Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[DrNefario]

I didn't think Baldur's Gate was all that great, myself, but then I never got very far. Maybe that's why I haven't ended up with a huge collection of Forgotten Realms novels.

[Waylander]

What's the most books anyone has bought in a year?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Waylander

What's the most books anyone has bought in a year?

I refer the Honorouable Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.*

395, in 2008 (when Mobipocket DRM-removal tools first became readily available).


*OK, nearly a year ago! BTW, my 2013 total was 283. Whoops.

[pdurrant]

The 75% off coupons from Kobo have got me again. Three more books by Brandon Sanderson, a favourite author.

[DrNefario]

Me too. Three more books from my wishlist. And I've just realised I forgot a couple of eligible items, so I'm hoping for more.

I have been having a great month of reading, though, and I had actually earned four more purchases based on my TBR target. I had already bought a kindle book before I saw the kobo thread, so I'm back at my limit again.

[Tarana]

The 75% off coupons from Kobo have got me again.

You are just lucky (I'm reading Ringworld). The best I have gotten with 3 different email accounts is 35%, so no books for me.

Edited to add: Now that Whispersync has launched in the UK, many more of you will understand the addicting draw of audiobooks... especially extremely low cost audiobooks which compels you to buy an ebook just to get that audiobook. If you are not part of the amazon garden, you can still resist without effort.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Tarana

You are just lucky (I'm reading Ringworld). The best I have gotten with 3 different email accounts is 35%, so no books for me.

Umm... In this competition it turns out the the competition codes are valid for one use per account in US, UK and Canada.

In the discount codes thread there are currently four 75% off codes and five 65% off codes.

[PurpleStar]

Well I did really good this month! Didn't buy a darn thing. Passed up sale after sale! I just bought the 2 books I really wanted that just came out today.(Tuesday) I was even able to use a 65% off coupon for one of them that I got in the latest Kobo contest. Now I have a few dollars left on my gift card for those sales. YAY me.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

Well I did really good this month! Didn't buy a darn thing. Passed up sale after sale! I just bought the 2 books I really wanted that just came out today.(Tuesday) I was even able to use a 65% off coupon for one of them that I got in the latest Kobo contest. Now I have a few dollars left on my gift card for those sales. YAY me.

Good for you!

I just wish I'd passed up the Baen Bundle and waited in confidence for the Kobo competition. But I just wasn't confident it would turn up. Sigh.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Good for you!

I just wish I'd passed up the Baen Bundle and waited in confidence for the Kobo competition. But I just wasn't confident it would turn up. Sigh.

When the odds were announced and then when the contest was pulled for a bit, it looked as if you'd made the right decision. It's only the glitch that has the coupons usable for each account (and people's posting the codes) that makes this contest work for most of us.

I figure you have to look at these things in their totality, i.e., how much you've saved with bundles and discounts overall; the occasional wrong call is far offset by other savings. So no cause to beat yourself up, really.

My own bad decision was to use perkopolis in India on a wishlist book once I saw the odds on the contest. I figured perkopolis wouldn't last much longer (and I was right about that, as it turns out) and that the likelihood of my being able to use a 65% or 75% coupon at the US store for a greater savings was slim (wrong, in the eventuality).

[PurpleStar]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Good for you!

I just wish I'd passed up the Baen Bundle and waited in confidence for the Kobo competition. But I just wasn't confident it would turn up. Sigh.

Buying Baen ebooks is a good thing though. DRM free and all. I can pass up the bundles most of the time if they're just sequels to series I haven't read yet, which they are in the coming months. Well, that gives me time to catch up. I might go on a Baen book reading binge sometime. In fact I am reading Islands of Rage and Hope by John Ringo right now!

[pdurrant]

I have to confess that the availability of 75% off coupons has lead to some purchases. Only favourite authors, though.

[DrNefario]

I've spent just over £10 on 7 books using the 75% codes. While this does mean I've "saved" £30, it's still spending £10 and buying 7 books I probably otherwise wouldn't have bought any time soon. All of them were, at least, from my wishlist, although some of them were very recent additions, and one of them had been there so long it might not have mattered if I'd never got to it.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Good for you!

I just wish I'd passed up the Baen Bundle and waited in confidence for the Kobo competition. But I just wasn't confident it would turn up. Sigh.

Yes, I'm in the same boat. But I'll be a bit more resistant this coming month.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I've spent just over £10 on 7 books using the 75% codes. While this does mean I've "saved" £30, it's still spending £10 and buying 7 books I probably otherwise wouldn't have bought any time soon. All of them were, at least, from my wishlist, although some of them were very recent additions, and one of them had been there so long it might not have mattered if I'd never got to it.

No matter how long one's TBR pile, it's hard to say no to wishlist books at less than £1.43 each.

I suppose 75% off coupons will end some day, but I thought we'd seen the end of them with the demise of Fictionwise. I wonder how long Kobo will keep on handing them out. A long time, I hope!