5 Book Buying Tips

Hey guys, it’s Lois, today I felt like doing a post containing a few tips to use when buying books. I always buying books but because I am a student I have to watch how much money I spend on books each month. So, there are my tip and tricks to use when buying books.

1) Look Around

This is one I always bear in mine when I am buying books. If you see a book you are wanting to get in a store or online, don’t get it straight away. I used to buy books as soon as I saw them in stores because I was so excited to get the books. But now a days I search around on the internet and in other book stores to see if there are any offers on the book in question or if it is cheaper anywhere else. A lot of the time books are cheaper on Amazon or Book Depository and they both offer free delivery, so I usually buy books online and only occasionally in stores. So, my tip is when buying books look around sometimes there are different offers in different stores or the books are cheaper online, which is very useful if you are a student.

2) Buy Used Books

I knew this is one that a lot of people don’t like doing but used books are wonderful. I never used to buy used books because I always wanted my books to look pristine and perfect. But now I loved buying used books. They have more character in my eyes. Not only do used books have more character, they are also a lot cheaper than buying the book brand new. Brand new paperback books over here in England range from £6.99-£8.99, whereas if you look in a second hand bookstore or on Amazon they can be as cheap as 1p. This is extremely useful if you are a student and budgeting because you can get a new read without breaking your bank.

3) Become Friends from your Local Bookstore

This is a big one for me. I go into my local bookstore at least once a week if not more. The staff that work there started recognising me pretty quickly after I started going there. This then led to them recommending books to me depending on what I was buying. Then they started giving me little deals on books. I was only in there the other week and one of the girls that works there had put a book that had just been released to the side for me because she knew I would enjoy it. This is a big one because you can get so many little deals just by being friends with staff members in your local bookshops. Also having books recommended to you because of your book buying habits always makes me smile. So, just try and make friends with your local bookstore even if it just starts by speaking to the person at the till.

4) Read the Synopsis and Reviews Online

This is an obvious one. I hear about so many people who buy a book just by looking at the cover and then complain about not liking the book. Before I buy a book I read the synopsis and I sit down and read a few book reviews either on Goodreads or on WordPress. This way you can gage what other people are thinking about this book and if you will have any interest in reading it. This can save an awful lot of money because you aren’t just buying books that you are going to hate. Always read the synopsis and a couple of reviews before buying a book!

5) Research Authors

This might sound a bit stupid but if you research authors of books you have already read the amount of doors it opens is unreal. Just by searching an authors name on google there will be links to all of the books that they have released, so that gives you a few more books instantly. As well as having links on the authors page to “people who searched this also searched”. This gives you similar authors that other people have enjoyed after reading this author. You can do this for any author and quite simply expand your TBR list infinitely!

There you have it, my book buying tips. Let me know in the comments below any of your book buying tips, I would love to here them. Hope you enjoyed this post!

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Until next time,