Friday 8 March 2019

Book Blogger Hop:Do You Buy All Your Books?



Do you buy all your books? If yes, do you keep it all? If no, where do you source them?

No, I can't say that I buy all of my books.
I do buy a lot of my books but I also take advantage of services like Kindle Unlimited and the library.

With Kindle Unlimited, I pay a set monthly fee (£7.99) and I can borrow anything that is enrolled in the programme. I can borrow/return as many books as I want to as long as I'm subscribed, and the authors get a payment from Amazon linked to page reads.
I wish I could say that I take full advantage of my KU subscription but I'd be better off actually just buying the books at the moment as I don't use it enough to make it economically viable. I've been contemplating canceling KU and instead 'topping up' my gift card balance by £8 a month instead... At least that way I could buy any book that takes my fancy rather than being limited to the Kindle Unlimited enrollees. Plus, I'd actually own the books I'm paying to read. (Well, as much as you can 'own' digital content.)

The Library and I have a distant relationship nowadays. I used to use it a lot but now I typically use it to try a new author, read non-fiction, or to borrow books to read with the little dude.

Being a book blogger, I also get gifted copies of books for review by publishers via NetGalley and, to a lesser extent, Edelweiss.
I also get review copies directly from authors and from their PR agents for blog tours and the like.

With Kindle Unlimited, I don't get to keep the books. Once a book is 'returned' amazon delete it automatically from your devices and with the library, you have to return the books therefore, I do not get to keep them.

With review copies, I do get to keep them and since all my review copies have been digital, I have them until I delete them and I don't think I've ever done that... Even when I have hated the book.

The books I buy, I typically buy on ebook and that means they all come from Amazon.
If I buy physical copies, I tend to shop in Waterstones but I do also scan the books in the supermarket, in charity shops, and in independent book shops when I'm passing and grab one if it catches my eye.
Oddly, I rarely buy physical copies of books from Amazon. I buy so few that it just feels wrong not to have the full experience of mooching around a bookstore and smelling the book smells.

With physical books, I tend to keep the ones I buy from new. As I'm an ebook hoarder,  the only reason I buy a new physical copy is that I want it on my shelf permanently.
With used books, I'll read it and decide: keep or donate. Used books are a really good way of experiencing new authors with minimal investment. If I like the book, I'll hunt out more from the author, probably on my kindle!

With Audiobooks, I buy them. The little dude used to have one a month through an audible subscription but his appetite had increased rapidly so now I also invest in top-up credits to feed the beast.
With the exception of Harry Potter, I don't think we've ever bought audiobooks on disc and we've never used the library. I should probably look into the library but we don't even have a CD player anymore so... Maybe not.

What about you? Where do your books come from?
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24 comments

  1. I get books in a variety of ways, but I definitely don't buy them all. No way could I afford that. I do like buying books in general though - and I tend to buy more physical books than e-books. My review books are usually e-books these days though.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. e-books for review copies just make them more accessible I guess in that authors can make more available.

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  2. I tend to buy books on Amazon with the gift cards that I earn from survey sites. I usually buy print books if I by books. I get review copies from NetGalley and those are usually ebooks. After I read and review an ebook I usually delete it from my device. I also win a lot of print books from giveaways. I won 4 books last month and already won 3 this month.

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    1. You're lucky with your giveaways, I never win anything, lol.

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  3. I use different sources for my books - traditional bookstores, Amazon, the library. I purchase many in Kindle version from Amazon but there are some that I really want to own in physical form. Those I order from Amazon or pick up in a local bookstore. Sometimes for new authors or books that I don't feel the need to own (in any form) I'll use the library.

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    1. I agree that there are some you just want on the bookshelf. :)

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  4. I really don't buy many books. I am lucky to get approvals/pre-approvals on NG/EW and I get invited to tours too. I have access to 4 different eLibraries, which I utilize a LOT as well. I really only buy books for signings or ones I know will never be on any of the online library sites I use.

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    1. You read so many books a week, I figured you would utilise a lot of different sources. It's great you have e-libraries! I dont think our libraries do that... I'll need to investigate!

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  5. I hardly ever buy books now. I've just started using my library a lot. I found a nearby county that had the Libby app and it was a game changer for me. SO EASY!

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. Libby app? Is that for borrowing ebooks?

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  6. I have Kindle Unlimited and I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to keep. They do have many books I want to read in the program but I haven't had a chance. My regular library has many ebooks, too.

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    1. That's just it with KU, they have so many I want to read but I just dont have the time or take advantage of it enough.

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  7. I buy a lot of e-books these days, and occasionally physical copies if it's a book I really want. I should use my library more but I don't, sadly. Selections is part of the problem though- they just don't always have a lot of the stuff I want, or I have to wait, so I don't and just buy it lol.

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  8. I use ebooks to try new authors at free and bargain prices. If I love the book and will read it again, I get a paperback copy. If I don't, I delete it. Likewise if I read a good paperback, I decide whether or not to keep it. Discarded books go into bags for local charity shops or I trade them. I never use libraries as they don't stock Indie authors or the genres I read.

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    1. I find physical copies of indie books too expensive compared to the ebooks. I only buy a physical one when it's one I've read, loved, and want to keep forever on the shelf.

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  9. Actually following your answers on Blogger Hop makes me rethink my attitude towards physical books. When I got my first Kindle I was reading nonstop on it, with occasional visits to the library. When I started book blog, I began to buy books under influence of blogosphere, I guess... So now I need to have a proper look on my book collection and do something drastic)))

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    1. There is a certain level of bias in the book blogger community towards physical books, I think. I guess it's hard to bookstagram ebooks!

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  10. I do buy a lot of books but definitely not all of them. I frequently use the library and am trying a trial of Kindle Unlimited right now.

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  11. Thank goodness for the combined help from the library and subscription serves like Scribd and KU!! Without them I certainly wouldn't be reading the same amount of books that I do now. Books are so dang pricey. Also: I don't get why kindle books are sometimes just as pricey as a physical copy!! Anyways, great answer! Thanks for stopping by my post :) <3

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    1. I agree on kindle pricing equalling print pricing. It's nonsense!

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  12. I am glad there are so many different ways to get books! I have been curious about Kindle Unlimited, but like with using the library, I have so many unread books already . . .

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    1. I think KU is amazing if you use it but I'm just not at the moment so it feels like a waste of money. :(

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