| Cheaper ways to get books | | | | to buy. High street book shops are probably the |
| If you love reading them you'll know just how | | | | most expensive place to buy books though, but |
| expensive books can be, especially hard backs. So | | | | you're guaranteed that the book is new and in |
| what alternatives are there? | | | | perfect condition. If you're after newly published |
| The first thing to consider has to be your local | | | | books then you often have to pay full price or |
| library. These are much underused places that we | | | | watch out for the special offers. |
| should cherish and make the most of. If they | | | | If you ask friends for book tokens for your |
| don't have the books you want in stock, then | | | | birthday you could then treat yourself to brand |
| most libraries will order them in from other | | | | new books of your own choice. Sometimes a |
| branches, or you can reserve books if they're | | | | better option if you have older relatives who |
| being lent out. Rules vary according to different | | | | often struggle to know exactly what you're into |
| council's. There's also a scheme by which you can | | | | reading. |
| borrow books from libraries outside of the area | | | | Register with your local Freecycle group and keep |
| you live in. This would be useful if you travel a | | | | an eye out for books being offered. You can also |
| distance to work, or whilst on holiday. | | | | use this as a way of passing on books you've |
| For some people there's nothing quite like the joy | | | | finished with. You can also ask friends and family |
| of rummaging through a second hand book shop | | | | if they've got any books that you can read, you |
| where ancient tomes sit next to Penguin Classics. | | | | might be surprised how cosmopolitan some |
| A good place to look for more unusual books. | | | | people's reading list is. |
| Some bookshops will search out particular books | | | | Look out for local book swap schemes too - |
| for you too. Charity shops are another fantastic | | | | these involve sometimes informal groups of |
| place for picking up cheap books. Some charity | | | | people who pass books on between themselves. |
| shops offer books at silly prices like 20p each | | | | This makes is interesting to see what the |
| which is amazing value. | | | | neighbours are reading but is a great way to get |
| If you're after something specific then eBay is | | | | books to read. |
| worth a try as it has a lot of booksellers on, but | | | | Sunday mornings can be usefully spent at car |
| watch out for postage as sometimes it is quite | | | | boots scouring the boxes of books that are |
| high. Gumtree is a free classified ads site that you | | | | always for sale. Prices can vary and don't be |
| can search through or even post ads for | | | | afraid of haggling. Jumble sales are another good |
| particular books. | | | | place to look for books, so watch out for these |
| You can always use vouchers for saving money | | | | being advertised locally. |
| when you buy books. Various online bookshops | | | | Another major place to look for free books is the |
| offer discounts from time to time and these are | | | | internet. You can find over 30,000 free books at |
| worth looking out for. There's a huge number of | | | | Project Gutenberg and these can be downloaded |
| high street book shops available online to browse | | | | to any text reader device. There are many other |
| through, so if you don't want to go to the high | | | | free book sites online. |
| street you can stay at home and look for books | | | | |