Book Gluttony!!
However, the lack of my own term for my insatiable devouring of books doesn't keep me from passing on my recipe for finding cheap books. So here goes. I hope this information will whet your appetite for good book deals.
I. Free books....really!
(a) A great way to meet other book lovers, share books and spread book love is through sites like BookCrossing. I was introduced to this site by a Goodreads friend. Whether there is a cost depends on the person who is offering the book, but most folks will send your desired book for the cost of shipping while others (like my friend) will send a book free to anyone in the U.S. Of course, if you are obtaining books from BookCrossing its only fair to have a few of your own available for others.
(b) Another truly free way to download books is by joining NetGalley. If you blog, are a librarian, bookseller, are a member of the media, are a journalist or are an educator, you can join Net Galley for free. For the price of a review, you can request a free download. So far, I haven't been turned down yet. However, I do know that some of the larger publishers such as Penguin are very selective.
(c) Goodreads groups such as Making Connections link authors (mostly new ones) with readers who will read their book(s) and post reviews on Goodreads and their blogs. I found an incredible array of books, genres available. The moderators do a nice job of organizing the books by genre so that selection is easy for the reader.
II. Penny Books
I recently got an Amazon gift certificate for my birthday. Without hesitation, I headed to the book section to look for "penny books". Over the years , it has surprised me how many books on my wishlist only cost a penny (plus shipping) at Amazon! Okay, yes, the shipping is $3.99, but still, how many places can you find a coveted book for only $4.00? The only place I know that I can get a book cheaper is my local used bookstore, but I rarely can find more than one or two books on my wishlist there. So, penny books at Amazon becomes my venue of choice. So, you are probably thinking what condition are these books in? Good question. The answer is that surprisingly, I can find most offered in "Very Good" or "Like New" condition. There was only one time I received a book in a condition that I considered less than what was promised. Most books that I have received have hardly a crease (if any) on their spines!
(Note: I wanted to add a link to Amazon's penny books but wasn't able to. However, you can search "books under $1 and get a listing.)
III. My Local Used Bookstore
What's more fun than browsing through the local used bookstore? Granted, I usually can't find books that are on my wishlist, but I often find books that I don't own by favorite authors. Being the memoir junkie that I am, I frequently add new adventure or pioneer memoirs to my collection. Its also a great place to go when nothing on my shelves is grabbing my interest. My local store offers a trade-in incentive. I get one dollar deducted from each book I purchase with a trade-in. Needless to say, this is a big draw for me, because I can take home a paperback for only $1.50 and hardcover books for only $2.50!! The hardcover section also offers buy 2, get one free. Can't beat that.
Since I love to browse used bookstores in little towns that we visit, I know my store offers better deals than most. Here in Michigan, the average price for a used book falls in the vicinity of $6.00 more often than not. However, most stores have sections of bargain books that often contain jewels. Even so, $6.00 isn't a bad price to advance one's book-gluttonous ways!
Now, I want to know how you feed your book gluttony....do you know where there are treasure troves of reasonably priced books? Any favorite hangouts? Let me and my blog readers in on the secret!
The latest alphabet reading and a newly published book that I enjoyed.
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