The Conservative Cave
Interests => Hobbies => The Book Club => Topic started by: franksolich on October 03, 2009, 06:19:13 PM
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Where do you usually get your books?
Being one of those who lives life not by plan but by random chance and opportunity, I tend to find mine in the 25- or 50-cent bins of used bookstores.
I tend to buy hardcover books, never paperbacks; it's perhaps silly to be this way, but one can be a snob about such things. I grew up in houses with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined with slipcased books (the Heritage Club, the Folio Society, &c.), and I always had the impression if a book was any good, it was good enough to be in hardcover.
Of course, buying from 25- and 50-cent book bins means one is reading old or outdated books, but knowledge is eternal. Here we are in 2009, and at the moment most of the books I'm buying are from the late 1970s, early 1980s. About 90% of them ultimately go to the thrift store, but there have been some real keepers.
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What about the library? I don't buy books unless I have to (or they're worth shelling out my dollars for).
The library in my neighborhood is less than a mile from here. It's nice.
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I read everything I get my hands on- books, websites, cereal boxes. :-)
I usually hit the bookstores every two weeks; B&N, Half Price Books and resell shops. Have to go to CC for that, my town doesn't even have a gas station.
Hubby gave me a Sony E-reader so I download from the web too.
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What about the library? I don't buy books unless I have to (or they're worth shelling out my dollars for).
The library in my neighborhood is less than a mile from here. It's nice.
That works too, but one supposes geography has something to do with it.
Lincoln and Omaha (in Nebraska) were different, but out here in the Sandhills of Nebraska, there's a lot of really well-stocked public libraries, but the libraries of course reflect the demographics of the area.
Meaning around here, public libraries tend to be circa 2/3rds children's books, because children are a large proportion of the general population, and hence probably the largest proportion of library patrons.
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I ususally rely on the kindness of others. I have a very real allergy problem whenever I am around a concentration of old books. My throat starts to close up and breathing becomes difficult. I cannot even go into libraries unless the ventilation system is topnotch.
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I ususally rely on the kindness of others. I have a very real allergy problem whenever I am around a concentration of old books. My throat starts to close up and breathing becomes difficult. I cannot even go into libraries unless the ventilation system is topnotch.
When I was in college, I used to hang around the most-dust-laden section of Love Library (University of Nebraska)--where all the bound copies of master's and Ph.D. theses were kept.
Apparently that was a rule of the University of Nebraska; that if one got an advanced degree from there, one had to donate two bound copies of the thesis to the university library.
It was utterly fascinating, reading this stuff from long-ago students; from the 1880s or 1920s or 1950s.
For some reason, I was always drawn to those dating from the late 1930, and all through the 1940s, examining attitudes and practices in Europe at the time. The very best ones dealt with the French circa September 1939-May 1940, in which even those many years ago, I found alarming parallels with contemporary attitudes about the current War on Terror.
Many of the dental theses were good, too.
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I buy things by chance. I use Amazon a lot because of the big discounts and because they often have the less popular books which are hard to find, but I also love 2nd hand shops and charity shops for old recipe books and curiosities I am lucky to live quite near a couple of libraries so I mostly get thrillers (and other books I won't read more than once from there). When I do buy thrillers they get circulated to a group work colleagues who lend me their books so we only have to buy a proportion of the books we fancy rather than all of them.
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I tend to buy books when I go to Walmart or KMart, since they are cheaper than the one bookstore at the the local mall.
For those interested in older literature, check out these two sites.
Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page) and Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/details/texts) .
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Usually the library.
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Usually the library.
I guess we have to vote for option 4.
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My library has a huge sale once a year. I buy a ton of books then. If the library doesn't have one I want to read I will get it from Amazon or Walmart. I hate paying retail prices so I almost always buy used. Goodwill and The Salvation Army usually have a ton of books but they have both raised their prices.
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I guess we have to vote for option 4.
Well, I'm very careful with my money. 10-15% of what I make goes into savings and I haggle over prices whenever I buy something.
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Half Price Books is my favorite, you never know what you will find.
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We usually try to get them from a library first...unless it's a book we know we'll want to own. Then we use Amazon most often, they have free shipping for a $25 purchase, they're fast, and they've never messed things up, even when we're sending books as gifts to someone else.
I haven't found any place with good used or half-price books in my area...would probably have to make a trip to a bigger city for that.
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I'm poor enough that I will beg for peoploe to mail them to me instead of throwing them out.
Media Mail is like $2.77 for a heavy book like "One Sector After"
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Frank, the Dallas Heritage Village recently decided to close their little library.
They were giving books away.
I didn't get the book I wanted someone had already absconded with the Texas Journey of MK Kellogg or whatever it was called. Great book I saw on amazon for more than $50, thin volume. Took place 100 years before my own birth in this great state when Dallas was just a little German village.
I got "The Little Commonwealth: Family Life in the Plymouth Colony" instead.
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Mystery guild!!!!!!!!! I dont have to go anywhere..Timing is all any one has to figure out... All the novels are about $15.
I'm a big fan of John Sanford and Michael Connally... Also Woods , Deaver , Elmore Leonard , Patterson etc..
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Usually the library.
Colonial you would love to meet my Mother.
Scene--Lincoln Memorial Washington Dc.
Behind a large pillar I found a very small book store tucked into the memorial.
I left Mom for just one second to check it out as my sons birthday was coming up and he was fascinated with the Civil War.
ARKKKK Mom found me buying, spend money on a biography of one of the Southern Generals. Right in front of tourists and and store personal this woman in her 80's began to pull on my shirt hissing at me.
I grabbed my purchase and went outside with her as she berated me for spending money when I could have checked the book out of the library for his birthday. When I realised she was very serious about this I questioned her on how to go about taking back a birthday present after 2 weeks. Her reply was I could get an extention from the library.
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
I have to admit I have often thought of turning that woman loose on you guys, she is a hoot.
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Mystery guild!!!!!!!!! I dont have to go anywhere..Timing is all any one has to figure out... All the novels are about $15.
I'm a big fan of John Sanford and Michael Connally... Also Woods , Deaver , Elmore Leonard , Patterson etc..
I used to love Stuart Woods then he got all moonbatty. :thatsright: Have you ever read Jonathan Kellerman? He is freaking awesome!
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ARKKKK Mom found me buying, spend money on a biography of one of the Southern Generals. Right in front of tourists and and store personal this woman in her 80's began to pull on my shirt hissing at me.
Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
I thought you were a young one, madam, maybe circa 30.
Perhaps you were a late child?
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I used to love Stuart Woods then he got all moonbatty. :thatsright: Have you ever read Jonathan Kellerman? He is freaking awesome!
I've read a couple of his . Just me , but he seems to be his ma and pa all rolled into one. I really like Deavers latest because it is interactive with his readers. And he answered my email. :-)
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I usually use the library, but if there's something I must have, I get it from the bookstore, either on-line or Birck and mortor.
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I buy books from just about anywhere. I buy some at the usual bookstores and I buy them from used bookstores. At least once a year, the library has a big book sale, and for the last hour or so you can buy all the books you can fit in a brown paper bag for $2.00. I'm also a member on Paperbackswap.com, which is a site where you list books you want to get rid of, then mail them to people when they request them. Then you can request an equal number of books from any member. Cheaper than many used bookstores, plus I can clean out my bookshelves a bit.
If you are interested in paperbackswap.com, please use this link to check it out, because then I can get some credit for new membership :-)
Paper Back Swap (http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=7&r_by=CelticRose)
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I buy books from just about anywhere. I buy some at the usual bookstores and I buy them from used bookstores. At least once a year, the library has a big book sale, and for the last hour or so you can buy all the books you can fit in a brown paper bag for $2.00. I'm also a member on Paperbackswap.com, which is a site where you list books you want to get rid of, then mail them to people when they request them. Then you can request an equal number of books from any member. Cheaper than many used bookstores, plus I can clean out my bookshelves a bit.
If you are interested in paperbackswap.com, please use this link to check it out, because then I can get some credit for new membership :-)
Paper Back Swap (http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=7&r_by=CelticRose)
who pays the shipping costs?
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who pays the shipping costs?
The person mailing the book pays for shipping, so that is something to keep in mind if you are considering shipping a heavy book. But, that means that you can request hardcover books with no extra cost.
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Where's the option for just stealing them? :-)
It depends for me on what the book is, how timely I need/want it, and whether or not I'll keep it.
I love places like Half-Price books (as mentioned by IassaFTots above) for finding oddball & overexposed books. Especially if I don't need to read it RIGHT AWAY, like some people feel the need to. And no offense to those who just have to read the current popular book. If there's a popular book that I really want to read but not buy, the library is my first option. I purchase several baseball reference/analysis books each February/March, and always keep them. Usually via Amazon, or whoever has it cheapest.
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Book store.
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Sam's, Walmart, Target, Kmart and the grocery.
Usually buy paperback, unless I can't wait for the paperback. :-)
Used to buy from the local used bookstore, but they moved into a highend property, raised their prices and lowered what they would give you for turn ins. I'm buying new ones at Sam's for almost what they charge for used.
Then I pass them around to friends. :-)
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Sam's, Walmart, Target, Kmart and the grocery.
Then I pass them around to friends. :-)
**cough cough**
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Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
I thought you were a young one, madam, maybe circa 30.
Perhaps you were a late child?
:heart: :heart: :heart: What a charming young man you are Frank, how sweet of you.
I am not your typical Grandma, Frank, in fact I am now old enough to have shed the Vail of respectability or have any fear of "What will the neighbors think."
Age has its benefits, I now do things because I want to not as I am told to. I can now give in to impulse, when I wish I can go as I like to call it, HEAD HUNTING.
Just sit in the town square and ignore the "Don't talk to strangers" start up a conversation with anyone from punks to the elderly. [Mom goes bat crap when I ingage a street person in conversation.]
It is usually books that opens the door for meeting really unusual people. In my area people read a great deal, pass the time away with a book under one arm and a dog at their feet. It is funny as there are people of all ages that do the same as me, you watch them walk past someone with a book in hand and necks Crane to see the tittle.
People are wonderful you know, every one of us has an Eleanor Rigby deep within ourselves.
I call the library a few times a year to request the dates that books will be given away.
I go down and seldom look at the tittle just fill up a couple of boxes, come home and unpack them to see what surprises I will find.
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I went with option 4 although I do tend to buy from Amazon most of the time. When I visit my daughter I go to Edward MacKay Used Books and usually find several at great prices. DVD's too.
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Then I pass them around to friends. :-)
I am so freaking anal about my books that I have a seriously hard time loaning them to others. I have to have promises that they will treat them like priceless antiquities. :-)
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I am so freaking anal about my books that I have a seriously hard time loaning them to others. I have to have promises that they will treat them like priceless antiquities. :-)
I don't lend any books that I want to keep. I never get 'em back.
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I went with option 4 although I do tend to buy from Amazon most of the time. When I visit my daughter I go to Edward MacKay Used Books and usually find several at great prices. DVD's too.
You must be coming up to my neck of the woods.
MacKay's is the book store I was talking about that has raised their prices so much.....
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At one time I, figuratively speaking, devoured paperback SF and Fantasy books. So much so that when I sold some back to a used book store, I cleared nearly $100, in the late 70's. I was, however, smart enough to keep the rare ones, namely anything by Clark Ashton Smith, which are now difficult to find.
Now I don't read nearly as much, but I do have all of Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series in first edition hardbound.
I think I kept Tower Books in business for awhile.
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Two sources, generally - Amazon.com or when I want to walk out of the store with a book under my arm, Barnes & Noble.
Whether I buy paperback or hardcover depends on how badly I want to wait for the paperback and/or the author in question.
Mrs E and I have a lot of books, but it's manageable -- at least so far.
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Two sources, generally - Amazon.com or when I want to walk out of the store with a book under my arm, Barnes & Noble.
Whether I buy paperback or hardcover depends on how badly I want to wait for the paperback and/or the author in question.
Mrs E and I have a lot of books, but it's manageable -- at least so far.
That's the way I am....if I can't find enough paperbacks to keep me happy...I head to Sam's for the hardback.
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Where do you usually get your books?
I would say it's, typically evenly split between Amazon, Borders/Barnes and Nobles, and my local libraries quarterly sales. I do try and pick up a few things here and there from the few small independent book stores in my area, and I absolutely adore visits to John King Used Books (http://www.rarebooklink.com/cgi-bin/kingbooks/index.html)
That being said, I cherish my local library :cheersmate:
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Anywhere...library, loaners from friends, Barnes and Noble, lately, I get them from the Volunteer's office at the hospital as they sell hardcovers for $3 or $4 a piece...