And time for

I buy books. Needlework books, cookbooks, poetry, and the occasional non-fiction book. All fiction comes from the library. If I bought all the fiction I read, I would have died under a landslide of books many, many years ago.

Donna in Virginia

Will check it out, thanks. I'm basically going through the batch I borrowed from Ericka! DH is on travel for work next week - Mon-Fri, so while he's warm in Charleston, I'll be able to catch up on some reading.

"Scarpetta? The new release in hardback. I finally read Book of the Dead a couple of months ago - it was good.

Ellice

LOL - Sue, you always have such great reasoning! I'm a mix of expensive hobbies. Fortunately the needlework & painting do give a lot of time involvement for the $$.

I'm a mix about library and buying. When the $$ are more free, we spend more on books. But, I love to use the library, especially as I'm usually a fast reader. However, I'm prone to missing due dates. There are some authors that I'll buy about everything they write. Many, many books here. Enough that even in our strict budget sense the furniture we need to buy for the lower level - 3 large bookcases (can you say Billy and Ikea). Need space to finish the unpacking.

Ellice

Good trilogy. IIRC, I liked the Justin De Quincy series as well, though I think I haven't read the last one.

Interesting choices.

Ellice

Wow - almost like being in France.... I used to really like their "French" coffee. Good thing is that you do share! And you are close to the library

- and the B&N. I'm happy to keep borrowing! Though I have a stack to return soon. I just found 2 way overdue, formerly lost, books from the Reston library. Think I'll have to go retunr them.

Ellice

It's pretty true here as well. Though I've become very judicious as to what books I actually buy for references. Particularly with cookbooks. Plus, here, we have the duelling sets of technical references - as we go through cases of things. Just feel compelled to keep soooo many of the engineering books, etc. Added to your list - I also have a fair amount of "art" books. References, etc. They seem to be huge so often.

Ellice

With the pain of fibro, I'll read anything to escape. I also just finished a series by Donita Paul, her dragon series. Included Dragonquest, Dragonspell thru to Dragon Light. Five books in all and quick reading.It is considered teen Christian fantasy.

I also read "The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan, and "Queen of Swords by Sara Donita. QoS takes place in New Orleans during the War of 1812 and is also part of a series, "Into the Wilderness".

I tend to read instead of watching tv and keep going til the muscle relaxer won't let me focus properly. Even then I've been known to shut one eye and continue reading. LOLL

Bobbie V.

I always use that as my justification, but at some point it's a little thin when all the bookshelves are filled to overflowing and books are stacking up around you everywhere... ;-)

Dangerously close...

If you borrow enough at a time, my stacks won't be so big ;-)

Oops... That's what I do when I check out books. They mingle with my books and hide, and then they get very overdue. I worked as a librarian a lot at college, and still had overdue books. Bad me.

Best wishes, Ericka

You're whistling my tune, singing my song! We have...let's see...EIGHT of them for books and CDs...and that's about half of each, if that!

IKEA used to make CD inserts to make each Billy shelf eight cubbies for CDs....they're ab/fab for storage, but they've since been discontinued.

Sue

That's a good amount. I think we're going to do 3 on the wall behind the sectional downstairs - the room is deep enough that you can still have a walk-way between the sofa back, and the shelves.

That does happen. Too bad.

Ellice

A friend of mine that lives in Oregon did an entire wall in her spare bedroom with IKEA shelving. It looked great, and I was considerably jealous of her "library"! It was reasonably cheap to do for an entire wall (less than $400), and it surprisingly made the room look bigger. We have a gigantic IKEA store here, but I've never been inside it. Since I'm moving this month, I might just have to go take a look-see. You know, find things you don't know you need until you see them. I have more books here than I know what to do with--certainly more than I could ever read in several years' time. Yes, I'm a book hoarder just as much as I am a stash hoarder. What can I say....I love my hobbies.

Jinx

I borrow mostly fiction from the library and pick up any books I think I would like from thrift stores.

I'm a speed reader and have no problem finishing a book in bed at night. Last night I finished "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski.

I buy craft books of various types from The Book Depository in England, cheaper prices, free shipping.

Then of course there are magazines. My daughter bought me a subscription to "Victoria"... I buy "Quilting Arts" and "Somerset Studios" from Borders and my husband buys me the quaintest Scottish magazine "Peoples Friend" from the newagent each Friday. I love it!

I also have Billy bookcases from Ikea all over the place to hold DH's collection of Irish books (he is Irish) and my collection of craft and vintage books. No space for any more so I usually donate the 2nd hand books I buy back to the thrift stores and sell the odd book on ebay.

Edna in Sydney

All I did was add the library number to my cell phone and if I can't get there, I call and renew the books.

Cheryl

I was witness to a conversation at the local library. To insure that videos/DVDs are returned promptly, the fine is a $1 day after a 2 day grace. (books have a one day grace period.)

One parent was screaming at the librarian that the fines were more than the cost of the video. To which she replied that we called you three times after the first 5 days to remind you of the fines and offer to renew it. We spoke to you one day X, left messages on these dates. The video is 35 days over due. She flung video at her and left.

Meanwhile, I'm hiding with my hand over DD's mouth because it is our (now moved) neighbor. Don't know if the fine was ever collected, but I do know that Dad and kids don't use the public library anymore.

At our library, once you have $5 in fines, you can't borrow anything else until the fines are paid. You can go into debt, but only in $5 increments! You cannot borrow books if you have a "lost book" notation that has not been resolved (i.e. the book paid for). That doesn't prevent someone from borrowing one big batch of stuff and never returning it, but it can only happen once. (my library card includes my first initial, which I try to avoid doing because it is a first initial and not a middle initial and no form in the world is designed for it etc etc, because there was another Dawne Peterson whom the library cut off from borrowing privileges. Imagine---not being able to use the library!!! Imagine--someone else whose parents condemned her to a lifetime of spelling "Dawne"!!) Dawne

Like everyone else I spend on supplies mostly, and do a small spree every few months after saving.

As for books, I get a new one from Coles every 2-4 weeks. But I found a great place for needlework books and charts, we have a second hand/recycle company store here and I spend only $20 max but I get at least $400 new value in books/charts. Being on a pension, there is no way I can spend that much on new books every month.

Some are older and hard to get at the book or craft store, but most are less than 10 years from the original publish date and would cost more than my max for just one book/chart new. Just using a low average for each and I figure I've gotten over $2000 new yet only spent about $80-100.

So if someone is looking to own a lot of books/charts but like me don't have much money, take a look at this type of store to increase your home library. I am very glad a friend directed me to this store for the books, only thing to remember is that unlike a retail store it will not be there next time and sometimes the select may be lacking but other times you may wish you had more money to spend.

My libe prints out a receipt type slip - I plop it on the fridge under a magnet, after writing the date in large letters with a fat Sharpie. I have been known to extend the due date three or more times - easy to do by phone - even if returned late, they collect no fees, as long as the books are returned and no one's been waiting for them.

Two Dawne Petersons? Amazing. I could only imagine this happening in the NYC area.

Did you ever think of dropping that 'e' - legally or otherwise?