Money Saving Mom®

Do you love reading but also want to make sure you don’t break your budget with book purchases? Reading doesn’t have to cost very much money at all, I promise! This post covers my top tips on how to get FREE books!

(Psst! You can also get a FREE Kindle Unlimited Trial right now, which gives you access to thousands of e-books and audiobooks!!)

Note: This post is from the archives but has been updated to be current and include even more tips & tricks I’ve learned over the years! (A huge thanks to Readers Gotta Read for offering some of her expert tips, as well!)

My Top Recs For How to Get Free Books

If you’ve been here for any length of time, you know I’m an avid reader and that I’m constantly on the lookout for new book ideas to add to my crazily-long list of Books I Want to Read. Since I read so voraciously, I’ve had to come up with some creative ways to feed my reading obsession without running us out of house and home.

Not all of my ideas will work for everyone, but here’s a list of 10+ tips I’ve used to get books for free or almost free throughout the years:

1. Earn Free Books from MyReaderRewards

My Reader Rewards Club is a site that gives you the opportunity to earn free books and audio by filling out surveys, referring friends, and more.

It’s very easy to earn a free book — without even having to refer a friend!

My Reader Rewards Club offers Christian books from Tyndale, including Nonfiction books, Fiction books, Parenting books, Kids’ books, Audiobooks, Ministry Resources, and more! They even have Adventures in Odyssey audios and books!

Our family has gotten a number of free books from them over the past few years and I have loved being able to get brand-new books completely free!

Read more on how to easily earn books with MyReaderRewards.

2. Check Out Free Books at the Library & Through Inter-Library Loan

Of course, no list of how to get free books would be complete without a mention of the library. I’ve checked out countless books from the library over the years; it’s an invaluable resource!

If you have a relatively small library that doesn’t have a great selection, check and see if they offer Inter-Library loan. Most libraries do, and this offers a much, much broader selection. You have to request the book and then wait for it to come in, but it’s free–which usually makes it worth a bit of a wait!

You can also suggest books for your library to purchase. They might not heed your suggestion, but it’s always worth a shot.

3. Download Free Audiobooks from Libby

It’s no secret that I absolutely love books. And I try to invest at least a little bit of time in reading every single day.

But, on really full days, fitting in reading time can be a challenge. Which is why I’m so grateful for audiobooks! They are the perfect solution to making reading a priority — even if you aren’t able to physically sit down and read a book.

Psst! Do you struggle with finding time to read? Read this post, plus check out these practical tips on how to find more time to read each day!

However, if you buy audiobooks online, they are often quite expensive — typically more than you’d pay for the paperback or hardback copy. Which is why I’m a fan of finding ways to listen to FREE audiobooks.

Back in 2016, I told you about 8 Ways to Get Audiobooks for FREE. If you haven’t read that post, you’ll want to go read it right now.

I talked specifically about the Overdrive and Hoopla apps in that post — apps that allow you to “check out” audiobooks for free from your local library. Most libraries have since switched over to the Libby app, an app that is much more user-friendly and less clunky to use. And I have become a huge fan of it.

I liked the Overdrive app and the Hoopla app, but I LOVE the Libby app! There are so many different audiobooks to choose from on it and they are all at my favorite price point: FREE!

Read more on how to listen to free Audiobooks with the Libby app.

4. Get Free Books from Friends and Neighbors

I’m always swapping books with friends–and this is a great way to keep your reading materials varied! Just be sure that you keep track of what books you’ve borrowed and loaned out.

Also, it goes without saying, but return the books in the same condition they were loaned in. Otherwise, your friends might not be so excited to loan you books again. 😉

And don’t forget that many neighborhoods and towns have local Facebook groups where people swap books too! These groups are a fantastic way to connect with neighbors and trade books within your area. It’s like having a little free library right on your doorstep. Just be sure to follow the group’s guidelines and respect the community vibe!

5. Download eBooks for Free

If you have any sort of mobile device — an iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device – you can read free Kindle books using the FREE Kindle reader app! That’s right —you don’t even need a separate Kindle device or other ereader to be able to read them! Just download the app to access your free ebooks on any mobile device or computer.

My favorite ways to get free Kindle ebooks are through my library’s Libby App and by using Kindle Unlimited, which gives you access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks. Even better, right now, you can get a FREE Kindle Unlimited Trial!

Tip: Most public libraries also offer free ebooks on their site that you can borrow and download to your device for a few weeks.

6. Sign Up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Okay, so this one is for kids, but I still had to share it! If you have a child between the ages of 0 to 5 and your local area participates, you can sign up to get free children’s books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

We’ve never personally used this, but I’ve heard from others that they send nice, high-quality books really regularly.

There are participating communities within the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. Check to see if your area participates here.

7. Check Thrift Stores, Used Book Sales, and Garage Sales

Thrift stores, used book sales, and garage sales can be a goldmine for book lovers. Best of all, they’ll often have fill-a-bag sales where you can fill as many books into a designated bag as you’re able to — all for a few dollars.

Also, make sure you check your library for book sales. Most libraries have shelves with extra books for sale and/or host regular book sale fundraisers (i.e., quarterly, annually), where books usually cost around $0.50 – $3 each.

Goodwill is an especially great place to get bargains on books. According to Teri at Readers Gotta Read, “Adult hardback books are $2.99, adult paperback books are $1.99 and kid books are 99¢. Additionally, Goodwill has a color of the week that changes every Sunday. If the book you want has that color sticker, it is 50% off. Or, if you go on Sunday, they have a color sticker where items with that color are 99¢. So, you can get some amazing deals at Goodwill!” 

You can also find bargains on hot titles that you can then swap/trade on PaperBackSwap, at a Little Free Library, or at your favorite local bookstore! This is an easy way to get free books you want for very little money out of pocket!

8. Buy From an Online Used Bookstore

Sometimes you want a specific book, but you just can’t find it free anywhere. In that case, Teri from Readers Gotta Read has some more great suggestions that’ll help you find cheap books! She suggests checking these sites for used books —

• ThriftBooks: free shipping on orders $15+
• Abe Books: free shipping based on the book
• Better World Books: free shipping on orders $15+
• eBay: has the most variety on prices and shipping, but is an option if you can’t find a book cheaper on one of the sites above.

Teri says: “These sites let you choose the quality of the book (new, like new, very good, good, and acceptable condition), which impacts the price of the book. If I’m after just one book, I’ll usually order it on Abe Books with free shipping on that one book. If I have several titles I want, then I’ll try to get my order to reach $15 to qualify for free shipping for Thrift Books or Better World Books. Additionally, you can receive coupon codes for sales if you sign up for these sites’ email lists. The banners on the homepages of these sites promote deals as well.”

Readers Gotta Read also has ideas for what to do with books when you’re done reading them, which can help other readers get free or cheap books, and sometimes will even let you exchange your book stack for new reads without paying a penny!

9. Buy Used From Amazon or Barnes & Noble

When I do actually “buy” books, I use my Swagbucks credit to buy them. Swagbucks offers a great deal on Barnes & Noble and Amazon gift cards, so I often request those as rewards.

Not sure how to use Swagbucks? Read this post on how to earn Swagbucks gift cards.

However, I usually do not buy books brand-new, unless I’m buying them to support an author (which I’ve become pretty passionate about doing after releasing books myself!). Instead, I typically purchase the book used from Amazon or Barnes & Noble Marketplace. I’ve been amazed at how much money I’ve saved just by being willing to go with a book that has a little wear and tear on it!

In addition, Barnes and Noble sometimes runs free shipping deals or I’ll find a coupon code. Combining that with shopping through a cashback site, I can usually get a great deal on a book I really want – all for free because Swagbucks is covering the tab!

Bonus: How to Read Books For Free as a Blogger/Influencer

If you’re a blogger or review books for another type of social media, you can fairly easily obtain free review copies from publishers. Just search for the publisher of a book (you can often find this on Amazon) and then find their website and look for contact information for review copies.

Most publishers state their review copy policy right on their website and many are extremely generous in their willingness to send review copies to bloggers. However, please don’t take advantage of this. Only request books you are truly interested in, and those that you truly plan to actually review on your blog.

Many publishers are also more than happy to do a giveaway along with your review and see this as extra exposure for them. So it never hurts to ask, if you’re sure you’ll like the book!

I no longer actively ask for review copies, but I do receive a few each week from various publishers who are hoping I’ll mention their book on my blog, social media, or podcast.

More on Where to Read Books For Free

Looking for even more ways to get free books? Check out some of these unique and creative ideas!

Project Gutenberg

With over 70,000 titles, you’re bound to find several fantastic free books online to read (or re-read).

Digital Public Library of America

All of the materials found through DPLA are free and immediately available in digital format!

International Children’s Digital Library

The ICDL is a free website that offers children’s literature from around the world.

Goodreads Free Shelves

Goodreads has a small selection of free readable ebooks. You can also find a list of free Kindle ebooks to download on Goodreads.

Open Library

Open Library is a cost-free, ad-free service that offers over 3 million books to read, borrow, and discover. You will need to create an account to use this service.

Riveted

Riveted (by Simon Teen) offers free reads for young adults and teens, including weekly free teen reads. 

Open Culture

Get ereader books for free by downloading 800 free eBooks to your Kindle, iPad/iPhone, computer, smart phone.

Library of Congress

All of the books in the Library’s Open Access Collection may be read online or downloaded as a PDF or as an EPUB.

Many Books

Get free (and discounted) eBooks sent directly to your inbox.

Tor

Get a free book every month by signing up for the Tor.com eBook Club. After signing up, you will receive a download link for the latest eBook Club offering in their preferred format.

Free Booksy

Get free ebooks in your preferred genres for Amazon Kindle, Nook, Apple Books & Kobo with Free Booksy.

Reedsy Discovery

Reedsy Discovery is an ARC site that provides free digital copies of books in exchange for writing an honest review. You can download the book as a PDF, EPUB, or MOBI file from the Reviewer Dashboard.

What are your favorite ways to get FREE or cheap books? I’d love to hear your ideas!

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