Where and why did you buy that book?

[Richard Krauss]

We can debate whether promotion, word-of-mouth or shopping makes the difference. But why not record what actually happened and over time discover the different ways we are connected to the books we buy? And since most of us (I think) buy more than we can actually read, let’s confine this thread to buying behavior.

[Richard Krauss]

Relentless by Brian Garfield. If memory serves, Ed Gorman praised this book on his blog, newimprovedgorman.blogspot, and I made note. I’ve looked for it from time to time when visiting used bookstores and found it yesterday at Powell’s.

Assignment Suicide by Edward S. Aarons, also bought used from Powell’s. Another title recommended by Gorman, this time in his article from The Big Book of Noir.

[J. E. Seymour]

The last book I bought is a signed first edition of Dead Sand, by Brendan DuBois.  Purchased for $1 at a library book sale.  Probably worth about $50 on ebay.  Will not sell it.  :-)  I have very little money to spend on anything, so I don't buy a lot of books, unless I spot an irresistible deal.

[Richard Krauss]

Nice find! Gotta love book sales.

[Richard Krauss]

Speaking of book sales, my neighborhood has an annual event they use to raise money for the community. The last one was a few weeks ago. Here's a list of what purchased:

• Talking God by Tony Hillerman (one of my favorite writers, this was a book I didn't have)

• Because the Night by James Ellroy (Read Black Dahlia years ago but hadn't read another book by Ellroy since. The sale made it easy to pick up a second book by a writer I like)

• The Redbreast by Joe Nesbo (been hearing more and more about this author, the sale made it easy for me to try one of his titles)

• Freaky Deaky by Elmore Leonard (same as Hillerman, Leonard is a fav and I didn't have this one)

[Jed Power]

Hi Joy,

If you're looking for more "Dead Sand," by Dubois and signed, Abebooks has a few all in Fine condition with Fine dust jackets.  All under $15.00 which includes shipping.

[Dana King]

I guess I find new authors via word-of-mouth, online. There is a cadre of friends and trusted sources on Facebook and other social media I trust, and will give new authors a try based on their comments. I also try quite a few new (to me) authors after seeing them on Bouchercon panels.

[I. J. Parker]

I only buy from Amazon, and I buy by author. Generally, I check the blurb and the price before making up my mind.

Last order today: one each by Indridasson, MacBride, and Dick Francis.

[J. E. Seymour]

You know Dick Francis is dead, right I.J.? ;-)  I personally don't care to read books that continue a dead author's series.  I see someone is now writing Parker books.  Bleck.  On the other hand, perhaps you were ordering an early Dick Francis?  From before his death?  :-)

[I. J. Parker]

Oh, definitely early Francis. In fact the need arose when I discovered his books had been removed by my library and replaced by his son's knock-offs. Appalling! I can't find anything worth reading in the library anymore. 

[J. E. Seymour]

I've found libraries really vary.  My own town library stinks.  But I just started working in a local small town library and that one is pretty good.  Except that they'll have one book from a series and not the others, which is truly annoying.

And I love the early Dick Francis books.  He knew what he was writing about.

[I. J. Parker]

Oh, yes. And I suppose a library can't afford to buy all the books in a series.

My library had all of my books (I did nothing about that) until I started self-publishing the others in the series. That brought things to a halt. If I gave them them the new books, they would not shelve them.

[J. E. Seymour]

Really?  Is this a large library?  My small home town library has some self-published local authors on the shelves, and the library I work for also has several self-published authors' books.