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?

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

I have bought 7 books today. 2 Margaret Mahy young adult novels, a Margery Allingham, 3 Ngaio Marshes and an urban fantasy book by Thea Harrison. I tried to buy a Dorothy Sayers collection too but it turned out I already have it and hadn't realised, or read it. I did not get book tokens for Christmas.

[Izzy24]

Oh this already feels so painful but I commit to buying no new books til I have read all the unread ones on my shelf.

Of which there are many as I cannot resist a bookshop.

[ChessieFL]

I need to do this as I have over 100 unread books on my kindle and loads more unread physical books round the house. I also need to save a bit of money.

[FishChipsAndBeans]

I'll join too please.

I just counted my unread Kindle books and they total 160

[Cagliostro]

OK I have told a couple of friends IRL about it now. No going back now!

[Parisbanana]

Really looking forward to having some company with this in the new year and seeing how good our resistance is! I didn't get any book tokens for Christmas this year which makes things easier, and I only got 3 books, all 2nd hand Pan paperbacks..some time ago our local Oxfam took delivery of a huge (hundreds) collection of Pans and sold them for £1 each. Dh bought me 3.
And after reading this thread so far all I can say is it's a really good job I don't have a kindle!

[ChapstickLegends]

I bought a few Kindle books today 😩

I think it's time for a Mumsnet intervention.

[southeastdweller]

I was gifted some book vouchers yesterday but honestly have no desire to use them for quite a while - I even browsed in Waterstones today and wasn't tempted, nor by anything in the Kindle sale . So far so good!

[Izzy24]

I was Fauves three new books for Christmas. And a book that I ordered just before Christmas arrived. I did order a cookery book yesterday but THAT'S IT for a year !

[Matilda2013]

Currently reading Stephen King's 11.22.63 and beginning to believe I won't need any other books for a year at the rate this one is going

[Izzy24]

Fauves?????

Given!

The hardest thing for me will be
staying out of Oxfam bookshops.

[JemimaMuddledUp]

I allow myself to buy from Oxfam as long as I donate them back when I've finished. Ours has a shelf of recent hardbacks at 99p each - I treat the 99p as a loan fee and take them back afterwards (unless I really love the book and/or think one of the DC will read it).

[Cagliostro]

Well my book subscription dilemma has been taken out of my hands. My lovely dad phoned out of the blue and said he'd seen it advertised and he wanted to subscribe to it for me! The subject is something we have always bonded over so it will be extra special. :)

It also means - I can definitely not buy myself any new books in 2017. Hurrah! The lovely book I bought from my birthday money arrived today, so that is IT now.

I am avoiding the twelve days of kindle sale on amazon.

[stillwantrachelshair]

As I was putting this year's Xmas gift books by my bed, I came across the pile of ones I was given last year and several of the ones I bought this year. I really don't need to buy any more books...although am pleased to know I can use my book token on the Maggie o'Farrell

[Cagliostro]

I am resisting the urge to buy lots of books before January 1st :o

I realised I should also apply this 'no purchase' rule to notebooks. I have heaps lying around, mostly unused!

I might try a no purchase January for board games and DVDs though too as they are my other weakness. I know I couldn't last much longer than that though.

[Murine]

Why did I google book subscriptions?! So tempting!

[useyourimagination]

Does paying the library for reservations count? I love my local library but it's very small so I happily pay 60p to reserve a book and get it sent to my local. As for buying books, I'll happily try but there's a book I really, really want that's out on 17/1 and so far no sign of my library getting it.

[Parisbanana]

useyourimagination entirely up to you!
For me, it's just a good way to read the backlog, and some books that have been knocking around for so long that I've never got round to (quite a lot of dh's) and to save some money as I've just been made redundant. Starting this thread was just a bit of fun, and another way to discuss and chat about things bookish. Though I have no doubt by the end of it, my 'to read' list will have expanded considerably as people tempt me with what they're reading

[missyB1]

Just downloaded Rosamund Pilcher's Winter Solstice onto my kindle after hearing about it on this thread - see it's not my fault!
And I really do need a new recipe book, surely those don't count?

[Matilda2013]

So I have used the last of my Amazon gift card today from October and am now going to not buy more. Plenty of books on my kindle (a lot unread that I always try and buy again), got some unread paper books and have a library nearby if I need it! Hopefullly save some money not spending so many 99ps

[smurfest]

I will join you - can't be that difficult (says she who has just been given 8 books for christmas) .
There's: -
the library,
book swapping with friends
reading your unread backlog

[Parisbanana]

First temptation today when dh was ordering something from Amazon and asked me if there was anything I wanted to take the value to over the £20/free postage threshold. He couldn't believe I just said no! That doesn't normally happen!

[SangtheSun]

I'm in! I've been having a hugely stressful time for several years and was comfort buying books. I have more than I care to think about, unread.
Money's very tight at the moment so I have cut back drastically on book buying already. I'm going to use the library more, read my unread books and re- read some favourites.
My son is giving me 'Hagseed' for Christmas - away from home right now. That was hard to resist myself.
Currently reading "Sapiens" which has been in the unread pile by my bed for quite sometime.

[FetchezLaVache]

Nickel makes a fine point, and I would like to confirm that I am in on the proviso that books bought from independent bookshops don't count. That said, I am a long way from any such. Where I live, it's Waterstones, Smiths, supermarkets and then charity shops if you by want a book...

Did quite well for Christmas, though. I got Keeping On Keeping On by Alan Bennett, A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer, The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay and Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy. So I think that will keep me going for a while before I attack the Unread Pile.

[FetchezLaVache]

"if you by want a book"? Nothing to do with prosecco, honestly.