I told my husband I wouldn’t be buying any more books this month (of course he laughed) and I swear not a day later I bought some books. But I couldn’t help it, I found two Anita Brookner bargain books at the library (50 cents each). I had to have them and in case you are wondering, no I didn’t check out any books from the library. I’m still on my library ban this summer so I can read more from my stacks.
I got Dolly and A Private View. I’ve only read two Brookner novels but somehow have been collecting her books and now own about 10. I just “know” I’ll like her books. Do you do that with certain authors?
The other books I bought I couldn’t resist either because Barnes & Noble was having their Classics sale so I bought two and got another free, plus I still had a bit of birthday money left and so got three books for $6. Talk about a bargain! I got:
- Persuasion by Jane Austen. That’s the only Austen novel I didn’t have on my shelves yet and I am telling myself that this Summer I must read another Austen.
- Time Machine & The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. If it hadn’t been for the Slaves of Golconda I wouldn’t have read anything by H.G. Wells (we read the Island of Dr. Moreau) and am so glad I read the book. I couldn’t believe how much I kept thinking about that novel after finishing it. It was so disturbing and just a great story.
- Hard Times by Charles Dickens. Loved Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol so looking forward to this tale.
So, do you think I can go the rest of the month without book buying? I don’t know, it’ll be hard and so I’m keeping my mouth shut this time.
Book bans are of no use to me because I won’t adhere to them anyway, haha.
I’m glad you bought Persuasion! I enjoyed reading that one; and I still have a few of her others to catch up on!
I have tried to go a month without book buying but I have never been successful. I will avoid Barnes and Noble and go to the used book store when I am trying to be “good” and not spend so much on books. If I am really trying to be good about acquiring more books I will go to the library for a few weeks. I guess there are worse vices one can have!
Every single time I try to.stop buying books I see a sale or get a killer coupon in my email. Or stop at a garage sale and whammo there’s a box of books for sale cheap. It never fails.
I had to laugh… I tell myself the same thing. If I read everything I currently have on my book shelves it would probably take me the rest of my life. But alas…. there is always something new…. and shiny… and has that great new book smell…..
My book buying bans never seem to work – I need books not just want them!! (or so I tell myself!). I hope you enjoy Persuasion – it is my favourite Austen novel without a doubt.
I think that if you buy the books at a dirt cheap price, then it doesn’t count. Frankly, I could probably adhere to a book ban and still have enough to read for a year. Plus my mom got me a $200 gift certificate to Amazon to be used for Kindle purchases for my birthday. Can you imagine??? I haven’t even dug into that yet. I’m almost overwhelmed.
Good luck with that. I promised myself I’d never make that promise again because I have no willpower. At least I can admit it, right? Isn’t that the first step? 🙂
Lezlie
I’m pretty sure 50 cent books don’t count in a book buying embargo. You’d pay a dollar to park somewhere with out thinking twice. They are more like a found book.
When we read Dr. Moreau, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Wells as a writer. I read The Time Machine as well and he’s not only a creative storyteller, but his language is refined and pitch perfect.
And though I haven’t read Hard Times, I’ve never read a Dickens novel that I didn’t like. Some can be long and tedious at times, but they all have been brilliant in their own right.
Oh Iliana, you made me laugh! I’m not sure you can make it the rest of the month having already broken your promise–in for a penny in for a pound–Is that how the saying goes? Plus there are those Half Price Books coupons that came in the mail…
LOL 🙂 I bought two Brookner books because of YOU! Mine were 50 cents as well. However, I don’t know if I like her style or not. One day . . .
I’ve given up telling my hubby I’m not buying any more books. I told him I wasn’t accepting many review copies these days, and still we came back from vacation to several packages waiting for me.
Looks like you bought some good ones, though. I figure there are a lot worse things to be addicted to than books, right? 😛
Definitely couldn’t resist buying if you come across any more of those prices! Good finds!
For the last two years I have been on a strict ‘no book buying’ mission. The really bad thing is that when I decide I deserve a book and go to the bookstore… I often leave with nothing because I talk myself out of everything! So, now I almost need to make a new mission to buy books once in a while so I can break this terrible cycle I am in! (Good for my bank account, though, but still!)
I think my partner would laugh too, if I said I wasn’t buying any more books! Glad you found such good bargains!
I decided not to count library sales when I limited myself to purchasing only 20 books during 2009. I don’t think a book should count when I got it for less than a dollar!
And whenever I’m at a used book store or library sale, I look for books by Tracy Chevalier and Susan Vreeland and Wendell Berry. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by them so far – and figure the rest will be wonderful, too.
I’ve been doing pretty good with my no book buying policy, although sometimes the urge is just too great!!
What Brookner books have you read? I have only recently discovered her writing. I was just reading a discussion on another blog about buying vs borrowing books and the impact it has on the publishing industry. Interesting discussions.
I’m sure that book buying when they cost
I totally understand. That’s why I’ve quit even saying things like that because I know no matter how much I mean it at the time, it will never last.
If “they” could only stop making (writing, publishing…) new books for a month and close all online bookstores, regular boostores and forbid any kind of garage sale for a month, I might be successful on not buying any book for a month. I might need therapy after that though. LOL. Just think of the joy you are getting through those purchases.
Ha, no more books…that sounds familiar to me for some reason 😛 Who can resist a good book bargain anyway!
Hey Guys – I loved reading all your comments. I see we are all addicted to buying books and there is no hope for us! haha… I think Roxane is onto a good idea – if only they’d stop publishing for at least a month maybe we could catch up 🙂
Juliann you asked me which Brookner’s I’ve read – The Debut and Hotel Du Lac. I really liked those books a lot. Sometimes not a lot happens but it’s the character study that I enjoy.
Book bans are not fun at all. I say don’t even bother.
I think book bans are best done in stages. “I will not buy books for this period of time and if I succeed, I may get (n) books to reward myself.” And repeat that for every time frame you set.
That said I haven’t actually tested the theory yet. (I was going to, but my bank account refused to cooperate. Who am I to complain?)
Good luck on sticking to the ban from now on, though! (They aren’t fun, but sometimes quite necessary. Alas.)
Anita Brookners for 50 cents would have been impossible to resist! I have a bunch of Richard Holmes biographies, and also Barbara Pyms and books by Rosamund Lehmann — those are all authors I collect whenever I find something I don’t already own.
I’m on a bit of a library ban, too — not hard to do, since it’s impossible to find a parking spot at the library during the summer months. Yes, I do collect books by certain authors and just assume I’ll love them all. Sometimes, I find out I loved one book and the rest are awful, but you just never know!!
book bans are hard to stick too. I can’t do it….unless I don’t even think about it or mention it aloud…then maybe I can just avoid the bookstores, library sales, etc.
I stopped telling my husband about my self-imposed book buying bans because he always laughs and I always cave. This way, he never knows of my failures. 🙂 I can understand not passing up such a great deal on books though. So don’t feel too guilty.
I think when you find such good deals, it’s more of a sin to pass them up. Plus, the library buys were helping the local community!
Every time I make that oath I’ll end up buying even more books. LOL I do not blame you because I understand the passion of a reader who would just chase after the beloved books at the expense of food! I’ve been buying a lot last month and that I try to exercise a bit of self-control. Stop buying completely? Nah.