Book Buying Habits Tag

It’s Friday. I feel like doing a book tag, so here’s the Book Buying Habits Tag created by booktuber Megan Olivier.

Where do you buy your books?

Wherever I see the book or find a cover/edition of it I like. I often shop at Barnes & Noble, but there are some indie bookstores I also like to shop at. If I want a particular edition or cover, I check Book Depository. I used to shop a lot at Book Outlet because of the huge discounts, but I don’t often do so anymore since I get discounts from working at a bookstore. And recently, I discovered Discworld Emporium, which sells books and other items related to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. I like their packaging, so I might get more stuff from them. 😊

…I miss shopping at Borders, though.

Do you ever preorder books and if so, do you do this in store or online?

I hardly ever preorder because my experiences doing so haven’t been great. The first time I did so, I didn’t get the book until weeks after it was published. (I think it was one of Rick Riordan’s books that I preordered through Barnes & Noble.) And fairly recently, my other job preordered several books for our department that didn’t arrive until months later. I ended up just purchasing the copy I needed at the store because I couldn’t bother waiting.

On average, how many books do you buy a month?

Umm… it varies, especially since I’ve been spending less lately, so… I’d rather not say.

Do you use your local library?

I sure do and have been using its e-service through Libby a lot more since corona showed up.

If so – how many books can you/do you borrow at a time?

Not many these days. I think I borrow up to 5 physical books at a time and up to 2 e-books at a time.

What is your opinion on library books?

I don’t have any strong opinions about them. I enjoy visiting the library and discovering books there. I am a bit of a snob when it comes to the condition of the book, so I tend to look for copies that aren’t too battered.

How do you feel about charity shops/second-hand books?

I don’t have strong opinions about them either. I sometimes buy second-hand books but not often because I prefer brand-new books (or at least believing that I purchased a brand-new copy). If I do purchase a second-hand book, it has to be in really good condition and not smelly. (I’m very picky about that stuff.)

Do you keep your read and TBR pile together/on the same bookshelf or not?

Yes, I do. They are all mixed in. Doing so doesn’t bother me since I know what I’ve read and what I haven’t.

Do you plan to read all the books you own?

Yep, that’s the plan, which is why it’s a tough decision to unhaul books sometimes because I have to admit to myself that I won’t/don’t want to read a particular book; it’s even worse if it’s a book I bought. Most likely, if I bought a book at full price, it’s going to stay on my shelves until I read it. If I got it for free, I won’t feel too bad about unhauling it.

What do you do with books you own that you feel you’ll never read/felt you didn’t enjoy?

If I (finally) admit to myself that I won’t read a book, I’ll unhaul it by donating it to the library. I like holding on to my books even if I didn’t like them because I like to reread and seeing a book on my shelves helps me to remember what I read. But, I’m running out of space so if I don’t like a book, I’ll most likely unhaul it. (But if the cover is beautiful, then I’ll have a hard time letting go.)

Have you ever donated books?

I do. I donate them to the library.

Have you ever been on a book-buying ban?

I’ve tried it, but it doesn’t work for me. Gladly (for my purse), my book buying has lessened over the years. I believe I spend less on books each year. It’s becoming easier to tell myself “no” either because I won’t read the book or because I don’t need to get the book right now.

Do you feel that you buy too many books?

Yes. I do. I would say it’s a problem, but I don’t feel like admitting that yet.

Well, if you love books, consider yourself tagged! 😀