Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by PandathePanda

Me hath a problem, me can't say no to free ebooks me are offered . And no not that kind of "free ebooks", you get on P2P sites, mine come from authors & Publishers, Sux being on their mailing list sometimes. My TBR pile is so long right now, I need to be reincarnated at least 4 times to finish them all, and I know of about another ~300 pbooks that will end up on my book rack sooner or later, depends when my Mom-in-law sends them over to me. And then their is amazon's free ebooks each day, but got a lot more selective there, Kindle scout is another place I view regularly.

The one publisher offered 8 free ebooks this week, I was able to reign myself in and only ask for 2, one is free on amazon, and one I got free earlier in June.

The thing is: Free ebooks don't count. No, really. You can get as many free ebooks as you like, add them to calibre and forget about them. They cost no money and take up no shelf space.

It's paid for ebooks that are the problem. It's so easy to spend money on ebooks, and yet not read them for years (or ever). What we must do is not buy ebooks just because they look vaguely interesting and are on offer for £0.99. We should read ebooks from our TBR and only buy ebooks that we really want to read, and even then, mostly only they these wanted books are on special offer.

Doing this helps to reduce our TBR pile of bought but unread books (mine is currently around 750 ebooks!), and also ensures that our TBR contains good value books that we really want to read.

But free ebooks? Whatever. You might at some time in the future be recommended an ebook and find you already have it in your library as a freebie. But I don't usually add the freebies to my TBR pile. They just get added to calibre.

[CRussel]

Bad week for me here. First, I succumbed to all the discussion around 14, and bought it because it was also on sale at Audible. Then one of favourite authors mentioned the Charlie Fox series from Zoe Sharp, so I bought the bundle of her first three books from Amazon, only to discover that a bundle of her second three in the series was on KU, so got that. And then my DW decided she wanted to read Bernard Cornwell's Waterloo, which I'd been dithering about (the book is $17.95 at Amazon, and a full credit at Audible, with no WhisperSync.) So, I got that, though for the moment only the Audible version, since I had a spare credit.

All in all, a bad week for dealing with my habit. I need to tighten up and climb back on the wagon.

[Apache]

I $17.99 for Waterloo. I know it seems high, but I thought the book was worth it. I enjoyed it and will reread it through the years.
Apache

[CRussel]

Yeah, I'm sure it's "worth it". But for the moment, we're going to try the Audible version. Perhaps when we're ready to re-read it (and I don't doubt that will happen), the price will have gone down. Or the idiocy between the Big5 Publishers and Libraries will have finally settled to the point that our library can get afford to buy an eBook version.

[Apache]

My wife does not have a problem with me buying books. She says it is better than having a smoking or drinking habit.
Apache

[DrNefario]

It takes months to build up a bit of a lead, then a couple of days of new sales to lose it all.

About a week ago I was six books ahead of my TBR. Then I bought a book I've been needing to buy for a challenge for a while, and have amazingly held off until I was ready to read it (although I then changed my mind at the last second, and haven't actually started it yet.) Then I picked up a couple of used paperbacks. Then the new Monthly deals came in and I bought a book from my wishlist. Then I restarted my Prime subscription and borrowed a book from the lending library. Then the new Summer Sale came in and I bought three more books from my wishlists. And that's actually eight, so I guess I must have finished a couple of books in the meantime, since I'm back to evens.

[pdurrant]

Congratulations on being even. I'm currently three books down on the start of the year (that is, my TBR is three bigger than it was then).

And I have £1 in Amazon promotional credit that must be spent before the 19th July...

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

It takes months to build up a bit of a lead, then a couple of days of new sales to lose it all .

Oh, yes. However, you still deserve kudos for evens.

I had a fantastic start to the year, but blew it entirely during the 90% off madness at Kobo, to the extent that my goal is unachievable. Not unrealistic, but flatly unachievable.

I've bought only one book since, so obviously there's been a sea-change in my habits, which is the good news. I was also gratified that one of my Overdrive libraries bought a book I requested that was pushing $40 at Kobo and I'm going to try pursuing that strategy more often. I'm also checking the holdings at the local university library for wishlist books, which is more inconvenient but helps in that I know it's there. It might not preclude a purchase, but it does mean that I'm willing to wait until I'm close to reading a book before I decide.

[DrNefario]

I just went out at lunch to buy some trousers, and came back with a paperback, so now I'm one down.

If I don't get some new trousers soon, I won't be able to leave the house, and maybe then I'll be able to catch up. Yes, that sounds an entirely sensible plan.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I just went out at lunch to buy some trousers, and came back with a paperback, so now I'm one down.

If I don't get some new trousers soon, I won't be able to leave the house, and maybe then I'll be able to catch up. Yes, that sounds an entirely sensible plan.

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Man's got his priorities right at least.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I just went out at lunch to buy some trousers, and came back with a paperback, so now I'm one down.

If I don't get some new trousers soon, I won't be able to leave the house, and maybe then I'll be able to catch up. Yes, that sounds an entirely sensible plan.

We're all rooting for you. But just in case, you can always set fire to the rest of your clothes and give yourself a fighting chance.

---

I haven't bought a book in quite a while, so there! It's really useful to have library cards at 6 or 8 libraries.
(Not really true, I did pick up ~10 paper books at library sales for 50¢ each. Those 3-times-a-year sales don't really count, especially as I am supporting the library by doing so. It's like giving charity. To yourself... )

[murg]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I just went out at lunch to buy some trousers, and came back with a paperback, so now I'm one down.

If I don't get some new trousers soon, I won't be able to leave the house, and maybe then I'll be able to catch up. Yes, that sounds an entirely sensible plan.

Try negative logic. Go out to buy a book.

Who knows what you'll fetch home...

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I haven't bought a book in quite a while, so there! It's really useful to have library cards at 6 or 8 libraries.
(Not really true, I did pick up ~10 paper books at library sales for 50¢ each. Those 3-times-a-year sales don't really count, especially as I am supporting the library by doing so. It's like giving charity. To yourself... )

Do you need those paper books during Shabbat? If so, perhaps, you can blame the purchases onto someone else.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Do you need those paper books during Shabbat? If so, perhaps, you can blame the purchases onto someone else.

Nope, I just need them. But they come in handy on Shabbos, since I can't read on my Kindle then. But I also can and do check out paper books for Shabbos.