this post was submitted on 07 Jun 2023
6 points (100.0% liked)

Literature

164 readers
8 users here now

Pretty straightforward: books and literature of all stripes can be discussed here.

If you're interested in posting your own writing, formal or informal, check out the Writing community!


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Do you buy rent or borrow? Or do you have a subscription of some kind? Do you read physical books or do you read ebooks?

top 27 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

Mostly borrow ebooks from the public library. There is a small new-and-used bookstore near me, one of those classic “open 3 hours a day, more if we feel like it” ones. Very fun to go wander the shelves when I want a physical book.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Combination of my local second-hand bookstore (which has a wildly good selection given that I live in a small country town), my two favourite "regular" bookstores, Libby, and the Kobo ebook store.

If I can't find something particularly niche or out of print, I'll use Abe Books but I try to avoid that since it's owned by Amazon.

Edit: I've started to favour print books most of the time, at least for poetry and non-fiction. I've started to write more again and I find physical books much easier to refer back to.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

I prefer nonfiction to be printed books as well. For some reason I don't seem to take it as seriously as an ebook, maybe it feels too insubstantial for my brain to take it seriously.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I pirate shamelessly. Z-lib is my to-go.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I just realized, boy is it refreshing to actually talk about sites like z-lib without being censored. Library Genesis and Anna's Archive are also nifty.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

I didn’t know about Anna’s Archive, thank you. :)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

yeah if i'm even remotely ambiguous on whether i'd want a book, piracy. i can't buy everything and i can't go to a library every day. but i definitely try to buy books from the authors i know i like—i heard great things about NK Jemisin and Kim Stanley Robinson for example, read one of their books, and then that made me go out and buy large parts of both's output. i think i have physical copies of like a third of KSR's major novels, lol.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Exactly. I always read a pirated epub first, then, I always go out and buy that book in hardcover. But many of the authors I enjoy are long dead, and many of their prints are in public domain. So piracy doesn't matter there. That's where Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks are incredible!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Book Depository closed the other month, I don't know if Amazon understood how important it is for people outside US and EU, but the closure really pushed everyone I know to casually switch back to piracy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I'm not sure what Book Depository is, but if it's related to Amazon i would have avoided it anyway, even if it was free. I actively boycott Amazon.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

I just use my local library now. I don't usually read a book twice, so I don't see any point in purchasing books anymore.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I buy books only when I really love the edition. Otherwise, I'll buy some on kindle and rent others through my local library, or Libby. I only buy physical copies of books I am happy to re-read.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

I have some great used bookstores near me that I can browse on a lunch break and have established a decent relationship with the store owners. I love to have a physical book and the interactions with a store owner that lives and breathes books can't be overrated, they always have a suggestion for me based on current interests.

I do own an e-reader though and will occasionally buy books that I just can't get in print, I've been really into the Warhammer 40k universe lately and while I could find them used on ebay they are generally pretty pricey. I did score two collections at my local thrift store last week though for $3 a piece and was pretty happy about that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

I use the Libby app and check out ebooks from my local library usually. I have a bunch of physical books as well, but I am out of room to put them now. I also find ebooks to be more convenient. I can read whenever I want because I have all the books I'm reading on my phone.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

I mostly read on royalroad an scribblehub (if you consider web serials to be books)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I mainly read ebooks checked out from my local library on my kindle.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I usually buy ebooks from ebooks.com and DeDRM them with calibre and read them on my iPad. Pirated a handful of books but I can’t always find what I’m looking for. :(

I also use my partners Audible account to listen to books at work lol

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Either Library Genesis for ebooks, or thriftbooks.com. Also some local used book stores, like Half Price Books (not sure if they are everywhere?)

Thrift Books is nice because you can choose the edition you want, if they have it available. Also you might get nice surprises occationally. I ordered Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons and ended up getting an autographed copy. You can also earn credits for free books, and it's free shipping on orders over $25(?), so I usually order 4-5 at a time. (Not an ad, I just really like thriftbooks lol)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I have been 100% ebooks for years, but after a combination of factors such as books not being available from my library on Libby and them being kinda pricey on Kindle, plus getting in to a booktuber (Ariel Bissett!) I got introduced to ThriftBooks and in 2 months I’ve bought over 15 physical books. 😅 It’s a change to be sure and I’m not sure how I feel about all the space books will take up again in my life, but it’s nice to have them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I usually use Libby for most of my books, unless I'm in the middle of a series and have to have the book now.

I don't read a ton of physical books. I kind of like getting physical books as "collectors items", if I really like a book I'll try to find a nice hard cover copy of it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I read a mix of ebooks and physical books. Usually the choice is determined by the type of book. For example, usually more genre fiction gets an ebook, whereas more so called "literary fiction" gets a physical copy.

For example I've picked up House of Leaves at a local independent bookstore, along with the Molloy books by Beckett and the Norton Annotated Moby Dick. I don't think house of leaves would work at all as an ebook and heavily annotated items I prefer a physical copy.

Alas I am running out of bookshelf space so I have to be much more selective these days. As for finding books, it's usually word of mouth or on storygraph. I also follow the book youtube Leaf by Leaf whom I can thoroughly recommend.

The ebooks I prefer on eink devices, for portability I have a Kobo and for notetaking or needing a bigger screen I have a supernote A5X

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I'm print disabled, which means I have problems reading printed text, but am not blind. Mainly, I have to be doing something with my hands or it's really hard to focus long enough to read a book. So I get through a lot of audiobooks.

In addition to Audible and Libby, I am also eligible for the National Library Service, which has its own app. If you, or anyone you know might qualify, here's a link to the US NLS. There are similar libraries in most other countries, and there are treaties to make books available to people living abroad in their own language.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I only read physical books, but i also try to buy only used ones. Worked actually pretty good for the past 10-15 years and still works for me

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

Yes to all of that :) I just realised exactly how eclectic my reading habits are - lately I've been visiting the local library once or twice a week, plus I have a kobo subscription that has introduced me to a heap of indie authors I never would have discovered otherwise, plus I have a wall of books which are mostly used/secondhand except for a handful of absolute favourites.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I buy my books from either ebooks or Amazon, then load them on my kindle which I carry everywhere. It's an old paper white that usually fits into the pocket of whatever jacket I'm wearing.

I like physical books too but I really don't have the space to be stacking up. I also read a lot in public and don't like for people to always know what I'm reading lol. Nothing sketch, I'm just a private person.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I have two apps for borrowing books, one for Finnish and one for English books (Ellibs and Libby). Weirdly the Finnish one sucks balls and literally has like 100 fantasy books in total. I don't read a ton but I do take a gander at stuff to borrow on occasion. I can sync the borrowed books with my Kobo e-reader which is nice. Then I also use the Kobo store to buy books, but my god their app is terrible. Bad enough that I groan when I need to browse books in there. I don't really read physical books but it has been tempting to start browsing libraries as I have two within walking distance. Perhaps during summer.

Haven't really found a good place to find new books. It is mostly though reddit. I know people use Goodreads but eh, for some reason it does not appeal to me that much.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

There's https://bookwyrm.social/ for fediverse goodreads alternative. For Finnish e-books, try https://ekirjasto.kirjastot.fi/ . It redirects to overdrive/ellibs in the end. In a year or two all of Finland should be served by one huge e-library instead of every library having their own e-library. Let's hope that improves the situation.

load more comments
view more: next ›