Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you are trying to get your TBR pile down, do not get any of those book as audiobooks as they take longer to listen to then they would to read.

Not necessarily. When I’m driving, for example, it’s much more efficient to listen than to read. Dead women read no books.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by issybird

Not necessarily. When I’m driving, for example, it’s much more efficient to listen than to read. Dead women read no books.

Apache

[pdurrant]

I'm in danger. I just bought a seven book series. Now, these were the earlier series of mysteries where I've read the first one of a spin-off series and liked it. Probably liked it better than my rating (4/5) reflects. So I'm almost certain to enjoy these books.

But still. Seven books in one go. Bringing my total for the year up to 19!

A lot better than previous years, and I remain pleased by all my purchases this year so far (yes, I really did want each and every book).

But I need to redouble my efforts to scrutinise any possible purchase. I must remember to ask: Do I really want this book? Would it be better to wait until later to buy?

[Luffy]

I have downloaded about 20 books from mobileread since the start of the year. I really have enough books to last me a lifetime and I can see myself opening the purse strings just for about 3 books per year. My cup runneth over.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

But I need to redouble my efforts to scrutinise any possible purchase. I must remember to ask: Do I really want this book? Would it be better to wait until later to buy?

Originally Posted by Luffy

I have downloaded about 20 books from mobileread since the start of the year. I really have enough books to last me a lifetime and I can see myself opening the purse strings just for about 3 books per year. My cup runneth over.

It's true. All of us in this thread are, in truth, really fortunate to have lots of wonderful books to read.

I suspect that one of my reasons for over-buying is that I have years of pre-ebook era experience where finding enough interesting books to keep up with my reading speed was a constant struggle.

Moving from an era of famine to an era of feast has its problems. But on the whole, feast is better.

This month I've bought five ebooks from my wishlist that went on special offer. And they're all books that I'm very happy to have bought. My book buying at the moment is heavily weighted towards the start of the month when the Amazon monthly deals get released. I probably won't buy another book until May.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It's true. All of us in this thread are, in truth, really fortunate to have lots of wonderful books to read.

I suspect that one of my reasons for over-buying is that I have years of pre-ebook era experience where finding enough interesting books to keep up with my reading speed was a constant struggle.

Moving from an era of famine to an era of feast has its problems. But on the whole, feast is better.

So true. I can remember when I would drive to every store that sold books trying to find something to read. I lived in a small town that did not even have a book store. I would even hit the 7-11 type stores. They used to have a rack of books. 3 AM and I would be driving around looking for books at the same time the drunks were finally going home. I would even drive an hour and a half to got to books stores in Tallahassee.
Apache

[issybird]

In March I bought two books after buying none in February. I fell as I anticipated because of a couple of quite good coupons. No real regrets, but I’ll note that I got a couple equally good coupons toward the end of the month and I let them expire. Not that there aren’t wishlist books that I could have used them on, but the issue of “just how soon do I see myself reading this” kicked in, in a good way.

I’ve bought five books so far this year, which puts me on pace to do better than my best year, 2017, when I bought only 22 books. However, I’ve already spent nearly half what I spent that year, so I think this being my cheapest year is already out of reach.

My TBR inches down at a glacial pace; so much of my reading is library/pd/audio. I’m making an effort to be less seduced by library books; not that provenance matters per se, but books read on a whim because I could borrow them tend to be less satisfying than the ones I paid cold hard cash for. And the due date factor means they jump to the head of the queue ahead of books I really want to read.

[Tarana]

My Audible binging got pretty bad but I have now cancelled my membership until at least November. I also have to step up my listening as my spreadsheet indicates by my current rate, I have 8.4 years of unlistened audiobook listening ahead. That is all sources, not just Audible though. Gack!

[mlewis78]

Originally Posted by Tarana

My Audible binging got pretty bad but I have now cancelled my membership until at least November. I also have to step up my listening as my spreadsheet indicates by my current rate, I have 8.4 years of unlistened audiobook listening ahead. That is all sources, not just Audible though. Gack!

I started an Audible subscription a year ago in February and have not kept up with it. I've listened to a few books and bought a few more and now I have 10 credits. I feel as if I am wasting $15/month. Is it easy to suspend a membership and can I still access all my audiobooks on the Audible app on my phone while I am not a member?

A friend got me started on this by saying she was "giving" me a book she wanted me to have. I went to get it and saw that I had to take a trial membership to get it. So she was not giving me anything except the idea to read that book. I didn't know that I would not get into the habit of listening to books. I prefer to read on my kindle. I listen to podcasts when I go for a walk.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by mlewis78

I started an Audible subscription a year ago in February and have not kept up with it. I've listened to a few books and bought a few more and now I have 10 credits. I feel as if I am wasting $15/month. Is it easy to suspend a membership and can I still access all my audiobooks on the Audible app on my phone while I am not a member?

A friend got me started on this by saying she was "giving" me a book she wanted me to have. I went to get it and saw that I had to take a trial membership to get it. So she was not giving me anything except the idea to read that book. I didn't know that I would not get into the habit of listening to books. I prefer to read on my kindle. I listen to podcasts when I go for a walk.

You can suspend your membership for three months, once a year. In any case, if you quit, you have access to all the books you’ve bought, but you need to use up your credits before quitting, because those disappear.

[mlewis78]

Originally Posted by issybird

You can suspend your membership for three months, once a year. In any case, if you quit, you have access to all the books you’ve bought, but you need to use up your credits before quitting, because those disappear.

Thanks. Then I would still have access to the app? I wouldn't leave until I buy all those books. Oh, what I got myself into. Will have to start listening more.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by mlewis78

Thanks. Then I would still have access to the app? I wouldn't leave until I buy all those books. Oh, what I got myself into. Will have to start listening more.

Yes. The app is still useable and you retain access to everything you’ve bought.

[Fbone]

I bought one book so far this year. However, I'll soon need to obtain more. Recently, I've been sampling and deleting the many "vintage" books on my ereaders. My bought-and-loaded TBR list is under 20.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I bought one book so far this year. However, I'll soon need to obtain more. Recently, I've been sampling and deleting the many "vintage" books on my ereaders. My bought-and-loaded TBR list is under 20.

Wow. A TBR of twenty? I think you've graduated from this thread, and may move onto the Free/Bargain threads.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I bought one book so far this year. However, I'll soon need to obtain more. Recently, I've been sampling and deleting the many "vintage" books on my ereaders. My bought-and-loaded TBR list is under 20.

Going back through my "My Books" at Kobo was a salutary experience. Discovering I still had ~160 unread books all bought in the 30 months since I got my first Kobo has given me the jolt I needed to keep my fingers off the keyboard when the Kobo emails come in - though I did buy the latest in Karen Baugh Menuhin's Heathcliff Lennox series from Kindle over the weekend. Still, 13 bought this year versus 79 read is a positive start on tackling my TBR .