I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get
them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY?
Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?
If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?
Well, I used to buy books all the time, until I realized I was wasting at least half my money, because at least half the books turned out to be unsatisfying. Naturally, that had to stop, so I began using the library and book buying for me became rare. Mainly because I couldn't afford books so often anymore, and I hardly ever found any that gave me the high drive inside of me that screeched that I needed to own any particular book I had read. I also didn't really have any favorite authors then. (Now I have lots, of course.) I only buy books now if I have read them from the library and absolutely loved them, with the exception of a favorite author, of course. I like to re-read and I like to build my collection much more carefully now, so the library plays a big part in that. Oh, also I will buy a book if the library does not have it and I just can't wait for them to get it, or they simply won't get it. For instance, this happens a lot with phantom-fiction. (That's The Phantom of the Opera, for those that have no idea what I am talking about!) The library has virtually none of these, so I end up buying them off of Amazon.com - 9 in all so far. Only one wasn't worth it. So I'm pretty picky when it comes to buying now. Even though it is pretty thrilling in my nerdy way, walking into the bookstore with the intent to actually buy something and not just browse.
1 comment:
I used to buy books by the truck load (but always the cheapest way possible). I read somewhere that "if a book is good enough to read then it is good enough to own." I don´t exactly agree with that anymore. I was stuck with too many books I would never read again. My new motto is: If a book is good enough to read AND RE-READ it´s good enough to own a hardback copy. I´m now building a small library of personal hardback favorites. I borrow all other books (from friends or library).
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