Here is this week’s topic:
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?
So, as usual, I’m going to “tweak” the topic this week and ask everyone WHAT they own… Feel free to respond to the WHY question, too, but I have a feeling our answers will be quite similar.
Which books do I buy? Well, beyond my business — for which I have to buy books in order to create book club kits — I rarely, rarely buy books. I love my library and am a frequent (weekly) patron.
But if a book is exceptional in some way — the writing unusually beautiful or original (Ondaatje’s Divisidero, for example, which I do not own but would like to, or There Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston) or if the themes or characters somehow strike a chord or provide a needed insight (Tolle’s New Earth, which is so tattered at this point I may need to buy another one!) — then I will buy a copy. I very rarely re-read books, but that would be another reason, too.
Every once in a while I will read a library book and think — I wish I had bought this one. Not only would I like to have supported the writer with my money as a symbol of my appreciation, but I want this title to live in my library.
So, I threw out a couple of titles (Divisidero, New Earth, There Eyes Were Watching God) and would, of course, add much of the canon, too — Jane Eyre, P & P, etc…
But I’m more curious about what YOU own and why! Let’s get the discussion rolling… 
I love Eyes! I am a library user, but I love new books. I’ve listed some titles in my answer:
http://bookcritiques.blogspot.com/2008/11/booking-through-thursday.html
I like using the library for books that I dont know much about. But I like to buy books that I know I’ll love and maybe want to read again.
Right now most of my books are sent for review, though.
I have to own certain books by certain authors!
Must buy!
Great topic! I don’t buy much anymore, but yet my shelves are still full.
Why buy?
Why buy…
I love reading and am tough on books, coffee spills, swimming pool water marks but mostly because the characters in good stories come to life and I love visiting them again and again over time.
Books I wont part with and have had to re-purchase from wear:
Janet Evanovich Plum seires always has me laughing out loud, Jeffery Deaver’s cleaver tales, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee,
Nelson DeMille’s The General’s Daughter, Jaw’s by Peter Benchley, The Exerorcist by William Blatty which I still can’t read if I’m home alone. The Godfather by Mario Puzo had me oh so envious for a large extended family.
I have two libraries – there’s a specialty one that only has Victorian era Gothic and Fantasy 1st editions – so that’s really more like a collection. The other library is the main use one and its in the thousands now. So why do I keep them? I re-read books and then there’s borrowers (co-workers and the kids, of course). I read one book so many times that I had the first chapter completely memorized verbatim! What book have I had to re-buy? Actually it’s a trilogy (John Varley – Gaen Trilogy)and is no longer available for loans after having to replace it 7 times. I guess that says something about the books, eh? Anyway, I keep track of it all via the Book Collector database complete with bar code scanner.
My #1 wish? To own a first edition copy of The Decameron.
The most impressive modern private library? Jay Walker – yeah…someday….
I’m so enjoying the comments today!! Thank you!!
I think when I walk into a Borders or a B&N or any book store, I am so overwhelmed with the possibilities and being an optimist who thinks she has much more reading time than I actually do… I buy books to add to my pile. I think maybe having them physically there reminds me that I really wanted to read the book and is a constant reminder that I have yet to find the time. But I will…
On the other hand most of my books I then give away or loan out as there are few that I want to read over again. Once read – been there – done that – Next…