Sunday 13 June 2010

Book Buying Embargo - first week!

Okay, so this was my face at the thought of facing six months without buying any books:



I don't like to brag too much but this first week has gone... well, okay! I've been in a charity shop (dropping off my latest lot of read but unwanted books) and didn't buy anything. I've been in a Waterstones looking for a present for my mum and didn't buy anything. Most crucially, I attended Alt Fiction in Derby and, as I'm sure others can attest, I didn't buy anything. I even decided against going to the auction for fear of purchasing a book in a sneaky fashion. So, delightfully, I am on target so far.

Of course, in an ironic twist, my wonderful publishing contacts sent me 10 books for review. I would sigh, but I love receiving new shinies so much (details of the 10 will follow in my weekly Books I Adopted This Week post).

Altogether, though, my face at the end of the week is more like this:



I'm not going to do weekly posts to update you, that would be excessive, but I was rather proud of myself at this auspicious beginning! Cheerleading my efforts is, of course, obligatory!

8 comments:

  1. Wonderful job. I did not do so well. In fact I managed to purchase two duplicates this week. Sigh, At least I have a few good presents.

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  2. You did wonderful! And I wouldn't count review copies either ;)

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  3. Amanda, I don't think I could ever stop buying books. I try to cut down from time to time but never stop.

    As for alt.fiction I think I ended up with about a dozen new books from that little meeting, plus another half dozen from my lunch time stroll in Derby. Darn thing about this being in the nearest city to me is I know where all the bookshops are.

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  4. Congratulations on going a week! It is a bigger feat than most people realize :)

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  5. Well done, you have very good willpower! I have been very good this week too, I managed to swap three books rather than buying them!

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  6. @Bekah - I have hated those occasions where I've managed to buy a duplicate book. Always so disappointing!

    @irisonbooks - You're not the first to say that I should be refusing review copies. But I genuinely think I would go mad with absolutely no books coming into my house!

    I.E. Lester - The book area was so very, very tempting. I ventured in there a couple of times to have books signed, but managed to stay away from the tables of shiny books!

    @Amy - Thanks for the kind words! It has been tough :-)

    @Dot - Swapping books and libraries is something I really need to utilise more!

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  7. Way to go you!! Especially at keeping your cool at Alt Fiction. I would have never been able to do that! Well thats one week down 25 to go right? ;)

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  8. @Mieneke - ouch, I'm trying not to think about the number of weeks I still have to endure ;-)

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