Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[CRussel]

I was doing well until ATDrake started in on me. Now I'm about to buy the latest Ava Lee after I just bought the first Jade del Cameron because of him.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Tarana

So far this month, I am doing well. I made a goal of staying under $300US this year, which includes subscriptions. I've not renewed any subscriptions so far and will have to make those decisions before May or June when that starts coming up. So far, $30.24. My total includes my switch to Audible Lite as well as one credit (I was a bit late to switch). I've only made 2 actual purchases, one of which I finished.

I got a new Kindle Voyage yesterday. I'm not sure I'm happy with it and may regret having turned in my older Kindles. The power consumption is my biggest issue - the Kindle Keyboard doesn't need recharging for a couple of weeks (typically 3 books), but I've only read for just over 3 hours and I'm at half power with this Voyage. I'm glad I kept one Kindle keyboard for my take-a-long.

Did you just load a lot of books on it? (Well, you say you just received it... I would immediately fill it up...)

The Kindle eats a lot of power when it is busy indexing lots of new books.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Did you just load a lot of books on it? (Well, you say you just received it... I would immediately fill it up...)

The Kindle eats a lot of power when it is busy indexing lots of new books.

Thanks for mentioning the indexing. Perhaps that is the issue. No, haven't loaded it up yet. I'm trying to learn how to do the Kindle Collections in Calibre because it does books/collections different than on the Kindle Keyboard.

Yesterday, I had to work with Calibre in order to get that metadata plug to work so that my series actually show series+book number. That is such a wonderful thing, I wish I had known about it ages ago. Before that, I was individually numbering each title before loading on an ereader. Now it does it all automatically. I like to have an entire series (or at least what I have of it) on while reading so that I can go back to refresh over something). yay! In case you don't know how to do it, here's a link to that instruction. http://www.howtogeek.com/114063/how-...-ebook-series/

[eschwartz]

Hopefully it is just the indexing. It is definitely not normal behavior for the Voyage to run down to half-battery in a couple of hours.

...

Metadata plugboards are indeed one of my favorite calibre features.
We even have a sticky thread in the calibre subforums for getting help achieving a particular template transformation: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=100949

[issybird]

It's the end of the month and I've cracked up. Until a few days ago, I was coasting; I had bought one deal for $2 and one book with my no-rush shipping credit, which doesn't count for me and which applies to one of my yearly challenges.

But someone mentioned a book I'd never heard of which is exactly my kind of thing and wasn't too pricey. Still not a disaster, but it's that proverbial slippery slope. I violated my critical resolution not to buy any more pbooks, alas! It was so cheap, you know? But now I'll end the month with no change in my paperbook mountain. And after that, Kobo blindsided me with that 50% off coupon. I populated a list of purchases, at which point sanity returned. I limited my indulgence to one book which has been on my wishlist for a very long time and which applies to a reading challenge.

But the gods weren't done having their fun with me, it seems. In today's NY Times there was one of those desert island books articles and of the seven novels listed, five are favorites; in fact, one is on my all-time list and three others made my best of the year list in the past couple of years. So obviously I needed to get the two I haven't read; it's not often you come across a guarantee like this! Fortunately, OverDrive has one, so it was only one more title in the pileup.

The total damage was four purchased ebooks (and one free with credit) for a total of $20, so it could have been worse. Still, I should have waited on the impulse purchase; it wasn't going anywhere. I'm even more regretful about the pbook.

[pdurrant]

It sounds like you've come through January in reasonably good condition.

With my credits to use (now all used - the January expiring ones, anyway), I'm ending January having spent £76.69 on 45 ebooks, leaving me up 23 on the start of the year.

I have another £60 in credits to spend by mid-February. And then the restraint must kick in big-time.

[corroonb]

I've been very good recently about ebooks but I slipped up rather spectacularly when I saw the the recent 50% off code worked in Ireland. I bought about 15 books which I'd had on my various wishlists for a while including the Cambridge Companions to Fantasy, Science Fiction and Cormac McCarthy. Most of the books were cheaper on Google Play or Amazon but the codes make Kobo a very competitive option.

[Katsunami]

165 books to go until my library is completely fixed and cleaned up. Then I can get to buying a few more books again, as I've not bought anything for aaaaages

[pdurrant]

The recent Kobo 50% off multiuse code is an example of why we must practise restraint at other times.

Ditto expiring 'no-rush' credits from Amazon

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It sounds like you've come through January in reasonably good condition.

With my credits to use (now all used - the January expiring ones, anyway), I'm ending January having spent £76.69 on 45 ebooks, leaving me up 23 on the start of the year.

I have another £60 in credits to spend by mid-February. And then the restraint must kick in big-time.

You must have some wish list because I can't imagine how you could buy 45 ebooks in a month after the Kobocalypse. Maybe a series.

Fortunately, for me, I couldn't get the 50% off coupon to work on any of my wishlist items, so I'm still good. Did get an audiobook that went with the Kindle Unlimited choice for $1.99 though. Listening to it now. I have kindle Unlimited this month for free, but free is relative since I tend to buy the low-cost audiobooks books that accompany my detective novels (few good choices in Scifi for KU).

[Paegan2246]

I have 4334 books listed in my Calibre library which includes 660 audio books. I've read about 1/3 of the books and listened to about half of the audio. If I do the math, I know I won't live to get through them all. Yet I keep adding to the list. There is something seriously wrong with me.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Paegan2246

I have 4334 books listed in my Calibre library which includes 660 audio books. I've read about 1/3 of the books and listened to about half of the audio. If I do the math, I know I won't live to get through them all. Yet I keep adding to the list. There is something seriously wrong with me.

Hitch up a chair, Paegan, you're among friends.

If you let it, this thread will help stem the rate of accumulation. I'm not saying that we're cured, but many of us will attest that we've got much better. Constant vigilance is needed. The trick is not to let the thread serve as affirmation, instead of a curb!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Paegan2246

I have 4334 books listed in my Calibre library which includes 660 audio books. I've read about 1/3 of the books and listened to about half of the audio. If I do the math, I know I won't live to get through them all. Yet I keep adding to the list. There is something seriously wrong with me.

Welcome to the thread.

First: Freebies don't count. I still get the occasional freebie, but while I add them to calibre, I do not add them to my TBR list. (I have a custom column in calibre to mark books I've read, books on my TBR list, and leave blank for all the rest.

For other suggestions as to how to control your TBR pile, see the first post.

You're not alone!

[Paegan2246]

Thanks..I also have to stop looking through "what are you currently reading?" threads..gives me way too many ideas.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by Paegan2246

Thanks..I also have to stop looking through "what are you currently reading?" threads..gives me way too many ideas.

And bundle sites. Those are way too effective at giving one a couple of "gotta have" books along with a few "since they're only a little more" titles and some "well, I bought it for the rest, so these are free even if I never read 'em" clunkers. I got several Baen orphans that way, buying a monthly bundle because it was cheaper than two books, then being "stuck" with other stuff.