What is the best cheap way to actually read more books — library apps, used bookstores, or Kindle deals?
I want to read more but I refuse to pay $28 for a hardcover I will finish in four days. I have tried used bookstores, which are cheap until shipping eats the savings, and I keep hearing about library apps like Libby — but the wait times look brutal for anything popular. For someone who reads about two books a month, mostly nonfiction and thrillers: what is the setup that keeps costs near zero without a three-month wait for every new release? Specific apps, library hacks, or buying strategies — I want the actual playbook, not just get a library card.
2 answers
- Libby changed my reading life
Libby genuinely changed my reading life and it is completely free. Get a library card from your local library, sign into Libby, and you get ebooks and audiobooks for zero dollars. The trick for the wait-time problem: place holds on like ten books at once instead of one. They come available at random times and suddenly you always have something to read. Also, most libraries let you get cards from neighboring systems too — I have three library cards in Libby and I just check which one has the shortest wait. For books you want to keep, thrift stores and library book sales are a dollar or two. I have not paid full price for a book in over a year.
- Libby app
Get the Libby app. One thing, zero dollars: sign in with your local library card and you get ebooks and audiobooks for free, with holds that are honestly shorter than people assume. I track it against buying: a single new hardcover costs more than a year of nothing. Used bookstores are great for ownership, but if the goal is just reading more books, Libby removes every excuse that costs money.