Discount book-buys: There’s a novel idea

When I see people at bookstores buying a newly released hardcover novel, I scoff. Who buys books for full price anymore? No respectable twentysomething would buy all their music for the listed price, and I view books the same way.

That’s why, starting last summer, I made it a rule never to pay more than $10 for books ““ college textbooks not included. I discovered that, with a little ingenuity, it was quite simple to find a good read for a good deal.

And the best deal, of course, is free. A few months ago, I was looking for Janet Fitch’s “Paint It Black,” a relatively new release at the time that I didn’t expect to find already shelved in a library.

But when I checked the catalog, College Library had a fresh copy in stock ““ and a 20-minute walk into campus saved me $25.

If you have a particular novel in mind, Charles E. Young Research Library also has a vast selection.

If a UCLA library doesn’t offer a book, you can have the book sent in from any local Los Angeles libraries ““ a useful tool we should take advantage of since we pay enough in student fees for these services.

Of course, the downfall of a library book is that it eventually needs to be returned. That is where used bookstores can supply a great solution.

There are several used bookstores throughout West Los Angeles, but my favorite one turned out to be near my home in Orange County. I passed by it for years before finally dropping in recently when I was running out of books to read.

The store was more of a bargain than I could ever have imagined: classic Oscar Wilde novels and Joan Didion books ranged from 10 to 25 cents. I felt like I had walked into a time portal back to the 1950s, when spare change could actually buy something worthwhile.

One can find old, sometimes original, copies, though they often have yellowed pages and awkward, outdated images gracing the torn covers, but I try to view them as vintage commodities. If I keep the copies long enough, they might be worth something, and I may even turn a profit from my reading pursuits.

Amid the older classics, though, there were some fairly contemporary finds, such as Arthur Golden’s “Memoirs of a Geisha.” That was one of the high-priced items ““ the book set me back a whole dollar. I left the store $4.50 short and lugging two heavy grocery bags back to the trunk of my car.

If you like your books in better condition, online stores are another money-saving option, though I usually end up spending more on shipping and handling than on the actual paperback. If you want to branch out from Amazon.com, Half.com is a good alternative.

There is something to be said for the chain bookstore experience, with the comfy couches and relaxed, yet sophisticated, atmosphere.

In these stores, I like to read things that I will probably trash or forget as soon as I’m finished with them, like magazines and diet books.

I’ll often stop at the Borders cafe in Santa Monica and order a coffee, just so I can avoid feeling like I’m taking advantage of the store or putting people out of work by browsing through the shelves without spending a penny.

And of course, another way to save is by borrowing. After my friends kept pestering me to buy “The Kite Runner,” I appeased them by asking to borrow their copies.

If you own the latest Don DeLillo book, e-mail Picklesimer so she can borrow it at lpicklesimer@media.ucla.edu.

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