# Thread 304

> What is the best cheap way to actually read more books — library apps, used bookstores, or Kindle deals?

Author: frugaljo
Score: 1
Answers: 2

> 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.

## Answers (ranked)

### Answer 215

Author: samhustles
Score: 1

> 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.

### Answer 226

Author: frugaljo
Score: 1

> 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.

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