The topic for today’s post comes from the Let’s Talk Bookish topic hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion and this week – January 14-20:
Do Book Buying Bans Work for You? (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)?
Disclaimer:
These are my personal opinions. I do not expect anyone to agree with anything here, and in fact, I’m certain that many will disagree and/or even hate many of the things I’ve written below. Sorry about that, but you are always welcome to express your own opinions – be they contrary or comparable – in the comments section. So, with that out of the way… let the controversy begin!
Prompts for this topic?
The book community is full of consumerism. People want to not just read their favorite books, but own them as well. Sometimes this can get…a little out of hand. How do you control your spending/buying books you don’t have time to read? Does setting a book buying ban work for you? How long do you usually ban yourself for?
My Thoughts…
Back when I was a young, working stiff, I did have quite a few self-imposed book buying bans. This was partially because the cost of buying books in English where I live has always been pretty high here. Sure, there have always been a few second-hand shops around, but they’re mostly in the middle of town, and I rarely go there these days (I prefer malls, due to the convenient parking), now that I’m retired.
That means that for me, buying books has always meant going online and ordering them, or buying them when I’m abroad in an English speaking country. Obviously, I could and sometimes do buy eBooks, but lately, since I get my share of ARCs, I’m trying to keep my Kindle free for those, and not fill it up with too many other books.
So, back to buying books and if I have ever actually banned myself from buying them… To be honest, I don’t think I’ve actually banned myself from buying them, but I do try to make sure that I don’t go crazy, and I try to spread my purchases out, so I’m only buying one or two books at a time. I’ve basically decided that if I really want a book, I’ll look for the best price and buy it right away, or if it is newer, I’ll put it on my wish list until the price goes down. Mind you, there have been a few novels where I tried to get the ARC and was denied, and so I went and pre-ordered the paperback, and didn’t care how much it cost. Essentially, now that I’m retired, I’m allowing myself to spend a certain amount on books every month because… life is too short, and I love books!
There you have it!
So… what about you?
Do Book Buying Bans work for you?
This post is my 1st entry in the 2022 Discussion Challenge, hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight!
The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog 
Short answer: No. Buying books is a small treat I give myself every now and then. I would rather give up nonessentials like clothes and shoes.
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I don‘t really have a ban. I mostly read ebooks and if I come across a book I really want and it‘s around 5€ or less, I just get it. If it‘s a new ebook, I only get it if I definitely plan to read it when it is published. I very rarely buy paperbooks spontaneously, as I live in a small German town, only read novels in English and they simply don‘t have any. Boy, I sound boring… 😝
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Similar to me – living in Israel where the bookshops have a horrid selection of books in English, and the libraries have even fewer good books. When I can’t get the ARC to a book I want, I buy from Book Depository.
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Ibuy ebooks from Amazon, because they have the best choice for English ebooks for me. Physical books I try to buy local.
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I’ve never had a ban but, like you, I try to keep my book buying down to a reasonable number, and only books that I hope to read soon. I don’t have a lot of storage space, so having tons and tons of physical books isn’t really feasible, so most of my book buying is Kindle, except for classics where I really prefer a paper edition with an intro and notes.
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Well, I don’t really have a problem with storage. I mean, my book shelves are pretty full, but I could take 10% off of them and put them in a free public library tomorrow, if need be. Plus, there’s a wall in my bedroom where I could add more shelves, if I wanted (but then I’d have to take some pictures down).
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I used to own not all that many books and read mainly from the library, but several things happened, which changed matters: 1. I moved outside London and the local libraries were going more and more for purely mainstream fiction, so it was hard to find the books I actually wanted to read. 2. Then I moved to France and the only way to access English books was often to buy them (at quite an expense, from abroad). 3. Then I moved back to UK and was so grateful to be with all the books that I couldn’t resist buying them. Plus I missed the French books (which previously I had accessed mainly at the library while living in France), so I started ordering them at great expense from abroad. I also had a lovely bookshop on the to the metro station after I left the office in London, so too much of a temptation. 4. Then, in lockdown, I felt I had to support authors and publishers, so bought even more.
And now I’ve decided that this is my vice, like others drink or smoke or gamble.
But it is true that my finances are not really good, so I have tried book buying bans every now and then, and the longest I ever lasted was about 4-5 months.
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I get it completely! Say, do you not get ARCs from publishers ( advance reader copies) to review on your blog? That’s one way to cut down on your expenses – getting the free books to review.
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I used to get lots when I was reviewing for Crime Fiction Lover, but I then had less choice in reading what I wanted rather than what I got sent. I am not necessarily that keen on the latest releases (and the mainstream ones are easy to find even at my local library), and the obscure ones that are out of print etc. are expensive.
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Hm… some of the out of print ones might be available for free download on the Gutenberg Project. Worth a try, right? Also, have you tried Better World Books for used copies?
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Yes, I get second-hand ones all the time, but I still need to cut down on quantity.
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I tried this once and did manage to go three months without buying anything. Now I just try to exercise restraint especially with authors I’ve not read before or books I’m not sure of – I have wasted so much money in the past on books that I just couldn’t finish.
By the way, I tried leaving a comment by using my iPad but although I could enter the text, the “post comment” button just wouldn’t show up on the site.
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Oh, sorry about the iPad bit… very strange. I don’t have one so I can’t test it out to see what the problem is.
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It seems yours isn’t the only blog where this has happened. It’s a new development entirely. Must be something to do with iPad and wordpress compatability
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You could talk to WordPress about it, maybe?
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I’ve never put myself on a book ban — but I do try to restrict myself a bit when it comes to impulse buys. I typically buy books from authors I love or that I’m otherwise really excited for, but stick to the library for books I’m not sure I really need to own and for casual reading. I think it must be really hard not having access to a local library that meets your needs!
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Yes, it is hard. Once upon a time there was a really great library run by the British Council and I devoured books from there. They even had VHS videos, and later DVDs of British TV shows you could borrow. Sadly, they closed down several years ago, and nothing has replaced them.
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I don’t ban myself – I just have periods where I try not to buy too many new books…. Doesn’t usually work for very long!!!
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I hear you!
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Our library is so good at supplying the books I want to read, and in nice, sparkling condition, so I rarely buy fiction, because it’s unusual that I read a fiction book twice. Yes, I do buy books, and quite a lot of them, but mainly non-fiction. That keeps the pile down to manageable dimensions.
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Hard one, if I see a book that I want I usually buy it. They make me happy, so why not spend my money on them?
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Very true… life is too short to deprive ourselves of things that make us happy!
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No bans here! I tell myself I’m supporting authors and an industry. My argument works for chocolate, yarn, you name it!
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That’s the attitude!!!
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🙂
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I’ve never banned myself from buying books either. I kind of have a running tally in m head and just make good decisions. That plus the ease of using the library and the fact that I have too many ARCs to read keeps me naturally from spending too much. Excellent post!
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I wish I had a library I could use here, but I don’t. I mean, I could use the online one that is located in the US, but I always seem to have an ARC or a print bought book to read.
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I start to grab books in the grocery store and force myself to put them back. They’re cheaper on kindle and it’s way less wasteful to read ebooks. I guess that’s a ban!
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Sort of…
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I figure it’s like buying gas or groceries……I.e. an essential and I don’t worry about it! I do monitor the cost, though. I’m always looking for a kindle deal or maxing out my holds list at the library or stalking Netgalley for arcs!
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I wish I had a library I could use. I mean, I do, actually, but it is in the US back in my old home town. A classmate of mine is the head librarian there and she arranged an online library card for me. But I only used it when I had surgery on my eyes and needed audiobooks.
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I wish you had access to a library Davida!
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Oh, I keep telling myself not to buy any more books when I’ve got so many waiting to be read already, but it never lasts for long! Something that looks really good comes up – a new book by a favourite author, maybe – and off I go!
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