Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Aaarrrrgggghhh. I just had a total meltdown and bought a good half dozen books, mostly audio. It was a totally unconscious action, I was already half way through the process before I even became aware of it. All were WhisperSync books, and in one case I was buying in the wrong direction, getting an eBook for an Audible book, so didn't even get a discount. At least the book was reasonably priced.

MUST get control. I've been really good all fall, and now this. Sigh.

What's frustrating about these lapses is how quick it is to do and how long it takes to read your way back out.

I've just managed to get back to evens for the year, after a bit if a push, and I'm trying to stick to one out one in from now on. I've just got to hope I can read enough to allow for some Christmas sales. I'm already postponing a kindle monthly deal book and the Phoenix pick (which is free, but I still count freebies.)

[pdurrant]

I regret to report that I have just bought my 250th ebook of the year. And counting the two subscriptions still to come in for December (Analog and Asimov's), I have now spent £385 on ebooks this year, £145 over my target of £240.

I will clearly have to do much better next year. And for the rest of this year. But quite how I'll do that is another matter.

The really dreadful thing is how few of those purchases I regret.

Spoiler:

2016 Purchases I somewhat regret:
Declare
5xMurdoch Mysteries,
4xValdamar Collegium,
2xElemental Masters
The Sorcerer's House
Mortality
Anniversary Day,
The Chronothon
The Summer Book
20 from Humble Bundle SF Classics
A Darker Shade of Magic,
The Bloody Red Baron
Dark Eden
Hardwired,
11 from StoryBundle (The Emperor's Agent, The Armor of Light, Steel Blues, Between Worlds, The Death of the Necromancer, Pillar of Fire, Lord of the Two Lands, Daughter of Mystery, The Virtuous Feats of the Indomitable Miss Trafalgar and the Erudite Lady Boone, Stag and Hound, The Orffyreus Wheel)
Silence,
Glorious Angels,
Girl on a Train (meant to buy The Girl on a Train)

Or about 50 out of 250...

[Keslynn]

I am terrible at budgets so I am working from a different rule: if it's available from the library (in eBook or paper format), I must get it from there. Usually, seeing the wealth of available books at the library will keep me in check as I am reminded of all the series I am still working my way through. Thankfully my library system has a decent catalog and excellent online access.

My plan has been working well so far though it's only been a month or so. I just wish I could be as disciplined about electronics! Excelsior.

[Yolina]

I've only acquired 1 new book so far this month which wasn't planned, but... it is a book that's due to come out on January 1st and which I had on preorder. As it happens, it's one of this month Kindle First selections so getting it for free is better Plus it means that I won't start 2017 with a purchase on the 1st day
I had some no-rush credits to cover the preorder so I can now spend that on something else...

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I regret to report that I have just bought my 250th ebook of the year.

Quite proud of my very restrained 79 new books this year especially as most are from the splurge that followed last year's £3 no rush credits which had to be spent before they expired.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The really dreadful thing is how few of those purchases I regret.

Spoiler:

2016 Purchases I somewhat regret:

This is a figure I've been toying with for the past few days. Really regret, in the "What was I thinking?" line, only a few. But somewhat regret, to use the word in your spoiler, as in, "What is the likelihood I'll ever get around to this?" Well, ouch. Somewhere in the 10% to 20% range. And given the size of my TBR list, this could obviously go much higher.

This stock-taking feels productive to me. I've mentioned that I'm going to keep this year's bought-list front and center next year and I've decided that I'll make an effort to make serious inroads into the unread portion. I hope this has the effect of making me more mindful of the necessary connection between wanting-buying and actually reading.

Alas, I know I've been down this road before. The one bright spot is that my purchases this year were at roughly half my 2014 level. Evernote has eaten most of my 2015 list, so no comparison there; while no doubt reconstructing it would be salutary, I'm not going to bother. Just through May, my 2015 total was approaching my 2016 full year total. I'll note that 2014 and 2015 totals were inflated by unlimited 90% coupons, but I've managed to keep my average cost per book fairly low this year, also.

I also think that once I'm up to using a computer again, I'm going to purge my Calibre library of books that realistically I'll never read. While I suppose having them serves as an object lesson, and even though they're already tagged as unlikely, I think having a more "muscular" Calibre library would be beneficial, especially in the sense of getting it down to a point where I could think most would be read in the next five years, say. My litmus test will be if I'd toss the book if it were an unread pbook. This is just a refinement of the "freebies aren't free" mantra. Even eclutter is clutter and the money's been spent. Once I get rid of the deadwood, I might actually be willing to put a number on my TBR and that would be beneficial.

[pdurrant]

I can put a number on my TBR!

And if I don't buy any more books for four years, I'll clear my TBR!

But I have subscriptions that I want to keep that add up to 32 ebooks every year. And I really can't see myself not buying any others at all.

However, I am determined that by the end of 2017 I'll have fewer books on my TBR than at the start of 2016!

(In fact, that's a good change to my goal. Not fewer than at the end of 2016, but fewer than at the start of 2016!)

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I can put a number on my TBR!

I know! You're much braver than I am!

But this helps me formulate a goal, even if I can't quite put a number to it yet: to read more purchased books in 2017 than I buy. I know, not much of a goal, but since the past few years have seen net increases, at least the trajectory will be altered.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by issybird

But this helps me formulate a goal, even if I can't quite put a number to it yet: to read more purchased books in 2017 than I buy. I know, not much of a goal, but since the past few years have seen net increases, at least the trajectory will be altered.

It's a start When you cull your Calibre library, instead of just removing the books, move them to a separate library. That way you'll still have a reminder of the stuff you won't get round to reading Plus you could always 'shop' from that section every now and then if you feel you need to top up your main library...

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

We've all been there, Charlie. Sprees develop a momentum and we get swept away.I need to redevelop my own powers of resistance.

At least at this time of year, we'll soon be able to draw a line under our annual purchases and resolve on doing better next year.

Originally Posted by DrNefario

What's frustrating about these lapses is how quick it is to do and how long it takes to read your way back out.

I've just managed to get back to evens for the year, after a bit if a push, and I'm trying to stick to one out one in from now on. I've just got to hope I can read enough to allow for some Christmas sales. I'm already postponing a kindle monthly deal book and the Phoenix pick (which is free, but I still count freebies.)

All true. It happened so quickly that I really didn't even get a chance to realize what I was doing until it was pretty much over. And I've now got about 65 hours of audio books to read that I didn't have yesterday morning. (That's in addition to the 80-100 hours that were already on my current TBR, of course.)

Really, I shouldn't be able to log on to Amazon or Audible without a responsible adult present.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by CRussel

All true. It happened so quickly that I really didn't even get a chance to realize what I was doing until it was pretty much over. And I've now got about 65 hours of audio books to read that I didn't have yesterday morning. (That's in addition to the 80-100 hours that were already on my current TBR, of course.)

Really, I shouldn't be able to log on to Amazon or Audible without a responsible adult present.

I got 6 audiobooks that way just the other day. Granted, 2 are under 2 hours and the rest were completing a series. I was weak.

[LadyKate]

Originally Posted by Tarana

I got 6 audiobooks that way just the other day. Granted, 2 are under 2 hours and the rest were completing a series. I was weak.

I am curious. You enjoy the author and want to read the entire series? (My assumption) So why is completing a series at a sale price "weak"?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm setting myself a baby goal of not buying anything this month. Since not-buying gets easier with habit, I'm hopeful that will get me off to a good start in 2017.

Halfway through December (well, in a couple of hours) and I've bought nothing this month.

I know, I know, but it's a start.

[Rev. Bob]

I just fell off the wagon in a big way. Open Road Media's marked a ton of their backlist as free on Amazon until the 21st. There's a sorted-by-price list of their F&SF books here, and there are a ton of gems on it. I'm definitely taking the "scoop new, regret later" approach.

[sob]

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

I just fell off the wagon in a big way. Open Road Media's marked a ton of their backlist as free on Amazon until the 21st. There's a sorted-by-price list of their F&SF books here, and there are a ton of gems on it. I'm definitely taking the "scoop new, regret later" approach.

[sob]

I kinda wish I hadn't read this post. My TBR hates you.