Going to a bookstore, I’m not as inclined to buy a book from there than to check the same book out from the library. Perhaps it’s because there are far less bookstores than there were years ago. I used to browse books at bookstores until I settled on one I wanted to buy. But now, it seems that there are far more libraries than there are bookstores. And I can check out the books from there for free.
Even if I buy a book from a bookstore (or order one online), the urgency to read it isn’t there. It’s mine, and I can start reading it whenever I want (no pressure at all). But with books that I check out from the library, I’m borrowing them, so I’ll try to read and return the books before or on the due date.
It’s kind of like a game for me to see if I can read the books before I have to return them. I’ll start reading the books the week I picked them up. If I decide that I’m not going to finish a book, I’ll make the trip to return it knowing that I at least tried. And if I end up finishing a book or two, I might consider buying them if I like them enough. But even if I do buy those books, it’s rare that I’ll read them again from cover to cover.
Fallton Havenstonne 