I got the books pictured here in the mail today.I sort of laughed, thinking, I wonder what the people at the B & N warehouse must think about certain orders. I worked in positions like that long enough to know making fun of customers can be quite the fun sport in a boring job.
And also, cripes, I will get no end of teasing from my husband for my freakishly smutty reading material. Back blurbs will be inspected, parts perhaps read aloud for mocking purposes. MMF action, stranger sex, dirty letters. And I'll feel embarrassed, and be all protesty.
I know I am easy to tease and therefore an attractive target, but a squiriferous husband would not mock my MMF, stranger sex and dirty letter reading material.
I may have gotten these as ebooks, if only my relationship with my ebookwise wasn't so awful. My ebookwise and I are estranged at the moment.
Instant Attraction: a blind faith purchase
Also, OKAY all you people, Instant Attraction is the first time I ever got a book not even remembering what it was about.
I knew once...I saw reviews, but then when I realized so many people loved it, that I would probably get it, so I stopped reading the descriptive parts of reviews for fear of spoilers, and put it on my list to buy, but then I couldn't remember what it was about, only that people LOVE it. During my ordering frenzy, I just kept thinking I should get it. I'm thinking a cowboy is in it.
Are your buying habits shifting?
All these four books were over 10 bucks each! What is up with that? It almost made me put a few back. And I resolved, after this, mass market only. Hardcovers have always been a no-buy zone for me. But now, books over 10 bucks are out. Mass market 6.99 & 7.99 are the only way to go. Anyway, that was my resolution, now that I have all the ten plus dollar books I want. I'm sure my wantonness will take over again soon. A lot of really good books end up over ten bucks. I hate that!
My rationalization
It takes me around a week or 10 days to read a book, so that's less than a buck a day. That is how I rationalize it. Still, I have this compulsion to own the books. If I read one or two a day like some people, I am sure that would change.
Another rationalization: I have so few vices. Can't I have whatever cheap books I want?
So, Do YOU have a rationalization? Is it evolving as the economy tanks?
I may have gotten these as ebooks, if only my relationship with my ebookwise wasn't so awful. My ebookwise and I are estranged at the moment.
Instant Attraction: a blind faith purchaseAlso, OKAY all you people, Instant Attraction is the first time I ever got a book not even remembering what it was about.
I knew once...I saw reviews, but then when I realized so many people loved it, that I would probably get it, so I stopped reading the descriptive parts of reviews for fear of spoilers, and put it on my list to buy, but then I couldn't remember what it was about, only that people LOVE it. During my ordering frenzy, I just kept thinking I should get it. I'm thinking a cowboy is in it.
Are your buying habits shifting?
All these four books were over 10 bucks each! What is up with that? It almost made me put a few back. And I resolved, after this, mass market only. Hardcovers have always been a no-buy zone for me. But now, books over 10 bucks are out. Mass market 6.99 & 7.99 are the only way to go. Anyway, that was my resolution, now that I have all the ten plus dollar books I want. I'm sure my wantonness will take over again soon. A lot of really good books end up over ten bucks. I hate that!
My rationalization
It takes me around a week or 10 days to read a book, so that's less than a buck a day. That is how I rationalize it. Still, I have this compulsion to own the books. If I read one or two a day like some people, I am sure that would change.
Another rationalization: I have so few vices. Can't I have whatever cheap books I want?
So, Do YOU have a rationalization? Is it evolving as the economy tanks?
25 comments:
Oh, I rationalise all the time. I often think of it in cinema terms, ie. If I had gone to see a film at the cinema it would have cost X amount of £s for 2-3 hours. This book cost X amount for many more hours reading time. Well it makes me feel better.
I also use the excuse that I now HAVE to buy and read books so I can keep up my blogging. Not that I'm being paid to do that, or that anyone is making me blog or anything - actually that's not a good rationalisation!
Hee hee.
I also find that buying ebooks makes the whole process even more unreal. I see the book on the screen, put in my credit card details (or even more unreal my paypal password)and get the book instantly without anything 'real' passing through my hands. Of course it's all rather 'real' when the credit card bill comes!
I don't do much of anything so I figure it's okay that I buy the amount of books I do.
And since I don't watch the TV and my husband does, and he could not live without it, then as long as I'm not spending too much more on books monthly than what I spend on the satelite bill, I'm good!
jenre: I love that cinema rationalization. Books are SUCH a better deal! Funny about ebooks though. Your process is crazy easy.
Amy: That's an excellent rationalization; what's more, sattelite isn't cheap. That gives you a good bit of book buying leeway. I would give up TV way before I gave up books.
I'd rather buy books than underwear.
Snort! Yeah! Who needs underwear anyway?
I've already given up TV.
I go in waves about economizing on books. Right now I think I could go for 6 months with plenty to read and not spend a dime. But I *need* the new JR Ward, and the new Nalini Singh, and Christina Dodd's got a follow-up series coming out this summer to the Darkness series that I totally loved, and I'm going to see Kim Harrison on Monday so I'll need to buy her latest one (I'm almost caught up in the Hollows series)...
When I find a new author with a large backlist, I do hit the used bookstores first and if I'm feeling really virtuous, the library. I couldn't find Kim Harrison's 2nd book anywhere -- Amazon had it used for like $20!! -- so did the library thing with that one.
I don't have many vice's either. Reading and book buying are at the top.
I think and tell my family when they bitch about me buy more books..... I could be spending my money on worse things.
Unless it's a "keeper author", it's library, ubs, and half.com/overstock.com before I buy it retail. At least, that's how it's supposed to work.
Instant Attraction is about an injured competitive snowboarder. It's a great, light read! Made me want to go up to a snowy mountain cabin and drink hot cocoa. Very exotic, compared to what I see everyday!
Talk about getting my attention with that first cover...woah!
I rationalize that I have two addictions: books and getting my nails done. I do both.
I don't drink, don't smoke, and don't really do much else, and well, I can afford it. So I buy books and I read them, and then I pimp them and pass them along.
I'm totally OK with it.
Nicola: I could go a while, too, without buying new ones. Probably 4 months, like you. Sometimes you have to buy! But yes, for old ones, I'll do the UBS.
Anna: And what a great vice!
Renee: What? Not a cowboy?
Serena: yeah, exactly!
Kati: First, wow, so lovely the new avatar! And thanks for that book vice positive message. I'm not going to stop unless I get worse off.
Carolyn Jean wrote: "So, Do YOU have a rationalization?"
Yes. It is this: "Carolyn Jean does it, too."
Jessica: Happy to serve!
Oh I've been wanting to read that Portia book for a while and keep forgetting. I must start a wish list!
Instant Attraction - cute book. The others I haven't read but I loved Broken by her so I'm sure these will be good too.
Great haul!
No cowboy, but he is a very hot, outdoors-y kind of guy.
You'll love it!
Supporting other authors
Boosting the economy
Expanding my horizons
Keeping up with trends
Exercizing my brain
Those are some of my rationales. And I really don't buy anything else for myself. I don't like shopping.
*sigh* I don't buy trade-size or hardcover books. They cost too much. Trade-size prices are equivalent to about 5 lunches; hardcovers more than that. Economy downturn or not, I CAN'T bring myself to spend that kind of money.
I am glad to hear that I am not the only recipient of spousely mockery
Oh, and we invariably pay in POUNDS what you pay in dollars for books (not that that's quite the deal it was when the pound was strong - but it's still more).
I really try to keep within the book budget I set each month, but I tend to buy a couple of extra each month. Books are my only vise, so I don't feel too bad.
These are the two Megan Hart books I have. I still have to read Tempted though. LOL! You know sometimes I think about what the guys or gals in the packaging area are saying as they package my orders, too!!! Oh and the Portia DiCosta book has been in my TBB for a while I really want to read it!!
Oh, and my hubby teases me, too. Mercilessly. When he saw my first Harlequin cover, he pointed out a vague resemblance to the, um, female anatomy? The heroine is wearing a dress with a slit in the back, and there's a little tear-drop pendant at the nape of her neck. Either we have dirty minds, or it's suggestive of lady parts. Anyway, he joked about it nonstop. : )
Hope you enjoy Tempted! I haven't actually bought a book in weeks but I have been bombarding my library with hold requests!
Thanks again for sending me Karma Girl last year :) I finally got around to reviewing it lol.
I rarely shop (blech) so it's not much of a rationalization to buy books. So far I haven't given that or my pedicures up :)
sorry for the anonymous - can't remember my login and on a different computer.
Anyhoo. One thing to try is Barnes and Noble's bargain books - I am amazed at the quantity and quality of stuff that gets marked down to bargain almost right away: Sugar Daddy by Kleypas was a hardcover for $6.00 within about four months of publication. Of course, waiting for months for some stuff is hard! and there many fewer trade paperback than hardcovers. But it is worth a quick skim through their "Bargain" section under romance.
lol, the people at BnN just now you have great reading tastes!
The way I rationalize my book buying is that I dont have any other vices, and I deserve good books. Plus I am saving tons of money for friends and family members who borrow my books. So technically I am doing a good deed each time I buy a book.
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
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