# Am I alone in this?



## infiniteTBR (Jan 3, 2010)

My significant other seems to think I have lost my marbles. I think that other Kindle users would share in my obsession!  I currently have 487 books on my Kindle, adding more every day. Now, for one, I read VERY quickly - I can knock back 2-4 books per day off the Kindle, more if I am lazing on the beach. Secondly, I have never paid a dime for a book for my Kindle. 90% of them are not "classics" - but just me knowing where to look, where to go, and being able to convert my own .mobi files. So since I am not costing myself anything other than time, and since I have the potential to read all of these books... does anyone else think that my hobby is insane... or am I just another Kindle lover?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Yes, you are the only one and are insane.

(There, that should teach you to never ask a question when you don't really want one of the answers.      )


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

No, you aren't alone. I've paid for a significant number of my books and still have over 200 waiting to be read. There would be more but I refuse to give into the publisher's nasty tactics of charging so much for ebooks and will not pay more than 9.99 for a book simply on principle. I have many, many indie books waiting to be read, so I have more than enough to keep myself busy.  I work full time, so I read far less than you per day. I hope to live long enough to read all the books in my TBR list as well as those on my wishlist!


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I think collecting ebooks is similar to anything else you collect. For about two years, I was heavily into rubber stamps. Sadly, I have lost the creative bug for the past several years, but there must be 1,000 or more rubber stamps stacked in boxes in the basement for when the itch to be creative returns.

At least ebooks don't take up any room.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> I think collecting ebooks is similar to anything else you collect. For about two years, I was heavily into rubber stamps. Sadly, I have lost the creative bug for the past several years, but there must be 1,000 or more rubber stamps stacked in boxes in the basement for when the itch to be creative returns.
> 
> At least ebooks don't take up any room.


That is a very good point! And honestly, it's cheaper than my bead addiction.


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2010)

infiniteTBR said:


> My significant other seems to think I have lost my marbles. I think that other Kindle users would share in my obsession!  I currently have 487 books on my Kindle, adding more every day. Now, for one, I read VERY quickly - I can knock back 2-4 books per day off the Kindle, more if I am lazing on the beach. Secondly, I have never paid a dime for a book for my Kindle. 90% of them are not "classics" - but just me knowing where to look, where to go, and being able to convert my own .mobi files. So since I am not costing myself anything other than time, and since I have the potential to read all of these books... does anyone else think that my hobby is insane... or am I just another Kindle lover?


I'd say you're absolutely not alone. There's nothing quite like having the library of Alexandria right in your pocket. If knowledge is power, you've just become ULTRA-POWERFUL! Please inform your wife of such and she'll be likely to back down a bit. What have you read lately that's been really good?


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## Sean Sweeney (Apr 17, 2010)

Look at your handle... I would say yaaaa!


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I have had my Kindle almost 2 years... I have about 150 unread books on my Kindle, I only keep the unreads on my K.. My archive @amazon however has over 500 books, and I have about 1000 others from different places. 700 or so that I have not yet converted and popped onto my Kindle to read. Like you, I read alot & fast, So I am always on the lookout for freebies, or low priced ones... I have bought books, so my pricew per book is not $0, more like $0.40 or less. That's ok with me though.


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

BTackitt said:


> I have had my Kindle almost 2 years... I have about 150 unread books on my Kindle, I only keep the unreads on my K.. My archive @amazon however has over 500 books, and I have about 1000 others from different places. 700 or so that I have not yet converted and popped onto my Kindle to read. Like you, I read alot & fast, So I am always on the lookout for freebies, or low priced ones... I have bought books, so my pricew per book is not $0, more like $0.40 or less. That's ok with me though.


My situation is pretty much identical to BTackitt's...... and I couldn't be happier. This is WAY cheaper than other forms of "entertainment". WAYYY cheaper than going to movies at a theater.... golfing 18 holes every Wednesday.... an on and on. DH thinks my Kindle/book obsession is one of the least expensive hobbies I could have.... and I don't even have to leave home to enjoy it.


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2010)

BTackitt said:


> I have had my Kindle almost 2 years... I have about 150 unread books on my Kindle, I only keep the unreads on my K.. My archive @amazon however has over 500 books, and I have about 1000 others from different places. 700 or so that I have not yet converted and popped onto my Kindle to read. Like you, I read alot & fast, So I am always on the lookout for freebies, or low priced ones... I have bought books, so my pricew per book is not $0, more like $0.40 or less. That's ok with me though.





PraiseGod13 said:


> My situation is pretty much identical to BTackitt's...... and I couldn't be happier. This is WAY cheaper than other forms of "entertainment". WAYYY cheaper than going to movies at a theater.... golfing 18 holes every Wednesday.... an on and on. DH thinks my Kindle/book obsession is one of the least expensive hobbies I could have.... and I don't even have to leave home to enjoy it.


Wow, you are a couple of prolific readers! If this were the renaissance, Voltaire would be making statues of you two! Hopefully I`ll be standing shoulder to shoulder with you some day, though it sounds like I have a lot of catching up to do!


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Forever, come join the Book count group
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,25778.0.html
Kinda keep track of what you read every month. There's a new thread every month since October when we started doing this on K-Boards. So on Thursday there will be a new thread for the month of July.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

It's only insane and obsessive if it interferes with your life.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

No, you're not insane. A little impulsive, maybe. But hey, it's better than having to lug around the stacks of 200 unread books I used to have. Took me a few years (I only average about 50 books a year), but I finally got my to-be-read pile down to half a dozen or so and am trying to keep it there. Trying to keep the same numbers on the Kindle. Of course I also keep a list of books I want to read, and that runs into the thousands, but I'll get to those when I can.


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## threeundertwo (Jul 25, 2009)

Insane would be buying the physical books and turning your home into a warehouse.

I'm impressed with the 2-4 books/day.  I can't even imagine.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

I don't have a Kindle. Yet. But when I get mine (July or August), I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a LOT of books in there, too.


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## Groggy1 (Jun 21, 2010)

You could always offer to switch from reading to drinking and see if she thinks you're nuts then.  2-3 bottles od cheap whisky a day, maybe a stil out back. couple of toasted oak Barrels sitting in the basement... 

 

There is always a better alternative - right?


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## originalgrissel (Mar 5, 2010)

You're not crazy, you are just intensely focussed.   Honestly, you should tell your better half that there are worse things you could be obsessed with/addicted to and most of those don't give your brain excercise, they just kill brain cells. I'm a fast reader as well and even though my husband is a slow reader he loves books, so luckily I've never had to justify my hobby to him. Of course if I did, I could always claim it was genetic. My mother was a voracious reader & when she died it took me and my sisters weeks to help Dad clean out all of the books she had filling up the house. Of course, now that Dad is retired and by himself he has time to read all the books he wants to and the house is filling up again. I think he needs a Kindle.


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## laurie_lu (May 10, 2010)

I would read a lot more if I had the free time to myself to do it.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

You are not alone in this.    I don't have a Kindle yet either... hopefully soon... but my Kindle for PC is pretty full already.  And there's more I want.

Nothing wrong with snagging the free ones while they are free, I say.  If you start reading it and don't like it, it's just as easy to delete it.

Vicki


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I would spend much more time reading if I didn't waste so much time on the internet.


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## meljackson (Nov 19, 2008)

mlewis78 said:


> I would spend much more time reading if I didn't waste so much time on the internet.


Same here! 
I can't imagine reading 4 books per day though. I wish I had enough time for that.

Melissa


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## ErichSysak (Jun 23, 2010)

You could be the fastest reader on the planet!


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## john_a_karr (Jun 21, 2010)

You are the quintessential voracious reader.


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## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

infiniteTBR said:


> My significant other seems to think I have lost my marbles. I think that other Kindle users would share in my obsession!  I currently have 487 books on my Kindle, adding more every day. Now, for one, I read VERY quickly - I can knock back 2-4 books per day off the Kindle, more if I am lazing on the beach. Secondly, I have never paid a dime for a book for my Kindle. 90% of them are not "classics" - but just me knowing where to look, where to go, and being able to convert my own .mobi files. So since I am not costing myself anything other than time, and since I have the potential to read all of these books... does anyone else think that my hobby is insane... or am I just another Kindle lover?


You are a sane, well balanced, and wonderful human being...and exactly the type of person us authors adore


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

My husband and I both have Kindles and we like to read the same kind of books which is great. Just about ever day I am buying books. I have alot of unread books on my Kindle but alot of them are indie books and I paid very little for them. My husband laughs because I am always reading samples. I never get to read my books because of the samples.LOL. I just love books. We have a large library in our home of books and no more room and before the Kindle I was always buying books  so now I am buying them for our Kindles. I just can't pass up a good deal and reading these boards don't help when I hear about so many great books.LOL. So I guess I am insane also.


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## wc (Jun 2, 2010)

Completely insane-without a doubt bonkers, but that's okay. It makes you more interesting.


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## infiniteTBR (Jan 3, 2010)

See, I knew I was in good company 

I just finished the Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon, and I may just be enticed to actually PURCHASE my first ebook to read more by this author. I thought it was well done.

I find that I read books from a huge range of genres when I limit myself to the free ones, and I find books I would never have expected to like in the process. The Sheepfarmer's Daughter is a prime example. It is not a book I would have gone to the store and paid $6.99 for - I wouldn't have gotten past the first sentence of the back cover... but it was free, so I read it - and I loved it!


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## Debra L Martin (Apr 8, 2010)

infiniteTBR said:


> My significant other seems to think I have lost my marbles. I think that other Kindle users would share in my obsession!  I currently have 487 books on my Kindle, adding more every day. Now, for one, I read VERY quickly - I can knock back 2-4 books per day off the Kindle, more if I am lazing on the beach. Secondly, I have never paid a dime for a book for my Kindle. 90% of them are not "classics" - but just me knowing where to look, where to go, and being able to convert my own .mobi files. So since I am not costing myself anything other than time, and since I have the potential to read all of these books... does anyone else think that my hobby is insane... or am I just another Kindle lover?


I'm looking to buy a Kindle soon too. May I ask which model Kindle you own? Any quirks that us newbies should know about? I can't imagine getting through 2-4 books a day. I don't think I can actually sit still that long without needing to jump up and do something.

Deb


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## RyanMWilliams (May 28, 2010)

I don't think you're crazy.  I've got a library of over 400 e-books that I built up when I was reading on Palm OS-based devices (even back before they had color screens!), but I haven't added to it in a long time since my last pda stopped working.  Now I plan on adding to it — after I catch up on some reading since I had plenty of e-books I hadn't even had a chance to get to yet!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Before Kindle I usually had a TBR pile of 3-4 books. Now, it's about 60. Still, nowhere near as big as yours, but I understand your point. Consumption has increased exponentially.


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## Maker (Jun 22, 2010)

When my Kindle comes I eagerly anticipate having this problem.


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## Karen Fenech (Jul 1, 2010)

I'm new to ebooks and enjoying them.  I'm finding that my TBR ebooks are surpassing my physical TBR book pile.  : )


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## Dennis Phillips (Jun 19, 2010)

infiniteTBR said:


> My significant other seems to think I have lost my marbles. I think that other Kindle users would share in my obsession!  I currently have 487 books on my Kindle, adding more every day. Now, for one, I read VERY quickly - I can knock back 2-4 books per day off the Kindle, more if I am lazing on the beach. Secondly, I have never paid a dime for a book for my Kindle. 90% of them are not "classics" - but just me knowing where to look, where to go, and being able to convert my own .mobi files. So since I am not costing myself anything other than time, and since I have the potential to read all of these books... does anyone else think that my hobby is insane... or am I just another Kindle lover?


Never paid for a book? What about classics or recent releases?


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## Linda S. Prather Author (Jun 25, 2010)

Not alone, and not insane.  My sister doesn't have a Kindle (yet), but she can easily read three to four books a day.  I used to read a book a day, and look forward to the time I can get back to that.  E-books make it easier for me, because I don't have to leave home to go get them. 

Read on!


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## dlanzarotta (Jul 14, 2010)

E-books do make it easier and I love it!  Seriously, the other day I was reading in the movie theater, while I waited for the movie to start. lol


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Someone coined a name for it - EBHD - E-Book Hoarding Disorder.  I'm a "sufferer" as well, I can't resist a bargain book that sounds interesting, much less a freebie.  But, I figure at least it doesn't take up a lot of space (like my hoarding of used books did - not to mention the fabric I used to hoard for quilting long after I'd stopped quilting).  It's harmless, just enjoy and carry one.  And being such a fast reader, you've probably got a better chance of actually reading all those hoarded books than I do of reading mine!


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm just curious.. When you read that fast, how much do you really retain? Also, are you able to fully visualize each character? When I read, I imagine it all visually and give each character their own full voice (in my head) as I read. If they have an accent, I imagine that as well.  Does anyone else do this? 

I would think if your reading that fast you'd be unable to do that and IMO it would not be fun.


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2010)

infiniteTBR said:


> . Secondly, I have never paid a dime for a book for my Kindle. 90% of them are not "classics" - but just me knowing where to look, where to go, and being able to convert my own .mobi files. So since I am not costing myself anything other than time,


Please tell me this means you are simply downloading legal free books from places like Smashwords, and not from illegal bit torrent sites.


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## Gabriela Popa (Apr 7, 2010)

BTackitt said:


> Forever, come join the Book count group
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,25778.0.html
> Kinda keep track of what you read every month. There's a new thread every month since October when we started doing this on K-Boards. So on Thursday there will be a new thread for the month of July.


I take my hat off to all the prolific readers!

Gabriela


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## donna callea (Dec 25, 2009)

I'm a slow reader.  Also a slow writer.  I do everything slow, which, I guess is why I don't get much done.  So I'm very impressed by anyone who can read more than one book a day.  If I did that, when would I nap?


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## DLs Niece (Apr 12, 2010)

foreverjuly said:


> There's nothing quite like having the library of Alexandria right in your pocket.


I would LOVE to have the library of Alexandra in my pocket. *drools.

I've only had my Kindle a few weeks and I think I have about 20 books waiting to be read. I can see me being in the triple digits in no time.

I can knock of a book in a weekend but there is no way I could read one in a day... let alone 3 or 4.  My hat's off to those who can.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

Well, it depends on the book! Are we talking Remembrance of Things Past, or S#$t My Dad Says?


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## infiniteTBR (Jan 3, 2010)

Yes, to clarify - the books are Amazon free releases, Smashwords, Mobi books, Scribd, etc. All perfectly LEGAL free books.


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## infiniteTBR (Jan 3, 2010)

Octochick said:


> I'm just curious.. When you read that fast, how much do you really retain? Also, are you able to fully visualize each character? When I read, I imagine it all visually and give each character their own full voice (in my head) as I read. If they have an accent, I imagine that as well. Does anyone else do this?
> 
> I would think if your reading that fast you'd be unable to do that and IMO it would not be fun.


I have been a speed reader since childhood. I can quote direct lines from books I've read, tell you the whole story over again after I am done (in sumary of course), and yes, I laugh, tear up, get angry, etc while I read. If it weren't incredibly enjoyable and fulfilling, I wouldn't do it!


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

I've felt for some time...and remember, I'm speaking as an author...that the world could go on quite happily without anyone writing another novel, ever. We are close to having everything ever written at our fingertips, in an explosion of literature that dwarfs the library at Alexandria (which would fit on a single SD card, BTW). I often wonder what in the world I have to contribute to such an unimaginably huge body of work.


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## infiniteTBR (Jan 3, 2010)

Ahh but you see, for as many books as there are in this world, there are millions of people with a million different preferences. Would you leave a zombie lover out in the dust? Sure, there are a ton of zombie books out there, but for people who can tell the crap from the great, books like yours are always a welcome addition to the collection. People always want a fresh new idea, no matter how many books there are out there.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

I don't care how much writing there is out there. I still feel I've got a good story others would love to hear.

David Dalglish


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

Meemo said:


> Someone coined a name for it - EBHD - E-Book Hoarding Disorder.


Next thing you know, there will be drunk one-clicking, as well! 

Joel Arnold


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## Travis haselton (Jul 24, 2010)

Its alot cheaper than me spending 500 dollars on a 1911 .45. Keep doing it as long as it doesn't cut into time better spent doing other things.


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## Carolyn A (Jul 25, 2010)

OMG, as a new Kindle owner, I had no idea I was heading myself into yet another obsession. Yikes!


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