Where I Buy Books

So I decided to post where I get my books since all of the books I review in this blog I have either
bought myself or have been given to me by family and friends for birthdays. I'll make a note if this ever changes.

So what formats do I read in? Kindle, physical book (no preference on hardcover or paperback), and audiobooks. Below I detail where I go crazy book shopping!


Audiobooks:

**AUDIBLE**

Until recently I listened to audiobooks every waking moment of the day. To fuel this addiction I kept myself stocked by frequently visiting Audible! For a little over a year I had their membership plan that allowed me to have one credit a month to use on any audiobook and access to exclusive member sales. Honestly, when I was using the app daily the $14.95 a month was completely worth it.

In the year and a half that I had a membership I accumulated 52 books! Working full time and writing my own books more seriously has led to me listening less, but I still adore my audiobook collection and relisten to my favorites.

Bonus- if you have Amazon Prime there is a whole collection of audiobooks that you can stream for free. Definitely worth checking out.

Hardcovers:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble online
• Book of the Month

I tend to buy hardcovers online because they are much cheaper than in the store and I do my best to stick to a strict budget for my book buying habits. I recently tried out Book of the Month for the first time in April 2018. I'll be posting a review about that experience soon but I definitely recommend checking it out if you are interested in adult fiction (especially mystery).

Paperbacks:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Target

The first two options are fairly obvious, but if you're looking for a good selection of mass market paperbacks (I like them for traveling because they fit in my backpack nicely) then you should definitely check out Target. Many of the most popular books that have been out for a little while are stocked and most are $6-$8. I noticed the section expand recently at my local Target.

Note on Barnes & Noble: sign up for emails from them as they send out coupons for 15-20% off fairly regularly and for all holidays.

Used Books:

• Half Price Books
• Amazon

I buy a lot of used books and especially when I was in school my textbooks were primarily used. Half Price Books is a large used bookstore with movies, records, video games, books, etc. While I might have trouble finding the newest books, many of the most popular authors (think Stephen King) are usually well represented. Also, this is where I fed my Russian history obsession as a teenager. Their nonfiction section is great. They can also order books from their other locations throughout the country and have a store online you can order from.

Amazon Marketplace has always been a win for me. Hardcovers can start at less than $1. I usually end up buying old library books and hardcovers. I have had great success ordering from the various Goodwill sellers. My books from them have always arrived early and in great condition.

Ebooks:

• Amazon
• Kobo

My first ereader was a Sony. That ebook store was  converted to Kobo a couple of years after. I like the store just fine but now that I primarily use my Kindle Oasis I shop through Kobo less and less.

I have a couple of tips from my years of shopping Kindle. Sign up for the Kindle Daily Deal email newsletter. I get a lot of the most popular books for $1.99-$3.99 rather than full price. Also, I check Bookbub daily because they have a list of free ebooks that changes every day. Even searching for blog posts via Pinterest has helped me find books temporarily free. This is especially great if you like romance novels. And my last recommendation is to check Kindle Deals near all holidays. They usually have secondary sales running on great newer releases and bestsellers. End of the year sales were especially amazing in December 2017.

Prime members! You also have a selection of ebooks that changes regularly that you can borrow for free. Sometimes the selections aren't great but I can usually find some favorites rotating in and out (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, etc.)

Why don't I get books from the library?

Some of my fondest memories are spending recess in the school library (yep I was that kid) or going with my mother to the public library every week. I used libraries constantly until I was about 12 years old. At that age I moved to an area where there was no free access to public libraries. Until I move to an area where I have free access to libraries again, I'll be sticking with purchasing my reading material.