Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[issybird]

I’ve read the two books I bought in January. I’ve bought one book in February so far, a wishlist book that went down to $1.99, and I’m going to buy another book with the free $10 Amazon was handing out ten days or so ago, because not to do so would be insanity. (I’ll most likely have to throw in a couple of bucks, which I shall use as my cost basis.) Knowing that I’ve got to read the book in the near future has winnowed my choices in a constructive manner and reading my other February purchase also won’t post a problem. I hope to limit my buys to these two books this month; already halfway through.

[pdurrant]

So far this year I've bought 11 books, and added 4 freebies, for a total of 15 ebooks. But I've also read 12 books, and four of the purchases/freebies were books I've read but wanted in ebook form.

So I'm up one book this year!

And of the books I've bought this year, I've now read all but one, and that one is part of a series where I still have a couple before this one to buy.

So on the whole, after a bit of a shaky start, I'm doing OK this year.

[DNSB]

First world problem but so far (Jan. 01 - Feb. 15, 2020), I've picked up 131 books of which 8 remain unfinished. Of those 131 books, 83 are series where I picked up the first book on sale/free and then binged on the rest of the series (2-5) books. Of the 8 unfinished, 6 were cookbooks/recipe compendiums where I seldom read the entire book but search for recipes I want to try. I've also read through 10 library borrows which do save me some money. Several books @ $15.99 Cdn each make having a library card worthwhile.

[pdurrant]

Wow. That's a LOT of books in six weeks!

[DrNefario]

I've now bought five books in 2020, and have started none of them. It doesn't help that they're all fantasy, where I already have a huge unread library, and which makes up less than half of my reading since I try not to read the same genre back-to-back. With my recent KOLL loans also being fantasy and having a deadline, it's tricky to fit the purchases in. I am hoping to start one them as my next-but-one book, though. As long as nothing else comes up.

[ekbell]

Five books bought this year,
One natural history book that's been read, one literary theory book that is being read, three history books which will be read when I've reached that period in my history reading (I read history in roughly four year cycles), and one mystery from a series I've liked but rarely get around to reading. I've since reluctantly decided that it's not worth continuing to collect such series.

I've successfully managed to avoid buying a number of other books by checking the library first.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ekbell

Five books bought this year,
One natural history book that's been read, one literary theory book that is being read, three history books which will be read when I've reached that period in my history reading (I read history in roughly four year cycles), and one mystery from a series I've liked but rarely get around to reading. I've since reluctantly decided that it's not worth continuing to collect such series.

Oh, I hear this. One of my biggest mistakes in the unlimited 90% off Kobo coupons days was stocking up mystery titles. Most will never be read; my tastes have changed. At least the outlay wasn’t ruinous, but it’s still money wasted and a powerful lesson about not buying for the future.

I also read a lot of history and I admit I’m dying of curiosity about the titles you’ve bought, but obviously you have no need to share if you’d rather not!

[ekbell]

The history books are Red Land, Black Land by Barbara Mertz (ancient egyptian culture), A Woman in the Shadow of the Second World War (a diary by a woman interested in contemporary events ) and Ships, Clocks and Stars: The Quest for Longitude .

I`m currently reading about Late Antiquity so it's going to be a bit but they'll be read or at least consulted in due time (knock wood).

[Roos]

Eeks, just checked my Amazon account, 2020: 50 new books bought already, i am hopeless

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Roos

Eeks, just checked my Amazon account, 2020: 50 new books bought already, i am hopeless

It's worth considering how long it will take you to read the books you've bought this year. And if it's longer than this year, consider which you're going to be reading this year, and next time, don't buy the books you're not going to read 'soon'.

If they've come on special offer once, they're likely to do so again.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Roos

Eeks, just checked my Amazon account, 2020: 50 new books bought already, i am hopeless

Are you reading those books or is Mount TBR growing? If you are keeping up with reading your purchases, I don't see a problem. If you are simply adding to a massive TBR list, you might want to consider pruning your purchases to those that you will read in the near future.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ekbell

The history books are Red Land, Black Land by Barbara Mertz (ancient egyptian culture), A Woman in the Shadow of the Second World War (a diary by a woman interested in contemporary events ) and Ships, Clocks and Stars: The Quest for Longitude .

I`m currently reading about Late Antiquity so it's going to be a bit but they'll be read or at least consulted in due time (knock wood).

Thank you! The WWII diary is of particular interest to me and I’d not heard of it.

Coincidentally, I’ve also been in an Ancient phase since last year, I’m in the process of segueing from the Greeks to the Romans. Late antiquity is still on the horizon. However, I jump around a lot and read different eras altogether concurrently. Last year it included Germany between the Treaty of Versailles and VE-Day and I’m still pursuing that also.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by issybird

Thank you! The WWII diary is of particular interest to me and I’d not heard of it.

Coincidentally, I’ve also been in an Ancient phase since last year, I’m in the process of segueing from the Greeks to the Romans. Late antiquity is still on the horizon. However, I jump around a lot and read different eras altogether concurrently. Last year it included Germany between the Treaty of Versailles and VE-Day and I’m still pursuing that also.

Is Mary Beard's SPQR in your future?

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Are you reading those books or is Mount TBR growing? If you are keeping up with reading your purchases, I don't see a problem. If you are simply adding to a massive TBR list, you might want to consider pruning your purchases to those that you will read in the near future.

Thanks, your comment is helpful. I have one credit at Audible before I quit until November. I could use it to get 2 audiobooks that I may or may not read this year or just pre-order the next Dresden Files, which will be read this year, and call it a day. Makes that hesitation easier.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

Is Mary Beard's SPQR in your future?

It’s already loaded onto my Kobo. Do you recommend it?