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Original poster

A year of no book buying. Anyone care to join me?

378 replies

Parisbanana · 18/12/2016 20:24

I've had a dummy run, starting at the beginning of the school year in September, just so it didn't seem too daunting! But so far I'm embracing it. I buy a lot of books generally and just thought we'd got so many in the house. I do read the vast majority of what I buy, but I do have books I haven't read, and my husband and teenage kids have some great books I would love to read.
So over the past 3 months I have definitely decreased my bedside pile. I am currently reading A Christmas Carol which dh reads every December but I never have. It's quite a joy to browse our book cases and spot things I haven't read and think this is the year I'll get round to it! Or to reread old favourites.
And I've just been made redundant so tightening the book buying belt is even more important.

Anyone fancy giving it a go?

OP posts:
Original poster
Parisbanana · 30/01/2017 19:11

Bootygirl think you summed it up perfectly. Occasional slips are okay. This thing not only saves us some money but makes us think a bit more about our purchases.

Wow Matilda that's quite a list! I've read a couple of Douglas Kennedy books in the past, loved them both (and think there may be another one lurking somewhere). What was that one like?

Off to the bookshop tomorrow. Wish me luck Grin

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Matilda2013 · 30/01/2017 19:30

Parisbanana it's the first Douglas Kennedy I have read on recommendation from a colleague so I don't know how it compares. But I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and the turns and that it was set in morocco although my French isn't good

mmack · 30/01/2017 22:49

I read 4 in total from my tbr pile in January. I didn't buy any books but I think I might break out soon and buy myself another Zadie Smith book-I just loved On Beauty.

Littlepleasures · 31/01/2017 16:19

My poor kindle is complaining it has no memory left so I have been through it and moved all my complete works classics collections on to the cloud to free up a bit of space. I am quite pleased with my achievements this month. Spent nothing on fiction downloads this month but must admit to downloading some free books recommended by Book Bub. The next holiday I go on I'm going to work my way through the free ones. Will give them 3 chapters to hook me, if not they will be ruthlessly deleted. One I did enjoy was Before he kills by Blake Pierce. Great characters and a page turning plot. The rest of the series are about £3 to £4 each but the 2nd in the series, Before he sees, came up free on Book Bub recently so looking forward to reading that. Village People by Craig Lay was another good one, laugh out loud funny at times. Bending the rules even more as I'm also reserving and reading more library books but at least I'm not adding to the books on my shelves.

bootygirl · 31/01/2017 22:30

I ve read 6 books yeah.

FiveShelties · 01/02/2017 14:30

I have managed to get to February 1st with no book purchases, a great achievement. February may be easier as it is a shorter month!

SeveredPixieBits · 01/02/2017 14:40

This fell off my Threads Im On and I lost you guys for a week there.
Trip to Waterstones this week for some Maths books for my DD but I resisted getting anything for myself! Still ploughing on with books 3 and 4.

Matilda2013 · 01/02/2017 16:00

New month means another kindle sale must not buy

Original poster
Parisbanana · 01/02/2017 16:26

Well done bootygirl and FiveShelties Smile
Welcome back SeveredPixieBits and well done on your Waterstones restraint Grin
I too was in Waterstones yesterday for a book for my nephew. I did try and find a couple of books (6 actually!) off my list and they didn't have a single one of them in store. Result!!! (A few months ago that would've had me raging)
They did though have the most amazing sale rack of stationery, most of it 75% off, so I indulged my other passion. 2 notebooks, 4 greetings cards and 2 make your own pop-up cards (1.49 instead of 6.99).

Am now on book no.4 which has been on my tbr pile for far too long. Schooling by Heather McGowan. Only one chapter in so no idea yet.

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anonymice · 01/02/2017 19:21

Am going to have to ditch book four. Freeman Wills Croft was not a good Golden Age crime writer in my opinion. It is very dull. Avoid at all costs ! Everyone is doing well I think. One month down...

Izzy24 · 02/02/2017 13:48

Well I've finished Apple Tree Yard.

It's reasonably well written although the repeated phrase 'try and' instead of 'try to' grated. And there were inconsistencies in timelines at the end of the book as well as a few factual muddles.

But most of all, I just didn't warm to any of the main characters.

A poor woman's Margaret Drabble on a very bad day indeed.

iamdivergent · 02/02/2017 14:12

Finished I See You the other day. Not sure what I'm going to read next, so much easier to read on Kindle as can do the night feeds and read without bothering baby but have a huge pile of paperbacks to read - argh!

Matilda2013 · 02/02/2017 14:37

I'm also trying to work through my paperbacks. Now onto the tenth book which is Anne Frank's diary. Pretty sure I've started reading this quite a few times when I was younger but never read the whole thing

ChessieFL · 02/02/2017 21:22

I didn't buy any books at all during January so am gradually working through the to read pile!

Original poster
Parisbanana · 05/02/2017 21:13

I've given up on Schooling. Couldn't get on with the way it is written at all. It's gone in the charity shop bag.
Next book, started last night, can't remember the title, but it's about a woman who had a book barge which she sailed around the UK.
Feeling a little uninspired book wise just at the moment but this often happens when I'm really tired and only read a few pages a day before crashing out. Ah well, soon be half term Smile

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Murine · 05/02/2017 22:33

I haven't bought any books during January, though I downloaded two free kindle ones. I still haven't read any non kindle books that I own though, I'm working my way through my older kindle books, finishing reading one I bought in 2012 this week! I've also got three library books out at the moment (Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier, This Thing of Darkness by Harry Wilson and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) and keep reserving books I hear about that I fancy reading through them rather than buying. I will get round to reading some of the great novels I received as Christmas presents one day!

CiderwithBuda · 06/02/2017 09:03

Haven't been tempted. Even going through airports last week. I always buy a couple of books at airports.

Re: Apple Tree Yard - also didn't warm to the characters. Think I read it when it came out first.

iamdivergent · 07/02/2017 09:35

Haven't bought any since 10th Jan. Have swapped two read books though for two I haven't read on Read It Swap It Confused My theory Is That At Least I'm getting rid of some too

anonymice · 07/02/2017 11:39

four books down and still not cracked. I am going to read The Millstone by Margaret Drabble next which I bought in Hay on Wye last year. i don't think I will be going this year. Imagine going round Hay and not being able to buy books Sad

Original poster
Parisbanana · 07/02/2017 11:43

anonymice I went to Hay in October when I was n my trial of this no book buying malarkey. I didn't buy a single one! But, I had a birthday in November and dh had carefully noted what I'd been interested in and followed me round and bought one or 2 of them for me as presents!

OP posts:
anonymice · 07/02/2017 11:50

This is what I need to do paris... prime my DH to take notes about what I am looking at. He is quite good at it actually. I do like Hay....

Matilda2013 · 08/02/2017 21:54

I have finished Anne Frank's diary (book ten) so that's another one of my TBR pile! Was quite a difficult read when you know the ending Sad

anonymice · 09/02/2017 06:17

Well Matilda2013 you can add Anne's book of stories The House Behind to your 2017 pile. They are worth reading. Have you ever seen her house in Amsterdam ?

anonymice · 09/02/2017 06:18

I mean 2018 pile...Freudian slip.

Matilda2013 · 09/02/2017 07:33

So I forgot about a pre-ordered book and so now I have one more to read. The new BA Paris book downloaded onto my kindle this morning Blush

Thanks for the recommendation anonymice I will add it to the wish list which is going to be massive by the end of this year! I've never been to Amsterdam but it's on my places to visit if and when I do go