Friday, May 01, 2009

So -- What do I do?

A few posts ago I made a declaration that I wasn't going to by any more books until I read 5 from the TBR pile. Of course this was the middle of April when there weren't any that I immediately wanted so it was much easier to say that.

But now we are into May and there are four books that I really want - really, really bad. Books I'm panting after. There are more than that but these ones I just HAVE to HAVE.

Wait a minute you're thinking - doesn't she already have The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie???
Well - yes, I do - but mine is an ARC copy and there might have been a few small changes and the one I have doesn't have in instep cover and I really want an instep cover.







So here's where we are at. I am just about done the 4th book in my own personal challenge. The only thing is that 2 are actually rereads - not from the TBR pile. I think I can get a fifth one in before these are 'officially' released.


For two of these - Hard and Fast and Daring Time - they are 24 % less expensive ordering them online then buying them in the store. But in order to get free shipping - which is quite a bit if you pay for it - I have to spend a certain amount. By purchasing all these books, I save myself quite a bit of money - but it would mean reading a total of 20 books. That's a whole lot of books to read now that it's May




As for To Beguile a Beast - I love Elizabeth Hoyt and I've been (im)patiently waiting for this one for a while and it helps make up the free shipping total.

So question one - do rereads count towards the total?

Second question, do I get them all in one shot to save the money but break my own challenge - or am I just doing a most excellent job of justifying?




All thoughts and opinions welcome - keeping in mind I really, really, really want all four of these books.

30 comments:

Stacy~ said...

Kristie, I think re-reads should definitely count. Srsly.

Oh a lot of these are on my list! I cannot wait to get Jennifer Ashley's book. It sounds so good.

Hope you have a great weekend :)

LorelieLong said...

Can you afford them?

Yes? Go for it.

Does your house look like those old people who stack up piles and piles of newspapers and random junk until you can hardly walk through?

No? Then go for it.

Leslie said...

Re-reads don't come from the TBR pile so....

But I love saving money so I say buy the books cause you're going to buy them anyway. :) Just don't read them until you've read 5 from your TBR pile.

*Just printed a Borders coupon to use for the Jennifer Ashley book. Never read anything by her & this one sounds great.*

nath said...

Are these the only books you're looking forward in May? Because I say, go for it, order them all at once and don't buy any more books till you have read the number of books you're supposed to :)

That's what I would do... of course, after a few weeks, I would toss my own challenge out the window :P

Unknown said...

Hi Kristie!

Certainly re-reads count! Sometimes I get more from the re-read than I can remember from the first read!

I pick up little nuances that I missed before.

Go ahead buy the books!

Dottie :)

LVLM(Leah) said...

I say life is short- do what makes you feel happy. And you'll save so much money to boot! It's a win-win. :D

I also wanted to get a few of my TBR pile down when you wrote your post about it. But alas, I succumbed to lure of some books I just had to have or I'd die. LOL

To be fair, since I had to have them, they became instant TBR pile and since I read a few of them straight away, I figure I did bite into my TBR pile.

Thank gawd for rationalizations. snort

Go for it!

JenB said...

Pffft. Screw self-control. If you want books, you should buy books. After all, reading is good for you. ;)

azteclady said...

And this, Kristie, is why we all love you so very much!

Go for it, m'dear!

And you know what? I'll even offer my mad carpenter skillz to build you some (more) bookcases.

[Okay, so they are more utilitarian than chic, but hey, they do hold shitloads of books]

Ashley Danielle said...

If I couldn't read a book I really wanted until I read 5 others, it would make me hate reading those 5. I wouldn't enjoy those 5 books because all I wanted to read was something else I couldn't have. That's not really fair to those 5 books then.

So I say go for it!

Jill D. said...

Wow, would you listen to this bunch of enablers!! I am going to be the lone voice of dissent and tell you to stick to the promise you made yourself. In the long run you will be so proud of yourself for sticking to your guns! Then once you have met your goal, you get to reward yourself!!

Heather D said...

Hey I use rereads for my challenges...so I guess you can say rereads count as a TBR especially if you planned on rereading it!!

I say regardless buy all the books to save the money!! I am a book junkie who has been put on a buying diet, at least until I get more books read!!

Anonymous said...

I say go for it. You always tell me not to fight it, lol.

Oh, Kristie, you got some good picks. I just bought Hoyt's new one and can't wait to read it.

Anonymous said...

I could not have survived pregnancy without some great rationalizations about all the nutritional value in KitKat bars.

I think you could paraphrase my personal guru Cnthia Heimel here: "Never, ever sleep with someone on the first date. Unless you really, really want to." -- willaful

Joanna Chambers said...

Instep covers.

Who wouldn't for an instep cover?

Marg said...

I broke my own book buying embargo for two of these books, so I am probably not the best person to ask! (Hoyt and Ashley).

And, yes, rereads definitely count!

Karen W. said...

Re-reads count for me.

Order all the books together and enjoy. :) As others have said, life is short. If you can afford it & they'll make you happy, you should do it!

PeggyP said...

Kristie, here's the way I rationalize my many book purchases: Cost of book ($7.99) divided by hours of reading (5 hrs for avg paperback) equals $1.60. Wow, wouldn't you gladly pay $1.60/hr to be thoroughly entertained...sure you would, so order those books, posthaste!

There, what else do you need rationalized away? Wait to you hear my reasons to not lose weight!

Anonymous said...

I'm always for saving money on books so I would go for it. Then I would (try to! LOL) read the number of books I should to keep to the terms of the challenge.

"keeping in mind I really, really, really want all four of these books" - love the colors for the "reallys" there! *g*

So, did you buy the books already? ;)

Kristie (J) said...

Taja: *g* No I haven't. Until the "official" release date at Chapters online, I'd still have to pay shipping and some of them don't have an "official" release date for a few days even though they might be in the stores - wacky I know.

PeggyP: Wow - you're gooood :-)

KarenW: That's true - what would happen if I got hit by a bus on book 15????

Marg: Oooooh - you bought the Ashley book!! I hope you do a review for it. I'm on my third read of it now - it's one of my reread books.

Tumperkin: ROTFL - Yes - the joys of the instep cover - a way to enjoy man titty, clinch covers at the same time as claiming to not like them. A wonderful invention they are. And it makes it so much easier to take them to the front desk whilst buying.

Willaful: It's a known fact that chocolate can be good for you. I'm sure it must have some chemical or ingredient that meets our dietary needs.

Barbara: Another one in the go for it category!!!! I like it!

Heather: I like to think that by getting these books, I'm helping the author - yep - that works too.

JillD: But do you know how long that will take at my current pace? I've read 27 books so far this year and we are in May! At this pace it won't be until August or September before I get that amount in - and think of all the releases in the coming months I will have on the list to read. I see a huge backlog.

Do you buy that?

Ashley - Hello!!! And you make a most excellent point. Those five could very possibly become resentment books couldn't they? And that wouldn't be a good thing could it??????

AL: Ack! Bookcases - now there is another subject!! My library is now at capacity and I have to branch into another room. But the room I'm branching out into is full of furniture so I'm going to have to get rid of some of the furniture to make room for more book cases.

JenB: I like your attitude - heh heh heh

Leah: Rationalization is a wonderful/scary thing to us book addicts isn't it? We are so very good at it. My sister who isn't a book addict - though she does read a lot - seldom buys my excuses.

Dottie: OK - the majority says rereads count - therefore they count - happy dance!!

Nath: There are a few other May books I want too - but not with the burning intensity of these 4. So I could rationalize by saying I won't buy the other May releases.....couldn't I?

Leslie: Ah - a dissenting voice on the rereads counting *sigh* But then you do make a point about saving money...

LorieLong: In answer to your first question - yes - I just got a nice healthy raise. In answer to your second question - there is some debate about that one. You walk into some rooms and have to pick up piles of books and move them somewhere else quite often - until I get those other book shelves.

Stacy: And I can hardly wait to think what you think of it!!!!!! I'm predicting it will blow you away just like it has me. We have North and South and Broken Wing in common so I think this will be another one ;-)

C2 said...

My goodness, get the books if you want them! ;-) I'm reading Hard & Fast right now...sooooo good!

On Lord Ian's cover, I don't know what kind of cover your ARC has but the released version doesn't have a step-back. What you see (a sliver of clinch) is what you get.

I've heard good things about the Hoyt but the Kery has been getting mixed reviews. Maybe a delay on that one would with your overall numbers? LOL

SarahT said...

Go for it! As an unrepentant bookaholic, I can always justify buying more books.

I'm currently two pages into 'The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie'. I'm willing the kids to go to bed early so I can read it!

~ames~ said...

I tried being strong Kristie. FAIL! LOL

CindyS said...

This is why I'm staying 'challenge free' this year. Do you think you'll read these 4 books immediately? If so, buy 'em. If not, you can always wait.

Again though, if you are going to read them pronto then buy them!

Cindys

All’sReads said...

Kristie, go for it! June is probably a slow month and not many new releases of interest ;) so make up for it now!

Brandy said...

I'd buy them. *G* AND you're actually being virtuous by saving a bit of money. *G*

orannia said...

I also agree that re-reads count :) Plus, by the time the books you want to order arrive, won't you have read your five books? *grin*

SarahT said...

Alison makes a valid point re: June releases. I have a mere 3 books on my To Buy list for June, as opposed to 10 in May and 8 in July. Are May and July particularly popular months in which to release new books, or is this a coincidence?

Kristie (J) said...

Sarah: Yes - she does doesn't she?? And after June, there are July, and August after that!! Why - if I don't get them now then I could be months behind!! There is at least one on my June list (Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian)

Orannia:Another vote in the thumbs up for rereads!!

Brandy: There is that isn't there. Saving money is a good thing!!!

Cindy: *laughing* I ALWAYS tell myself I'm going to read a book right away - it's the doing it that's the rub. But some of these - yeah - I'd read right away.

Ames: Alas - I have a feeling I'll be falling into that category too :(

Sarah: Ooooohhhh - I can hardly wait to see what you think of it!!

C2: No step back?? Well dang! Still, my copy is getting a teeny tiny bit ratty. And the Kery book is one of the ones I want to read right away.


Well, I want to read them all right away.

SarahT said...

Kristie, I absolutely adored Lord Ian!!! One of the best romances I've read in aver long time. I'm posting my review tomorrow. Thank you so much for yet another great recommendation. I'm now off to look up Judith James...:-)

Mary M. said...

A few posts ago I made a declaration that I wasn't going to by any more books until I read 5 from the TBR pile.Lol. I made a smiliar declaration in January. Of course, that was at a time I had no eagerly awaited books for the next three months or so. I had some in late March and April, and the good intentions all went to hell. Buy one book, and woops, 5 more jump in your Amazon/Chapters cart/recyclable bag at the bookstore.

I say, unless you have over 300 books in your TBR pile, and if you can afford it, send the challenge to hell and buy those books. If you're like me, you'll have trouble thinking of anything else anyway and won't be able to enjoy the other books you'd be reading instead of those, so save yourself the anguish and buy the book. Challenges are overrated anyway ;). (you do make an excellent job of justifying, though, which I very much admire ;-DDD)