Why do you keep buying more e-books?

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

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



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?

I've been hearing that voice all my life. It's only now that I've gotten older that I've decided to ignore it if it's something that I really want.

...and I'm much happier because of it

Shari

[Sweetpea]

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.

Bah, if Past Me can ignore the books already ready for reading, then Future Me can do the same!

I only buy books I want to read at that time. I don't have a TBR list, as I re-read. Every single book I've read would go back to that list, so it would never shrink anyway.

[darryl]

Is it possible to have too many books? Why feel guilty over not reading every one of them? Particularly now with free and cheap ebooks which don't take up space. If you buy them intending to read them (and why would you buy them otherwise) but something else comes along that you would rather read first, so what! A rigid TBR is a big mistake in my view.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by darryl

Is it possible to have too many books? Why feel guilty over not reading every one of them? Particularly now with free and cheap ebooks which don't take up space. If you buy them intending to read them (and why would you buy them otherwise) but something else comes along that you would rather read first, so what! A rigid TBR is a big mistake in my view.

I must admit that I find the popular, "I already have enough books in my TBR pile to last me the rest of my life" sentiment a bit puzzling. I don't blame people for having available TBR "ePiles," but it does strike me as odd to worry about "sticking primarily to them" or to quantify the time it would take to work through them all. If it's strictly a financial concern, then sure ... limit yourself to books you already own until such time as your financial situation changes. Otherwise, buy what you want/read what you want/when you want. I never want to come close to the end of the list (real or virtual) of books I'd like to read in my lifetime. I hope to always be crippled with choice--acquired or un-. When I finish one book, I enjoy having every, single book in the world being in the running for my next. It's a sweet, sweet affliction I hope never to be cured of.

[Alpha o]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Bah, if Past Me can ignore the books already ready for reading, then Future Me can do the same!

I only buy books I want to read at that time. I don't have a TBR list, as I re-read. Every single book I've read would go back to that list, so it would never shrink anyway.

Same here. Out of physical room. Have boxes of hardcovers stored along with paperbacks. I tend to re-read anyway. I rarely recycle.

Other half wanted something to read, I thought he'd enjoy "Fate is the Hunter"
Out of print, can't buy. Remembered I had my paperback copy stashed. He liked the book.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I must admit that I find the popular, "I already have enough books in my TBR pile to last me the rest of my life" sentiment a bit puzzling. I don't blame people for having available TBR "ePiles," but it does strike me as odd to worry about "sticking primarily to them" or to quantify the time it would take to work through them all. If it's strictly a financial concern, then sure ... limit yourself to books you already own until such time as your financial situation changes. Otherwise, buy what you want/read what you want/when you want. I never want to come close to the end of the list (real or virtual) of books I'd like to read in my lifetime. I hope to always be crippled with choice--acquired or un-. When I finish one book, I enjoy having every, single book in the world being in the running for my next. It's a sweet, sweet affliction I hope never to be cured of.

Resources are finite. As cheap as ebooks are, money spent on a book that's never read is money wasted, at least to the extent that you overpaid for the rush of buying it. It can be sobering to look at a list of books, or at any other indulgence, and realize that you never used it/will never use it. There's a trip to Italy lurking there, or however you want to label your running-away funds, even sweet charity.

This is why I think some strive to become more thoughtful, because of the sheer waste involved in the unused. There are other factors, also, even just being overwhelmed by the clutter, even eclutter, which is a time sink as well as a money sink. Opulence is fine up to a point, but then too much becomes just too much.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Does e-books set people to hoarding, in a way paper books (mostly...) don't, just because they don't take any extra physical space?

There's a reason for the Ebook addiction thread. However, I found that once I eliminated all the freebees, my collection of PURCHASED ebooks will only take me 4-5 years to read. The magazines would add another year. I took advantage of SALES on the assumption that the Big 5 was going to raise prices. They did. I've bought hardly any books since then.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by issybird

Resources are finite. As cheap as ebooks are, money spent on a book that's never read is money wasted, at least to the extent that you overpaid for the rush of buying it. It can be sobering to look at a list of books, or at any other indulgence, and realize that you never used it/will never use it. There's a trip to Italy lurking there, or however you want to label your running-away funds, even sweet charity.

This is why I think some strive to become more thoughtful, because of the sheer waste involved in the unused. There are other factors, also, even just being overwhelmed by the clutter, even eclutter, which is a time sink as well as a money sink. Opulence is fine up to a point, but then too much becomes just too much.

I think this is the difference. I would never look at my list of books and think "I will never use these". For me, a book could never be "sheer waste". Even a "bad" book is better than reading the back of the cereal box for the umpteenth time. I read. I don't ever remember a time when I didn't, and the thought of having nothing to read (or of not being able to read) is one of my all time biggest fears. I can never have enough books.

The wonderful thing about e-readers is that I have enough room to store all of my books, and I can make the font bigger so that no matter how tired my eyes are I can keep reading.

So...I keep buying more ebooks because I can, and because I want to.

Is there any better reason?

Shari

[issybird]

Originally Posted by shalym

I think this is the difference. I would never look at my list of books and think "I will never use these". For me, a book could never be "sheer waste". Even a "bad" book is better than reading the back of the cereal box for the umpteenth time.

I can look at my colossal list of unread ebooks and easily identify many that will never be read, because there will always be something I'd want to read more. In fact, my Calibre tags reflect that as I rate books for their perceived "readability;" at least this way I hope to cut down on the time a big library of ebooks takes.

I think this is a false dichotomy. When a new ebook is available at the touch of my finger, whyever would my choices be to read a bad book or to read a cereal box back? There are more great, highly appealing books in the world (and more every day) for me ever to want to waste time on a book that I don't feel like reading.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by issybird

Resources are finite. As cheap as ebooks are, money spent on a book that's never read is money wasted, at least to the extent that you overpaid for the rush of buying it. It can be sobering to look at a list of books, or at any other indulgence, and realize that you never used it/will never use it. There's a trip to Italy lurking there, or however you want to label your running-away funds, even sweet charity.

This is why I think some strive to become more thoughtful, because of the sheer waste involved in the unused. There are other factors, also, even just being overwhelmed by the clutter, even eclutter, which is a time sink as well as a money sink. Opulence is fine up to a point, but then too much becomes just too much.

More reasons not to saddle myself with a pre-bought TBR! A virtual TBR where I purchase only when ready to read = few wasted purchases when I die.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by issybird

I can look at my colossal list of unread ebooks and easily identify many that will never be read, because there will always be something I'd want to read more. In fact, my Calibre tags reflect that as I rate books for their perceived "readability;" at least this way I hope to cut down on the time a big library of ebooks takes.

I think this is a false dichotomy. When a new ebook is available at the touch of my finger, whyever would my choices be to read a bad book or to read a cereal box back? There are more great, highly appealing books in the world (and more every day) for me ever to want to waste time on a book that I don't feel like reading.

It's not a false dichotomy at all. My point is that I don't ever want to be without a book to read, and since I spend time in places without any sort of consistent Internet access (and may well retire to that place) that a new ebook will not always be available at the the "touch of my finger".

Shari

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

More reasons not to saddle myself with a pre-bought TBR! A virtual TBR where I purchase only when ready to read = few wasted purchases when I die.

You shall be my shining example! For years I've been telling myself that I'd save money in the long run by buying on demand, but show me a coupon and I'm all over it. Alas. I love bargains to and beyond the point where they cease to be bargains.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by issybird

You shall be my shining example! For years I've been telling myself that I'd save money in the long run by buying on demand, but show me a coupon and I'm all over it. Alas. I love bargains to and beyond the point where they cease to be bargains.

I actually went through a "SECURE ALL THE FREE AND DIRT CHEAP EBOOKS NOW!!" phase back when first transitioning from paper (just like most did), but ended up going back and deleting almost every one of them later. I've yet to regret a single one of those deletions.

I'll still occasionally buy a book from a favorite author (before I'm ready to read it) if I happen to see it's on sale. But it's not very often, and I KNOW I'm going to read it very soon. Otherwise, my inventory is strictly JIT and I love it!

[crich70]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Ebooks are the ultimate 'impulse buy' for readers -- they take up no room in your house, your ereader doesn't get too heavy to carry around, and you never have to hunt for something to read.

Plus those annoying comments from jealous friends/relatives about your 'decorating with books' become fewer ...

I agree. ebooks are great for not taking up physical space unlike paper books. While they can take up cloud space that isn't in sight and on mind like physical bookcases are, and some books (the PD ones) are likely out of print so ebooks are the only option if you want to read them anyway.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by issybird

Show me a coupon and I'm all over it. Alas. I love bargains to and beyond the point where they cease to be bargains.

There you go....

(And anyone else can download it and fill it out for themselves )