Do you expect more out of books you've bought? By that, I mean, do you hold them to a higher standard because you have a personal (monetary) investment in them? I've found that I hold purchased books to a higher standard than review requests or library books. And it's really not fair of me, but because I've spent part of my precious book budget on a book, I expect it to be a great one, one I want to read again and again.
So when a book that I've bought is just "okay," I tend to get upset. And so, so disappointed. I then vow to only buy books that have over 4 star ratings on Goodreads and by tried-and-true authors. But, even then, that method fails me. A recent example is Janet Evanovich's Explosive Eighteen. I spent about $14 on the eBook, and it was not worth that at all. It was more like a $2.99 book for me. I vowed never to buy another Evanovich book, and will wait it out on the library waiting list, no matter how many months it may be.
Does this sort of thing happen to you? Do you expect more out of books you've bought?
I definitely feel that way. I'm super picky when it comes to books, especially when I'm buying books. I won't buy it unless I'm POSITIVE I'll like it. But, sadly, I don't always get it right.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest example is with Donna Jo Napoli. I've purchased 2 of her books and read them both. I did not like them at all! I'm a big fairy tale geek, so a bunch of people recommended them to me, but they were just not my kind of thing.
This has definitely taught me to be more selective in the books I buy.
~Debz @ Debz Bookshelf
Oh my yes! All the time. Which is why I always try the free sample first. If I'm not quite sure from the sample, then I get it from the library.
ReplyDeletePS I have the same issue with JE. I tried her books - blah. Tried the audios - still blah. Perhaps the film will work better for me.
I feel the exact same way! I usally go buy Goodreads rating too, but now after you're experience, I don't think I'll be doing that anymore. You never really can tell if the book you buy is really worth spending on. There are some library books I wish I had with me to read over and over again.
ReplyDeleteI don't really have high expectations with the books I buy (unless it's from a specific author) mostly because where I live people don't appreciate reading books, so there isn't any library I can really go to. And another point would be because I want to have my own little library, and for that getting books for myself is a must. Even though I might not like the book I still have some kind of special feeling towards it and can't get rid of it, I think it's because I hold books so dearly to me, they're like my best friends.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way. I buy books pretty rarely as opposed to say getting them from the library, but if I do buy a book, I'm looking forward to it being really good. When it's not, I usually feel a bit let down.
ReplyDeleteNo, but I am very careful what I buy and what I request. Yes, there are major fails on both accounts, but I see it evenly.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to know how some feel about buying vs requesting.