How to read more books but on a budget
If I’m being honest, I only started reading books for fun again within the last couple of years. Every millennial my age devoured book series like Harry Potter by JK Rowling, and Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight Saga then got busy with life and very likely found their reading resurrection recently due to the worlds created by Sarah J Maas; A Court of Thorns and Roses, Crescent City, Throne of Glass, and Rebecca Yarros’ offerings of The Empyrean Series; Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm within the last few years.
With a renewed love of reading, a reassessment of personal priorities, and a need to escape reality you may find yourself wondering how to get your hands on as many books as possible without going bankrupt. I have some sources and suggestions that will be useful to you, fellow book addict. Physical, digital, and audiobooks are all included.
Your Local Library
First, get yourself a library card. I’m not sure how many people know this but the library is an amazing community, along with, obviously being the best source of physical books and digital books. If you haven’t already, head to your local library and get a library card. You might need to take a piece of mail with your current address to complete the process, but this is where you want to start.
Borrow physical books, books on CD, DVDs, video games, board games etc. from your library and see if they have a used book sale to help you build your home library or stock a neighborhood Little Free Library. Support your local library!
Tip: Check your local library website to see how things are run there. You might be surprised to find a calendar full of programs and classes you can get involved in.
Libby by Overdrive
Once you have your library card, download the free Libby by Overdrive app to your device and register your library card. This is the online hub for libraries worldwide to share digital content from cookbooks and magazines to picture books, audiobooks, and ebooks. Place holds on books and borrow them the same way you would a physical book from the library. Return them early or have them returned by the app on time; no lost books or late fees!
Borrowed books can be accessed and read on the Libby or Kindle app, or an e-reader device.
Tip: Check the Hoopla website to see if your library loans books through the Hoopla app also. Hoopla lets you check out movies and music in addition to borrowing books and audiobooks, but is more expensive for libraries to offer patrons, so your library may not.
Amazon
You’ve probably heard of Kindle Unlimited, the subscription book service by Amazon but if you have Amazon Prime you also have Prime Reading included for free which gives you access to their ebook library. Borrow up to 10 titles instantly and keep them as long as you wish, there’s no monthly limit. The Prime Reading library is smaller than the Kindle Unlimited library but is still extensive and ever-changing. It’s nothing to sneeze at especially if you’re on a budget or don’t need another monthly subscription.
Keep Prime Reading in mind when you need an instant download, and don’t get it confused with the Kindle Unlimited paid subscription.
Where to find Prime Reading
Select the ALL menu scroll down, and select Kindle E-readers & Books. Under Kindle Store find Prime Reading.
Or, find it under Prime Membership under your Accounts and Lists page.
Bookbub
Visit the Bookbub website or download the app and receive a daily digest of top rated, discounted ($1.99 and under) or free digital books. Download the books from the retailer site you prefer and have them sent to Kindle, Nook, or other devices. Discounted book selection changes and has something for everyone. The books I’ve found on this app are a mixture of currently popular and well-known books, along with ones I haven’t heard of. Point being, they aren’t necessarily cheap or free because they aren’t good.
Little Free Library
Check the Little Free Library website or app to see if there is a Little Free Library registered near you. Be part of your community by participating in the concept of: Take a book. Share a book. There’s nothing more wholesome!
If you’re unfamiliar with what Little Free Libraries are, they are little library structures that might look like a birdhouse or mailbox at the edge of a front yard, at first glance. Upon closer inspection you’ll find they house a selection of books that are free for passersby to look through and take as desired. The idea is that you can take a book, but you can also replenish the library with your own used books, which are then free to be taken by others.
Audiobooks
As mentioned already, you can find free audiobooks on apps your library uses to share content, such as Libby by Overdrive or Hoopla. If you have Amazon Prime, you have access to Prime Reading which is included in your subscription. In addition to these sources, Chirp is worth looking into for seriously discounted audiobooks.
Open to a monthly audiobook subscription? Audible gets you one credit a month and membership perks worth weighing to see if the subscription is beneficial to you.
Have a music streaming subscription such as Spotify? You might already have access to audiobooks. Check out your chosen music streaming service to see. Some give you an hourly limit of audiobook streaming per month which is worth taking advantage of.
So there you have it! Whether you prefer physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks, there are accessible, budget-friendly options for you and your book appetite. There are pros, cons, benefits, and perks to each of these options. Find what works best for you and enjoy!
Keep track of your reading by logging into your long forgotten Goodreads account and see what’s new on there to give you more ideas of things to read, and build your “want to read list!”
