'No More Buying Books Until I've Read the Ones I've Already Bought' Thread

WorkFromHome

I am an avid reader and actually don't own any books which I have no intention of reading. Sometimes I have 2 books on the go! My problem is I read so much that I spend quite a bit on books and what's worse those damn ebooks! I hate not having the hard copy, especially if it turns out to be a good read. If I really like an Ebook I end up paying twice for it because I then have to have the paper version too.

Anyone else as bad as me?

LolaLemon

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Our Doctors' waiting room used to be a pleasant place to wait with lots of frequently-changed glossy magazines. Sadly, someone has been going mad 'tidying' the place (they used to be on one coffee table in the middle and weren't bothering anyone) and now the table and magazines have completely disappeared. I asked the receptionist if they still wanted any magazines, I'd even got a carrier bagful of barely read Vogue, 'county' life and suchlike with me that my SIL had passed on. She gave me a rueful smile and said that the new Practice Manager felt that magazines were a health-hazard (sneezing people transmitting germs from their hands presumably:eek:). Jobsworth!:(. You have to wait so long in there that a quick read of a nice magazine was a big help

ours has went like that too, but u can pick up the 'health' booklets/propoganda and leave them for the next person. its jobsworths right enough. far too much "health and safety" is not good for anyone (and i used to work in a H&S department in an old job!)

[Deleted User]

Please can I pick you avid readers' brains? I'm seriously skint and haven't bought a single thing for myself (other than absolute necessities) for about 2 years unless it was for pence at charity shops/car boot sales:o. I love reading (my main hobby) and am determined not to buy any new books until I've read what I already have. That's why I joined this challenge:T

I have loads and loads of books obtained for next to nothing for the purpose of selling on Amazon/car boot sales. Very many of them aren't what I'd have chosen to read myself but I'm having to resort to reading some of them rather than buying books for myself. I've found some great ones among them and new(to me) authors that I want to read more by but sometimes I'm having to waste my time by reading boring books just because they're there:eek:.

So, should I 'splash out' and treat myself to a Kindle? I see there are all sorts of 'free' books to download so in the end it could be cost-effective. I already have £44 in my Amazon account (from vouchers earned through doing surveys etc) and there's nothing desperately crucial that I need to spend it on. So the Kindle (just the basic one) would only cost an extra £15. I don't feel it's being profligate spending that amount;).

If anyone uses one, would you recommend it, and would the basic one be adequate? I'd only be using it at home in a well-lit room. I can't justify the extra expense of the Paperwhite (£99) or more but if the basic one isn't up to much I won't bother getting it.

Sorry for long-winded post and thanks very much for any advice:beer:

Kirstie93_2

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Please can I pick you avid readers' brains? I'm seriously skint and haven't bought a single thing for myself (other than absolute necessities) for about 2 years unless it was for pence at charity shops/car boot sales:o. I love reading (my main hobby) and am determined not to buy any new books until I've read what I already have. That's why I joined this challenge:T

I have loads and loads of books obtained for next to nothing for the purpose of selling on Amazon/car boot sales. Very many of them aren't what I'd have chosen to read myself but I'm having to resort to reading some of them rather than buying books for myself. I've found some great ones among them and new(to me) authors that I want to read more by but sometimes I'm having to waste my time by reading boring books just because they're there:eek:.

So, should I 'splash out' and treat myself to a Kindle? I see there are all sorts of 'free' books to download so in the end it could be cost-effective. I already have £44 in my Amazon account (from vouchers earned through doing surveys etc) and there's nothing desperately crucial that I need to spend it on. So the Kindle (just the basic one) would only cost an extra £15. I don't feel it's being profligate spending that amount;).

If anyone uses one, would you recommend it, and would the basic one be adequate? I'd only be using it at home in a well-lit room. I can't justify the extra expense of the Paperwhite (£99) or more but if the basic one isn't up to much I won't bother getting it.

Sorry for long-winded post and thanks very much for any advice:beer:

I say go for it and get a Kindle!! :j I'm on to my 2nd one (1st one died after 2 years) The one I have now is the Paperwhite, just because I love reading in bed

Although I do sometimes find myself buying a proper book, just because I like the feel (and smell, promise i'm not weird) of a book

mrs-moneypenny

Kirstie93 wrote: »

Although I do sometimes find myself buying a proper book, just because I like the feel (and smell, promise i'm not weird) of a book

That's why I stick with tree books, family keep telling me I need a kindle but TBH I'm happier with paper books, you can pick them up cheap at carboots CS reading circle, friends etc
And you can pass on books you've read to same set as you get them from.

I'm just happier with my real books, I'm a bit of a Luddite

Happygreen

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

That's why I stick with tree books, family keep telling me I need a kindle but TBH I'm happier with paper books, you can pick them up cheap at carboots CS reading circle, friends etc
And you can pass on books you've read to same set as you get them from.

I'm just happier with my real books, I'm a bit of a Luddite

:rotfl:, you are not alone. I just have too many books to even consider a kindle but I must admit that I just got myself a large tablet to read the ebooks I get for work-related courses and books. 100% for work (for the time being). They come in pdf files so a technophobe like myself can do it, lol.

aliama

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Please can I pick you avid readers' brains? I'm seriously skint and haven't bought a single thing for myself (other than absolute necessities) for about 2 years unless it was for pence at charity shops/car boot sales:o. I love reading (my main hobby) and am determined not to buy any new books until I've read what I already have. That's why I joined this challenge:T

I have loads and loads of books obtained for next to nothing for the purpose of selling on Amazon/car boot sales. Very many of them aren't what I'd have chosen to read myself but I'm having to resort to reading some of them rather than buying books for myself. I've found some great ones among them and new(to me) authors that I want to read more by but sometimes I'm having to waste my time by reading boring books just because they're there:eek:.

So, should I 'splash out' and treat myself to a Kindle? I see there are all sorts of 'free' books to download so in the end it could be cost-effective. I already have £44 in my Amazon account (from vouchers earned through doing surveys etc) and there's nothing desperately crucial that I need to spend it on. So the Kindle (just the basic one) would only cost an extra £15. I don't feel it's being profligate spending that amount;).

If anyone uses one, would you recommend it, and would the basic one be adequate? I'd only be using it at home in a well-lit room. I can't justify the extra expense of the Paperwhite (£99) or more but if the basic one isn't up to much I won't bother getting it.

Sorry for long-winded post and thanks very much for any advice:beer:

Consider the alternatives as well. The Kindle is the market leader for a reason (and it's the one I'd pick), but I'm often a bit dubious about the quality of the free books (although of course there are all the classics, and perhaps that's what you mean; if you want to read the classics, then I think getting a Kindle or similar would be a sound investment -- check out Project Gutenberg where you can get them all for free).

There have been a spate of really good books very cheap recently for the Kindle, including some of the Booker Prize shortlist from last year, Girl on a Train etc, but that's not much good if you don't plan on buying books.

Many libraries have their own e-book lending section now, which I'm not sure the Kindle can be used with, so in that case another type of ereader might be a better investment. Again, I'm not sure about the overall quality of the books, but it's worth a look to see what you think. Check out libraries further abroad as well; you might be able to join online and start using a library that isn't local to you.

aliama

I'd also like to join this thread, please? I've got a ridiculous numbr of books to read, and I really, really don't need to buy anymore. I also have a backlog of tbr library books that I need to be getting on with (about 20!). I need to clear the bulk of them before I can get started on the books that I actually own.

Currently reading Homeland, by Clare Francis, which is about demobbed Polish soldiers in Britain after WW2.

[Deleted User]

Welcome, aliama:wave:. I'm a relative newbie here myself but there's always very helpful advice and recommendations from other people:T.

I read two of Clare Francis's books last year from a mixed job lot I bought to sell. The first was just out of curiosity but I was quickly hooked and pleasantly surprised by the quality of her writing. I had a good rummage through the box in the hope there was something else by her and found two more:j. The second one I read was even better than the first but the third was absolutely dire:(. (very long-winded and confusing descriptions of the local landscape kept cropping up). Can't recall the titles now but definitely not the one you're reading.

Ulverstonchick

Hello, I'm a Newbie:wave:. I buy far too many books - well there are worse addictions. I would rather be shopping for books than shoes/ clothes/ handbags any day! For someone like my Amazon is very dangerous, too much temptation!

I want to stop spending so much on books and I have stacks of unread ones, so I challenged myself in January to make 2015 "The Year of Reading For Free" - only limited success! Instead of buying as many new books I've bought fewer/ bought second-hand/ requested from my local Library (£1 fee per item).