Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

It's always bundles that scupper my good intentions. Maybe I should just fiddle the figures so I don't count them?

I've done pretty well avoiding bundles unless they are all of a series or a single author. I found as I got older that it was harder to plow through a series. You get through 3-4 books and then go on to something else and maybe return later. I still haven't finished Harry Harrison ebook collection nor the Works of Andre Norton and I bought those in 2011. I'm about 1/2 through each.

[ownedbycats]

Okay, just to try to stem in my impulse-purchases before they get out of hand, I made myself a rule that after a purchase I need to finish a backlog book before getting another.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by Tarana

I've done pretty well avoiding bundles unless they are all of a series or a single author. I found as I got older that it was harder to plow through a series. You get through 3-4 books and then go on to something else and maybe return later. I still haven't finished Harry Harrison ebook collection nor the Works of Andre Norton and I bought those in 2011. I'm about 1/2 through each.

Well, I caved.

I was in the mood to read the first book next, so I thought I'd better just get on with it.

I'm not sure how I'm going to account for the bundle, yet. I don't know whether I'll just accept that my goals have been sunk, or whether I'll try to adjust them so I still have something to aim for for the rest of the year.

A while ago I came up with the idea to count 1 book per £1 (or part thereof) of the bundle price, and treat the rest as freebies. So if the bundle was, say, £8.50 for 20 books, there would be 9 paid books (8 at £1 and 1 at £0.50) and 11 freebies. I thnk I forgot to apply that to the L E Modesitt Jr bundle last year, and I also think it would still probably sink me with this bundle, since it would be 24 paid books.

To be honest, I don't know if I've had good value from any bundle, so far - I should check my figures. Maybe one or two of the early smaller humble bundles? - but I don't think that's what's driving me here. The money's not really significant. The point is to get a relatively complete library of this thing that I can dip into whenever I want.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Oops.

Attachment 207779

Between some very good survey payouts, the quarterly GST credit, and a sudden decrease in cat food consumption () I... may have splurged a bit more than usual.

This also includes the yearly Kobo VIP freebie and another book redeemed with points. I logged those as 0.00 as I didn't pay anything.

After that... you know, I think 'orgy' might be a fitting use of the word here, I've managed to restrain myself a bit more this month.

[Tarana]

June was a bad month. Only a handful of ebooks purchased (2 for my sister) most using credits, but wow, did I splurge during the Audible member's sale! Easily added a year of listening. I have one credit left to use and then cancelling again. Did not add any new series!! Unfortunately, vet bills that came directly afterwards have now put me in a no-buy situation. Going to be tough, but I have plenty to read/listen to.

The last 3 months have dealt with a lot of issues that made reading/listening difficult. Lost my personal cat to cancer, Mom at 90 can't do as much as she thinks she can, brother went to ER twice. So, right now we are trying to settle into a new routine. None of the remaining kitties like my recliner so I'm trying to rearrange stuff to have an ottoman next to chair. Way easier said than done!

[DrNefario]

In the past I haven't bothered counting an ebook purchase if it's a book I've already read. It's the unread books that are the problem, so if I'm just replacing a paper book or picking up something I originally borrowed, then that's fine.

But now I'm thinking about grabbing a book that I'm not sure I've read, and I don't really know how to account for it. It's a children's book that I think I read as a child, but I'm not 100% sure I didn't just see it on TV. At this distance, not remembering anything that happens is not going to be diagnostic.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

But now I'm thinking about grabbing a book that I'm not sure I've read, and I don't really know how to account for it. It's a children's book that I think I read as a child, but I'm not 100% sure I didn't just see it on TV. At this distance, not remembering anything that happens is not going to be diagnostic.

I'd say count it. It was not in your adult library so is in essence a new purchase.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

But now I'm thinking about grabbing a book that I'm not sure I've read, and I don't really know how to account for it. It's a children's book that I think I read as a child, but I'm not 100% sure I didn't just see it on TV. At this distance, not remembering anything that happens is not going to be diagnostic.

... yeah, if you can't remember for certain, count it as a new book?

[DrNefario]

I guess I knew that was the answer, really.

[ownedbycats]

Oops.



8 books for $12 (this includes tax) isn't too bad, though.

[Quoth]

An innovative approach?
https://www.theguardian.com/books/pi...s-pile-cartoon

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by Quoth

An innovative approach?
https://www.theguardian.com/books/pi...s-pile-cartoon

Not sure how that weight sensor copes with eBooks

[Tarana]

For the second month in a row, I read/listened to more than I purchased. Yay!

[issybird]

Warning: I'm here to brag.

My best year for fewest purchases/least spent was 2017, when I bought 22 books for $42. I thought I'd never get close to those levels again.

Well! Three-quarters of the way through this year, I've bought only nine books for a total of $16!

I'll add that my cash outlay as been zero, as all but two books were bought with Kobo gift card credit bought during promotions (and so in fact cost less than I've noted); the other two books (pricey) were bought with Google credit and their price wasn't included in my total (use it or lose it credit for which I'd paid nothing). And, as Amazon nerfed their Kindle Rewards program, I've stopped buying from them. Last year, I bought half my books from them.

Even if I go off the rails a bit toward the end of the year, I'm confident that this will be easily my best year. Something seems to have gone off with me; I can finally look at the books I have and they look better, or at least as good, as what's out there. I admit that OverDrive helps, but even there I've gotten a lot more selective.

[Cactus Chef]

Oof. 7 books this month. You know you're buying too many when you look at one of the receipts and can't even remember what the book is from the title!