No longer buying printed novels

[GERGE]

I just noticed that (I was organizing my library for some new work related books) within the last three years, I only bought three printed novels. When the book I wanted to read isn't available as an ebook, I go to the libraries now, not bookstores. Before getting into ebooks, I almost never went to a library, I wanted to expand my own library.

Is it the same for you too? To tell the truth, this made me a little sad so I made a new resolution: I will buy one printed novel every month.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GERGE

Is it the same for you too? To tell the truth, this made me a little sad so I made a new resolution: I will buy one printed novel every month.

I quit buying printed books years ago. I'm strictly digital these days.

[HarryT]

It was the fact that I was running out of room for books in my house that made me turn to ebooks in the first place: I had double-stacked bookshelves on almost every wall. I feel absolutely no regret about their demise.

These days, I only buy reference books as paper books; all my fiction is ebooks.

[meeera]

Same here, I'm very glad of it. No need for more space-taker-upperers and dust-collectors.

[tubemonkey]

Space was never an issue for me. I went digital because ebooks are free.

[crossi]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It was the fact that I was running out of room for books in my house that made me turn to ebooks in the first place: I had double-stacked bookshelves on almost every wall. I feel absolutely no regret about their demise.

These days, I only buy reference books as paper books; all my fiction is ebooks.

That was me also. My bookshelves were overflowing and I had boxes stacked everywhere. Almost worse was that I had to severly cull the books I bought and only keep my very favorites. That sometimes meant I ended up rebuying a book I donated then wanted again. Now I can keep them all. I've replaced about half my boxed favorites and hope to replace the rest as they become available and the price drops. It's wonderful to have room again. I will no longer buy paper novels or that kind of nonfiction that one reads more or less like a novel.

[leaston]

What a very sad thread this is. I read a lot of ebooks, but will never part with my beloved printed books and won't stop buying them any time soon.

Rupert Giles summed it up fairly well for me. Bear in mind when you read this quote, I work in IT!!

Jenny Calendar: Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?
Giles: The smell.
Jenny Calendar: Computers don't smell, Rupert.
Giles: I know. Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower, or a-a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell musty and-and-and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is a - it, uh, it has no-no texture, no-no context. It's-it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then-then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um, smelly.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by leaston

What a very sad thread this is. I read a lot of ebooks, but will never part with my beloved printed books and won't stop buying them any time soon.

You must live in a bigger house than I do .

[fjtorres]

Space isn't an issue these days but I haven't bought a pbook since mid-2010 since I gave up on the Book clubs as part of my anti-agency BPH boycott. I have missed neither. Once I gave up on on Weber's SAFEHOLD series I haven't knowingly bought even a single BPH ebook.

Small publishers, Baen, the library, and indies are keeping my reading needs covered just fine. All in digital. Plus my TBR print backlog. Which is kinda stalled, come to think of it. I don't think I've cracked open a pbook in three years.
Hmm... I probably need to do something about that.

[Yapyap]

Space was the biggest issue for me as well. In fact, space concerns pretty much stopped me from buying books completely back in ~2006-2007 (before ebooks became a valid option for me, i.e. before shops appeared that would sell me a reader and books) and at the time, I switched over to fanfic almost entirely.

I still do buy the very occasional hardback, if it looks really nice and is something I'm reasonably sure I'll want to re-read many times, but I won't buy paperbacks if I can help it as I absolutely hate reading them (holding them open was always an issue, just that in days gone by I didn't have a lot of choice), and mostly it's just ebooks. I'd say about 80-100 ebooks per paper book, more or less.

I am not about to get rid of my paper book library, especially as now that I live in a flat with one extra room compared to my old flat I don't actually stumble over boxes upon boxes of them any more and because there aren't really that many realistic options other than "throw them away" to get rid of them (and because for the overwhelming majority, there aren't ebook equivalents and I might want to re-read some of them some day), but I am really very careful about which new books I'll buy in paper these days. And when I do, I'm also likely to double-dip anyway and buy a paper book for the shelf and ebook for the actual reading...

[leaston]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You must live in a bigger house than I do .

Hehe, a bigger house for my books would be lovely. Many/most of my real books are boxed due to space constraints.

All other considerations aside, another reason I keep my books is because a number of them have memories attached which will never be the case with ebooks. I keep books containing a monogram from the person who gave them to me as gifts (sentimental, yes. Irreplacable, yes), some books now out of print that would be difficult or expensive to replace, first editions (you can't have ebook first editions), books not available in electronic versions (e.g. too old, small print runs, local interest only) etc. The list goes on and on.

Ebooks are a convenience, but there's no passion in collecting or keeping them for me. Never will be.

[DrNefario]

I've taken to buying quite a lot of second-hand paper books, lately. I guess this is effectively an indefinite loan, since I don't view them as keepers. There's no secondary market for ebooks, so this is often the only way of getting some books cheap, and there are still a few holdouts that just aren't available in digital form.

I have no problem reading paper books, and am still quite happy to buy really nice editions in paper, as well as comics and coffee-table type books, but like others, space was very much a factor in my original decision to go electronic. I've become a bit more ruthless about offloading old books - when I'm buying used books from charity shops I'm, often also dropping some off - but I'm still a terrible hoarder, and some decisions are hard, even though I'm not much of a re-reader.

[jersysman]

For me, it was a space and weight thing. As I've gotten older those boxes of books get heavier and heavier and I can't lug them around any longer if I were to make a move. Ebooks came along at just the right time for me. They are very convenient and I do find myself reading more now that I've gone all digital.

[GERGE]

I went and bought 2013 Booker winner.

[elemenoP]

My father passed away recently and I discovered that he had been mentioned and quoted in a nonfiction book, so I bought the hardcover for sentimental reasons. I bought some printed books at our library fundraiser (about $1 a piece). Other than that, I almost never buy printed books for myself (I still buy them for my daughter and occasionally my husband). But I do make a point of READING printed books. Even with my buying habits curtailed, I still seem to have plenty.

eP