Book Buying Habits - Discuss & Wonder #13

Hello guys and welcome to another discussion post! I was inspired by Drizzle and Hurricane Books  for this week's topic so, make sure to visit her wonderful blog and say hi! Her discussions are always so thought provoking and relatable! 

Today, I'm here to talk about something that's been in my head for quite some time and that is, 
Make sure to let me know all about yours and whether you go on book buying bans when they get a bit out of hand!
First of all, I've personally had times where I buy a lot of books at once and times when I just limit myself to one or two per month. I've been thinking about reading five and purchasing one, which will be a good motivation to actually go through the TBR I made at the beginning of the year! I did treat myself to a number of books that is somewhere between acceptable and ridiculous! It was to be expected since I got some spare money during Christmas and spent them on books I was desperate to get my hands on but still, it's getting a bit out of hand! 
This is a question I'd like to answer before moving further into this discussion! I only get books from two places online, Book Depository which you've probably guessed from the moment you clicked on this post and Awesome Books, a retailer based on the UK that sells both used and new titles! The Book Depository has free shipping on all orders and the fact that, each book is shipped individually makes sure that orders don't go through customs! Awesome Books is a smaller retailer but, I'm extremely satisfied with them and their services. I only order used books from them for ridiculously cheap and go for first books in series that I'm not sure I'll really commit to, different editions of classics and books I've already read and don't own. It's not guaranteed that I'll always find what I'm looking for because they mostly have relatively older releases in their bargain bins but, I've found many gems hidden in there and took advantage of how affordable they are! 

I was really excited when I discovered it because it has a flat rate shipping of €3 and it's the only website that I can order used books from, without being broke because of the shipping prices. I avoid Amazon because they have an expensive shipping for Greece and the same goes for every other website you can think of! If you know of any that ship for cheap, please let me know in the comments! I'd greatly appreciate it! Book Outlet is out of the question! I clicked Checkout once, just for shits and giggles - excuse my language - and the shipping came up to four times the price of my actual order! Which was a lot, let me tell you! 

*Note: I always make sure to check the Bargain Shop at the Book Depository because they sometimes have amazing titles for half the price!*

*Also, this post is obviously not sponsored by any of the retailers mentioned! I just love their services and have never had problems with their customer service! On the contrary, they always helped and made sure to refund me when an order was not fulfilled!*

I have been experimenting with different genres recently because of Uni, the books I have to read for my Lit classes and the essays I have to write, which isn't the best thing for my wallet but, thankfully, some professors are able to provide us broke students with the necessary material needed for research and my University has just opened a brand new library, which is stunning, let me tell you! So, don't forget about libraries when it comes to reading! I personally didn't have the opportunity to borrow from libraries before moving to Greece, because my small village on the edges of Cyprus had a library full of books that I wasn't interested in reading. I used to go with my mom and browse the tiny YA section they had, which meant reading a book more than twice before being able to afford any! That was just because of my personal circumstances though, which means that you should visit libraries when you're able to! Putting it that way because I have no idea how huge libraries in other countries work!

And, let's not forget about the thrift stores! I've discovered so many over the last two years in places you'd never think about consciously searching for! It happened completely by accident and now, that I'm more aware of their existence, I've become a master at figuring out their location! I have two that I go to once every two weeks and grab my fair share of collector's editions for ridiculously low prices! My purpose is purchasing as both a reader and a book collector, which means that I don't always buy books I'm going to read right away, but books that I'll add to my collection, usually classics and discontinued editions of Greek crime books, which are actually my favorite to search for! I'm always fascinated by the amount of books hidden behind shelves and stacked together because the tiny rooms they're put in, don't have the space it takes to contain the brilliance they carry! It'll seriously never get old! If you're on a budget but, want to start building your own library at home, thrift stores and second hand bookstores are your best shot! Believe me! Talking from experience here!
This is probably the most obvious question when it comes to book buying habits! I buy books when I have money for them! I make sure that everything is resolved in terms of bills and stuff because I'm a responsible adult - no, not really - and then spend what's left on books. I'm so picky when it comes to clothes so, I don't really have to worry about that but, I also love splurging on make up sometimes! I know my family will never buy me books in special occasions because they don't want to encourage this obsession of mine - as if I need them for that, right? - and usually get me make up instead so, either way, it's a win-win situation!

I would say I buy at least one book per two weeks and limit myself to that if I don't find anything in the bookstore that I'm desperate for. There are many books that I would like to read at some point in time but, I prefer going for the ones I'm dying to read immediately instead! That's what I think when I see several books I'm thinking about buying and then, I just don't! I talk myself out of it because I know I don't really need them and just buy the ones I do need instead! You thought I was going to say that I don't buy any at all, right? No, I have self control but, not that much! 

When it comes to thrift stores, as I've mentioned above, I make sure to visit my favorites at least once every two weeks, which doesn't really damage my wallet since they're dirt cheap! They manage to feed my addiction for book buying but, they have led to me being out of space! Oh, well...I'll just build myself another bookshelf sooner, rather than later, right? I know some people might find this weird and unnecessary but, let's not forget about the fact that I've been an avid reader since I was a child and reading/collecting books has become an important and precious part of my life, at this point. I seriously have no idea where I'd be today, without books!

Last but not least, when it comes to ordering online, I always limit myself to releases I know I won't be able to find at my local bookstore! Books that aren't that ''hyped up'' or essays related to research I'm interested in! And, let's not forget about the pre-orders, fellas! Contrary to popular belief, I don't go around and order myself books off the internet whenever I feel like it. But, if I do have any money left by the end of the month, I'll most likely spend it on books, then food and then, clothes! 

And, now comes the hard part!
Ummm, no!? This sounds so bad, I know! But, it's been going on for years, in case you're wondering! I've tried reducing my TBR but, books I'm interested in come out every single day and hopefully, I'll be able ti read them, at some point! I have tried doing challenges and such but, I've never been able to stick to them because I'm such a mood reader! I could never make myself read a book, ever! I had to kind of work this habit of mine around taking all the literature classes my department has to offer because they obviously have assigned reading but, aside from that, I've never been able to ''force'' myself to read a book, just to complete a challenge!

I do own hundreds of books, both here and back home! I'll buy even more in the future but, I've started donating the ones I know I'm never going to read and don't want to hold on to, which is a good thing! They will be replaced by more and this will definitely turn into an endless cycle of giving away and acquiring books but, life is full of those and I'm not mad at it!

That was it for today's discussion guys and I hope you found it interesting! You do you when it comes to book buying and what you want to spend your money on, of course! But I've been buying books since I've been old enough to know how and I'll always treasure them! Call it greediness, consumerism or whatever you personally relate it to, I'm used to it! Those who'll never be able to understand the magical world books create through their stories, will never actually experience it through others! Hope you're not one of them! 

What are your book buying habits? Make sure to let me know in the comments below and leave any tips you have for getting to read more books and reducing the number of unread ones on the shelf!

Until the next post,








Comments

  1. Interesting post! I keep all of my unread books on 1 shelf. When the shelf is full, I stop getting new books until there’s space for them. I pretty much only buy used books because they’re cheaper. This year, I’m going to start using the library more. That’ll help save money.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! Your strategy is actually really good! I do buy more used books as well because it saves so much money! The only ones I can't find are new releases so, those are basically the only new ones that I buy!

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