Books // Minimalism

I have always been a collector of books. I have always dreamt of owning a personal library in my future home, housing all my favourites with a nice cosy armchair in the corner. But as my book collection started growing out of control I couldn't help but wonder why I purchased solid copies of books in the first place.

I decided to see what other options there are out there. I decided to choose five books that I intend on reading and see what options I have in regards to pricing and availability. The books are:

- Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson

- Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

- Plastic Purge by Michael SanClements

- Simple Matters by Erin Boyle

- Plastic Free by Beth Terry

Upon speaking with my friend (hey Isaac if you're reading this!) he mentioned that Book Depository has really cheap books and he was right! I normally buy my books off BookWorld, but they literally both ship from the UK and you can't argue with cheaper prices. All the titles I wanted to read are available and the prices are (as of July 2017):

- Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson - $14.64

- Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki - $15.82

- Plastic Purge by Michael SanClements - $21.66

- Simple Matters by Erin Boyle - $22.56

- Plastic Free by Beth Terry - $24.39

TOTAL = $99.07

Now I personally always thought that electronic versions of books were cheaper by a drastic amount, but boy I was wrong. I understand from a business standpoint they do have to generate some amount of money. But considering that the copy is not physical, you could at least assume that the price would be less than $10 at least. Nope.

On iBooks I found the titles for a cheaper price, but I still considered it hefty.

- Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson - $14.99

- Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki - $14.99

- Plastic Purge by Michael SanClements - not available

- Simple Matters by Erin Boyle - $15.99

- Plastic Free by Beth Terry - not available

TOTAL for 3 titles = $45.97 

Call me old fashioned, but I think that $45.97 for 3 electronic books is a waste. I would rather spend the $53.02 from Book Depository so that I can at least have the book physically, and then maybe donate or sell it later when I am sick of it.

I did a little research on Kobo and Kindle. Kobo prices were:

- Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson - $14.99

- Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki - $14.99

- Plastic Purge by Michael SanClements - not available

- Simple Matters by Erin Boyle - $22.98

- Plastic Free by Beth Terry - $21.99

Kindle prices were:

- Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson - $14.99

- Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki - $14.99

- Plastic Purge by Michael SanClements - not available

- Simple Matters by Erin Boyle - $14.35

- Plastic Free by Beth Terry - $14.45

Kobo didn't offer many good deals, but they did have 'Plastic Free' available. The Amazon Kindle website did boast that it had the cheapest prices, and I do have to agree. However, I grew kind of annoyed to the app and its layout. From the Kobo and Kindle app, you actually can not purchase from it directly which I found annoying. Also, there is evidence on how your mobile screen can affect your sleeping and I always tend to read at night.

When it came to my local library, I found that none of the titles were available. There was actually only 2 copies in rotation which I found quite sad. There is also the option of buying books second hand, but I found that the price difference was not drastic enough and that I would prefer to spend extra money on a solid, brand new copy. 

And my reading habit can become quite expensive. But I have come to the realisation that maybe I should read what is in my library now instead of constantly purchasing books and flooding my brain with the overwhelming thought of how I will never be able to read everything; ever. I know that seems dramatic, but it is true. When I want to purchase a new book, I always become overwhelmed with how many books are out there. At my work they also sell books, but I tend not to buy too many because I am always surrounded by it and underwhelmed with the titles they provide.

So I have come to the conclusion. I am only going to buy a new book once I finish reading another five at the least. Before I buy a book, I am going to read a sample on iBooks to dip my toe in what I am about to purchase. Do any of you have a hoarding problem when it comes to books? I would love to hear your experiences and thoughts!

Thanks for reading!

-Amanda.S

P.S - I forgot to mention that you should always go to the Op Shop or Second Hand Book Store and buy books there. I pick up titles for $4, sometimes a few cents in rural places! Plus, you are supporting local charities and businesses which personally makes me feel better :)