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Well-Being

Read Our Lips: Get Books, Save Bucks

Posted January 18, 2009

The Whiner loves books.

Indeed, The Whiner loves few things more than browsing in bookstores, buying everything that looks even remotely intriguing, holding books in our hot little hands, reading them, rereading them, loaning favorites to friends, rereading our favorite favorites one more time, and then, whenever necessary, expanding our collection of bookshelves so that we can continue to expand our treasured collection of books, with no end in sight.

Books are so central to our well-being, in good times and bad, that it’s not possible for us to imagine a life — or even, more than a day or two — without them.

But downturns are downturns, and with sickening predictability, there’s always something else that The Whiner would love to do yet cannot afford. We can’t buy books the way we used to. (In fact, people just like us are probably partly responsible for the publishing industry being a blue-chip member of EconoWhiner’s DeathWatch. We’re sorry — but what can we do?)

Some people are giving E-books a try, but we’re “late-stage technology adopters” who tend to wait until prices either drop really low ($359 and a waiting list for a Kindle? Give us a break!) or the new technology fades away. The Whiner being The Whiner, we prefer these five money-saving tips for book-lovers instead:

1. Swap with friends. Many of us do this occasionally, but frequently is even better. Don’t limit yourselves: Cookbooks, for example, can be great loaners. Ransack the bookshelves next time you go visiting — and encourage your friends to do the same. If there’s a book that you don’t care to get back, encourage friends or relatives to keep it moving along.

2. Go to the library. What’s not to like about libraries? They’re free. They’re (usually) pretty close. And, trust us, they’ve got a much better selection than you and your friends could ever hope for. All you need to do is get into the habit of visiting during the hours when they’re open. (Don’t overlook their collections of DVDs, videos, audio books, and magazines while you’re at it.)

3. Check out BookSwim. It’s kind of like netflix for hardcover and paperback books, with monthly plans starting as low as $9.95. Free shipping. You get the idea. (Yes, we know that there’s a monthly outlay involved. But if you read a lot, this plan might make sense, since it does save your time and the cost of transport to and from the library.)

Here’s something else that we really, really like about BookSwim: Textbooks in new or like-new condition are also available for rental. That could add up to a big saving for college students.

4. Try BookMooch. Think of this as an online version of book swapping with friends. Members earn credit whenever they pass on a book to another member who wants it; they can then “spend” those credits on books that they want or donate the credits to a favorite charity (that’s a nice touch). The main cost is for postage; the way we understand it, you send, you spend (so, yes, it’s better to receive than to give).

Our thanks to Fellow Whiner Julia who wrote to us about the system soon after she started using it. (Whiners, keep those tips coming!)

5. Buy an occasional book. You don’t have to spend money like crazy, but we do encourage you to still treat yourself to a book every once in a while. Buy a book for a friend or relative at birthday time. This is important — please do it.

Speaking of well-being, here are some books that have recently made Whiner-in-Chief very happy indeed: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (remember, like Deputy Whiner, W-i-C is a fanatic for mysteries), Stoner by John Williams, and Sweet Land Stories by E. L. Doctorow.

The Whiner wants to know: What are you reading these days? Is spending money on books a problem for you or a solution?

Reader Comments

  1. Jessica

    I’m an avid reader frequently purchasing books that sit on my nightstand for months, sometimes years. Unfortunately, I’ve had to scale back on purchases. Given the backlog of books on my nightstand, I won’t go without reading material for awhile.

    I can’t imaging pursuing e-books. You can’t curl up with your computer. You can’t get it autographed by the author. And there’s something appealing about overflowing bookshelves in your home.

    When pile wears thin, I’ll likely make my way to the library. Or I’ll be buying more bargain books from the retailers than I’ve previously done.

  2. MikeinMass

    I just finished “American-Made: The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work” by Nick Taylor. It was an appropriate read given the large stimulus Obama is proposing.

    Next up is “Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate”.

    Of course, both from the library. Although my local library is small, it is connected to a larger network within the region for which the slections of books, videos, music, etc are limitless. I’ve never been a book hound so it works for me.

  3. Hope

    I have shelves of books that I can’t part with, but I also have some that I know I’ll never read again, and I like to sell them used (at my local indy bookstore or on Amazon.com), mostly so I can buy more books. I agree with Jessica…there is something wonderful about bookshelves in most rooms and piles of books on the nightstand.

    One of my standard holiday gifts from two family members is a gift cert to our local indy and I look forward to it and hoard it for months, trying to decide on just the right book. Sometimes it’s something new that I want in hardcover NOW. Sometimes I spent hours in the used section and come home with a stack that lasts for weeks or months. But I generally don’t exhaust the card until just before Christmas, and then I hold my breath and hope they don’t change their gift pattern. :)

    This economy has also prompted me to use my library card more heavily, especially on books I’m not sure I’ll like.

    My latest purchase is The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and The Triumph of Hope by Jonathan Alter. Along with MikeinMass, I’m thinking of the new president and looking at history. (And it was on the book club table at my bookstore…they discount anything being read by a book group in our area every month, and we have lots of book clubs, so I always go to that table first!)

    Reading is a great comfort and escape in the frigid winter we’re having in the Midwest.

  4. tomlinton

    I have a Kindle
    I don’t whine about it
    because the first day
    it was available
    I bought it
    My life _is_ different
    I don’t travel anymore
    :>)

  5. BethF

    The library’s the way to go for me. Fifteen years ago, I realized I had more than 1,000 books in the house, most of which were read once and tossed aside. These were donated to charity and I got a library card. The public library here (Richland County Public Library) is wonderful: huge collection, helpful staff, beautiful facility, involved in the community. It lets me indulge in my reading addiction on the cheap. Also, I can “preview” a book I’m considering buying, such as a cookbook, to see if it’s something I will use and enjoy. So use your local library. And, with the money you’ll save, think about donating to your library’s patron association. It’s less than you’ll spend on books in a year, and you will be helping the library continue its programs in your area.

  6. Kris

    I need the escapism a book can offer, it allows my mind to wander and think about things in a way watching television doesn’t. I like my nightly ritual of climbing into bed and getting through a few chapters before falling asleep as I tend to not stress about the days ills (as much or maybe as often).
    Our local indy store buys back books (altho usually not more than $1 a paperback) and marks them up on the shelves between $5 – $10. Still a reasonable savings while giving you the option to stretch that gift card out.

    Right now I’m reading “Notes on a Kidnapping” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (whom I love). The book is great insight to how factions are so desperate to get themselves heard/seen for their cause they’ll resort to kidnapping high ranking officials/family.
    Next up, I think, will be something cheerier.

  7. Mletta

    PaperBackSwap.com is another resource for trading hard and softcover books. You list what you have to send to others and you create your own wish list of books you want–and are notified via email when they are available.

    What I like is the easy interface, that makes it easy to list and to search for what you want.

    You get two instant credits (books are one credit each; audiobooks, two credits) and then get a credit for each book someone else wants from you.

    I joined in December and already four of my books were snapped up for four credits and I found four books I wanted.
    (And I’d only listed 9 to start!)

    You do pay for the postage on books you send (and it’s based on weight, which they figure out based on the ISBN number), but you can do so online via paypal credits to your account and they even prepare a postage paid label/mailer that you can print out for mailing the books. This saves time as you can then deposit it in the mail (saves trip to post office for us city folks, for whom it’s often two bus/subway rides away, thus defeating any savings)or hand off to your postman.

    You do have to wait for the books to arrive (it’s media mail), but that’s the same as if you wait for a half.com or amazon marketplace book, too.

    Depending on the books you have–or want, this can be a hugely economical way to swap.

    Will check out the other site you mentioned for swapping as well.

    M

  8. Seneca

    Don’t forget that may, if not most, libraries have online catalogues, where you can search for books just like on Amazon, and if you have a library card you can request them if they are checked out or at a different branch. I get books sent form the larger cities in my library system that my small town library doesn’t have. You do support libraries with your tax money, so get your money’s worth.
    Also, some libraries subscribe to newspaper and journal databases you may be able to access from home using their website and your library card.

  9. streakyj

    i’m reading John Elder Robison’s wonderful memoir, ‘Look Me in the Eye.’ His life and adventures [especially working with KISS in the 70s] have been both complicated and enhanced by his Asperger’s disorder. It’s a very engaging read, whether or not the Asperger’s connection means something to the reader.

    Long live inter-library loan!

  10. abo gato

    Books. I don’t think I can give them up. Good news is I’ve been such a book buying hog that I have tons of them lined up on my “to read” bookshelf that I can probably get by for awhile. Could not imagine not having shelves of them all over the house.

    I always wonder about people, when you don’t really know them and you go to their house, the ones who don’t have books and art on the walls, they usually turn out to be the ones you end up not wanting to spend any time with.

    I confess to being a chain reader. Will finish one and start another immediately. Sometimes I’ll have more than one going at a time, but mostly I stick with one at a time. Love mysteries, adventures, lawyer stories, spy stuff. Was head over my heels with Harry Potter despite being in my 50’s. Those books were just such good fun!

    Finished “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” the other day. I liked it but was a bit saddened and disturbed by it. I need someone who has also read it to talk it over with.

    I am pretty sure money for books will be one of the last things I cut back on. Libraries are fun, but I like to have the books around me.

  11. Julia

    As an avid reader, I am continually looking for more affordable ways to feed my “habit.”

    A friend of mine who is also an avid reader has started hosting book-swap *parties* where the “price” of admission is two books (one fiction, one non-fiction) to swap with others at the party. Whoever brings the books must also “review” them and explain why they chose to bring those books in particular and why they recommend them.

    Recently, another friend loaned me his copy of “Out Stealing Horses,” by Per Petersen. A beautifully-written, powerful story. I *highly* recommend it.

    Another author who has made me happy (okay, sometimes he makes me laugh out loud!) is James Hamilton-Paterson. His first book, Cooking with Fernet Branca, was hilarious, and his most recent book (about the same characters) is called Rancid Pansies. Also extremely funny and intelligently written.

  12. AKW

    I am a writer and an adjunct English prof at a community college. I have many, many, many books (also, my husband has a Ph.D and worked for years in bookstores, hence, we have far more books than we will ever read). I still buy books occasionally, but due to my economic circumstances, I am relying more and more on my library. We have a fabulous, extensive interlibrary loan that’s available to us, and I use it at least once a week. I’ve found very obscure books that I needed for school that weren’t available to me at my local library, but which were at a library in the next county over. They ship it to my library, I drive a mile away, and I have the book I need.

  13. Spokane Al

    I have always loved books and magazines and have more of both than I really need.

    I am currently reading Franklin and Winston, An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship by Jon Meacham. My previous read was Boone, A Biography by Robert Morgan and before that was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Like abo gato I was a bit troubled it.

    I would like a Kindle someday, but like you, am not prepared to pay the going price. We are looking to get rid of excess stuff in our house and the Kindle seems like a logical solution.

    I also plan to read a number of books that I currently own but have yet to read.

  14. amy

    Libraries are terrific, especially when they’re libraries and not community centers/galleries/concert spaces. I don’t use the public library, though, because books I borrow vanish into the vortex with the rest of the collection and I pay more in fines than I would have if I’d just bought them. Plus nothing makes you feel like a heel like bringing in a book six months overdue.

    I’ve got enough here to last me a long, long time, and people send me stuff to review, so I don’t often buy more. Currently am reading Frank O’Connor’s short stories; stuff related to work; a set of interviews with A. R. Ammons; _Absalom, Absalom_; and a book of Rick Kenney’s old poetry. On low days Rilke’s letters can’t be beat for bedtime reading. Oh, and been reading the girl Moomintroll books at night. I’m delighted she’s not tired of them yet but am saving the short stories.

    Best book read in 2008: John Gardner’s _The Sunlight Dialogues_. Why this man vanished from fashionable lit circles I can’t understand. I hope his stuff is due for a resurgence. There’s a chapter in that book that ought to be in those giant lit-survey anthologies, is an incredibly potent, lucid, perfect American scene & story. The whole thing’s good, though.

  15. amy

    Oh. Kindle. Well, it’s got two things going for it: The way that ebooks mean there’s no such thing as OOP, and convenience when flying. (I sometimes have a carryon that’s all books & papers.) Oh, three — you wouldn’t spend four years flipping through pages trying to find that scene you remember. Oh, four: It won me dinner. 10-12 years ago I noticed that if you could cut out physical book inventory, you could save publishers, because acquisition wouldn’t be such a risk, you’d cut out much of the cost of production, and you’d escape the returns system. (I didn’t think about piracy issues.) My publishing/law friends at the time were scandalized and said Never! Barbarism! No one would read like that!, and the upshot is that one of them had to buy me dinner. Yum.

    Overall though I think it’s dumb and that it’ll a) force writers into doing silly multimedia things for which they have no talent; b) do a number on the third world, which relies on our paper discards; c) look very foolish when the oil runs out. But hey, in the meantime, tra la.

  16. Kate

    Have to be rude here for a moment…

    Screw Kindle.

    Yes…I’m a glue-sniffer. I NEED my paper! I rather (semi) compulsively have to enjoy every aspect of my books, sniffing the binding, flipping through the pages, examining the cover art and any interior art, I’ve even been known to (occasionally) taste a page or two. (Germaphobes tend to not borrow from me!)

    Of course…those are only books who’s “history” I know, overwhelmingly my hardbacks or new (or not so new) paperbacks. “Mystery” books I keep at more of a distance.

    Those of you with good libraries, you’re very fortunate, not all of us do. The downtow Des Moines Public Library is…well, for any organized bibliophile (and it’s only regarding my books that I am at all organized) a nightmare. It’s a badly designed, disorganized space…they were interested more in the status of having whichever designer and the “impact” of the building when seen from the air than they were in having a functioning library well-designed for it’s purpose. And getting something out of there, or getting something transferred from another branch is truly a nightmare. If you have a good library, cherish it. Love it. Feed it (you can find virgins on e-bay.)

    For those of us without them, have you tried starting a book and magazine exchange in your apartment building? We use the laundry rooms in my complex, and I’ve found some treasures in there (I’d completely forgotten about Louise Erdrich, for example, after college). It’s and easy way to find new books, and to dump old books that you’re no longer interested in (like the crate of Anne Rice that I haven’t read since I was 15). And as it’s the laundry room, you know that they’ll be seen and probably picked up. Even if they don’t make it back to the apartments of your neighbors, it does give you something to do while waiting for your dryer to finish.

  17. The Whiner

    Everyone, thanks for your comments.
    Kate, we did want to mention that Whiner-in-Chief lives in an apartment building where a similar system somehow just got started. People leave books on a recycling table — quite an amazing array of books. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what appears on the table. It’s totally unpredictable (and, actually, pretty fascinating to try to speculate about who has left what). But it works. Everything that gets left on the table goes somewhere. W-i-C has dropped off and picked up quite a few herself. So, we agree: If it’s possible to set up something like that where you live, this is a great idea.

  18. Coastman

    I have to agree with everyone’s comments about loving books and having a “to read” pile. My cousin and I exchange books on a pretty regular basis; it’s good that we have similar tastes. Our city also has a Half-Price Books that will buy back (for a pittance). We also regularly donate books to a small library in a Gulf Coast town where we own a weekend place.

    While I love the “overflowing bookshelf” look in our house, the reality is that at some point you run out of space, time, and energy to keep buying bookshelves. My particular weakness is cookbooks. I have not purchased one in a long time, but darn it, people keep giving them to me.

  19. Stephanie

    It’s good to see so many readers here!

    I’ve got a nice to-read pile right now, and holiday gift cards have set me up pretty well for the next few months.

    We go to the used bookstore and trade-in what we’ve read (I don’t often re-read) and use the credit to buy more. That usually ends up costing SOME money, but less than buying new.

    My resolve is to hit up the library more this year. I said that last year and it didn’t happen, but my job situation is far more tenuous this year. I hope to mean it this time!

  20. Suz Ledbetter

    Bless you all, from one who reads voraciously and hopes to continue making a living writing books. Fiction and nonfiction. The old-fashioned kind, with covers and pages and an ink aroma, edited professionally, then released by a bona fide publisher.

    E-books may hark progress, but from my side of the fence, seems like a jazzy new way to go broke a tad bit faster, doing what I love most. But I’ll keep writing, whether I ever receive another sou from it or not. Most others I know in like-circumstances now feel the same way. We simply can’t help ourselves. We’re writers.

    Thank you for being readers. Avid readers. Never-say-die readers. Reading-lots-of-different-kinds-of-books readers. For supporting your local libraries. For donating books or sharing them to keep them circulating and out of a chipper. For spending your hard-earned money on books, (and bookshelves) particularly now that everybody’s watching his or her every buck and highly reluctant to turn them loose.

    When I was a kid, my daddy said as long as you read, your education never stops. Smart guy, my dad. Smart guys and gals here, too.

  21. Crayon

    My favorite day of the week in grade school was library day. One morning before it was time to get up from our desks and form a line to walk down to the library, I remembered in horror I had forgotten to bring back the books due that day from home. The rule was you couldn’t check out anything new until the books due were returned. The sinking feeling I felt was bringing me close to tears as my mind raced to the inevitable conclusion that I wouldn’t be able to check out anything new until the following week and I had already read all the books I forgot to bring back! I lived for library day!!! I was allowed to browse but NOT check anything out.

    The school librarian would come to the classroom with an armful of books and give us summations of the new ones. I still remember the pause of excitement I felt when she showed us “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle, the Newberry Award winner for that year. I checked it out as soon as I could and I have loved it ever since! But that is only one of the thousands of books and magazines I have read and the beginning of a long list of libraries I have been a patron of till this day. I never really got into the habit of buying books because it seemed too luxurious, but I have my own shelves now of the most special, including my own “Wrinkle in Time”, cookbooks, and old dictionaries, and museum exhibit catalogs. I have used the online book stores to find copies of books I remembered from long ago or are out of print. Hubby is a huge sci-fi fan and takes up most of the bookshelves, empty floor and corner spaces at home with his ever expanding collection (like the cosmos).

    The experience of reading for me includes the design of the cover, print, illustrations, and tactile feel. Kindle is not something I have on my wish list, although I can see it’s on demand and storage capacities would have merit.

    The negatives about library books is if someone before you has thoughtlessly dropped crumbs in them while eating and reading or actually corrects typos with their pen or pencil with circles and arrows in the margin. It’s jarring. I almost enjoy finding a typo when I read a book, because there usually is one that gets away.

  22. SW

    Library, library, library, then maybe Amazon if it’s really great and then a used copy. I worked for 13+ years across the street from the Denver Library’s central branch. It was heavenly. Once I discovered that they would call me (later email me) when my selection was available, I was in there at minimum of once a week. I have a constant list of books and videos on hold. I could spend my entire salary on books if I was closer to one of the Tattered Cover Bookstores in town, but they are off my beaten track thankfully. Now, there’s a branch on my regular route to and from my current job and I just make the time to swing by. Not only that, having to return a book in three weeks forces me to read regularly, a habit I easily fall out of when I have a purchased book.