Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Are these books you've had on your wish list for some time? Were they on special offer? How many similar books have you already bought that are still waiting to be read?

Questions you ought to ask yourself before deciding to buy a book.

One more: Am I going to read it right away?

The Stephen King came out just last week and I get that a rabid King fan might want to read it now. But, it also means no deal or special price, so if you're not going to read it right away, it makes all kind of sense to wait and see.

However, you might also want to consider the compulsion to read something as soon as it comes out. If everyone you know is reading it now and you want to be able to discuss it with them, or if you're afraid of being spoiled, then those are reasons. Otherwise, it will be just as good if you wait a bit and anticipation is fun in itself.

[ReadingManiac]

Originally Posted by kcladyz

LOL I sometimes get freebees then delete lol

Yep. Life is too short to waste reading bad books!

[HLS]

Originally Posted by ReadingManiac

Yep. Life is too short to waste reading bad books!

LOL Not all free is bad.

[HLS]

Originally Posted by issybird

One more: Am I going to read it right away?

The Stephen King came out just last week and I get that a rabid King fan might want to read it now. But, it also means no deal or special price, so if you're not going to read it right away, it makes all kind of sense to wait and see.

However, you might also want to consider the compulsion to read something as soon as it comes out. If everyone you know is reading it now and you want to be able to discuss it with them, or if you're afraid of being spoiled, then those are reasons. Otherwise, it will be just as good if you wait a bit and anticipation is fun in itself.

I buy books from my favorite authors or books that I hear are from good authors. I tend to pick up freebees only if it a 4 star or higher rating

[PurpleStar]

I went and bought the latest Star Trek monthly sales. I can never resist those...lol

[ReadingManiac]

Originally Posted by kcladyz

LOL Not all free is bad.

Agreed! I get some wonderful books among the freebies. I just delete the ones that aren't worth my time.

[issybird]

Not even halfway through June and I've already spent more than I spent in the first five months of the year! But the two books I've bought still bring me to only about $25 on the year, so I'm not concerned* yet. As long as it doesn't become a habit.

*The real cause for concern is that one of the books was because the sale price created the want. It's exactly my kind of thing, but that needs to be a very rare occurrence. The other book was a wishlist book on sale, so totally justified.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by kcladyz

LOL Not all free is bad.

Funny comic, but serious question. I mostly browse here for amusement here as I am very serious about my budget and don't really have compulsion issues. Childhood poverty tends to make tightwad adults, I suppose. But why the need to buy vs getting from a library? My default position is to get something from a library. There are a very, very few authors that I will purchase without having checked the library first.

I am not trying to be a jerk, I am genuinely curious.

[wandalynn]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

Funny comic, but serious question. I mostly browse here for amusement here as I am very serious about my budget and don't really have compulsion issues. Childhood poverty tends to make tightwad adults, I suppose. But why the need to buy vs getting from a library? My default position is to get something from a library. There are a very, very few authors that I will purchase without having checked the library first.

I am not trying to be a jerk, I am genuinely curious.

This is a very good question. I usually do check with my local library before I make a purchase. But sometimes I buy even if the library has the book I'm interested in and here are the reasons why:

1) It's a very long book. I'm not a fast reader and I don't like to feel rushed to finish a book before the lending period is up.
2) There's a long wait-list. Long to me is more than 6 month.
3) It's an older book and my library only has a few copies. Sometimes books I've had on my wish list simply 'disappear'. I don't know if the library purges them or if the last copies get lost or damaged. But when they're gone, they're gone.
4) It's a new release from a favorite author and I don't even want to wait the few days it takes the library to get my reserve prepped and placed on the hold shelf. This is rare, but it happens.
5) It's a very good sale - I'm not sure what it costs to fire up my car and drive to the library to pick up a book and take it back but sometimes that, along with the convenience, tips the scale in favor of buying

I'm an older child of poverty and probably a tightwad at that so I don't make the decision to buy casually. At least not too often.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

But why the need to buy vs getting from a library? My default position is to get something from a library. There are a very, very few authors that I will purchase without having checked the library first.

I can agree intellectually that using the library makes complete sense. But somehow I have a great desire to own the books I enjoy reading, or even that I plan to read. Perhaps from early experiences of frequently running out of books to read.

I suspect that the next generation, used to streaming whatever media they want, will be less fixated on owning stuff.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I can agree intellectually that using the library makes complete sense. But somehow I have a great desire to own the books I enjoy reading, or even that I plan to read. Perhaps from early experiences of frequently running out of books to read.

Me too.
Apache

[Tarana]

As much as I would like to use the library, availability of fantasy, scifi, or detective ebooks or audiobooks is pretty limited. I would prefer to limit my funds for things I THINK I will listen to again and again, but then there is a good deal on an audiobook that sounds good and ....

I fell off the wagon some. The Audiobookstand specials due to their closing down were too good to pass up. Some of them are groups of short stories (such as Warriors, Warriors1 and Warriors2 ed. by George R R Martin and Gardner Dezois) which I will transfer to my tiny Nano 6th gen to listen to while doing my exericses (yeah, I hate exercise, but I have to do 30 minutes most days).

[HLS]

Originally Posted by ReadingManiac

Agreed! I get some wonderful books among the freebies. I just delete the ones that aren't worth my time.

i clean house once in a while

[HLS]

Originally Posted by wandalynn

This is a very good question. I usually do check with my local library before I make a purchase. But sometimes I buy even if the library has the book I'm interested in and here are the reasons why:

1) It's a very long book. I'm not a fast reader and I don't like to feel rushed to finish a book before the lending period is up.
2) There's a long wait-list. Long to me is more than 6 month.
3) It's an older book and my library only has a few copies. Sometimes books I've had on my wish list simply 'disappear'. I don't know if the library purges them or if the last copies get lost or damaged. But when they're gone, they're gone.
4) It's a new release from a favorite author and I don't even want to wait the few days it takes the library to get my reserve prepped and placed on the hold shelf. This is rare, but it happens.
5) It's a very good sale - I'm not sure what it costs to fire up my car and drive to the library to pick up a book and take it back but sometimes that, along with the convenience, tips the scale in favor of buying

I'm an older child of poverty and probably a tightwad at that so I don't make the decision to buy casually. At least not too often.

Its hard to get a best seller at the library i usually cant wait and end up buying

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by kcladyz

Its hard to get a best seller at the library i usually cant wait and end up buying

Personally, I find the secret is to be among the first to recommend the purchase which gets me near the front of the lineup. Admittedly, being among the first to recommend has often meant doing so before the prior book is released. As an example, I was suggesting the purchase of Dark in Death prior to the release of Secrets in Death and had already suggested Leverage in Death prior to the release of Dark in Death.