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

[Parisbanana]

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?

I had a bit of a panic buy today

Some libraries use Overdrive where you can download ebooks - the stock is a little limited but a fair selection. Worth a look.

I'm sure it's just me, but I don't like borrowing ebooks, and prefer to borrow "proper" books from the library.

Either way though, paper or ebook, the library books are free. And it is so important that we use our libraries or they will disappear.

Free audiobooks are available too. Instant download. Ive just finished The Girl in the Red Coat and I'm currently listening to The Bees.

I've made my way through the entire Outlander series over the past two months. That would have cost me £50. Instead it has cost nothing.

Nooooo! But I might join the library/find out about downloading eBooks from it to save money. I've bought 8 Georgette Heyers in the last 3 weeks for £3.99 apiece and there seem to be about 40 altogether.

I did a massive clear-out earlier this year and sorted 6 Ikea bags full of books to donate*. Some were shite, some I used to love but have grown out of (not children's books, I don't mean! Things like Anne McCaffrey), and some I had never read and didn't really have an interest in reading. I was left with real favourites and quite a few books I have had in the house for ages but haven't read. Fast forward three months and I still haven't read any of those. This year, I will read those books!

• 4 of said Ikea bags are still stacked up in DD's room waiting to be taken to a charity shop.

Are we swapping books then?

You would miss so many Kindle deals for 99p if you didn't buy books for one whole year

Considering I have about 90 unread books on my kindle it would probably be a good idea to miss a few daily deals

I'm in! It will be my New Year's resolution, so I can still indulge myself with the Twelve Days of Kindle sale (well, continue to, I just bought 3 books for 99p today!)

I should do this too. My to-be-read pile (both virtual and actual books) is huge. I do use the library a lot so for me it's more about kicking the Kindle habit. Maybe I'll just have a wee look at the sale before I go cold turkey...
Like the idea of a thread to discuss forgotten gems, I'll look out for that.

A year of no book buying.

Are you insane?

I stopped buying new books 2 years ago (New Years Resolution for 2015) and it has worked really well. I borrow the majority of my books from the library, but I do buy a few from my local Oxfam bookshop (and re-donate after I've finished). I receive some new books as birthday and Christmas presents, I have had two today.

I know kindle books have all the same words in, but I can't see them on the shelf, or feel their weight, or click thru the pages. It's just not the same :-(...

Murine - What did you buy?

I know kindle books have all the same words in, but I can't see them on the shelf, or feel their weight, or click thru the pages. It's just not the same

awayinamazda, oracle.

Love this idea! We are trying to declutter and I have loads I want to read - on kindle as well as proper books.

I will have to get the book I'm spending my birthday money on ASAP though (it's a fairly unusual one and I can't guarantee it'll still be around in 2018!) so as to sneak it in before January 1st.

The only issue for me will be charity shops but I'll try! I don't get to the library much since I stopped working there this year. And I no longer have a staff ticket with accompanying perks and now I have fines on there .

Not making the same no book buying promise for kids' books though. But then they are growing and learning all the time (and we use books even more now they are home educated) so I just can't do that to them right?!

Oh bugger! I just realised DH and I are discussing going halves on a subscription next year - and its books! (Nat Geo maths thing - DH brought the first one home the other day) does that mean I'm out?

We do the same with the DC, mostly library with some from Oxfam books and a few gifts. They are 10, 12 and 14 and total bookworms, the number of books in our house was getting ridiculous. Most books are only read once so the library is fine. Our library lets you borrow 20 books at a time and has a really good online reservation system where you can source books from anywhere in the county and just pop in and collect them from the front desk when you get the email to say they are ready for you.

Deep breaths... I m in 😀

I use my library anyway but I ve a lot of books here in house but also on kindle....
If I 'sell' books to my second hand book shop won't include it & I got a voucher from a friend for Xmas.

I also want to read 30 - 50 books in 2017.

I got no kindle vouchers for Christmas. So i really should try this

RemusLupinsChristmasMovie (sorry, I haven't worked out how to make usernames bold yet!) I got The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and American Gods by Neil Gaiman today, and also The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison after writing my last post . I'm looking forward to reading them, particularly The Snow Child.
I like having paper copies of books but at 99p will happily get a digital copy instead!

Place marking while I consider it .

I have way too many unread books that have been sitting around for a while. Need to read or get rid so somebody else can appreciate them.

I also have a bit of a 99p Kindle book habit which I should probably put a stop to.

Let me think.

Keep tying with The Snow Child but wondered if it might be a bit twee. Would love to hear how you get on with it.

I.am joining this one. I read a lot but we have stacks of unread books - I could possibly even go two years!

I need to join you. We have a comfortable income and, in the past couple of months, I have noticed how much I spend on a whim. None of it is a real extravagance, but it mounts up over the month & there isn't much to show for it at the end of the month. Whilst we have a comfortable income, both DH and I do fairly specialised jobs & would have problems if either of us was made redundant so I have vowed to be more sensible & books is a good place to start. Full time work, 1hr commute each way, 2 primary aged DC, friends & life (the laundry!!!) mean I have little time to read but go on a spending spree each time I go into the local independent bookshop & often take a diversion through the books aisle in the supermarket too. I must have 50 odd unread books of my own, DH must have recommended another 50 of his and I have a few hundred of my own that I could re-read. I should probably resolve not to buy more books this decade!!
I do have a "get out of jail free" card as I have a £25 book token to spend. I will save that for holiday reads in July.