Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[issybird]

Originally Posted by leebase

I have begun reading the 20 volume Richard Sharpe series. That should help somewhat with my ebook purchasing addiction.

The quality of the books is uneven IMO, but it’s a great ride. Are you reading them in historical chronological order or publishing order? Both have advantages and drawbacks.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by issybird

The quality of the books is uneven IMO, but it’s a great ride. Are you reading them in historical chronological order or publishing order? Both have advantages and drawbacks.

I listened to the whole series a good 15-20 years ago. I didn't realize there was a chronological order different from the publishing order.

I'm on book 2 now....I'll go look up the chronologic order and give that a try this time.

[issybird]

And so it begins.

I’d hoped to get through January unscathed and in fact was skating through without effort. I’d looked at my master wishlist on Amazon at the beginning of the year and nothing was screaming out to me, so mostly I just let everything go. Stopped checking my list, deals, etc. and ignored offers of 25% off or less from Kobo and Amazon’s blandishments. However, I got a 50% off coupon from Kobo which is more than I like to leave on the table and taking a reconnaissance look at my wishlist there, I saw that one book was down to a buck. So I bought that while I consider the best use of my 50% coupon.

A girl’s not made of stone.

[pdurrant]

At least you didn't buy the most expensive book on your wishlist to "make the best use of the discount".

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

At least you didn't buy the most expensive book on your wishlist to "make the best use of the discount".

Well, that still remains to be seen! (Although I probably won’t. )

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by issybird

Well, that still remains to be seen! (Although I probably won’t. )

Oh! I though you meant you had already used it!

Clearly, use it on the book that you want to read most on your wish list.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Oh! I though you meant you had already used it!

Clearly, use it on the book that you want to read most on your wish list.

Yes; that’s my plan with the caveat that even at 50% off, some books are more than I’m willing to spend.

Using a 50% coupon on a book that costs a dollar would be a criminal. However, this does mean two books added to the TBR this month and so far I’ve only read library books, so no offset.

[pdurrant]

My TBR looks great at the moment, but only because I've moved 53 books from "to be read" to "only read if there's nothing else available". That was a waste of £20 or so.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

My TBR looks great at the moment, but only because I've moved 53 books from "to be read" to "only read if there's nothing else available". That was a waste of £20 or so.

Done that. You’ve still saved (a lot) of money by buying ahead, but there are deductions just the same. However, once you’ve got plenty to read anyway, it’s a powerful argument against buying on future projected wants, unless you’re very sure.

The only thing worse than marking mistakes a loss would be forcing yourself to read them.

[LDB]

It's very hard to pass on 50% off. And definitely not something to use on a one dollar book. I've just finished Friday The Rabbi Slept Late. I want to read more but not for $7-9 each. I'd definitely buy the second book if it was offered for one dollar though.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by LDB

It's very hard to pass on 50% off. And definitely not something to use on a one dollar book. I've just finished Friday The Rabbi Slept Late. I want to read more but not for $7-9 each. I'd definitely buy the second book if it was offered for one dollar though.

If your library has Freading, they’ve got all the Rabbi books. Great books, but really no backlist mystery is worth $7 to $9, IMO.

[DrNefario]

I was already trapped into buying this month by the "Spend £10 get £3" offer I took up at the end of last month. I mean, it was free money, but you never spend exactly £3. As it is, I've bought two daily deals and one book from my wishlist. (One of the Daily Deals should have been on my wishlist, too, as the next book in a series I like, but I hadn't noticed it get released.) I'm relatively happy with that, but I haven't started any of them yet, and I'm not likely to for several weeks, so I guess they could still be considered unnecessary.

[Tarana]

It's almost mid-February. I'm still accumulating faster than I can read/listen, but have been pretty good sticking with my goals of authors I already have and series I'm already invested in. This has helped to cut over half of what I would have bought, so some success. The number of offerings in February is down, so that helps quite a bit as well.

Speaking of the Rabbi Small series, I've managed to accumulate all but the last book for $.99 and $1.99 since October on Amazon (only some offered on Kobo). I read a couple of them just out of high school, but since I hadn't started from the beginning, kindof missed something in there. Interested enough to take advantage now.

[pdurrant]

I tend to buy some books at the start of the month when books on my wishlist come up on the Kindle Monthly deal. But other than that, I've been pretty good these past few months.

12 read, and only 6 bought so far this year. Although I have also added a couple of interesting freebies to my TBR.

[issybird]

Almost halfway through February and I’ve bought nothing. Feeling pretty confident, until I remember that I got halfway through January, too!

But I think I’m safe unless I get a really good coupon from Kobo. I’m not checking my wishlist (no point anyway, as the prices rarely budge and when they do, it’s generally a budge up) and I’ve resisted the last couple of Amazon “Spend $XX, get $YY” deals.

And on the TBR reduction front, even with only three books bought so far this year, I’m still underwater. I’ve been reading mostly OverDrive books. Nothing wrong with that, obviously, except my life-long problem where library books I kinda want to read jump the queue ahead of owned books I really want to read, because of due dates. However, I’m trying to reform on that front. Yesterday I jettisoned a library book that wasn’t all that good and I’m borrowing fewer books than is my wont. I’m also no longer scanning the recent additions for things that catch my fancy any more.