BTT: Why Buy?

I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY?
Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?

If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?




I never buy any books at all. I borrow all my books from the library, every single one.
Don't believe me?
Yeah, no, me neither.
I'm definately both a book-buyer and a book borrower. I love the library and rarely a week goes by where I don't go in and borrow a few books - I usually have between 12-18 books out at any one time, reading and borrowing on rotation. Any book I read a good review of gets looked up through my libraries and, if possible, borrowed out that way.
However there is nothing like having a book of your own - having it on your own shelf, being able to read it when and where you like, 24-hour access for reference and general hugging ... what? only me? okay...
At the end of the day I try to reserve my book buying for:
  • books I REALLY REALLY want to read
  • books I've read, loved, and want to read
  • books I can't find in the library but have to read anyway
  • books that I didn't mean to buy but where just to hard too resist when I was in the store and had them in my hands.

2 comments :

Vicki said...

I thought my TBR pile was big at around 8 or 9 books but I bet you have plenty more than me to read!!

Rebecca Johnson said...

a tbr PILE? What is this thing of which you speak? Could you, in fact, be referring to my tbr MOUNTAIN? ;)