10 Ways to Read More Each Month for Less

YOU ARE READING: 10 Ways to Read More Each Month for Less | Wirecutter AT PhebinhvanhocEN

A good book can take you where you want to go, teach you things you didn’t know you should know, and show you what life is like for all kinds of people. do you want to travel to greece? try your hand at hiking the pacific ridge trail? leave earth behind to embark on an intergalactic adventure? you may. books are magical.

but these days, they are also very expensive. I read a lot (I average more than one book a week, sometimes as many as three), and if I had to buy all the titles that have caught my eye at full price, I’d be broke in a month. I’ve always been a coupon saver, so when I realized that my favorite hobby could also be my financial ruin, I quickly began looking for ways to read more while spending less. Nowadays, I never spend more than $20 a month on newly published books; that’s about six books for less than the full retail price of a new hardcover.

You are reading: Cheap way to read books

That said, you should always try to support your local independent booksellers and favorite authors when you have the space within your budget (more on this below). “Paying full price for hardcover books pays writers better and also covers the costs associated with author editing, design, marketing, and touring,” says Karen Maeda Allman, who coordinates the events of The authors at Elliott Bay Book Company, an independent bookstore in Seattle. “We love it when [readers] ask us for books in advance; It’s a vote for the author’s book and a chance for these books to make it to the New York Times bestseller list.” Although books often cost more, your support is critical to keeping a local business afloat.

But we know that not everyone can afford to buy all the books they’d like to read at full price, so if you feel like reading more each month for less, here’s how you can do it without breaking the bank.

writing reviews in exchange for early release books

You spend a lot of time reading books and even more time telling your friends about them, so why not write those thoughts down and trade them for free early access to the titles you’re most excited about? Online platforms like edelweiss+ and netgalley allow readers to request advance copies (called arcs) of books from publishers in exchange for their honest reviews. Such reviews and other feedback from readers on books not yet published help publishers and authors promote new titles and build buzz before the book’s release date.

Creating an account and requesting digital copies of the titles you find most interesting from one of these platforms is easy, but keep in mind that you will need to write a review for each book you receive. If you can’t keep up once titles start appearing, your stats (which are visible to publishers) will suffer and it may be difficult to get approved for more digital copies in the future. “Book influencers come from all backgrounds these days, so access to netgalley is a little more flexible than it used to be,” Allman says. “In exchange for access and information on upcoming releases, netgalley expects some reviews and promotions. this could be on your instagram or book blog, of course, as well as online or print reviews.” You can also choose to review titles you read directly on edelweiss+, netgalley, or goodreads if setting up a blog isn’t for you.

To get more access to the arches, you can subscribe to the bookshelf newsletters. Bookshelf of Awareness sends out two newsletters (one for readers and one for people in the book business) with information about the publishing industry. Among industry news, you’ll find opportunities to enter raffles for free bows direct from the publishers; You will be asked to enter your contact information, including your mailing address, because you will receive a paperback copy in the mail (instead of a digital file) if your name is chosen. Although both newsletters give readers access to the arcs, professional shelf-aware subscribers typically get more opportunities. professional newsletter arrives every day and can easily become overwhelming if you don’t keep on top of your inbox, but readers who can handle the influx of emails are rewarded: on any given day, you usually have around eight to 10 bows in play.

subscribe to a monthly box of books

Signing up for a monthly subscription book box can take the stress out of choosing your next read because instead of wasting time researching the latest releases or trying to select just one title, you can simply wait for the books to arrive. Convenience isn’t the only reason avid readers should sign up: Because boxes of books often cost less per month than you’d spend buying the books yourself, the service can also help you save money with time.

your money goes further with the book of the month, the book delivery and bookroo, three boxes of books that we recommend for adults and children. the book of the month, which allows subscribers to choose from five recently released titles, is $15 a month for a hardcover book; book delivery, which ships a paperback in your preferred genre, costs $21 per month with shipping; and bookroo, an affordable box set for toddlers and elementary students, costs $25 a month with shipping for two or three children’s books. In the year I subscribed to Book of the Month, I received 12 hardcover books that retail for between $25 and $35; If I had bought each one new at the bookstore, I would have paid between $300 and $420 by the end of the year. but since I only pay $15 a month for books that I would no doubt have bought on my own, I only spent $180.

take advantage of the public domain

There are many websites you can use to read old books that are considered to be in the public domain for free. “Public domain” refers to all creative works that are not copyrighted, either because they were created before copyright existed or because the rights have expired or been lost. Not all works in the public domain are free, but you won’t have a hard time finding all of Shakespeare’s plays or Jane Austen’s work on one of these sites, for example. Project Gutenberg is one of the most popular destinations for free eBooks, with over 60,000 digitized publications available for download. manybooks, a free e-book website with many titles sourced from the project gutenberg archives, has another 50,000 free titles.

make friends with the local bookworms

Do you have a family member or friend who enjoys reading the same kind of books as you? if so, ask him if he would like to be your reading partner. Together, you can decide which books you’re both interested in reading, and then divide the list and coordinate your purchases. once you’ve both finished your selections, trade. This arrangement not only cuts costs, but also gives you someone to talk to about books. You can even employ this idea within a larger group of readers, just make sure everyone agrees to buy a different book and pass it along once they’re done. think of it as an asynchronous book club.

Both children’s book blogger ryan billingsley and karen maeda allman of elliott bay suggest keeping an eye out for little free boxes at your neighborhood library, another good way to tap into your local community of readers. Started by a nonprofit organization of the same name, the small free library facilities are book-sharing boxes that encourage people to take a book and leave one of their own. To find one near you, check out the organization’s map: there are 100,000 book-sharing boxes available worldwide. And if you don’t have one near you, start your own, and you’ll be the first to receive anything people drop off!

find free books for the blind and visually impaired

the national library service is an excellent service for people with low vision, blindness or physical disabilities that prevent them from reading or holding a printed page: the organization works with a network of libraries in every state to deliver books and magazines in braille or audio formats that you can receive and return by mail, free of charge. you can also choose to instantly download ebooks and audiobooks. If you or a family member is eligible, the NLS even lends out playing equipment and accessories.

Large Print Reviews, a website that reviews large print and audio books along with aids for the visually impaired, such as magnifying glasses and screen readers, is another good resource for people with visual impairments looking to read more. at least. The site has put together a list of online book repositories that offer free access to e-book collections, which you can access online. the list includes the following:

bibliomania, which houses a collection of 2,000 classic titles, as well as reference books, study guides, and religious texts.
the online book page, a site that curates all the free reading books on the internet. provides access to over 2 million books.
read print, an online collection of classic books, poems, and short stories.

invest in an e-reader

E-books are almost always cheaper than physical books: new paperbacks and hardcovers can cost $15 to $25 and more, respectively, but digital copies of the same titles typically cost around $10.

Take stock of what you already own before you begin your search for the best e-reader. Do you have a general-purpose tablet, such as an Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab? if so, it can easily replace a dedicated e-reader. laptops and smartphones can also function as e-readers; Although neither device seems like the most practical substitute for an e-reader, it will get the job done, especially if you want to spend as little as possible.

If you don’t have anything that can work as an e-reader (and you refuse to read an epic novel on the screen of your little phone), you’ll need to invest in one before you rack up the savings. This can be a big upfront cost, but the purchase will pay for itself over time, as long as you commit to reading it often. We think Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people (and expect to see deals on it on day one), but we also recommend the Kobo Clara HD and Kobo Libra H2O in our guide to the best e-readers. . Readers One of these e-readers will set you back $130 and up. If you’re working on a tighter budget, a cheap Amazon Fire HD 8 will do the trick in a pinch; Although it’s not the fastest tablet, it’s great for reading, especially if you plan to buy your e-books on Amazon.

The team at wirecutter deals suggests that people planning to buy a new e-reader try to wait. Now that Amazon Prime Day is confirmed for Q4 and Black Friday and Cyber Week are just two months away, we expect to see solid drops across most of our recommended e-readers and tablets. Wirecutter Deals editor Nathan Burrow suspects the Kindle Paperwhite (10th generation) will drop to $90 or less on both Prime Day and Black Friday, while the cheaper Fire HD 8 tablet will likely drop to $50. The Kobo Clara HD will likely be on sale at Walmart, as will the slightly more expensive Kobo Libra H20.

make use of trial subscription periods

As long as you don’t mind that you don’t actually own the books you’re reading, signing up for an eBook subscription service is a good idea if your ultimate goal is to save money: subscriptions to popular services, which offer unlimited access to huge libraries of ebooks and audiobooks, costs between $9 and $15 per month.

But before you randomly pick one to subscribe to, take advantage of the free trials offered by these services. Kindle Unlimited and 24symbols offer a 30-day free trial, while scribd lets future subscribers try the service for 60 days. Audible, an audiobook subscription service that has two all-you-can-read options (one of which is devoted to romance novels, swoon!), also offers a 30-day free trial. if you were to try each service one after another, you could read as many titles as your heart desires for free for six months. Be sure to set reminders for yourself to cancel your subscription just before your free trial ends to avoid being charged the monthly fee. Once you’re through the trial periods, you can confidently subscribe to the service that best suits your needs and continue to save money, as an individually purchased e-book or audiobook often costs more than the monthly subscription to these services. .

buy used

While the library is an excellent (and free) resource for borrowing books for a specific period of time, there’s something to be said for stocking your own shelves with books you can keep to reread again and again. I’m no stranger to buying the books I could easily grab for free from the library, but unless I’m really excited about a recently published book and want to support the author, I pretty much always buy my books used. Your money goes further when you buy second-hand books: Depending on where you’re shopping, you can sometimes find second-hand books for a fraction of the price they’d sell for new (and often those books are in pristine condition anyway). .

Sales are often organized by Friends of the Library groups (nonprofit charitable groups that support libraries in your community), and sometimes you can get paperbacks for as little as 50 cents.

From time to time, you may be able to go to your local library not only to borrow books, but also to buy used books. “Most libraries do something called ‘weeding,’ in which staff go through a collection and discard copies of books based on various criteria such as age, physical condition, dated content, low circulation statistics, and number of copies. on the shelf,” says Alia Jones, a Cincinnati-based children’s library service assistant and book blogger. “If these weeded books are in good working order, they could end up at a library book sale.” These sales are often organized by Friends of the Library groups (nonprofit charitable groups that support libraries in your community), and sometimes you can get paperbacks for as little as 50 cents. If a Friends of the Library group is in your area, sign up for their newsletter to stay up-to-date on future book sales. You can also check the book sales finder to find upcoming library sales in your area.

If you want to buy second-hand books, another obvious place to start is your local used bookstore. supporting local businesses is paramount, especially during the pandemic, and buying direct from the bookstore helps keep their doors open. You can also visit Half Price Books, a national chain of used bookstores with 120 locations across the United States. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or your town is a desert of bookstores, don’t give up. you can often find really good books hidden away in local thrift stores. In my experience buying books at small thrift stores across the country, I’ve noticed that most thrift stores offer deep discounts that reward you for buying more (think buy one get one deals). don’t pass up the occasional garage sale either.

Even after accounting for the cost of shipping, books purchased for such a low price can cost between one-third and one-eighth of their original price.

if you prefer to keep shopping online, especially now during the pandemic, you have tons of used book websites to peruse:

thriftbooks offers free shipping once you hit the $10 minimum, and books are usually discounted so low that you can sometimes get three titles for just over the minimum.
better world books also offers discounted ebooks in addition to selling physical books.
alibris sells rare and hard-to-find titles and used textbooks.
> book depository is a uk based website that offers free global shipping on discounted books.
the half price book website ships anywhere in the world but for every book you buy must pay a shipping fee (instead of a fee for the entire order), which can add up quickly. (if you have a physical location nearby, you can arrange contactless curbside pickup).

You can also find great deals on used books through Amazon. Depending on the age of the book and the seller, you can sometimes find books on sale for less than 50¢. Although that’s an extreme example, it’s not uncommon to find the book you’re looking for for less than $5. Even after accounting for the cost of shipping, books purchased for that low a price can cost anywhere from one-third to one-eighth as much. of its original price. Typically, these sellers are not affiliated with Amazon; they are just using the site as a sales platform.

Just be aware that shipping from a used book site can take longer than, say, a two-day prime ship from amazon, so if you need a specific title for a book club or course school, plan ahead.

shop at your local independent bookstores

While I’m a reader on a budget, I’m always looking for opportunities to support my local independent bookstores, and precisely because I’m a reader on a budget, I also make sure to subscribe to their newsletters. Many bookstores offer discounts and advertise sales from time to time, but you can’t take advantage of discount prices if you don’t know about them. Signing up for weekly emails, along with following your favorite stores on social media, is a great way to make sure you never miss out on a chance to save.

Also ask your local bookstore if they offer frequent shopper cards or free memberships; If so, you can get a reward, be it a coupon or a free item, with every purchase you make. Allman notes that many independent bookstores, like the one he works at in Seattle, also offer discounts to teachers, librarians, and book club groups. If you think you might be part of a discount population, don’t be afraid to ask.

Many bookstores offer discounts and advertise sales from time to time, but you can’t take advantage of discount prices if you don’t know about it.

some bookstores also offer free programming, says allman. for example, he says his bookstore works with libraries to produce free programs with authors and community events, and often hosts area literary festivals. check with your favorite bookstores to see if they do something similar; Although these events are not a way to buy books for less, they still offer the opportunity to interact with your local literary community for free while supporting independent stores in your area.

make the most of your library card

Although this may seem obvious, it’s worth saying: If you want to read as much as possible, your local public library is your best friend. his library card can go much further than he thinks: not only can he borrow physical books, but he can also check out ebooks and audiobooks. Using your library’s website is the best way to secure reservations for the popular books you want to read. Checking your library’s website beforehand allows you to find out if your branch even has the book you’re looking for, and if it doesn’t, you can often order a copy from another branch for yourself.

People who prefer to read e-books may assume that the library has nothing for them, but that’s not true. “I love that I can digitally check out eBooks from home and even audiobooks for my commute,” Billingsley says. “It’s a very interesting resource that most libraries offer that I’m not sure many people know about.” To get started, download the Overdrive app or the Libby app. Both designed by Overdrive, these free apps let you borrow titles from your library directly to your e-reader, tablet, or phone. (overdrive and libby are essentially the same app, but overdrive, which has been around longer, supports more devices than libby). all you need to get started with any of the apps and get full access to your library is your library card information. you can also borrow audiobooks through overdrive and libby.

If you belong to a few libraries or share your tablet with a member or family member, libby makes it easy to switch between accounts while displaying all your digital payments on the same shelf. this is especially helpful for readers trying to save money; For example, if your main library doesn’t have the book you want, you can check to see if your secondary library has it before you buy it. If you prefer audiobooks and lack the selection of apps, check out hoopla, another service that partners with public libraries across the country to give readers access to audiobooks (as well as ebooks and other digital content).

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10 Ways to Read More Each Month for Less | Wirecutter