Why do you keep buying more e-books?

[Phogg]

A lot of my TBR are freebies, and the rest aren't too awfully expensive.

If I quit buying and reading so much my e-readers might think that I don't love them. I don't want to hurt their feelings.

[GeoffR]

My TBR stack is about 2-3 years, I hope to get it up to at least 5 years. Like buying groceries, It is just so much cheaper to stock up when the prices are low than to buy day-to-day. I still buy some at full price to read immediately, but usually only after they have been sitting on my wishlist for a long time with no sign of a price drop, and I just can't wait anymore. There is also a small but growing list of ebooks that I regret not buying when I had the chance, as the publisher has withdrawn them from sale (perhaps after the rights have reverted to the author or author's estate) and they are no longer available at any price.

If I was much younger it might be a mistake to build a large TBR stack, since my tastes might change. But I've been reading science fiction as an adult for about 25 years so I have no problem buying books by well-established authors to read in 5 years, although with other genres or with new authors I try not to buy that far ahead.

[library addict]

If I see a book I want and it is part of a series, I feel the need to buy the earlier books in the series as I am a read-in-order type person.

Some books in my TBR were purchased when discounted. I've gotten better about buying books on the off chance I might one day be interested in reading them. But I still succumb occasionally.

I like to have choices in what I will read next. So if I hear about a book and there is a strong possibility I will want to read it I usually buy it so it can be in my TBR to choose. It can be fun to go "shopping" in your Calibre library when you have a big TBR.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by murg

It's a sickness, I tell you, a sickness.

wooooot!

I'm sick!!

[Lynx-lynx]

Oh yep, I can relate to many of the sentiments expressed in this thread .....

cats2books comment re difficult to make a choice is a bugbear of mine, however, I realised that once I got a grip on what felt 'right' to read next from my calibre library I overcame it.

I'm always on the lookout for a new author (to me) and therefore suss out a lot of books and only buy those which kind of fit into an ephemeral target range.

Originally Posted by cats2books

I have become much more selective in my ebook purchases. I found that when I had too many books to choose from it was difficult to make a choice. It's just easier to make a decision when there are fewer choices.

Edit
Now that Kobo is no longer offering a monthly contest, or discount codes not attached to a set list of books, my discretionary ebook spending has reduced to near zero. When I buy it's often from Amazon, but in the main my next of series reads are in either ebook format or paper format from my local library.

[davidfor]

For the same reason that people climb mountains.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by davidfor

For the same reason that people climb mountains.

I'm reminded of Cathy Freeman's upper shoulder tattoo .... 'cos I can' ...... yep, that sums it up

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by cats2books

I have become much more selective in my ebook purchases. I found that when I had too many books to choose from it was difficult to make a choice. It's just easier to make a decision when there are fewer choices.

I find that better organization can help that. When I'm ready for another book, I'll scan my to be read list, moving books that strike my fancy to the reading list. Then it's just a case of looking at the much shorter list and deciding what I'm in the mood for. I might read a couple of pages on several different books before sticking with one.

[latepaul]

I used to have a physical TBR pile on the floor next to my bed. When I had to split it into two piles to stop it toppling over on me in the night, I knew I had a problem.

But the thought that that pile stopped me from buying too many new books. Most of the time. Sort of.

As has been said with ebooks I no longer have the space problem. Nor do I have the physical reminder of the pile. I tend to buy new books on an impulse always intending to read them. Usually what happens is that I'll tell myself I'll just finish my current book, which I then don't finish for a long time because I'm not enthralled by it. If I eventually get to my new purchase it often becomes the new "not enthralled" book and something else apparently better comes along and so I click 'buy'...

As vices go it's fairly harmless. It costs me money but nothing I can't afford.

I feel more guilty about the library books I borrow and constantly renew, because there I'm stopping someone else reading it.

But as has been said, triumph of hope over experience.

[Katsunami]

Thanks for all the answers guys

Originally Posted by Barty

Then there are the sub rational reasons, which may be the real driver for most of our behavior.

Like: Hoarding instinct. It makes sense when you come across something to collect it as you don't know if it'll be there when you need it. From there, it is easy to lapse into just acquiring things.

This is basically my reason: DRM was cracked in 2009, and in 2010/2011 everything I ever wanted or could want became available in e-book format. When I bought a Kindle Touch, I started to buy as much books as fast as possible; first everything I knew I wanted (= replace paper books with e-book version + books I wanted but never had in paper), and then everything that looked interesting.

The thought behind that basically was: "It's available now, the DRM is cracked, and Kobo is giving away 50-90% discounts. I would be *MAD* not to buy anything I can get my hands on. Later, the prices may be much higher or possibly a new DRM can't be cracked."

Now that I have everything I want and everything that looked interesting, building a TBR-stack of around 800 books (I only read 30-ish books per year) my purchasing has greatly slowed down to maintaining running series and the occasional book I come across that looks interesting.

[DiapDealer]

I would hate it if Future Me had to be limited to reading mostly titles that Past Me assumed he would enjoy.

[issybird]

I just wish that Future Me could exercise a veto on purchases made by Current Me.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by issybird

I just wish that Future Me could exercise a veto on purchases made by Current Me.

Now THAT would be sweet!

[latepaul]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

The thought behind that basically was: "It's available now, the DRM is cracked, and Kobo is giving away 50-90% discounts. I would be *MAD* not to buy anything I can get my hands on. Later, the prices may be much higher or possibly a new DRM can't be cracked."

It can work the other way as well though. I have stopped myself buying new books by favourite authors because I think "Why should I pay full price for that book when I have ~400 unread books already?". That's why I have a healthy ereaderiq list.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I would hate it if Future Me had to be limited to reading mostly titles that Past Me assumed he would enjoy.

Ah no; it's not being limited; if e-books are available and DRM can be removed, I'll buy them. Buying everything I wanted right now is just an *extra* insurance

Originally Posted by issybird

I just wish that Future Me could exercise a veto on purchases made by Current Me.

Nah. Old people often get very stingy with regard to spending money, even if they have plenty of it. Would you like having Future You bleat <old_woman_voice>YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT! IT'S EXPENSIVE!"</old_woman_voice> in your ear, each time you want to buy an $3 e-book?