indiephantom

Library for most, and if I want to buy: Chapters or occasionally Amazon.ca

snowboardchick9

I've never bought a brand new book in my life! I take full advantage of book sales at the library which come around twice a year. I stock up. Then after I read them I take them to a used book store that buys them and gives me credit for even more books! :-)

Nick Danger

I've bought a lot of books in the last half-year, but most of them have been out of print for decades.

If a book's in the library, I'd rather read their copy. Books take up too much space if I'm never going to read them again.

I have a relative who has to buy books on the first street date. She'll order from amazon.uk if it's two weeks faster. She ends up with a hundred books a year that she'll never read again. She gives away books by the box-load.

LorenzoL

Costco or Chapters.

Baron Of Hell

Amazon mostly

Cusm

I used to buy them, and did not read that much, but I discovered the library again and that is where all of mine come from. I just wish they had more, I have found a lot I want to read that they do not carry.

The Bus

I don't use the library because I frankly forget often, plus I really like to lend books and sometimes I will buy a book and not have time to read it for weeks if not months.

I buy them all at Border's.

DeltaSigChi4

eBay.

E

Buttmunker

I always get good hardcovers/paperbacks from Amazon for a penny + 3.99 shipping, so the books are generally four dollars each.

I will check out some of these other suggestions, though.

Joe Molotov

Sounds like a good person to be friends with.

Quake1028

Borders and Amazon pretty much. I really need to get back to the local library.

Lastblade

Strand book store, online (Amazon, etc) and sometimes ebay.

boredsilly

Another reason I don't mind reading books is because of the return on my investment. Since I'm a slow reader I spend a great deal of time with a book, so I don't mind plunking down some cash for them even if I'm only ever going to read it once.

al_bundy

Strand in NYC from now on or via Amazon. Bastard library charges too much on late fees to make it not worth it anymore. $3 a day for late DVD's

mndtrp

My mother is a school librarian. She'll get books donated, or sent to her when other libraries are cleaning out. If she sees something I'll like, or something that she knows the kids won't read, she sends it to me before adding them to her library.

Otherwise, I borrow them from friends. Very rarely do I buy them from Goodwill or the clearance rack at a bookstore.

pmreed

I used to spend many hundreds of dollars a year on books. I'd pick up all my favorite authors on street date, then end up trading them in at a used book store (they used to love me there). About 4 years ago, I discovered my public library, and ours is a good one!! I pick up all those best sellers there now as well as audiobooks for the car. For books I want to keep, I buy from many sources, Costco, Amazon (the last Potter book), Abebooks, Ebay or one of the many used book stores in my area.

Phil

lizard

Mostly the library for me. I do buy books when it is a series I want to have around to reread but shelf space is more of a limiting factor than cost.

The library can get most books I want via the Inter-Library Loan system. Sometimes the library director will buy the books I request, but I have an advantage in that I am a library trustee and played a major role in getting the new library built. One book they couldn't get I then purchased used from Half.com (it was a single edition OOP paperback recommended by someone here at DVD Talk!).

At times I will buy bargains and remainders and then donate them to the library for the on-going used book sale shelves: the "Friends of the Library" organization discovered some years ago that they make a lot more money by just putting a donation jar next to the used book shelves than they did by going to the trouble of trying to price them. People can take however many books they want and just drop some money into the jar. "Friends" takes in thousands of dollars a year this way and all the books are donated by community members.

One of the best things about the library is the "New Book Shelf". I often spot new books there that I would never have known about otherwise. And the library staff have been good about pointing me to books that I have enjoyed.

The Bus

My high school library one year had Penguin (IIRC) come and give away a lot of books, all cut-outs and/or with defaced covers (but covers nonetheless). I think I got one of every book and there were dozens. It's how I discovered DeLillo and one of my favorite authors, T.C. Boyle.

Charlie Goose

Mostly the library. Once in a while I'll pick up a book at a store or if I happen to be going by a yard sale.

And Santa Claus usually brings me one or two books every Christmas.

mhg83

My local library has been having a book sale these past two weeks. I've been stocking up on a lot of stuff I've never heard of before. Even though i love my kindle there's something about going to the library/bookstore and being surrounded by hundreds of books that Kindle will never be able to do.

Easy

I use the library a lot more now that I can download ebooks to my kindle. I still use, buy and trade physical books but usually don't borrow them.

solipsta

I have a great used book chain here that I mostly buy from. I'm getting more for the Kindle now, though. I watch for deals on that and rarely pay over $5 for a book on it.

BobO'Link

Library sales (I have a card but haven't borrowed in years as my collection, even the unread ones, is better than theirs for the genre I mainly read), bookstores (bargain racks, and used), book club (cycle accounts), the occasional used book store (typically out of town as the ones here are like the library - I pretty much own anything they have), and Amazon for hard to find titles.

writer106

I buy most of my books through Amazon, used bookstores, remainder sales at BN, and sometimes I buy from big box stores. I sometimes trade books with friends.

kd5

I buy books wherever I can find them cheap. Rarely ever buy from a bookstore unless it's a substantial percent off. Went to the library recently to get Dragon's Egg by Robert Forward, but don't usually go to the library. Thrift Stores, Flea Markets ($1 or $2 for a hard-bound), I have a nice collection at home that I don't mind re-reading. -kd5-