Why I Don’t Buy Books
Yes, I see the irony here. I hope to have a book out someday that lots of people buy, but I rarely buy books myself. Here’s why:
Clutter - I really don’t like having stuff around me. I have one bookshelf with the books that would be hard to get if I didn’t own them and that’s really all I want. It’s true that I could give away or sell the books after I read them, and that’s generally what I do if I do break down and buy one, but that brings me to…
My book budget - or lack there of. I live a comfortable, happy, secure life, but I don’t have a job besides writing. I can reasonably squeeze maybe $150-$200 a year out of the budget for books, and I probably do, but that’s not very many purchases these days.
Obligation - The real reason I don’t like to buy books is because then I feel obligated to read them. I decided a long time ago that if a book didn’t hook me, then I’d just return it to the library un-read. Big deal. But when I buy a book, I really feel like I have to read it. I bought a stack of books the other day on a whim and I am now plodding through one that definitely would’ve gone back to the library without being read, but I paid $16 for it!
Expectations - I think that if I do break down and buy a book that someone recommends then my expectations are disproportionately raised. I want it to be everything they said it would be and more, because I shelled out the dough. I feel that books I would’ve happily read from the library get extra scrutiny if I paid for them. That’s not really fair to the author!
Because I rarely buy books, I make it up to the writing world by pushing the books I do read and love. That’s right. I ask you to buy them! The thing is, if I promote a book I love, and you check it out at your library, and there are a lot of holds, the library will buy more copies, and in MG and YA, libraries and schools are the major purchasers of our books anyway. Do you buy books?
Posted in Daily Writings |
May 31st, 2008 at 4:59 am
I spend so much money on books and I can’t bare to give away favourites. I have just discovered bookmooch which has helped my budget
I am with you on expectations though I am struggling through I book I really don’t like which does seem a waste of time!
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:03 am
I do buy books — if I read a book I love, borrowed from a friend or from a library or whatever — I have to own it. I have a tendency to buy lots of books new, as well as to hunt through thrift stores for various old gems I may never have heard of before.
On the other hand, BookMooch has helped me a LOT. I can get rid of books I disliked to good homes (most of my friends have similar tastes to mine, and so wouldn’t care for them either), and get books I want in return. BookMooch has also helped me be able to let go of books I own and just can’t bear to finish reading, since it’s not like they’re going to waste, if someone else might like them!
My husband only owns about a hundred and fifty or so books; he prefers to reread old favorites than to read new books, most of the time, and unless a book IS a favorite, he prefers to just read it from the library whenever he feels like rereading. With me, any book I might feel like rereading in the future MUST have a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
Of course, this attitude is also partly because I’ve become the “lending library” for about two dozen friends, siblings, and acquaintences, so I know that if I like a book a lot, it’s likely to get read by at least six people if I own a copy.