How many books did you buy in 2017?

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...
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IceMaiden
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How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by IceMaiden »

As people reflect back on 2017 on everything else I thought it would be fun to do a 'EB book review of the year'! How many did you buy? Which was the first? The last? Most expensive? Bargain of the year? Other items?

Bought - 92 :shock:
First - The Secret Seven in dw
Last - The Children of Cherry Tree Farm in dw
Most expensive - At Seaside Cottage £137
Bargain - lots but the one that really stands out in my mind is the Faraway Tree series in a dw for £65
Other items - 44 journals and 52 magazines
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Katharine
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by Katharine »

Wow, that's quite a haul. Unfortunately I've no idea how many books I bought last year. I used to be really good at recording all my purchases on a spreadsheet, but that lapsed some time ago. I think that's definitely one new year resolution I need to make. :D
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Rob Houghton
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I like this idea! It's quite good fun...but only works if you keep an accurate record of the books you bought. Most of mine, I buy from eBay these days, so its a little easier to see what I bought. However, some books I have bought and eventually sold, occasionally replacing one of my lesser copies with a better one, etc.

Number of books I bought - 59 - although i also bought a couple of jigsaws, some magazines, the Famous Five
pocket watch and Noddy alarm clock, etc!

First book of 2017 - Sunny Stories Calendar of 1944 (if that can be classed as a book!) followed by Enid Blyton's
Bom Painting Book.

Last book of 2017 - A Picnic Party With Enid Blyton - 1st with DW

Most expensive - the Sunny Stories calendar - at £125 - the most expensive Enid Blyton item I've ever bought!

Bargain - quite a few, but I think 'The Nature Lovers Book' in a very good dust wrapper for only £3.99 was a
standout!

Other items - the Famous Five pocket watch and Noddy Alarm clock are real prize winners, plus the Famous Five badge and Sunbeam badge, the Enid Blyton Diary and Enid Blyton's Birthday book, and a couple of Find-Outer Whitman jigsaw puzzles. :D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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sixret
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by sixret »

A great haul, Ice Maiden! :D
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by KEVP »

The triumph of the internet means that I am buying many fewer books then I used to. For the things I can't find on the internet, I use libraries. I think I have four library cards in my wallet, and one of those is to a huge group of libraries all over the place. (I enjoy exploring all the libraries that are members of this group!)
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Rob Houghton
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I haven't used a library for about 20 years...and even then it was mainly for Family research in the records office at Birmingham central Library. Shameful I know! I feel a bit bad about the fact that I get angry when a local library is shut down through lack of funding/use when I don't use them myself - but at one time I used them a lot and I think they are important resources.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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John Pickup
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by John Pickup »

The library was the only way I could acquire books when I was small as the cost of buying hardbacks was way beyond my parents means. I must admit that I haven't visited our library for many years but I would fight for its retention if closure were threatened.
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by Daisy »

I'm afraid I have no idea how many books I bought last year - but might keep a note in future! I know it's quite a lot and not all for me - I bought some to give away too.
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sixret
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by sixret »

One of my resolution for 2018 is not to buy books, at least physical books. I am determined to keep my resolution as long as possible! I may buy ebooks because many GAD books that I wanted have been republished in ebooks form and can be bought through Amazon, Kobo and Google Play. Mind you, most of them were first published between 1920s-1950s and very rare in physical form, almost non-existent in online markets! I am very happy now that I can buy them from mere 99p each to £4.99!
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by IceMaiden »

There's some great buying being done here! The Nature Lover's book was definitely a bargain! Mine was £2 in an Oxfam shop but it's got no wrapper and the boards are quite faded, £4 for one in a wrapper is a really good find 8) .

I think it is easier to keep track of what you buy online as you get confirmation emails and of course ebay has a buying history of at least a year to look back through. I'm next to useless with spreadsheets so I keep a notebook noting every title, edition, year, dw or not, where it came from and how much. I find it much easier than going through dozens of emails or scouring the shelves if I want to look something up quick, and as they're noted down by series it works as a checklist of what's missing too. It's about the only thing with me that's well organised :lol: .
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I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And A̶n̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶h̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶a̶i̶r̶e̶
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Rob Houghton
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Re: How many books did you buy in 2017?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I agree - £4.99 for the Nature Lovers Book with DW was a bargain! I also bought The Animal Lovers Book last year with a DW - but that one cost me £19.99 -- still quite a bargain though!

I don't keep lists, except in a minimal way - to see which books I want to upgrade in a series. For example, I already had all the Secret Sevens in dust wrappers, but wanted all of those with children linking hands on the boards, and all of those with the two-colour illustrations. Some of mine only had the black and white illustrations, so I've been upgrading them when I can, then selling the ones I've replaced. Same with the Famous Five series - I only want those with two-colour illustrations (where applicable - the first book is always black and white!) So I have lists showing whether I have the correct editions. I don't bother about first editions unless I happen to get lucky - I prefer the editions with coloured illustrations.

Malory Towers is another set I'm currently trying to collect...but I dislike the original covers, and want a set with Lilian Buchanan covers, which I prefer. They are harder to come by, unfortunately!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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