my 'read' shelve, too lazy and too time consuming...:-))

[Erin]

I get all my books off of Amazon. I'm eventually going to make it over to Goodwill to see what they have b/c a lot of people that I talk to have managed to get some good finds when they went there, so hopefully I'll be able to bulk buy and not feel like I might break the bank

[Desiree]

I get most of my books from the library, since that is where I work. I also always have a bunch of books downloaded on my Kindle. Our library has a great downloadable collection for e reading.

[Nick]

It can be a combination really.

Most of my books I get off the internet - Amazon, mostly - because they are cheap and then sometimes when I'm doing my weekly food shop most of my books will be bought in ASDA's (Wallmart, to you over the pond).

It will be very rarely that I got into a shop like WHSMiths or Waterstones (sadly my local one closed down) but I'll buy a book only if I'm popping in on the odd chance and they actually the book I want. I always think: "I can get it off Amazon for half the price!"

[Cortney]

I LOVE Barnes & Nobles, however I'm too cheap to go often, and every time I go I purchase Starbucks and my bank account just dwindles down, plus they have these ridiculous in-store sales and I can't say no... Anyways!

So I also have a local "Books for Less" store. Ultimately I can trade in old books for store credit, books I no longer want, will never read again, didn't care for. Books that were given to me, whatever. I trade them in, get my store credit and then I shop. If I purchase a $7.00 book I use my credit and only pay $3.50. The other day I took my daughter (she is just as bad and she is only 4) I spent $18.00 on $36.00 in used books. She LOVES it, and so do I, but man oh man!

Other than that I purchase ebooks from amazon and sometimes hardcopies if they are under .99cents then I pay $4.00 in shipping and I bought a $5.00 book.

More recently I have been using my local library, they link to all of the other libraries in the county so I have access to just about any book I want. If my library has a book checked out I can request it from another library in the area and they will send it to my library. It is a fantastic system and it is free, so I try to participate in library functions as my way of giving back. Donating books, donating money, participating in baked goods things, and my library even does 5k runs to raise money, it is great!

[Sarai]

For now I'm renting ebooks from libraries.

If I want physical books, I check used ones at Amazon or Goodwill (thrift shops).

[Stacy]

I get them anywhere and everywhere i can-- thrift shops, garage sales, library sales, bookstores, and ebooks from public domanin sites and amazon.

[Lindsey]

I get mostly ebooks for my Kindle, from either overdrive.com, Bookbub or freebooksy.com and Amazon with Kindle Unlimited. I live in a small rural town, so we don't have any bookstores here, so physical books I get from my local Walmart (surprisingly good selections and good prices), the library or again Amazon. That's why I mostly read ebooks, bigger selection and I can get them for free or very inexpensive.

[Brenda]

I used to go to Barnes and Noble and then I discovered the beauty of independent bookstores. Now I go there or the library. I think it's fun to check out the local stores with their personalities when I travel.