Where do you get your books? Do you use the library?

[Bbq1]

During my childhood through to about age 35, I regularly used the library. When ds (now 20) was young, we used the library at least monthly. I haven't been in years. I'm 52 now, a voracious reader, have 2 huge overflowing bookshelves and for years have bought my books from Amazon/Waterstones Nothing beats receiving a lovely pristine new book through the door or browsing and buying in a bookshop. However, with the col I'm considering returning to the library again to save money. Does anyone here who reads use the library as opposed to buying books new?

There are pros and cons of real books, ebooks and audiobooks.
Personally I like to have at least 1 of each type on the go at any one time :)

I have an audiobooks for when I am sewing/crafting.
I have ebooks on my laptop for when I'm sat at home in the evening (my eyes can't manage ebooks on a smaller screen).
And I have books for snuggling in bed, in the bath, sitting in the park or other places where having a laptop is impractical.

It's great that we have all these options :)

I find people who are evangelical about Kindles as equally set in their ways as those who insist on real books.

I love the magazines and audio books too! You can join libraries out of your area (not all, but some)

I've joined Milton Keynes, Essex and The Libraries Consortium and I live in Wales (my local library appears to have the same five books every week!) . It's all allowed and a real joy to have access to such treasure!

I also use my kindle when I can get KU on special offer or a glut of freebies!

It's taken me over a year to read my current book 😂

Library and charity shops.

I'm fortunate that our local library is still open and five minutes' walk away, so I use it all the time. We make use of the children's events and facilities and I tend to go there at least once a week. It's only open three days and I'm always worried they'll close it (it was threatened a few years ago).

I frequently order books, and am always renewing them (thank goodness for email reminders 😂). If someone does have my book on hold so I can't renew, I just make a note of my page and put myself back on the waitlist.

I do have a Kindle but I only really use it on holiday, I still prefer reading on paper and holding a book, seeing the cover etc. And I begrudge paying for a book when I could get it from the library!

Library, kindle, amazon, 2nd hand.

Since getting back into the habit of using a library when the kids were small, I've saved a fortune... and a lot of space.

Saturday morning is library day, just like when I was 12!

It makes me think of my gran, trudging back and forth to town, with her bag full of Catherine Cooksons.

I definitely use the library really as an act of resistance ( a service where you can access books and information for free… where you can sit and keep warm and get a free hot drink should you require would never be invented nowadays ) I love book and reading and I buy second hand books and sometimes new books but i don’t need to own them all. If we don’t use the library we will lose them.

I rarely borrow physical books from the library, ours is a bit out of the way and limited opening hours but I do use the ebook/audiobook versions on Borrowbox. Then either charity shops or kindle (mainly 99p deals) for most of the rest, but I keep a wishlist going and my DCs buy me new books for Christmas and birthdays, usually from Waterstones. If I want a new hardcopy myself I buy it from a local independent book store.

I like going to the library, but my nearest one's opening hours clash with my working ones, it's almost a 10-mile round trip, and finding parking in the town centre can be tricky. My previous one didn't get new stock very often, and a lot of the books had been in there for years, so I'd already read them. Also, I probably have more books than your average library at home 😳

Although I don't always get brand-new and pristine books anymore, I buy a lot of mine through Amazon, eBay, World of Books, AbeBooks and so on. If I'm near a bookshop, then I'm always in danger of coming out with a dozen!

I'm another devote of Kindle 99 p deals. I have so many unread books I only allow myself to buy the books I want when they're 99p. Like others, I can no longer get comfortable with a paper book and love nothing more than hunkering down under the duvet with my kindle, which is nothing like a screen btw.

Libraries have their place, but the wait for reserved books, whether paper or electronic ones, can be months and then you often only have 3 weeks to read them, if someone else has also reserved it. The libraries where I am also have very limited opening hours, so are hard to get to and unless I'm going that way anyway, cost more than 99 p worth of petrol to get there.

Yes the library.
Charity shops, work book swaps and local bookshops.

Don't use Amazon as prefer to support better businesses if I'm spending.

Yes to all this! Libraries are a heartwarming concept.

I've got a toddler and we go to the library twice a week. I used the library pre-child but only once every couple of months. Ours can be accessed even when the librarians aren't on shift, you just scan your card to get in.

I do use the library although it isn't amazing, used to be a lot better but int he last few years they moved to a new building and the stock is much smaller than it used to be. I still find a few books to read. I also bought a kobo a few years ago and use that for epubs. I put what I want to read in my wishlist and get emails when they get reduced to 99p or a few quid and I can get them from the Library website.I use audible for audiobooks and usually can get a deal on that. I do buy books sometimes but mostly second hand or if I get given vouchers.

I use the library for books to read, that I don't want to own - I might change my mind later and actually buy a copy if I thought it was good. Charity shops are variable, occasionally you find something worthwhile but more often it's mass market paperbacks and sportsman biographies. Abebooks is good if you want a specific title, and some secondhand bookshops are well worth browsing in, though many have shelves of books that will never sell in a million years and boxes and bags of unsorted books everywhere. My local independent bookshop doesn't really stock books that I would be interested in, but I do use it for special orders, Amazon I try to avoid, though I did recently have to use them to buy a book published by (and only available from) them

As a child/teen I would go to the library every fortnight with my dad. I loved coming home with a new stack of books to read.

Now I mostly use Kindle Unlimited. I may buy a kindle book if I enjoy the sample, but most of my reading is from Kindle Unlimited. Weirdly, I now only buy a physical book if I've already read it and just want it for my shelf!

My DP, on the other hand, only buys physical books and does most of his book buying from Waterstones. I like being able to have hundreds of books in the space of a small kindle, he likes having his office full of bookcases!

I’ve rejoined my local library and love going there. It’s in the most beautiful building and I feel a sense of calm wandering around every other week.
I used to buy books but after a breakup I threw myself into reading and reached a point where I had 42 books stacked up in my bedroom and ran out of space. So using the library was out of necessity.
I don’t enjoy reading on a kindle. However I do feel a bit guilty that the local library I used to take my DC’s to in my village closed. I hadn’t been for years so if I want my nearest library to stay open it needs to be used.
I’ve just learned how to reserve books online as I’m seeing the same titles I’ve read and not a lot of choice so that should keep me going for a while longer. Off to pick them up today.
Mine has a couple of late night openings and I can pop out on my lunch when I’m WFH so this isn’t an issue.

Online libraries are good, there is a library in the nearest town but that would require a 10 mile drive and parking fees. Occasionally buy a kindle book if it's at 99p (and not available from the online library) but otherwise can't remember the last time I bought an actual paper book. Sad in a way but no bookshops anywhere around here, and too expensive (even kindle book prices amaze me, how on earth can they be almost the same as a hardback book?)

Library, charity shops, village book exchange boxes, amazon & independent book shops.

I'm not massively keen on ebooks but our library membership comes with access to Libby and I do read magazines that way. We also listen to a lot of audio books that way.

Do any of you find that you need to return books within 2 weeks and you may not have them read? It feels like pressure. You would need to be working part time or semi retired to make use of a library.

I work full time, I am 53 but still need to drive teens around. It takes me a week or more to read one book. I know the library will renew books I haven't finished but I have to visit in person and ask them to renew.

I buy my books new from amazon or bookshops. I wait until a book is out on small paperback and I try to pay 7 euro or less. I use the book swap at work too.

The library near us is open office hours when I am at work! It opens Sat morning while I am collecting dcs and doing a food shop. the expense of buying books is offset by thr convenience. I donate them to charity shops or give them in at work when I have them read.

There’s a brilliant little bookshop at our local nature reserve, most books are 50p-£1 so I usually go there!

For kids’ books, I like the 10 for £10 at The Works, but we do often borrow from the library, too.

I read books on my tablet or phone. Joined the local library and use the Libby app. Also get Kindle books when reduced or free.

I buy them cheap on Vinted or Ebay, read then resell. I only buy a book new if it is a new release that I really want to read ASAP and know I can sell later.

Not for me because the library is genuinely one of my favourite places to be. Obviously other people might feel differently.