At the beginning of February, I promised myself that I would not buy any books at all this month, and instead, get on with writing in the time that I usually read.
As you can see from this lovingly prepared book grid, this didn't happen. Worse still, this is just a snapshot of one day of shopping on amazon. It's early days yet, but I have re-promised, with my fingers uncrossed to try much harder next time.
...and you know what else? Once upon a time, I couldn't wait to get my hands on an e-reader. Didn't care if it was Sony, Apple or Kindle (except for that original Kindle which I really didn't want anything to do with based on its Fisher-Price design). In the last six months, I have totally changed my mind. I've seen people on the train with their e-readers and all I see is people staring at a leather bound "something". Meantime, they are able to look across the table at me and see exactly what I'm reading - and I like that. I have come to realise that I like holding stuff. I like the art of the cover. I like stuffing it in my pocket, giving it to my sister, browsing the racks and obviously (duh!), I like how they smell.
Whilst I still see the commercial mileage in it - and will (hypocritically?) be releasing my own material as e-books as well as hardbacks and paperbacks, it's not for me at an ownership level. I'm sure it's great for students to carry around millions of text books in a handy package, great for those who don't want others to see what shameful crap you like reading and fantastic for particularly boring work materials if for instance, you are a chemist. But for me? Not today thanks. I have realised the folly of being able to say you are carrying 20,000 books around all at the same time. Why would you want to do that?
Besides, if I got shot of all my books, all I would have left in my house is a collection of Doctor Who mugs. So screw you world - I don't believe there's an app that can replace them!
PostScript: Actually, the Image Comics app on the iphone is a totally killer piece of kit - for me and them. It's the right sort of genre for e-readers, very clever in its delivery and I'm more aware of their collection and have spent more money with them than ever before in my life because of it... sadly, the same can't be said of Marvel and DC who seem to think it's fine to peddle me old and worthless shit in the name of saying "we're doing it". People really should pay attention to what's going on around them.
