10 Tips for Buying Books (And Deciding on Which Books to Buy)

I made a post back on August 24, where I discussed how I acquire my books. As I was looking around, I thought about this topic again. I looked through the posts I scheduled for August and saw that I didn't do a post on specific tips for buying books. So here we are.

Buying books, and deciding on which books to buy, can be tough. So here are 10 tips for buying books, and deciding on which ones to buy.

Tip 1: Look through your TBR list.

This may seem a bit daunting (which is why I included Tip 2), but this one will really help you out. That way, you can get a better idea of what books are higher on your TBR list over other books.

Tip 2: Create a shelf on your Goodreads profile for books you want to buy soon.

If you have a Goodreads account, set up a shelf of the books you want to buy soon. This will make your TBR list a bit more manageable as you look into books you want to buy soon.

Tip 3: If it's a book you're unsure about, borrow it before buying it.

We all have those books we're considering reading, but we're not 100% sure about. If that's the case, borrow it from your local library (or library apps like Libby or Overdrive) so you can get an idea of your thoughts on the book. If you have a friend or family member who has the book, you can also borrow it from them.

Tip 4: Consider whether it's an anticipated read of yours or not.

You'll most likely want to buy your anticipated read(s) sooner rather than later. This could come in as a preorder or as a regular order, but it is something to consider.

Tip 5: Seriously consider the budget your on.

This may seem obvious, and there is the running joke in the bookish community that we often overspend on books (i.e. spending rent money, food money, etc.). If you have a bit of extra money to spend, then feel free to spend it on books. But remember the budget you're on.

Tip 6: Look at any extra possible costs, especially when ordering books online.

This one does factor into Tip 5, but it does deserve to be its own tip. There are occasionally extra costs, especially when ordering books via Amazon, Barnes & Noble's website, or other online booksellers (i.e. shipping costs, when applicable). 

Tip 7: Don't buy a book just because it's being hyped on bookish social media.

We've all had this happen once or twice: a book's been super hyped, we bought it, read it, and then didn't like it. This is where Tips 3-4 and Tips 8-9 come into play. I'll discuss Tips 8-9 in a minute. Borrowing books and considering if it's an anticipated read or not will really help you out.

 

Tip 8: Research the books you're thinking of buying.

You don't need to know every single detail about the book. However, knowing the basic synopsis will help you decide if you should buy it sooner rather than later (or vice versa). 

Tip 9: Research the author(s) of the books you're thinking of buying.

This is similar to Tip 8, but knowing the background of the author(s) you're hoping to buy books by will also help you decide if you'd rather buy or borrow a book.

Tip 10: Use booksellers that are the most convenient for you.

There's a whole argument that you should do second-hand bookstores rather than mainstream booksellers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble. However, you need to buy books from sources and booksellers that are most convenient for you and not someone else. If you can buy from second-hand bookstores, then go for it. But if you can't, that's okay.