Welcome to 2020! Let’s start the new year off right with good habits and lots of recharging and self-care. A great way to do that is by making time for more reading! But buying books can be expensive, especially when much more pricey and much less fun books are already weighing down students’ bank accounts. But fear not! Whether you want to take time to read more fiction, non-fiction, young adult, adult fantasy, poetry, self-help, or any other genre you could possibly think of, these are the five best places to get your hands on some good reads for gorgeously low prices.
- Value Village
-
This one may seem like an obvious suggestion, but don’t underestimate the book section at these thrift stores. Value Village has an eternal sale of buy four books, get the fifth one free. And with each book usually hitting below the $5 mark, you can easily score five books for around $20. What a steal! These used books are almost always in great condition and have all been lightly used. And you’d be surprised what kinds of treasures you can find while browsing the shelves.
- BMV Books
-
Again, for any Torontonian, this seems like an obvious suggestion. But BMV should not be forgotten! With multiple locations around the city and an unpredictable inventory, you never know what gems you might find. Their prices are typically higher than what you would find at Value Village by a few dollars, but these books are almost always very well taken care of. These books are so lightly used that they may as well be new!
- Abebooks.com
-
Abebooks is a website where ordering used and affordable books is made easy! This Amazon-owned website sells different editions, covers, and prints of many, many, many different books. Whether it’s an older edition of a textbook, an obscure 80s murder mystery novel or a new title from a year ago, this website has it.
- Bookoutlet.ca
-
Contrary to the previously listed website, Book Outlet specializes in the sales of newly printed and somewhat popular books. You’re unlikely to find any old memoirs or texts for your classes on this site, but if you’re hoping to get your hands on a new(ish) release from a few months ago, this is a great place to order! They often carve pretty decent chunks from the original prices, and should always be the place you look before ordering from Indigo.
- Libby
-
Libby is an app that can be downloaded on iOS or Android that is any bookworm’s dream. This app is connected to almost every library in Canada (and possibly more?) and allows you to connect your library card from your local library to the app. This then gives you access to ALL of their ebooks and audiobooks FOR FREE!!! The online books work just like real-life library books, and the app allows you to “borrow” them for two weeks before it gets automatically “returned” into the system for the next reader to borrow. Libby even allows you to connect as many library cards as you want! If you have a library card for the Toronto Public Library, the Ottawa Public Library, or even a card for a library all the way in B.C., you can connect an unlimited amount of library cards and gain access to infinite library archives, infinite ebooks and infinite audiobooks, so long as that specific library has it. The possibilities are endless!
Don’t skimp on reading this year just because you don’t want to drop $25 on a bound stack of paper. There are so many different loopholes for bookworms to wiggle their way through when it comes to getting the books that they’re been dying for. Make 2020 a year of reading and relaxing and self-care, and don’t even worry about how much it will cost you.