there is something very special about sitting down with a wonderful book- I never feel guilty about purchasing a new book and have (5) 7-foot book shelves plus a hall closet and sewing room closet shelf to prove it.
you never know when you will go back through a book you purchased 10 years ago and find the perfect quilt for that moment! I often pull a stack of books off the shelf and just sit looking through them in the evening-when I need some ideas/inspiration for a new project- or when I want to use a particular technique I haven't done in a while & need to refresh my memory- or I need some measurements...what ever... I have my kindle for books I want to sit & read- but quilting/craft books I will always purchase as books- I love my books! my shelves would be awfully empty without them.