Must-Buy Books

[alanajoli]

It's no secret that I work at a library, and that before that, I worked at a bookstore. I used to buy a lot more books than I do now, simply because I was surrounded by them, available for purchase, all the time. Now, I check out a lot of books, which is good, because we bought a house and are on a tighter budget these days (like the rest of America--and the world!). But here's the thing: my library system doesn't always have urban fantasy or shared-world fiction. Most other genres I can get, and I can often convince our fiction buyer to get more of the paranormal romance and UF titles in--but the library's only got so much money and shelf space. We're part of a consortium, which improves my odds, and we have access to a large state catalog for interlibrary loans. But some books? They're just not in the system.

Which means I've been putting together my "must-buy" list of authors who I know have books coming out this year. As much as I was really bummed to hear about the slow-down of the Eberron line of novels from WotC, I suppose I should be grateful--I was buying all the Eberron books, because I'd always felt like I couldn't keep up with Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance fiction (beyond a couple of key series in each setting). I wanted to have all of one world's, and Eberron was new and shiny (and there were a lot of really good stories that I was glad to follow, and very few clunkers).

And now, of course, I've put the "must-buy" list down somewhere in the house and have completely lost track of it. *sigh*

So, bad economy or not--who is on your must-buy list? What moves an author or series to the top of the list? For me, I feel a greater loyalty to the people who are friends of Myth, the Universe, and Everything, because I feel like I know those folks on some level--and who doesn't want to support their friends? The big new qualifier is whether I can borrow books from the library or from friends.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Pratchett . . . Bujold . . . Hilary McKay . . . Marilynne Robinson . . . some of my must buy authors.

[hyptosis.livejournal.com]

seconded =P especially pratchett ^_^

[elven-wolf.livejournal.com]

Pretty much your last paragraph sums it up. jimhines, mindyklasky, markdf, jpsorrow, greygirlbeast and docbrite top the list. The last two I read before I knew of their blogs, the others I've come across primarily through fangs_fur_fey and friends of that community.

Other than that, the only books I've bought recently have been Torchwood novels.

[elven-wolf.livejournal.com]

And I can't believe I forgot wickedkiwi, I bought her first novel late last year and I love it. The fact that I've known her forever has nothing to do with that. LOL

[breathingbooks.livejournal.com]

I don't tend to do auto-buys as I rarely like all an author's books and think most series go on too long, but I suppose Hilary McKay qualifies (I loathed that pre-Casson series but found her before I read them). Maybe Lauren Winner too (she's only written 3, so statistics haven't had time to crush her yet), but other than that I only have auto-looks, not auto-buys.

[lyster.livejournal.com]

I don't buy books nearly enough any more. Part of the problem is that with my finances, I can't really afford to buy books I'm not going to love & reread frequently.

Gaiman's adult books & graphic novels always get at least gazed at longingly, though I really should read his YA. John Crowley is on the 'must own' list, though, again, finances. If Dorothy Dunnett, rest her soul, were still with us, I would buy everything she published nine times without thought.

For used bookstores the list is broader. I love Roger Zelazney's non-Amber writing, for example -- don't get me wrong, Amber's amazing, but Lord of Light & Creatures of Light and Darkness are just better books -- and anything a used bookstore has of his I'll buy, if I can at all justify it (as in "I have three copies of Lord of Light already, but none in Cambridge with me..." If he were being published in new editions I would buy those too, as fast as they could bring 'em out.