It’s critical for book lovers to know how you decide what books to buy, borrow, or bypass. As we all know, there is precious little time to read and far too many books than anyone can reasonably finish in a lifetime, not to mention the cost of buying books indefinitely is prohibitive for many. So how do you decide what books to buy, which books to borrow from the library, and which books you should bypass altogether? Read on.
In this article, I’m breaking down my buy/borrow/bypass strategy distilled into 10 questions you’ll want to ask when you’re wondering how do you decide which books to purchase. Of course, your method might differ from mine, and I’m certainly not perfect and bend my rules from time to time. But, generally, this is my playbook for choosing which book to buy in 10 quick questions. So be my guest and let me open my mind—and my bank account—and my library account, for that matter—to show you my method.
First we’ll review how to find new books to read. Then I’ll give you 10 questions to consider when buying new books.
First: Where to Find What Books to Read Next
Each month, I kick things off with consulting lists of new releases. Where do I go to find these?
A few regular monthly round-ups that I peruse are:
- Amazon’s Best Books of the Month
- PopSugar’s Best Books
- The New York Times Book Review’s Monthly Preview
- Refinery 29’s Book Recommendations
- Oprah’s Best New Books of the Month
And so on.
You can also do what I do and Google “Best Books of _____ 202_,” as you can see from this screenshot:
You can find all the new books in a flash if you check out our list here on Broke by Books by consulting my article that lists the 20 best bookish websites:
And now onto the questions that will help you decide what books to buy.
How to Decide What Books to Buy in 10 Questions
If you’re wondering how to choose a book to read and own, consider your answer to these 10 questins:
1 – The shelf space question: Do you have room to store the book?
Plain and simple… do you have room in your home to store the book you want to buy? Obviously if you are buying an eBook, this question doesn’t apply (though you’ll want to make sure you have digital space available on your eReader). But it’s crucial to consider if you actually have room in your house to store your book purchase. Do you have space on your shelves for the book? If not, it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it to try to cram one more book into your house or whether this new book is doomed to land in a toppling heap of a trip hazard on the floor.
2 – The personal library question: Will this book add to your personal library?
Collecting books and cultivating specific areas of focus is one of the joys of having a library in your home. All book worms are also librarians who must devise collection development criteria unique to themselves. Purchasing a book that adds to your niche collections within your home library is a book never wasted. For example, some of my personal niche topics within my library are: books about New Age topics, Penguin hardcover classics, books about mental illness, and cookbooks. Thinking like the librarian I am, if I come across a book that fits in one of those categories, I’ll likely buy it so I can bolster my home library.
3 – The money question: Can you afford it?
I try—and always fail—to keep to a monthly budget for books. But even if I don’t have an active budget, I know I need to be mindful of how many books I buy if I want money for other things. Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus once said, “When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.” That’s grand, but we all need to eat, and if you can put off buying a book and borrow it (see next question), it might be better to ignore the urge to purchase.
4 – The borrow question: Can you borrow the book?
If you are an active library user, or if you’re not and want to become one, placing a hold on a book and borrowing it from the library is a great strategy. Many libraries also loan out digital eBook copies and audiobook copies of books, even the newest books, so you’ll want to do a quick check in your library’s catalog to see if the book is available or if there’s a long list of people waiting in line. Then it comes down to how long you want to wait (see Question #6 below).
5 – The recycle question: Would other people be interested in reading the book when you’re done?
It’s worth it to buy a book if you know someone or someones who might want to read it down the line when you’re finished with it. For example, my mother and I have similar reading taste, so I’ll often buy a book that I know she might be interested in reading, too. If you know someone you can pass the book along to when you’re one, that’s a solid reason to buy the book.
6 – The marshmallow test question: Do you need to read the book right now—or can you wait?
The Stanford marshmallow test is an infamous psychology experiment where they tested young children’s patience. Read all about it here. Essentially, the experiment measured how patient each child was by offering them a single treat they could eat right then, or another option: to have a second treat if they hold out.
This also applies to book buying and impulsiveness. In the heat of the moment, when you’re there, browsing the bookstore’s new releases, you might come across a book you’ve just got to have and have it now. But before you do that, consider what other books you’re reading at the moment. Are you currently juggling reading many different books at the same time? Could you possibly hold out to buy the book and either borrow it from the library or a fellow bookworm, or wait until it comes out cheaper in paperback? Be realistic with yourself. It might feel like you want to take that book home, cozy in, and read it in a single sitting, but is that really how it’s going to play out? Nothing’s more demoralizing than burning money on something you wanted to read in the heat of the moment but instead stares at you judgmentally from your book shelves months (or years) later.
7 – The TBR question: How long is your TBR (to-be-read) list?
If you already have a long TBR (your to-be-read list of books you intend to read one day), it might feel better to hold off on buying a book and instead return to the books you already have on your TBR. Why dig yourself into a deeper hole with spending money on more books than you can realistically read? Especially considering there are already so many books on your TBR list? We all know it’s true: it’s often far more satisfying to cross another book off your TBR list and know you’ve made progress with your personal reading goals.
8 – The used books question: Could you buy the book used?
If you’re debating whether or not to buy a new hardcover or an eBook, this option really isn’t for you. But if you’re trying to choose between buying a backlist (“backlist” meaning older books, in contrast to the “front list,” which are all new releases) book or not, be sure you consider whether buying it used is an option. You can buy used books online, but there are also great used bookstores where you can find the backlist book of your dreams for a deeper discount. Search for your “location + used bookstores” and find one near you. (And there are a few great ones from the Philadelphia area in my roundup from a few years ago).
9 – The dinner party question: Does having the book make you look good?
Let’s get real. What book nerd has never judged someone’s book shelves to see if there’s similar taste? What lover or potential lover hasn’t scoped out their romantic match’s shelves or coffee table, which we all know are two windows into the soul of a reader? We’ve all been there; denying it is no good: we judge other people’s shelves. Sometimes you want to buy a book for that reason. Not only will it be a good read, but you’ll look smart/witty/intellectual/fun with good taste. There’s nothing wrong with buying a book you know will make you look good.
10 – The “white whale” question: Will you ever find this book again?
Sometimes you find a book and know it’s fate that connected you to it. When that happens, a book has come into your life at the right moment. Whether it’s fate or fortune, you’ve found this book exactly when you were meant to. If this sounds like you and you feel a deep personal draw to the book you’re considering buying, go ahead and buy that book and don’t look back. You don’t want this to turn into a “white whale” (thank you, Moby-Dick) book you search for years later after you regret not purchasing the book when you first found it or, worse yet, you forget the title or author.
How do you decide what books to buy? Your take!
What factors do you consider when you’re wondering how to decide what books to buy? Leave a comment below.
