Sandra Chubb wrote, 'Buying books secondhand is no different from buying anything secondhand, the original sellers get nothing from that sale. However, they might get another of their books bought new if the secondhand one was enjoyed' and that is a very good point.
Buying books secondhand is no different from buying anything secondhand, the original sellers get nothing from that sale. However, they might get another of their books bought new if the secondhand one was enjoyed so it could be a good thing in one way. I never buy novels new nowadays, but I do buy new reference books that I particularly want and recipe books.
I was playing Devil’s advocate earlier. Though I would add that it costs a lot to produce a book. Author time, editing and proofreading and then the rest. Also last year at the Literary Festival in our village I ran the book shop. Only new books. I noticed a marked difference between French and English buyers. For the English no more than 5€ quite often. The French would happily pay a lot more. 15€ + would be the norm. The British have been spoiled by Amazon and three for two offers.
I hastily add that not all our books are second hand - a lot of our 2,000+ books were bought new or through a seller. However, sometimes we find a second hand book which is no longer 'in print' so there would be no other way to get a copy. Second hand books for us have provided hours of great reading and saved lots of books going to the dump while at the same time bringing in donations for worthy charities. Another factor is the cost of new books - almost prohibitive for us at the moment.
I never mind buying 2nd hand sometimes via new and used on amazon but most often from charity shops. Or here in France I get quite a few from the Amnesty International Book sale in Pau , December time or twice a year from a group that sell books to raise money for medcines sans Frontieres.
Thinking about Pamela's comments. Buying second hand books. What do bookworms think about that? After all, the author and publisher get nothing.
New to the group but thought I'd share my book habits. I like to read mainly non-fiction - biography, auto-biography, adventure, travel, war stories, etc, but am currently enjoying some fiction books which were given generously by someone cleaning out and needing space for more books. Most of our books were acquired in New Zealand, and some through second hand book sales which became popular in the 90s. The best sale we ever went to was huge, and we went back on the second day when all the books were half the price of the day before - some books were 25 cents (which is about 10p!). Now we support CSF book sales and someone mentioned Christmas in the comments - yes, that's the feeling when you have a pile of new (to you) books :)
My favourite of all time is a book called 'South', about the final trip of Shackleton to try and reach the South Pole and the subsequent destruction of the Endurance, the following trip by lifeboat to Elephant Island and then the relief of reaching South Georgia followed by the rescue of the others who had remained on EI.
Have to agree, these are re-readers, but I bout mine second hand from Amazon UK and only paid a couple of pounds for the set with another 4 quid P&P…may be worth checking this out. They are well worth reading
For folks into Sci Fi try Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear…
Marianne, The Hunger Games are excellent, however I'd be killed by my daughters if I attempted to give our copy away!
I agree with you about The Night Circus, I loved it. I also strongly reccomend The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.
Hello everyone,
I wonder if anyone has already read copies of the "Hunger Games" and would like to give them a new home? My daughter in Canada told me that if I have not read them, "you have not lived". Well, can't let that go by :)
And while I was in Canada recently, I came across a great book by a Canadian author named Erin Morgenstern. The title is "The Night Circus" and one of the better books I have read in a long time. Thought I let everyone know :)
Hope to hear from someone about the Hunger Games,
thanks, Marianne
I have just been given four bags full of novels - it is better than Christmas. A lot of murder mysteries - I am so looking forward to reading them
Since I was limited to 4000 characters, here is the intro:
Location: Decazeville, the Averton, South of Figaec.
From Conques to Figaec, walkers of the Camino de Santiago have three alternatives: the challenging Conques to Livinhac-le-Haut, bypassing Decazeville, or aiming for Decazeville on one of two routes, with or without a steep climb. At 24 km or 26 km, 'overnighting' in the old mining town is ideal, even with the morning's steep climb. After Conques’ wonders, pilgrims are warned that Decazeville is a certain disappointment, encouraging many pilgrims to push themselves (too far?) to Livenhac.. They really missed out.
Thought locals might like 'Tribute to Decazeville' (abridged to fit)
I don’t know you Decazeville, though you were born ‘La Salle’, your name changed by Napoleon III, your nation shamed when King Louis gave you away to his mistress, enriched through fornication, embarrassments by-passed by adopting nom de Monsieur Decaze, mine and foundry owner, keeper of the open pit, going deeper, underground and out of view.
I walked your hills in innocence, pilgrim to your curving roads, no signs for direction, lost and giddy, encroaching your valley from above, growing confident with those pleasant homes at your edge, unaware of your blasted centre, entering after a day’s determined walk from Conques, hazelnut forest and farmland nestling into memory. the soft thud of dropping seeds adding to silence. Didn’t I wonder that pilgrims avoided you, bypassing your plainness for prettier towns?
From unholy below's narrow lane appears your unwelcome, trafficked street, a welcoming bar, cold drinks a treat, breathing aromas of tobacco and old France, the sign clearly saying ‘Non Fumer’, barman serene.
(You can smile Decazeville, but you still cough.)
I don’t know you D, deceived perhaps when our alberge host practised her wondrous violin, my head shaking, feet aching, soaking in cold water, wrapped in dry towels, before the cat stole my pate.
Roundabout then, we pilgrims wandered into another one of France’s million Rue de Gambettas, all with bars, take-aways and the mundane, late afternoon citizens deserting main-street for air-conditioned shopping centre, short of the great pit...
Wandering down discouraged lanes, past curious monuments, unseen better days, standing with surly youth at Jean Paul Sartre Recreation Centre, thinking, I might try out the weights of justice, press the barbells of freedom, the balance bar of fraternity, and spell ‘being’ and ‘nothingness’ in a friendly game of Scrabble.
But hungry pilgrims prompted our descent into clean and pleasant pizza palace. Dinner. Diner, s’il vous plait. We ordered the New York pizza, the Genoa pizza, the Roman pizza, even the South Seas pizza. Nowhere did I see ‘The Works,’ or better, ‘The Decaze villan’. But it all tastes better with Coke.
Pizza. If France has too many falafel and kebab shops, Decaze villains prefer Italian pizza, pizza and more, counting six of them pretending choice. Does rolled bread offend you my villains? Is falafel too foreign, salads too unmanly? Is the pizza’s flatness alluring, after centuries of digging holes, only dough to be trusted?
Are clear-sighted ingredients glued to your landscape meal, more agreeable and reassuring that the rapt unseen? Are creamy cheese, rich tomato paste and crispy edges the stuff of legend? Maximum illusion! All that pizza consumed will leave you hungrier. And five others are ready to serve. Non fumer, says this sign.
Next morning, we left your town, climbing the steep, north-west hill towards
Livinhac-le-Haut, meeting a pale white church in broken form, doors locked. In the vacant lot opposite, we discovered the Crucified One, expelled from church, flat on the ground, barring entry to Heaven’s door. Neighbourly satyrs invited us to crush their grapes, extract the juices, taste the terrior; blending flavours, handing out favours, all for the vino tinto, all for the vin rouge. I took a churn, all laughter with our Decaze villians, youthful bluster, timely muster, the older uncle deep in his own cave, baton in hand, orange apron, master of the dark ways.
I don’t know you D, though I sweated on the downhill in, and laughed on the
uphill out, all your ingredients plain to see.
*
The photographs, graphics and web references can not reproduced here, but are included in the ebook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/276186
Welcome Sealey. I am also a lover of Hilary Mantel's work. A very intelligent and perceptive writer. Read Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Needed editing in my opinion. Liked the last page though (and I'm not joking). I don't know Karen Joy Fowler, but she is described as writing literary fiction; so probably worth looking at. Have you also joined writer and bloggers on this site?
Glyn
Hello. I have just joined the network. I am an avid reader and am just getting into writing. My favourite books of last year were the Millenium Trilogy, Wolf Hall and I have recently discovered Karen Joy Fowler who is a real joy to read
email address is publisher@route11publications.us. It forwards to my personal email address. Thanks, Roger.
And thanks for the Hello, Kerry. Pleased to meet you all, too. Looking forward to sharing great reads.
Toni, thanks you. Please give me an email address for the 'gifted' copy, or would you prefer doing it via your website?
Toni, I’ve just had a look at your website and I like your philosophy. I’m convinced we’re going to see more and more e-publishers like you - as Glyn says, there are a lot of ebooks to “wade through”, so going through an e-publisher who has established a reputation for good quality books provides a guarantee for the reader and guidance for the writer.
Another recommendation: Last week I read "The Book of Obeah" by Sandra Carrington-Smith. It takes place mostly in Louisiana (my home State) and delves into the VooDoo religion. Sometimes the book is a bit too "preachy", as in the author reflects quite a bit on her views on "religion," rather than just sticking to the story, but the story line is good. It gives a realistic picture of VooDoo practice. The author has some experience with this. As I recall, her grandmother was a VooDoo priestess.
Teresa, Imagine being inundated by free books! Oh, it's a rough life for a bookworm!