Forget Audible: How to get NY Times Bestsellers For Free

VALENTINA ANGELOVA -

TLDR; Get a library card and check out eContent (ebooks for kindle, audiobooks).  If your local library is limited, ask your librarian about sister programs with bigger cities.  If all else fails, sign up for an eCard from one of the many libraries that offer digital lending to out of state humans.  $50/year with the ability to check out 10-20 items at a time is a much better deal than Audible's $14.95/month for a single audiobook (that's $179.40 a year for 12 audiobooks 😱)

Last year I finished 44 books in about 6 months all thanks to my library card.  I had a library card when I was 12 and that was one of the few places I was allowed to visit after school.  At some point I became an adult and forgot all about it until the cost of audio books almost bankrupted me (I'm exaggerating slightly but seriously, those audible book prices are no joke).  In search of more frugal consumption models, I stumbled upon someone's blog where they praised their library card and I got to thinking that I might need to revisit the concept as an adult.  

I went to my local Chicago Public Library branch, got myself a card, and downloaded the Libby app onto my phone.  From Libby, I logged in with my new library card number and had the whole world at my fingertips (channeling the same joy I had when I was 12).  That joy dissipated briefly since most of the books I was looking for were newer and popular and therefore the waiting lists were weeks long.  

Being impatient, I decided to try to increase my chances of getting some good reads but looking into multiple library cards.  If I have 2 cards with 20 books on hold then my chance of having something available sooner tends to increase.  I briefly thought of defrauding CPL but decided against it... it seemed blasphemous. Instead I looked for libraries that offer digital lending services to patrons outside of their geographic area and found that the Brooklyn Public Library offers that service and has an outstanding collection of works.  (As of July 15th 2022, BPL no longer offers fee based out of state lending so my second card will sadly expire this year 😭😭😭)

Any time I see a book I'd like to borrow, I check availability at each library and put a hold wherever the queue seems the shortest:

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Using Libby app to check which library has the shortest wait for a book

Whether you're a stay-at-home recluse or a digital nomad, a library card can be your new best friend.  I reluctantly gave up the joy of physical books when I decided to relocate across an ocean (shipping things overseas is expensive 💰💰💰 and books are heavy).  Armed with a smartphone, headphones, a Kindle paperwhite, and a couple of library cards I have no problem getting my faves.