As an avid reader I am always on the hunt for books. Whilst a small selection of those come from authors and publishers for review, I wanted to focus on where I get my own books when I'm on the hunt for something new.
The library
This is probably where the majority of books I've reviewed on the blog come from. I would check using Goodreads stats or something but I can't be bothered so that's juts a rough guess. I would be absolutely lost without my library. I can't always afford to buy books and my local library network has such an extensive range. What's even better is that I can order all my books to my local library which is a five minute walk away. I'm not always able to get to the main library in town so having that resource on my doorstep is invaluable. If I can't get hold of a book then I sometimes put them in as stock suggestion which is a great way to get latest releases.
Friends
I borrow a lot of books from my friends and it's probably the way I most frequently discover new books. Not all of my friends read YA, so I try and lend them YA books to convert them! But it's also refreshing when my friends lend me adult titles. I'm constantly aware of YA titles that I sometimes miss out on some fantastic adult ones, so having people to bring those to my attention is a great help.
My mum!
My mum is the reason I got into reading. She was the person who lent me My Sister's Keeper and got me hooked Jodi Picoult who is still my favourite author. She also forced Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone into my reluctant hands as a child to which will be forever grateful! My mum is a member of a book group that meets once a month and when she's done with her books she often lends them to me (the ones she thinks I'll like anyway!).
Charity shops
I've always had a weak spot for charity shop books but then I started volunteering in a charity shop and all my restraint went! I buy a lot of books from the shop where I work. It's a great way to pick up a bargain when you're short on cash. I think my best bargain so far was finding Looking For Alaska which I had been dying to read for so long!
Kindle Daily Deals
These are my ultimate weakness. I got my Kindle at the start of the year because I needed my own e-reader. I was quickly drawn in by the daily deals and often pick up books for 99p that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford. I prefer buying e-books these days as reading on my Kindle is a lot easier and I also don't have to worry about where to store them!
Kindle Freebies
What's better than a Kindle Daily Deal? A Kindle freebie! I've discovered some fantastic books through them being free on Kindle. I also check out Smashwords for some great indie finds. Since blogging I've had my eyes opened to a world of self-published books and met some amazing authors.
Bookshops
This should be much higher up, and I'm hoping once I find a job it will be! At the moment my funds are limited and I would love to shop in bookshops more. This is definitely the best book buying experience. There's nothing like browsing the shelves and speaking with booksellers. Whenever I go away I try and visit a bookshop and buy a book as a souvenir. It's great to have a book that has good memories attached to it, and you get to discover awesome new bookshops!
Where do you get hold of your books? Let me know in the comments!
I love finding out where book bloggers get their books ... the highest percentage of books that come into my house are sent for review. I get quite a lot of them. This also includes ebooks sent for review downloaded from Netgalley. I also buy a considerable amount of new books from bookstores. I have an independent bookstore in my town and I try my best to support them over larger chain stores however I do buy from the quite a lot too. I also buy cheap/discounted ebooks quite a lot. I scour my local charity shops on a regular basis and I come out with loads of bargains. I recently found the entire Keys of the Kingdom series by Garth Nix in different shops and ended up with 7 books for maybe £3.50? Who can resist such a bargain?! I also check out books from my library but these are given the absolute lowest priority unfortunately!
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