What's Your Book Buying Type?

Wendy of Super Librarian fame has asked her fellow book lovers what their book buying habits are. Go here to see other people's methods of getting their hot little hands on a book they just have to have.

Back in the day (and yes, I think I may actually be at the age that I 'experienced' a day) I was fairly broad in my book 'getting' ways. I had less money and more free time which meant I was reading at a pace I certainly could not afford to uphold. So the library was the go-to-spot. As were used bookstores.

That was then - Let's talk about the here and now:

New Books - I'm at basically 100 % new books. As Wendy calls them 'dead tree' books. I love to read obviously but I also love books. I love the way they look, their covers, they way they sit on a shelf. I get a little thrill in my tummy whenever I go into a bookstore. Especially the big box ones. I have said many times that when I win the lottery there won't be a book I don't own. Yes, it'll be the mega millions or something like that.

Just last night hubby and I were uh, hammering things out and I commented that we just have way too much crap. For me it's easy, my books and my cats. After that, let's just start biffing. Bob thought that was funny but in reality everything else is just gravy. The books and my critters (along with Bob) are my necessities.

Oh, right. A great bed covered in sumptuous down pillows and soft linens.

Wait, where were we?

Right! Buying habits continued!

I will try and find the best price for hardcover books (usually buy online with free shipping) but I don't worry if I really want the book and I have to pay full price.

I have to admit though that trade-sized paperbacks stick in my craw. I rarely buy them unless it's a book I have to have. Annie don't publish in trade-size so for the most part it's good. I'm not sure why I have that mental block but I do. I guess I've always thought of trade-size books as a money grab by publishers and getting past that hasn't really happened for me. I have bought a few books in TS but they fill one bookshelf and I usually don't get them read before they are re-published in the cheaper paperback.

Library Books - not now because I don't need to and I have a real problem remembering to return things. Just ask Blockbuster. I think I'm probably on a do not lend sheet somewhere. Also, we live in a town so our library is teeny tiny and romance books are not all that important to them.

That said, anything happens that I am in need of books and without the coinage to buy them you better believe I'll re-discover my local library.

Used Books: Rare, rare, rare. A few years ago I discovered my latest quirk. I don't like reading books that have already been read by someone other than me. I figured this out when my best bud started to borrow books from my TBR pile. It just never dawned on me that I would get the books back and miss their glossy newness. I'm sure there are meds somewhere for this new disorder but for now, I'm okay with buying my books new. When I need to, I'll deal with the quirk but since it's not really a problem today I don't worry about it. I also don't lend my books out to many people anymore.

Confession! I have been known to go out and re-buy a book that was brand new until I loaned it to someone cause I sometimes have a hard time saying no to people. And really, my best bud isn't hard on books it's just my hang up that has me doing things that would make normal people smack me in the back of the head and tell me to get a grip.

ARCs/Freebies: I have won a few contests thrown by both authors and blogger buddies but I don't solicit ARCs (I have enough anxiety about my TBR pile). Contests are just fun and I will enter!

E-books: Sadly no. Like I said, I love 'dead tree' books. Love them. And I know there are plenty of people out there who love e-books and who have all the ways it's really easy to learn all the techno stuff but my first experience with a reader was a nightmare and an 8 hour ordeal because I can't let technology beat me. It seriously slapped me around and 16 bucks later I learned a painful lesson.

I bought air.

No really.

I found my credit card down 16 bucks and nothing but a file that I couldn't open or transfer sitting on my computer.

Now that the Kindle is out I've toyed with the idea but once again, I would need to have the paper copy of a book that I loved. Cause no matter what they say, that little digital thingie in that little device can disappear into thin air. Drop the thing and it's broke. Hit the wrong button and the file gets smoked. Either way, I'm purchasing something that has no mass and I'm not sure I get it.

And yes, saying that makes me feel like an old fuddy duddy.

But I'm not an organized person so if there is something I need to keep to prove I actually purchased something the odds are it'll vanish in one of my rare cleaning spurts.

I don't even know if I have a copy of mine and Bob's marriage certificate which I bloody well need to get a passport. That's some serious paper work and I have no clue where it is.

The receipt for an e-book? Not even on my radar!

Audiobooks - expensive and abbreviated. Colour me shocked years ago when I put in a romance book and was a touch worried about how I would react to a sex scene being read to me. My senses need not have been bothered and I learned that abbreviated meant no sex. And then the other book I had on tape (yes, tape) wouldn't flip to side B so I never learned how the story ended. It wasn't a romance but it was an intriguing story - just not intriguing enough for me to pick up the book.

Good thing I brought this to my blog as I would have crashed Wendy's place!