Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[Tarana]

I'm pleased to say that less than half-way through the month, and my TBR is back to what it was at the start of the month!

Actually, I'm really impressed how fast you are reading stuff. It's like a book a day! I had to put off reading tonight in order to list stuff on Ebay. Yes, BOOKS! But mostly my mother's cookbooks that she doesn't want anymore.

In cleaning out the junk room (this is a month long endeavor), I found 3 more audiobooks that are still in their shrink wrap. They predate my Ipod, so must have been purchased 2007/8. Those would be my oldest unread (well, unheard in this case).

My guess is that my average cost per book last year was $3. I bought a lot of .99 and $1.99 (often one day sales at Amazon), and I know Baen Bundles averages about $2.50 or less a book. However, when you include the audiobooks, that raises it some. The monthly credit is $14.95 plus whatever I bought on sale. The Whispersync specials brought it down a lot - most of those were $1.99-$3.99. Anyway, it's a guess. I'm keeping track this year though. Tracking nearly always helps you keep a budget and lose weight. Grim, but it works.

[VictoriaP]

Picked up a .99 bundle by a new to me author, Ashley Gardner (Captain Lacey Regency mysteries). I justified this one because it was three novels for a low price and fit the criteria I laid out for one of my reading goals--I need to find twelve authors this year that I haven't already read, and whose work I like. Just finished the first book of the bundle and liked it quite well, so I'm pleased with picking this one up.

Thirteen books read and one audiobook completed so far this year, and still under budget for the month, so I'm not doing too badly!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by VictoriaP

Picked up a .99 bundle by a new to me author, Ashley Gardner (Captain Lacey Regency mysteries). I justified this one because it was three novels for a low price and fit the criteria I laid out for one of my reading goals--I need to find twelve authors this year that I haven't already read, and whose work I like. Just finished the first book of the bundle and liked it quite well, so I'm pleased with picking this one up.

That sounds like a good buy, since it's necessary for you to buy unknown authors for your reading goal. Free would be better of course

Originally Posted by VictoriaP

Thirteen books read and one audiobook completed so far this year, and still under budget for the month, so I'm not doing too badly!

Congratulations!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Actually, I'm really impressed how fast you are reading stuff. It's like a book a day!

I seem to usually start the year with a rush. Some were short, and one I abandoned.

My current book is a doorstep (or would be, if paperback) - over 800 pages. And the other three in the series seem to be the same length. They will slow me down a bit, although I'll be alternating them with other books.

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

That sounds like a good buy, since it's necessary for you to buy unknown authors for your reading goal. Free would be better of course

Very true! I've picked up more freebies in the last two months than I had in the two years previous, as I really only read my tried and true authors for quite a while. So far though, none of the free ones I've tried have held my interest long enough to finish them, though none have been at the "delete entirely from the device" level either. We'll see how it all pans out in the end, as I still have plenty to try.

I'm just pleased my forward progress in the one paranormal/UF series I was reading has slowed, because it was a little annoying to be buying a full priced book every day, gift card or not!

[Rime]

Well, if you take the point of view that freebies and steep discounts don't count, only 2. If freebies and steep discounts counts, um, 14. Books from the TBR that I've read so far this year : 6.

Ooops. ( Thinks ) Retirement ! That's it ! I'm saving up for retirement ! That means I'd better start looking harder ! I'm actually running a deficit !

[Yapyap]

One of my this year's pre-orders just arrived on my Kindle, so that brings the number of ebooks bought in January up to three (at an average cost of $1.73).

I think I'm doing pretty well so far, considering my goal of "no more than 120 ebooks bought this year". Even if one counted the one free story & one ARC I've acquired from NetGalley in January, that makes it five books acquired, and I've read 6.75 books already (although two of those have been DTBs).

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

One of my this year's pre-orders just arrived on my Kindle, so that brings the number of ebooks bought in January up to three (at an average cost of $1.73).

Congratulations! Don't forget to leave a buffer for later in the year!

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Congratulations! Don't forget to leave a buffer for later in the year!

Oh, I'm keeping an eye on things, yes. And I do know there are ~20 books ahead that will be instant-buys/pre-orders, so the hard thing is to resist those "hmm, never heard of it but sounds maybe interesting" deals.

So far, I've been tempted a few times - but resisting has been a tiny bit easier with each new case.

(I'm not planning to resist everything that isn't already on my wishlist or worthy of a pre-order - if there's a good deal on something new-to-me that sounds not just "maybe interesting, might stick it onto my TBR and read it some day" but "extremely interesting, definitely want to read soon", I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to resist; after all, while the idea is to keep the TBR list and spending under control, finding new authors and books is still something that I want to do, being a reader!)

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

So far, I've been tempted a few times - but resisting has been a tiny bit easier with each new case.

I'm finding this too. Knowing I'm accountable here (and in my 2014 reading goals post) helps too.

$11.99, including tax, as of 1/16. That's for 11 novels, plus a novella & short stories that were bundled with a collection. I'm a bit astonished at myself for managing to behave so far. After I finish the current series, I've already lined up my next one, straight from the TBR pile at no cost. Though my budget is $30/month, I'd like to see if I can stay at $20 or less for January, including not using the rest of that gift certificate I have (even though I'm not counting what I've bought with that as part of my budget). Call it an exercise in patience, which I'm generally pretty wretched at!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by VictoriaP

I'm finding this too. Knowing I'm accountable here (and in my 2014 reading goals post) helps too.

$11.99, including tax, as of 1/16. That's for 11 novels, plus a novella & short stories that were bundled with a collection. I'm a bit astonished at myself for managing to behave so far. After I finish the current series, I've already lined up my next one, straight from the TBR pile at no cost. Though my budget is $30/month, I'd like to see if I can stay at $20 or less for January, including not using the rest of that gift certificate I have (even though I'm not counting what I've bought with that as part of my budget). Call it an exercise in patience, which I'm generally pretty wretched at!

Congratulations! That's impressive restraint, and an amazing per-ebook cost. I've only bought 10 ebooks so far this month myself, for $30.53.

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Congratulations! That's impressive restraint, and an amazing per-ebook cost. I've only bought 10 ebooks so far this month myself, for $30.53.

I can think of quite a few books I'd pick up if they'd drop to a mere $3 or so each, so I'd say you've also done very well!

[pdurrant]

I'd forgotten that my Analog and Asimov's subscriptions would also come in this month. That makes 12 books for $36.53 so far this month, with two weeks left. I don't think I should be buying anything for the rest of this month, especially as I have only $3.47 left in my budget!

[Yapyap]

I seem to have bought another book, making it my forth this month - but it was on my wishlist and a good deal (£0.99 / $1.63 for a brand new trad-pubbed book, released just two weeks ago and the final book in a trilogy, i.e. not something that is likely to be discounted often).

My only problem with this is really that I haven't actually even read the first book yet, but it's an author whose previous work I've enjoyed and a series that has sounded potentially interesting, so it definitely goes into the "will give this a go" pile, rather than "possibly never", except that of course if I don't end up caring for the first book, I'll never get to the third one. On the other hand, if I end up enjoying it, having the second and third book bought at a good price is definitely a good thing...

[Tarana]

I'd forgotten that my Analog and Asimov's subscriptions would also come in this month.

That's why I didn't include my subscriptions. It automatically knocks off your total unless you plan to cancel. I'm not doing so great. I've spent just over $30 for 23 books, but I had a goal to read all books bought this year this year unless they are out of series order. Alas, the temptation to buy ebooks of preferred authors that are not available at the library is hard to overcome when the ebook is $2 or less.

On the plus side, I'll be able to start getting one book free from Amazon via Prime membership. I have a family member who hasn't read since his mild stroke almost 2 years ago. He has Amazon Prime, so he's going to load the book of my choice on his now, unused, kindle keyboard every month. yay!