While growing up, my mom made it a priority to take us to the library.  We went all the time. I have so many memories of reading. My very first Nancy Drew book was “The Secret of Mirror Bay.” My favorite American girls were Kit, Molly, and Felicity.  I remember reading “Stewart Little” in the dark when I was supposed to be sleeping. I tried to finish my seat work quickly in science so I could get back to “Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine.” I read “Mockingjay” during a field trip to a baseball stadium, and I always had a copy of Calvin & Hobbes in my locker. In college, I had a stack of books in the corner of my bunk. After we found out we were pregnant with our Alayna, the first items I went out and purchased were children classic books to begin her collection.  Now all throughout my house you will find books. If I haven’t made it clear, I love to read.

 

I enjoy going to Barnes & Nobles: it’s one of my favorite stores. I also enjoy going to my local library. The downside, Barnes & Nobles can get expensive and I’m notorious for turning in books late back to the library. I detest having to read by a certain deadline. So in the fall of 2019, I began to start my own library.

I purchase a vast majority of my personal books from ThriftBooks. I have their app downloaded on my phone. I can’t say enough wonderful things about ThriftBooks.

The app is incredibly user friendly and easy to navigate and order from. When you search a book, you can typically choose from hardcover, paperback, audio cd, and library binding. The pricing of each book is around $4.50, which makes it even more magical. I bought the entire Harry Potter (hard covers & first print editions) series for about $35.00 with free shipping. The only negative aspect I’ve found is if there is a brand new book out, it can be a few months before it will be offered on ThriftBooks at a lower price. But it makes sense that it would work that way.

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Every month, I begin adding about seven books to my cart for the next month. When it’s the last week of the month, I place my order for the upcoming month. If someone tells me “that’s literally one of the best books I’ve ever read,” I add it to my cart for the next time I place my order.

When my new round of books comes in, I add them to my collection. If I don’t care for a book, I donate it. I’m only out a few dollars and it allows what I have in my library to only be my favorites. I’m not about collecting just for mere volume. With our daughter, Alayna, I have begun a library for her as well. For her, I have a completely different system for curating a library around her needs and investing in books she will be able to grow into.

Reading for me personally is a wonderful way to escape for a brief moment everyday to go somewhere different, or learn for personal growth. I’ve discovered that I’m far more productive the following day if I read for 30 minutes the day prior. For me, reading opens a wide scope of opportunity. For those who love to read, I hope discovering ThriftBooks will allow you to begin on your own library building journey.