Don't get me wrong, I do own books. Shelves full of books. I just don't buy them new. I occasionally buy books off the clearance racks at a used bookstore (if you have a HalfPrice Books nearby you must check them out!), and am constantly picking them up at garage sales, used booksales, and thrift stores. My main source of books is Paperback Swap and any book that I desire to own and add to my bookshelf goes on my wishlist there.
When I worked as a book distributor at Wal-mart I was curious watching people as they shopped and grabbed one or two paperbacks off the shelf and threw them into their cart, without even checking the price on the back. A paperback or two at an average of $5.99 each adds up fairly quickly. I couldn't image spending that much on something I could get for free at the library but it was entertaining watching "the book people" as I stocked the shelves.
My mom wanted me to have that type of experience. She wanted me to be able to go into a store and just pick up whatever book I wanted and buy it, without thinking of the price. When I was 18 years old she managed to scrape up $60 in Barnes and Noble gift certificates for me for Christmas. At that time I owed money for a plane ticket though so bartered that $60 to partly go towards the plane ticket. I don't know who was more disappointed in the loss of that book shopping experience...my mom or me?!
I've redeemed myself today. After a doctor appointment and a trip to McDonald's Playland for the kids we headed to the mall in a city nearby. Yesterday my mom had mentioned that GAP was having 40% off all clearance and for some reason I thought that sale would still be going on today (it wasn't). I was disappointed as I browsed the clearance racks at the GAP and saw things that would have been extraordinary deals had it been an additional 40% off. Suffice to say, I missed out on a pretty good deal by being a day late.
Feeling a bit down I decided to take the kids to Borders to let them look around and play in the kids section. As I walked into the store I saw a table with a sign stating "Selected Titles $1". I looked around in the boxes but saw no $1 prices, everything was priced at $3.99 or $5.99. I was about to walk away but decided to ask a sales person whether only certain titles were $1 or everything and she said everything on the table was $1 each.
Pure Bliss! It was wonderful to sort through brand new books and choose whatever struck my fancy, knowing I was only paying $1 per book. Granted, they weren't titles that I would have chosen had I been paying, say, their original prices but for $1 I wasn't too picky.
As you can see from the photo above, I bought 17 adult books and two kids books (for 48 cents each) for a grand total of $19.xx. It was amazing walking out of a bookstore with two large bags full for under $20!
These books are the Chick-lit type. They are my winter bath time reading. When I need a little stress-free moment at the end of a long day I hand the children over to my husband and I hop into a hot bubble bath and immerse myself in a "fluffy" book that requires little thinking. I also read classics, mysteries, and even a western or two sometimes. As well as more deep-thinking non-fiction books. But chick-lit at $1 a book makes my heart leap with joy...so no judgements on my reading material, please! :) Even my own mother has her guilty pleasure of PEOPLE magazine! :)
What fun it was! Even better is that I will now have plenty of books to trade on Paperback Swap when I am done, or make my money back and then some by selling these at my garage sale next year. 
yeah now that's a deal!!!!!
ReplyDeleteToo bad I don't know you in real life I have so many chick lit books that need a new home. I don't see the point in reading anything twice but I like giving them to someone who will enjoy them. So there they sit on shelf.
ReplyDeleteOoooh you got Janet Evanovich books. I ADORE her Stephanie Plum series it makes me actually laugh out loud as I read! I hope you enjoy
ReplyDeletehansenj- Darn it....why couldn't I have a neighbor like you! You may want to check out Paperback Swap yourself, or at least trade them into a used bookstore for some credit...so you can get more books! I am like you - I rarely ever read a book a second time (unless it is a referance book or something really good!) so like to buy books cheap, read them, and then pass them on or sell them for some cash.
ReplyDeleteJupiter, I think I've read one Janet Evanovich book but can't remember it. I hear they are good! Looks like both of these are Stephanie Plum novels so I look forward to them. :)
I love Paperback Swap. I have gotten so many good books from there. But I do buy some books new especially for gifts. My children have certain series that they just love such as Redwall books, Laura Ingalls books, Narnia Series, Lord of the Rings, Anne of Green Gables, etc. I bought these series new for them as gifts. My Little House books from my childhood had been read so many times that there was not a lot left of them. I love that my children can experience this with their own favorite series. Also with four girls that love to read, I do not feel bad about it. The books get plenty of loving!
ReplyDeleteWe are also in a very rural area and do not have good selections at our library. My children have read all the "decent" books. I would rather buy good solid reading selections for the girls then allow them to read the drivel, corrupt, evil books about Gossip Girls or Vampires that our library does have.
I use to love chik books but no longer read them. Once I gave all areas of life over to Christ, I realized that he really did not want me to be reading these "steamy" and often immoral books. It was a hard sacrifice at first but now I find that there is plenty of other good reads out there.
Most of the chik lit I read doesn't have too much sex. I am a prude though and I skim through that part. I really don't want to read about it! I think the really sexy stuff is called romance whereas chick lit is fiction. Okay that is my second comment on this post I am a nerd. I am also hansenj.
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