Used Books FTW

It's highly unlikely that I am the only one with an addiction to books and reading and knowledge in general. I love diving into a good book. But the cost of buying a new book to read once (or at most once every few years) is a bit cost prohibitive. It's also wasteful to buy something new that you can get used and is just as good. And sometimes the library doesn't have what I'm interested in or there's an incredibly long wait time. So how does one balance a bookworm tendency with budgets, a desire to reduce waste, and conservation of natural resources?

USED BOOKS!!!

There are quite a few options you have to get your hands on used books. Here's a few of my favorites:

1) Thriftbooks.com - They have a huge selection of books. It's like the big box bookstore of used books. It's fantastic. I just bought 5 used conservation books for ~$3.99 each and got free shipping to boot. 

2) Bookmooch.com - This requires a little bit of effort on your part though. Years ago I had a bunch of books to off load, but wanted to get something in exchange. So I listed a good portion of them on here, and people requested them from me. So I paid media rate shipping to send books to people, but earned nearly 100 points. That was in 2010 and I've still got 50+ points to use for mooching books from people, at no cost to me because I already paid my part buy sharing the literary wealth. So if you've got lots of books you want to send to new homes but also want more variety on your own bookshelves, this is your option!

3) Local bookstores - I'm lucky to have a good local bookstore that's basically all used books. I always find something interesting in there to read. Maybe you do too!

4) Library book sales - My local library also does monthly surplus book sales and pretty much everything is $1. You can really get more bang for your buck that way. I left with a lot of science books last time and spent $6. 

5) Little Free Library - If you've never seen a Little Free Library you're missing out. They are adorable little boxes often in neighborhoods that are stocked full of books. The one nearest me is often a mixture of paperback fiction, kids books, and interesting books of various topics. You give a book, and take a book. It's a great way to experience new stuff with zero risk! 

6) 2nd and Charles - This store is my personal fave. The one by me is in a former Books-a-Million and has a seemingly endless supplies of books on every topic imaginable. It's like shopping in a large shiny new bookstore but with zillions of options and used books, graphic novels, and comics. I didn't actually know it was a chain until recently but they are fantastic.