Hatrack River Forum: Netflix for books?

This is topic Netflix for books? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :

Has anyone every used this site?

Anyone ever seen a viable Netflix-type service for books?

Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :

the library?

Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :

[Roll Eyes]

There's also Blockbuster, but I like Netflix better.

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

Yeah, that kinda is more hassle than my local library. I order whatever I want online through interlibrary loan (City of L.A. has almost anything you could ever want to read, listen to, or otherwise partake of in the way of books, plus a good selection of music, and most of it is available through interlibrary loan.) Then they e-mail me when my books are in and I have two weeks to drop by (the local branch library is walking distance from my apartment) and pick them up. No human contact necessary except "I have books on hold" and handing the librarian my card.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Kasie, if I were into audio books I might try them. I love the convenience of getting stuff in the mail.

But I don't like audiobooks, and most of the paperbacks I buy I re-read. So it makes more sense for me to spend the same money on used paperbacks (Amazon, thriftbooks, seashellbooks) than on this.

It's a really cool idea, though!

Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :

Yeah...but the DC library is *terrible*. They have the request thing you speak of, but they never seem to actually have the books I want.

[Grumble]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Library? Takes too much time, and I always forget to renew before I start racking up fines.

Used books make me happy. [Smile]

Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :

I can get books from any library in the state, usually within a week or so. I pick them up from the library branch across from my office on my lunch hour and it costs me nothing. I can return the book to any branch in the state.

I can also browse the racks and get whatever is available, and if what I want to read is available in paperback, it's usually considered an "honorback" with no due date.

And it costs me nothing. (which is important, because I'm cheap that way)

Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :

I also like to buy used books, and I do frequently. But for "junk" reading - something I'm likely to read once and forget about it, or when trying a new author that I'm not sure I'll enjoy, I always go to the library first.

Most of the time, when I buy used paperback books, I'll buy 12-15, read them all, decide to keep 2-3 and donate the rest to the library for the honorback system or the MFOL bookstore.

[We have a great used bookstore run by the Maui Friends of the Library (in the middle of nowhere - if you don't know where it is, you'd never find it) that sells all paperbacks for 10 cents each. My favorite place. It's guarded by attack roosters and killer mosquitoes.]

Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :

quote:
I can get books from any library in the state

See, this would be nice if I had a state. Or if my psudo state was bigger than 50 square miles.

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

Sounds like that might be a good option for you, then, KasieH. Or maybe you should move to Maryland, near a Metro station. I guess if you look at the cost of this service relative to such a change, it isn't that unreasonable. Is it 12.99 a month, though?

Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :

I got myself an Amazon credit card, every time an insurance bill, or property tax bill comes in (anything huge), I pay with that. Points accrue pretty quickly that way.

Posted by Pico de Gallo (Member # 8028) on :

Kasie H,

I use that site, but I only signed up two months ago. I was pretty impressed last month; this month I've been a little less impressed with the turnaround time (which was partly compounded by the holiday weekend). I also don't usually get one of my top 3-5 books, which doesn't really matter to me--I just like listening to books during my commute.

I wish it were cheaper, but the cheaper services I found don't send the entire book at once--and what good would that do? [Roll Eyes]

Hope that helps. [Smile]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Growing up, the city library had a "mail-a-book" program for those of us who lived out in the country. They gave us a catalog of books they had entered into the mail-a-book program, and we would send in a postcard listing what we wanted to "check out" -- they sent the books in a mailer (book rate - sometimes took awhile) - I would read them and send them back, along with a new card with more requests.

It was great -- I read a lot that way without ever having to step foot in a library.

But I supposed it is just for underserved rural areas, not Washington DC

FG

Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :

This site is so cool Kasie! I'll definitely have to look into it. I think 8.50 a month is worth all the money I'll save when not buying books.

I've put a book ban on myself, meaning, I can't buy a book until 2007. It's really hard. I wonder if paying a monthly fee to read books counts as buying books....Hm....

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

That depends. Was your primary goal saving money, or not increasing your book collection?