Digital? Paper? How do you prefer to read?
Nowadays we have so many options. Personally, I love the ease of digital books. I can have my book on my kindle, iPad and phone so wherever I am I can pick up where I left off. It’s very convenient! However, I often prefer a paper book that I can highlight and make notes in when I’m reading a non-fiction book. So I tend to read fiction on my devices and non-fiction in good ole paper books. How about you? Below are some resources for getting books, however you prefer to read them!
Ebooks
(Image via cennamology)
The most common way to purchase e-books is in the form of Kindle books on Amazon.com. But there are other places to find e-books: Barnes & Noble still has Nook Books available and apple has Apple Books. But, you don’t always have to buy your e-books…you can read them for FREE!. Did you know you can borrow them from your local library? Most libraries have an online digital lending library powered through a particular software. In my area, they use Overdrive. You log in using your library card and then you have access to thousands of digital books on loan. They do limit the number of copies so you may have to go on a wait list. Once the book is available you’ll receive an email letting you know it’s in your online library. I read most of my fiction books this way.
Tip: if you’re reading a book that’s part of a series, request the next book in the series when you’re 3/4 through the current book so you have it ready when you’re done with book one!
Paper books
Obviously you can find paper books everywhere. Whether you order them online, walk into a book store or browse your local library, you can always find a paper book to read. But with a little effort you can find free ways to get your hands on paper books that you don’t have to worry about returning to the library. There are a few online book swap sites that seem to have pretty good reviews. Paperback Swap is the largest of those sites.
You can also often find used books for sale at very low prices (under $1) at your local library or at thrift stores. Used book stores also sell books at greatly reduced prices.
Note: I’m also considering starting a book swap on my facebook page so stay tuned for more details on that!
audiobooks
Audiobooks are a fabulous way to “read” more books. And while it could be argued that it’s not a very thorough reading when you’re just listening (because you can miss so much with distractions and aren't as likely to rewind as you would be to go back a paragraph in a paper book) I think often, the people most drawn to audio books are those who generally don’t enjoy reading. So I think a distracted listen to 10 books is far superior to a half read single book.
I prefer to read my books rather than listen, for the most part. But my husband is the opposite. He doesn’t enjoy reading so he gets through a ton more books these days with our audible subscription than he ever did before. He can listen in the car or while working out. It turns all those passing moments into something valuable. This makes me a huge fan of audio books.
My favorite audio books are the ones read by the author. The book pictured on the left is one of my all time favs. Mel Robbins is a phenomenal motivational speaker and the way she reads her audio book will make you feel like you’re sitting with a friend over coffee. (A friend who occasionally kicks your ass 😂.)
Just as in the case of e-books, you can borrow audio books from your library or if you’re impatient and have a little extra cash lying around you can join a subscription service like Audible.com. You can get a free audio book and one month trial so why not check it out?
