Break out your eReader, dust off your bookshelves or visit the local library – World Book Day is upon us and it’s time for a celebration of all things literary. In honour of World Book Day, we’ve compiled our top tips to get into reading. Being a bookworm can be an expensive habit, but it doesn’t have to be as there are ways to come by books cheaply and easily – from community libraries to local book swaps and clubs.
“A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.” – Neil Gaiman
Second-hand books
Let’s start simple – why buy brand new when you get the same experience of a story from a used copy of a book? Brand new books can be expensive, despite being VAT free (did you know that?!) but savvy book buyers know where to look for books in great condition at bargain prices. Look out in town for Oxfam stores, with over 150 dedicated Oxfam bookshops nationwide selling books at a fraction of retail price. The stores sell second-hand books in top condition, with everything from contemporary fiction to timeless classics. It’s worth checking out local charity shops too – if you aren’t fussed about having the latest bestseller but still want to get stuck into a great read, charity shops are usually stuffed full of them. Probably one of the cheapest places to pick up books is online on sites like Amazon – you can pick up classic literature or more recent books for as little as one penny!
A book swap
Book swaps are popping up all over the place, from formal events to phone boxes! A book swap enables its members to read different books without any scheduled reading milestones – all they ask is that if you take a book from the swap, you replace it with another so that there are still plenty of books for everyone. Formal swaps are a great way to meet with like-minded friends and swap books with one another so you can share things you all enjoy, while informal community swaps in phone boxes and other hotspots are a good opportunity to get your hands on something new without the price tag of new books.
Start a book club
Books possess the power to entertain us, comfort us, challenge us, and inspire us! When you finish a good book, the first thing you want to do is talk about it with someone else who has read it, but what do you do if nobody has? A reading group gives you the chance to share your love of a recent read, make the experience last a little longer, and maybe even prompt you to go back and start over and find new things. Penguin has provided the perfect guide to get you started.
Don’t forget your local library
Libraries are a treasure trove of not just books, but DVDs, CDs and other resources, too. If you aren’t a member already and you want to get into reading, then join your local library. There are no membership charges, and you can read as much as you like. The only time you’ll have to pay anything at all is if you return a book late.
If you’re struggling to know where to start or what to choose, then ask the staff as they are likely to be full of knowledge and more than happy to recommend a good read. If you’re no longer a paperback person, many libraries now also offer eBooks for download via apps like OverDrive, as well as paper copies.
Inspire the next generation
Encourage your children to pick up a book! As part of World Book Day and in partnership with schools up and down the country, more than 15 million £1 book tokens are being made available to children. All you have to do is take your token to your nearest bookstore and swap it for one of ten exclusive World Book Day books.
Are you an avid reader? Let us know how you quench your thirst for books without forking out for new ones all the time!
