Why I Am Changing My Book-Buying Habits

I love having a physical book to read. I find books to be beautiful and it is a great feeling to pop one into my bag, knowing that a story is waiting there for me. I recently had a big sort out of the books on my shelves. I tried a chapter of some, read and DNFed others and checked reviews when I wasn't sure whether to continue a book. I found some books I enjoyed but I found that a lot of them I just was not interested in anymore.

Now with my reduced TBR, I am finding myself not reading as much as I would like. I realised that most of the books on my shelves are fantasies and historical fictions, genres that can be heavier reads for me. So I decided that I would like to increase the variety of genres on my shelves. Since I now have a spare shelf after decluttering I have the room but then came trying to decide where would be best to get new books from…

In the past I have used a few different websites to get books from, including Amazon and Book Depository. I compared some prices and any loyalty schemes between several different shops, finding that Amazon was generally cheaper but unfortunately there was no loyalty programme. I was looking at some graphic novels when I realised that the price for the Kindle version was £7 cheaper than the paperback copy of one! Now I love physical books but think of the money that I could save just by getting a digital version? And in this age where a lot of us spend a lot of time on digital devices, does it really make that much difference? Ok so I won't fill the turning of pages, or smell that new book scent, or have a physical entity to look at but I will still be able to venture into new worlds, explore the lives of different characters and relax.

At the end of the day, living costs are not cheap and if I can still treat myself but also save a bit in the process, I am going to choose that. This is just personal preference but also think of it this way, instead of getting one physical book, you could get two or three e-books!

Whether you purchase physical books, e-books, audiobooks or a mixture, just do what you want to do. Do not make yourself feel bad for buying books and reading when it gives you joy.

For me I am still going to get some physical books if the Kindle price is not much cheaper, or when someone gifts me a book but I am going to try to use my Kindle a lot more. I actually read the whole original Chronicles of Ixia trilogy on my Kindle and it was a wonderful experience so I know that reading digital books does not hinder my reading experience.

What books do you read and where do you like to get them from? The library, a bookshop, a website, Kindle?