Let’s Talk Bookish: Freebie!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was originally created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books starting in August 2019, and was then cohosted with Dani @ Literary Lion from May 2020 to March 2022. Book Nook Bits has hosted since April 2022.

I really like freebie weeks for Let’s Talk Bookish – I only started it fairly recently, so it’s a great chance for me to go back and check out previous topics! So far, as freebie posts, I’ve gone back to April 1st, April 8th, April 15th and April 22nd 2022, so it’s time to move on May 6th, 2022.

Let’s Talk Bookish March 29th: Freebie!
How do you decide what books to borrow or buy? 
(Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you buy a lot of books? Do you borrow books from a library, or from friends? What do you look out for in books you buy? Are there any book genres you typically buy more of? Do the types of books that you buy differ from the types of books you typically borrow? Do you prefer to borrow or to buy books?

I try not to buy too many books – partly because of money, partly because I have so many! Though of course sometimes I maybe just happen to find myself in Waterstones or another bookshop, and walking out without a book is an impossibility! I used to borrow books from friends more often, one of the (few) perks of working in an office instead of from home, but I always tried to avoid borrowing too many books – as noted, I have a lot of books to work through anyway, so I try not to add books that have a time constraint on them to get them back to someone else.

It’s funny, but if I’m in a bookshop with no intention of buying myself a book, because maybe I’m there to pick up a gift, or I’m just having a nose, I feel like I see loads of books I want. But if I go in deliberately thinking “I’m going to browse and buy something”, it’s like all the books I want run off and hide! Usually, I pick up a book because I’ve heard good things about it and it grabs me, usually the cover first, but the blurb on the back still needs to sound interesting. Otherwise, it’s usually because it’s an author I’ve read before and really liked, so if I spot their newest on the shelf and don’t already have a copy, well, I normally grab it.

I think I’m more willing to give a book a chance I might not normally read if I’m borrowing it, or if a friend suggests it. But I think when it comes to buying books, unless it’s pretty cheap, I try and be selective, and go for books I either strongly think I’ll enjoy, read again, or at least can pass to my partner when I’m finished!

I definitely prefer to buy. Sometimes I really need to be in the mood for a particular book, but mostly buying just means I can read it at my leisure. And if it’s a book I purchased on Kindle, well, I get a new book, and it doesn’t even take up any space!

What about you – do you borrow books from the library or friends? Or do you prefer to buy yours, too?