Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.
This week’s topic is:
April 11: Do You Buy Books with Intention? (Jillian @ The Bookish Butterfly)
Prompts: Do you buy books randomly or do you think about what to buy? How do you decide which books to buy vs which books to borrow or just save for later? For books at the top of your TBR, is your go-to buying a book or do you check your library first? What book formats do you own most of—physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?
**********
Do you buy books randomly or do you think about what to buy?
I supposed to be on a book buying ban but when I wasn’t on my ban, I bought books randomly and often! Usually because of a pretty cover or hype. But now that I’m on a budget 😅 I really think about what to buy.
How do you decide which books to buy vs which books to borrow or just save for later?
I will go into Barnes and Noble and want all these books then I look at the price and say HELL NO. Books are expensive – i remember when a paperback was $5.99 😩 – a long, long time ago! So if I buy something on Amazon I will put it in my shopping cart and leave it there, shop around, check Book Outlet, and if the price isn’t right I just won’t buy.
But when I can’t help myself like couple weeks ago – I did just buy 2 books because one I can’t wait for as a library book and another I loved as an arc and love the sprayed edges on the hardcover plus it was under $20! But usually I wait for them as a library book. I am not going to lie, these sprayed edged books are making me fight my book buying ban tooth and nail. I can’t resist a pretty book…so now I give myself permission to buy one book a month.
For books at the top of your TBR, is your go-to buying a book or do you check your library first?
My TBR list order doesn’t matter! I just put titles on there when I see them so I’ll check my library first, check any sales on different websites and then gauge if I REALLY need to read that book right now or not.
What book formats do you own most of—physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?
I think I now own more ebooks than physical books but I’m trying to get back to physical books because of the whole discussion about ebooks not really being ours to “own”. And maybe when they use to cost less I had no probably throwing my money away like that? But ebook prices are climbing! And it makes it more worth it now to own the physical books (when they go on sale) because sometimes the price difference between an ebook and a physical books is very small. I don’t own any audiobook, I borrow those.
April Topics:
April 4: Reading Relatability
Prompts: Real life can be a lot. Do you enjoy reading books with high relatability to your past or present situation (i.e. with relatable characters, situations they face, or places they visit) or do you read purely to escape reality? Do you seek out a certain type of read, depending on your head space or mood?
April 11: Do You Buy Books with Intention? (Jillian @ The Bookish Butterfly)
Prompts: Do you buy books randomly or do you think about what to buy? How do you decide which books to buy vs which books to borrow or just save for later? For books at the top of your TBR, is your go-to buying a book or do you check your library first? What book formats do you own most of—physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?
April 18: Favourite Bookish Accessories (Leyre @ Read You Leyre)
Prompts: Do you collect bookish accessories? What are some bookish accessories that you can’t get enough of? Is there any type of bookish accessory that you feel is “overdone” (i.e. book mugs)? Where do you usually get your bookish accessories and do you have recommended stores to get them from?
April 25: Do Blog Tours Build Community?
Prompts: Do you participate in blog tours? What do you like or dislike about them? Do you trust reviews that are written for blog tours? When you participate in blog tours, do you connect with other bloggers involved? Do you think blog tours build community?
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 
Ah, lots to relate to here, lol. The gorgeous special editions are always what gets me, especially when it’s for a book I love. Even though I already have a copy (or two) I still can’t resist getting a special edition with stunning covers, sprayed edges, end paper artwork, etc. You’re so right though about ebook prices climbing. My bank cries every time I see an ebook that costs the same as, if not more than, a paperback. It’s not fair! 🤭 Still, I can’t resist those 99p deals, lol.
Great post, Yolanda! Thanks for participating in LTB this week 💜
I’m glad I’m not alone in this lol!
Same! Books are sooo expensive now that I don’t even step foot in a bookstore. I do go to my local one when they have author events, but that’s about it. I can’t justify paperbacks for $20. Book Outlet is my go to, or I just use the library. I have stopped buying ebooks since Amazon stopped us from transferring. The fact that I don’t “own” the book and they can take it away whenever, doesn’t sit right with me.
I think that issue with Amazon is now making me look at hardcovers that go on sale since at least I can own it, so much for my book buying ban 🤦🏻♀️ – I put it in my cart and leave it there until I feel like I can make a decision on whether to buy or not lol but YES, Book Outlet or the library is my go to right now.
Yep, that’s what I keep thinking too! If I can get a book on sale for the price of an ebook… eventually, why not? Then I actually own it. It just doesn’t make sense to pay that price to “borrow” a book.
Agree!
I usually buy with intention, very rarely I have bought the book because it was cheap or the cover was pretty.
Nice! I’m a sucker for a pretty cover but I lack shelf space so that help keeps me from buying books lol.
I know! Books are SO expensive now! It is most tragic. Usually I buy books mainly to get them signed, or at used bookstores or thriftbooks, because new they are so pricey! And we have somewhat limited space, so I cannot have nearly as many books as I think I ought to. Lovely post!
It makes me very sad that they are so expensive and I have limited space also!