
Ask HN: Where do you buy books on the web? - wastedbody
What is your favorite online bookstore and why? Currently, I struggle to find some stores with reasonable prices and reviews.
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shoo
these days i try to borrow stuff from nearby public libraries and avoid buying
any new copies of old books. hurray, funded public services. hurray,
socialism. i export a big csv file of books i am interested in reading from
goodreads, then run a horrible little python script that pokes my local
library website with requests to discover what books from my list are
available on the shelf.

in the past i have had success finding cheap second hand books using this
search engine: [https://www.gettextbooks.com/](https://www.gettextbooks.com/)

e.g. i have my eye on a new Peter Watts book, here we go:
[https://www.gettextbooks.com/isbn/9781616962524/](https://www.gettextbooks.com/isbn/9781616962524/)

~~~
protonimitate
That python + good reads + library script is a great idea!

I'll second using local libraries. They are really a terrific resource.
Between hard copies, ebooks, digital copies, and inter-library loans, it's
really rare I can't get my hands on a book I want.

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bandwitch
I recently noticed that bookdepository (belongs to Amazon btw) has different
prices depending on your region. In other words, their "free delivery
worldwide" cost is being hidden behind the different prices per country. So,
by using VPN and ordering a book let's say from the US (even though you live
in Europe) you might be able to save quite some bucks. I saved $15 recently
when buying a technical book.

Also, in abebooks.com you can sometimes find textbooks at much lower prices,
even if you include the shipping fees compared to amazon/bookdepository. Most
likely these textbooks are much cheaper because they are supposed to be sold
only in India. Still, some sellers ship them all over the world.

You can find a multitude of free and new books on b-ok.org, but I guess it
would be illegal to use in most jurisdictions.

Lastly, wherever I've bought a book from, I always refer to Amazon.com for
reviews.

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akulbe
My first response would normally have been to say "Amazon", but I have a
subscription to O'Reilly Safari.

I'm learning to check there _first_ to see if that "new shiny" book is there
first.

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meetneps
PutForShare.com (High quality used books at lowest cost - currently Serving
India only)

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alexgray
I usually get mine second hand from Amazon. some of them are prime and I can
get the next day (UK). Some however are from the US so that can be a long
wait. I've not really ventured out from them though.

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guilhas
Kobo ereader, it's practical. Reviews and recommendations I get from
everywhere. Hackernews, reddit, amazon, goodreads, friends...

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tmaly
I have been using bookfinder.com to find cheap used versions of the books when
my library does not have a copy.

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atsushin
A friend of mine recommended Thriftbooks to me, though I have yet to try out
their online store.

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cimmanom
You can always read reviews in one place (ex: goodreads) and buy books in
another.

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raffleslodge
abebooks.com has been great for buying second hand text books. International
shipping can take a while but it is so much cheaper then buying new.

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is_true
Bookdepository.com free worldwide shipping and good prices

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eb0la
iberlibro.com for second hand books. I think it's abebooks outside spain.

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LongTermBond007
abebooks.com is my go to favorite. Cheap prices, fast shipping.

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hello56565
Oceanofpdf.com

