I think you'll find that many books are available in E versions. You might have to have a specific e book reader. I've seen e-books on both barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. Most new books should be available in that format, and once you've invested in the reader, they are cheaper than hard copy books.
I think I'd go crazy if I went twelve years, or even twelve days, between books. (Although admittedly I did go for 6 weeks while I was at AFROTC field training, but even then I did read, textbooks and manuals)