The Book Dilemma Solved
A few weeks ago I shared that books were one of my major areas of belongings that "I have to keep this to stay alive." Maybe you read that article and thought, "That sounds good but I still love to read and want access to books." Well, there's good news! Books are still in abundance and in a variety of formats. Here's a little list of ways that you can have your cake and eat it to... or let go of your books and read them too!
Photo of elementary-aged child's bookshelf.
Library
This might be a no brainer to you but I recently saw that an adult friend of mine had just gotten her very first library card. Perhaps she didn't live near a library growing up and, yes, I'm confident that she utilized the library at her high school and college for research. Now as an adult she has discovered the brand new (to her) world of the library for entertainment. Not only does a local library have real-life-in-your-hands books but it also has: audiobooks on CD, movies, board games, outside games, classes, clubs of all kinds, and even shows and events.
Ebooks
Ebooks are electronic books that you can read on almost any device these days. You can use a Kindle or Nook that are specifically designed for just this purpose or you can download an app to your smart phone or tablet. This might not scratch your itch if you want to hold an actual book but if you are looking to just read, this is a viable takes-up-no-more-space-in-your-home option.
Audiobooks on CD
Audiobooks are everywhere. As already mentioned, you can borrow audiobooks on CD from the local library with your library card. And, y'all, Cracker Barrel has audiobooks on CD that you can rent from one location and return to another location! Can you say, Road Trip!?!?
Audiobooks Online
What if you don't want to keep up with a physical set of CDs? There are apps! Some are subscription based (Audible.com an Amazon company) and some are just a place to download books (Google Play Books for Android users) and others that let you borrow for free (Libby, an OverDrive company). And if Christian books are your thing, Christianaudio.com has a free audiobook download each month along with the ability to purchase Christian audiobooks as well.
Book Sharing
Then there is the age old delight of sharing books among friends. The best books I've read have come recommended by a friend. So when you've read a purchased book and enjoyed it, pass it along to a friend who will enjoy it and the journey of that book continues.
Notice that I didn't mention used book stores or thrift store or garage sales. Each of these are a great way to build your library inexpensively. However, the goal is not to build your library but to lighten the load in your house and in your mind actually freeing you up to have time to read more. Enjoy!
***I have no affiliation with any of these links.