"Renting" Books

[Bernadette]

Has anybody come across this online? I saw it on Google Books: they charge three dollars or so, and you have access to the book for forty-eight hours. I couldn't believe it! I thought this sort of thing had gone out with the Victorian "circulating libraries," where customers paid a subscription to take out books. I'd never pay to rent books: I've been spoiled by free libraries. The idea of having to pay to just borrow a book seems so wrong (even though I'm perfectly okay with aying to borrow movies).

What do you guys think?

[Kaesekopf]

I would pay to be part of a nice library (think of a public library, but nicer, with newer books, etc).

For only 48 hours though?  Doesn't seem worth it. 

[Lynne]

Yeah, 48 hours is way too short. Our town library has rental books (new books by popular authors) but the rental period is for 2 or 3 weeks.

[Bernadette]

Actually, I was wrong. I just checked and rentals are only for 24 hours. Now that's downright ridiculous.

[maryslittlegarden]

Eh, my book rentals come from the library for free. 

[LouisIX]

I've rented books on my kindle for a month from Amazon. 

[Kaesekopf]

I've rented books on my kindle for a month from Amazon.

Textbooks?  Or?  How come?

[LouisIX]

I've rented books on my kindle for a month from Amazon.

Textbooks?  Or?  How come?

Yeah, it was an academic work.  I only needed it for a paper and it was too expensive to buy.

[Penelope]

I could never just rent a book, even if the rental period was long enough to read the entire thing. I like to write in my books, dog-ear the pages, etc.

[LouisIX]

I could never just rent a book, even if the rental period was long enough to read the entire thing. I like to write in my books, dog-ear the pages, etc.

You wouldn't like an e-reader then.

[Penelope]

Yeah, I super don't like them. I also like being able to flip quickly back to something I read earlier to compare it to what I just read. You know, "Oh, that symbol (or whatever) popped up earlier in the book, too; let me flip back and find it."

[Kaesekopf]

Yeah, I super don't like them. I also like being able to flip quickly back to something I read earlier to compare it to what I just read. You know, "Oh, that symbol (or whatever) popped up earlier in the book, too; let me flip back and find it."

Nerd.

[Kaesekopf]

I've rented books on my kindle for a month from Amazon.

Textbooks?  Or?  How come?

Yeah, it was an academic work.  I only needed it for a paper and it was too expensive to buy.

That makes sense.

[Penelope]

Yeah, I super don't like them. I also like being able to flip quickly back to something I read earlier to compare it to what I just read. You know, "Oh, that symbol (or whatever) popped up earlier in the book, too; let me flip back and find it."

Nerd.

I mean, I'm a nerd for a living. You knew that.

[Kaesekopf]

Yeah, I super don't like them. I also like being able to flip quickly back to something I read earlier to compare it to what I just read. You know, "Oh, that symbol (or whatever) popped up earlier in the book, too; let me flip back and find it."

Nerd.

I mean, I'm a nerd for a living. You knew that.

Indeed I did.