Thoughtful Thursday is an opportunity to discuss things book and blog related. It might be an issue that has been mentioned in the media, or something about people's reading or blogging habits.Do you prefer second hand books or new books?
I have to admit that the majority of my books are second hand. They are either hand me downs (the minority) or books that I have purchased on eBay or at second hand book shops.
What I love about second hand books is the sense that they have been pre-loved by someone. I like the idea of sharing the book love around. I like to think of them having been sitting on some unknown bookshelf elsewhere. I like it when a book opens to a certain page, or the pages have that well-worn yellow colour to them. I also love browsing in second hand book shops, I like that the books don't all match and look ordered and that you never know what is going to be there.
I do also have to admit that new books can be quite expensive and so I like the cost efficiency of second hand books as well; it is a lot easier to feed my book purchasing addiction when they are second hand.
None of this is to say that I don't love or buy new books, because I do. Most of my new books are presents and some I have purchased for myself. Those that I have purchased for myself are either books that I really have been looking forward to reading (Wanting by Richard Flanagan comes to mind) or impulse purchases (The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho comes to mind).
I still love new books. I like their new book smell and the crisp way that their pages tun. I like that reading a new book feels a bit more like a fresh start than reading a second hand book.
Both are wonderful in different ways, but I am definitely more of a second hand book person than a new book person.
Originally posted 11 February 2010 Page Turners
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