Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[C-novice]

Next, separate out your paper books - ones you've read vs. ones you have not read. Among those you have read, give away or sell those that are not beloved. You'll never reread the others and you'll save your family a lot of anger having to do this after you are gone.

Among those you have not read - separate out those that don't really appeal to you now. Make a plan to read ONE of those each month. Pretty soon you will find out that you don't want to waste your time on things that no longer appeal to you and it will help you pitch them so that you can focus on books you do enjoy now.

This idea has potential; one way to 'downsize the paper books'. With the e-reader, a simple factory reset takes care of 'electronic downsizing'.


I did manage to donate 2 bags of books to Value Village and loan a couple to my colleague at work. And to convince myself I won't be arbitrarily buying books I want to read, I put Sapiens on hold at my library.

There are 120 e-copies with 660 people ahead of me in Hold queue for it, so I just join the queue. By end of this year I may get my turn . The test is to see if I'll hold out or get impatient and run to purchase it. I did that with a book last month -the hold queue was too long so I went and buy the book instead.

As for the e-readers, I kept saying, they are replacements should the one I'm using go kaput. I find it a teensy bit hard to let go of any of them. Yet I think I might part with one if I know someone really needs it.

[Jo69]

A very interesting post C-novice.
I have another problem
The fact that as I sometimes buy from kindle, I now find I have 3 or 4 books identical, with different titles!
How do they get away with that?
Obviously when I find a book I like it informs me on the page that I have already bought it
But not when its a different title!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Jo69

The fact that as I sometimes buy from kindle, I now find I have 3 or 4 books identical, with different titles!
How do they get away with that?

I suggest asking for a refund for the later (or earlier) copies. My guess would be that these are self-published, and Amazon have no control over what the self-publishers do in terms of uploading content with new names.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by Jo69

I have another problem
The fact that as I sometimes buy from kindle, I now find I have 3 or 4 books identical, with different titles!
How do they get away with that?

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I suggest asking for a refund for the later (or earlier) copies. My guess would be that these are self-published, and Amazon have no control over what the self-publishers do in terms of uploading content with new names.

It happens with some legit smaller publishers, too, although Amazon really discourages it. What's happening is that instead of re-uploading the changed book, the publisher (or author) takes the old one down and republishes the new version. That results in the new edition getting assigned a different ASIN, all the links breaking, the purchase history getting reset, and other fun stuff... which is why Amazon decrees it a Not Do.

In other words, the reason Amazon doesn't tell you that you've already bought it is that so far as their system can tell, they're two completely different books. Different ASINs, y'see.

[wandalynn]

I almost made it through the month without any ebook purchases but then I saw the Peter Wimsey mystery Busman's Honeymoon for $1.99.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by C-novice

As for the e-readers, I kept saying, they are replacements should the one I'm using go kaput. I find it a teensy bit hard to let go of any of them. Yet I think I might part with one if I know someone really needs it.

Not a problem, but make sure you set up some regular schedule to recharge. A discharged battery dies much faster than one that never reaches discharge. Turn off the wifi on the unused devices and write on your calendar for the same day each month to charge all the unused devices.

[C-novice]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Not a problem, but make sure you set up some regular schedule to recharge.

Did just that a few days ago after reading somewhere in this post that it's best not to leave them uncharged. I usually keep the wi-fi off.

[C-novice]

Originally Posted by Jo69

A very interesting post C-novice.
I have another problem
The fact that as I sometimes buy from kindle, I now find I have 3 or 4 books identical, with different titles!
How do they get away with that?
Obviously when I find a book I like it informs me on the page that I have already bought it
But not when its a different title!

I got caught with this a few years ago and kobo was nice and gave me a refund.

[C-novice]

What do you guys think about kindle unlimited? While Amazon is a last resort for books for me, (don't own a kindle) for 10$ one can read / browse a great number of books each month, yes?

I started browsing my library more often these days. Still, since we love to read we will always buy a book or two or three. Just because we love to .

[Jo69]

Originally Posted by C-novice

What do you guys think about kindle unlimited? While Amazon is a last resort for books for me, (don't own a kindle) for 10$ one can read / browse a great number of books each month, yes?

I started browsing my library more often these days. Still, since we love to read we will always buy a book or two or three. Just because we love to .

I have had a lot of books from Kindle Unlimited
About a third of them were really good, others just ok.

What I now do is create an Unlimited Wish list on Amazon.
When the cost of the books comes to more than the monthly subscription, I join just for a month.
Every so often Amazon has a good offer for subscribing also.
Worth it that way.

[C-novice]

Originally Posted by Jo69

What I now do is create an Unlimited Wish list on Amazon.
When the cost of the books comes to more than the monthly subscription, I join just for a month.
Every so often Amazon has a good offer for subscribing also.
Worth it that way.

exactly what I do too. I also love when pre-ordered books that I would like to read are coming up for K unlimited. At that time I may subscribe for 2 months. I find I always find books that's worth it.

[HLS]

I am dying i want to buy books almost daily but i know i cant afford it

[issybird]

Assuming I don't crack in the next seven hours, I'll have got through the month unscathed for the first time this year. Counting WIPs, my TBR is down 15 on the year so far. I'd like to do better, but at least the trajectory is now in the right direction. And really the TBR reduction is academic/for bragging rights. The books are bought; so long as I don't add much to the accumulation, it doesn't matter whether the books I read have been purchased or otherwise sourced.

[pdurrant]

A great deal on two series I want to read did for me today - last day of the month!

[DrNefario]

I had a lot of digging to do get out of the hole I made myself with those 4-counting-as-6 pbooks early in March, but with only minor cheating I managed to end the month with 1 book less than I started.

I have still only bought 3 ebooks all year, but there's at least one more I'm likely to buy soon.

With freebies and loans, I'm still only 2 down on the year. Treading water. It's kind of like trying to pay off my credit cards or lose weight, except that in this case doing more of the thing I enjoy - reading - is still a bonus.