Hello Book Junkies,

I know what life’s like if you’re a hungry little bookworm. You loiter around book shops drooling over the new releases (which is why you’ve been known to bring a hanky to book shops). You pick up the books, peruse the description, then leap back in shock at the price. Then furtively scan your surroundings to see if anyone witnessed that embarrassing scene.

As a self-confessed Book Addict on a Budget myself, I know exactly what you’re going through. New books are expensive (even ebooks). So how can you keep on reading without checking into the poor house? Well, I’ve got a few favorite suppliers, um, I mean “resources” for both paperback and ebook junkies to get their fix for free or super cheap.

First and Foremost: Your Local Library

Best for: Hardbacks, paperbacks, ebooks, audiobooks, and more

Cost: Essentially free

I’ve got a post coming up on all the amazing features of public libraries these days, but let’s boil it down to two words: FREE BOOKS!! Okay, yes, you pay taxes to support the library and some places require a tiny annual fee to get a library card, but this is as close to free as you’re legally going to get. And the selection is HUGE. Books, ebooks, magazines, comic books, and more are waiting to be lugged home.

Library Book Sales

Best for: Hardbacks & paperbacks

Cost: Varies, but pretty damn cheap in most cases (typically 50c to $3 a book)

I’ve already gone on about this (see THIS post), but library book sales are a crazy affordable way to stock up on reading material. Some libraries have an annual sale, others have a small store or shelf within the library with books for sale. Either way, you’re getting books at a great bargain and you’re helping support your local library. Win win!

finn McSpool, library, book sale, milwaukie oregon, Ledding library

Little Free Libraries

Best for: paperbacks

Cost: The name says it all

If you don’t know what a Little Free Library is, it’s a small cabinet on a post that can be found in some neighborhoods. And within the cabinet are free books. I know!! Free books, just waiting for you on the street corner….the drug addiction analogies just keep coming, don’t they? Anyway, the idea is to leave a book you’re finished with and select a new one from what’s inside. Sometimes it’s a gold mine, other times it’s a dud, but it’s always fun to peek inside.

little free library, books, free books
My local (Little Free) library

BookBub Daily Deal Newsletter

Best for: Ebooks of various genres (fiction and non-fiction)

Cost: Free to $2.99 each book (sometimes higher)

If you haven’t signed up for the BookBub Daily Deal, DO IT!! It’s super simple and when you sing up you can choose from your favorite genres. Then, every day (or weekly, if you prefer), you get an email with five to ten book deals ranging from free to about $2.99 (sometimes more, but not often). And these aren’t a bunch of nobodies. You’ll find titles from Robert Ludlum, Nora Roberts, and Dean Koontz right alongside indie authors. If you want to learn more, check out THIS POST.

Book Adrenaline & Book Barbarian & Red Roses Romance

Best for: Ebooks (BA = thrillers and mysteries; BB = fantasy and sci-fi; RR – Romance)

Cost: Free to $2.99 per book (very rarely higher)

These newsletters feature primarily indie authors and I have to admit sometimes the titles on there have me wondering how they got accepted (if you’re an author, it’s a handy way to see what doesn’t make a good book cover or description), but there’s nearly always something worth checking out. Books are often free or super cheap and you can score amazing deals on box sets. Note: I haven’t signed up for Red Roses, but it’s under the umbrella of the same company as BA and BB, so I’ll assume it’s similar in quality and price.

That’s the list. I know there’s gobs of other newsletter and subscription services out there, but these are the ones I’ve been the happiest with in terms of book quality, book price, and user-friendliness.

What about you? Where do you find book bargains? If you steal books, probably best to keep that to yourself (and maybe seek help), but otherwise please share your favorite sources for fabulous book deals!!

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16 thoughts on “My Five Favorite Sources for Book Bargains”

  1. We public library workers drive around at night with baseball bats, smashing up those Little Free Libraries. You know, gotta take out the competition! No, no just kidding! We actually have books about Little Free Libraries. Some are quite elaborate!

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  2. The best think about having a kindle is being able to snatch up books of all sorts for just a few dollars. I’m sure I have more ebooks now that I will ever be able to read.

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    1. I’m afraid that would be dangerous for me. When I first signed up to BookBub, I kept seeing 99c books I wanted. Let’s just say all those 99c books added up. Oops. And yes, my Kindle and iBooks accounts are full of books I need to read…as are the bookshelves in my house…

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  3. Libraries YES!! The wonderful thing about them (aside from being free) is that you can borrow book about any subject. And if they don’t have a particular title, they will usually buy it in and give you first dibs. Swoon 💓

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    2. Libraries are GREAT for allowing you to explore a new topic or try out a new author risk free (well, except if you waste a week reading a book that’s just awful). I’m not sure if your libraries do this, but in the U.S. we have an Inter-Library Loan system where, if my library doesn’t have a book (or CD or DVD), the librarian can put out a request to libraries across the U.S. to see if they have the book and if they’d be willing to loan it out. If the other library is willing, it shows up at my local library and checks out just like a regular item. Swoon indeed!!

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  4. Great options for people on a tight budget. I also love that some airports have “take a book, leave a book”. I recently saw while traveling that some airport bookstores are “renting” books – if you return it, they give you 50% back. I do love the little free standing libraries that you come across in communities – there is one in our local park.

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    1. Oh, I remember you mentioning the airport book thing in one of your blog posts. Although, I’m not sure how budget-friendly that is since you have to buy an airplane ticket to get your “free” book 😂😂😂 The Portland Airport has a branch of Powells Bookstore and if you know where to look,,you can find the bargain shelf that has $1 books. 😍

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  5. Yessssss! Libraries all the way! My local one is small, but like yours, they’ll let me order in from any other library in Ireland… On their website, from my couch if needs be! I’ll have to see if they ever have one of those sales they mentioned… Because OF COURSE I need more books 😂

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    1. Everyone needs more books!! Well, except me right now.

      Ooh, your library is a bit more advanced than mine. With my library, you can get books from any library within the same county system online, but for books haunting the shelves of libraries outside the county (or state) I have to actually ASK a human to put in the request the book. Luckily, I have my own live-in library employee so it’s not too difficult to make my demands :))

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      1. Hahaha! It doesn’t sound like you’re abusing this privilege enough. Perhaps it’s time to order in a huge amount of books from the Municipal Library of Honolulu, juuuuust so that you and Mr Husband can get an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii to collect them… 😉

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      2. Why stop at Hawaii? I’m sure the library could use a boost to their foreign language materials collection…round the world trip, here we come!

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