5 Reasons Why You Should Buy Your Books
My mom already knew there was a problem when I would fill in the book fair catalog order form and just ask her for the check or cash–it wasn’t a little bit either! Granted, I do have a thing for shopping (mostly thrift! I’m not that bad..🙄.) But, shopping for books is a whole other experience. Why? 🤷 It just is.
So, when I was 13 and saw Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister in Barnes & Noble, the beautiful covers on the shelves were more than convincing for a girl like me. But, that was only the start of reading journey.
I didn’t discover I was a bibliophile until after college when I started to horde books I knew I wouldn’t read for awhile. Between Savers, Goodwill, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, most of my teaching check went to books “for my students”. I did put them on the shelves, but I was overly possessive. I lost many a book opening them up to students. While it was frustrating, one good thing always came from it: I could shop for the book again!
Wow. Addiction, sounds like.
Yeah, well, at least I buy stuff that will be a benefit to myself and my kids. Here’s how.
It doesn’t need to recharge when the battery runs out!
Yeah, eBooks on phones and tablets are the new hot thing for a variety of reasons. But, the fact of the matter is that it’s technology. Technology needs to be maintained in order to last when you need it. Physical books, on the other hand, just need you to hold it and flip the pages. As long as you have light (book lights are a thing in the dark), you can read your physical book without worry.
You can re-read it later.
Okay, I know what you’re going to say: you can check it out at the library to do that. But, you have to take that extra trip outside to do so. I don’t know about you, but going to the library requires people-ing, and I’m just not quite about that!
You can read it on your own time.
When you borrow a book–from a friend or library–you only have so much time to have the book. I know I’m a slow reader and life happens that keeps me from finishing a story any time soon. When I buy the book, I don’t have to worry about trying to return it, anyone asking me about it, or being charged for it.
You can annotate it.
I’m not much of an advocate for writing in books. But, I do enjoy seeing others’ notes along the margins because I feel like I’m getting into someone’s head. Many times, it even helps me see a different perspective. When you own the book, you can keep it as messy or clean as you like without worrying about being penalized for damaging the book.
You can build your own library.
This is by far the most important to me. Ever since I was a child, I was always enthralled with libraries of any kind. Even before I started reading more frequently, just seeing rows and rows of books left me more than satisfied. By the time I was 25, I had a full length home library with two walls filled with shelves of books.
I have to admit, I’ve only read a fraction of them. But, I do lend them out. And, even more so, according to 2018 research, children who grow up with books around (80, at least) are more likely to do well in school with increased literacy. With two boys heavily influenced by the outdoor life with their dad, I’d love to leave a mark and make memories, too.
So, have I convinced you yet. Even though I understand that books can be expensive, if you wait out the hype and demand when a book is released, you can probably buy it at Goodwill for $2 instead–in great condition! Plus, Barnes & Noble always has coupons, sales, clearance, and 40% off new releases. With all these benefits, I can’t see why you wouldn’t go for it. Not to mention the new book smell! 🤗
For me, there are 5 books I would buy immediately–if I could! ðŸ˜
Why do you buy your books? Any reason that I didn’t catch?
Let us know in the comments below and on social media, of course!
