Saturday, October 18, 2008

Book Buying

"I like being around books. It makes me feel civilized.
The only way to do all the things you'd like to do is to read." - Tom Clancy


Interesting comments yesterday about re-reading... we ended up about half and half, with only one person as rabid a re-reading as I. Funny thing about life: we tend to assume that what we do is the norm, and that's what everyone does! LOL... If I didn't re-read, I wouldn't buy books. In fact, I've been known to borrow from the library to see if I like something and then, after I've read it and know, I'll go buy it to read again.

I'm not a blind book-buyer. There are few folks I'll buy without reading first. I only have so many dollars to spread around, and want to make sure I spread them around on something I'll value in the upcoming years. I do always buy my friends / crit partners books. Partly to support them, and partly because it's neat to see them on my shelf and know what they went through to get there.

What about you? Do you just buy books all the time, even if they are new-to-you authors or you aren't sure you'll like the books? Do you have a large "keeper" shelf, or do you spend a lot of time taking your books to the UBS or donating them to the library? Or, are you careful how you spend your book-buying budget? Do you give it a lot of thought before shelling out the dough? Do you only buy books you think you'll keep forever? And... what is the deciding factor when you DO buy a book?

Inquiring minds want to know.

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So, it frosted pretty hard last night. I bet that was the death knoll for most of my annuals. It's amazing they've made it this long... So, today I'll be on corpse clean-up and will count it as the true end of summer. I keep trying to be happy we had such a mild fall this far, but I really, really dread the winter. The highs this week are going to be in the 50s -- which feels cold now, but in a couple of months would be a heat wave! LOL... perception is a funny thing.

Dakota still hasn't sprouted her feathers, so her fur is very thin and smooth and doesn't keep her warm. I may end up having to buy her dog clothes -- something I never thought I'd do for a bigger dog. I've never been one of those folks who wants to dress up my dog and treat it like a human. But even now, at night, when it's cool in the house she cuddles and curls up in a tiny ball, and feel cold to the touch. I hope her fur fills in soon!

I'm working on a blog about worm composting on It's Only Natural ... check over there to read about it if you're interesting. I do my best to garden organically (though it's a battle with the DH who is all about chemicals), so have done some research into worms. I love worms. I... well, that's a story for the other blog. *G*

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Your Autumn Test Results



You are a dynamic, vibrant person. You aren't afraid to pursue your passions.

When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy.

You tend to be afraid of change. You are never ready for things to be different.

You find love to be the most comforting thing in the world. You feel at peace when you're with your loved ones.

Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine.

You are very impatient. You spend more time waiting for something than actually enjoying it.



Okay, yeah... mostly...

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6 comments:

Dru said...

I'm a frequent book buyer, most of which are paperbacks.

I'll buy hardcovers of my favorites authors and if that author is one of my keepers when their paperback version comes out, I'll make that purchase and then donate the hardcover to the library.

If I'm interested in a book and the library doesn't have it and it's a paperback release, then I'll buy it, otherwise the book may not get read by me. This also goes for new-to-me authors.

Since my space is limited, I don't have a too many authors on my keeper shelf. The majority of the books that I buy are donated to the library or given to friends.

I will buy books by my friends who are authors.

The cover, the blurb, the genre (there are just some books that I will not buy), the price and the buzz will dictate whether I buy a non-autobuy book or not.

You are a dynamic, vibrant person. You aren't afraid to pursue your passions.

When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy.

You embrace change. You love change. You see change as a rebirth.

You find novelty to be the most comforting thing in the world. You love anything that's new or unusual.

Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine.

You are very impatient. You spend more time waiting for something than actually enjoying it.


There are some aspects that are correct.

Ceri Hebert said...

I don't buy too many books because my budget won't allow. When I did I was very selective. I'd go for Dean Koontz and Nora Roberts. They are on my keeper shelves although NR has some pretty mediocre books.

I do a lot of rereading. If it's a book I love, like The Watchers by Koontz I'll read it numerous times. I even bought a book I read in 7th grade so I could read it again (Constance by Patricia Clapp about a girl who came over on the Mayflower-based on a real girl who came over with her family).

I got the same test results as you.

Tori Lennox said...

I buy a lot more books than I should. Especially since I'm running out of places to put them. *g* But that said, if it's a new-to-me author, I will usually go to their website and see if they have excerpts. If I like the excerpt I'll usually take a chance. Otherwise, I'll buy it used, as much as I hate to do that. Then if I like their style or whatever, I'll buy the rest new.

anno said...

Well, you've seen pictures of our basement, so you know that we have a pretty serious book-buying habit. These days, I think we're down to buying only non-fiction and reference books that we want to have around for the long term, but we still indulge anything that seems related to home schooling. Unfortunately, that permits a lot of latitude.

I don't think I've ever bought a book by an unknown author, not unless I started reading it in the store & couldn't put it down...

Allie Boniface said...

Actually, I don't buy too many books. Mostly, I take out from the library, and when I do buy, it's usually because (1) the book got terrific reviews or (2) I really, really like the back blurb/cover/have read the author before.

Picking up used books at local sales is a different story though -I have a bookcase in my classroom that's stocked, and I'm always on the lookout for more books to add for my students.

Brandy said...

I'm very careful with the books I buy. Most are authors I have already read. If I see a new to me author I'd like to try, I look at the library first. If that option is unavailable I try the UBS and if it's still unavailable, it goes on a list of books to look for at a later date. I have keeper shelves and keep many of the books I purchase, but I also weed through my shelves at least once every 3 months and keep piles to take to the UBS or donate to the library.
I hope that helps with your curiosity! *G*

Aw, Poor Dakota! I hope her under-fur comes in soon!