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iBook, Kindle, Digital Books, Half.com: The Best Way To Buy Summer Reads

Libby Kane
Libby Kane
Posted on Jul 14, 2010

We love our summer reading and don’t feel guilty that Chelsea Lately is on the list (we won’t judge you if you don’t judge us!). During this summer of iPads vs. Kindles vs. simply stealing books from friends, we’re on a quest for the best ways to get books for cheap. The #1 most expensive way to snag a book is at the airport or train station, so we’re stocking up ahead of time.

To provide you with the best insight, we’ve done a case study: We compared prices and shopping experiences for a paperback edition of The New York Times bestseller The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Here’s what we found:

1. The Library Can Be Exhausting, But We Want To Remind You That It Exists!

The benefits far outweigh the costs (which are, as we mentioned, nonexistent). Library cards are free, borrowing books is free, and we’re all about supporting the public library system. Since we can’t make it to the library near our house before it closes, we go during lunch. To save time, we browse the collection online; if the book we want isn’t in stock, we request an interlibrary loan, which can also usually be done online.

2. Trade Books With Friends And Family

This is our favorite option, since it’s a way to get books for free—without the library police on your back about due dates.

3. If You Must Buy, Try Half.com

As much as we think you should get use out of your Kindle or iPad (since you bought it anyway), we still like Half.com for our book purchases. It’s cheap, easy, and you can share with friends when you’re done, unlike Kindle books.

Open and closed case.

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  • LVReaderNJ

    Yes to the library and used books! They keep me from ever wanting to buy a gadget to handle my reading.

    • carolinewaxler

      Libraries are wonderful! But, I kind of like gadgets, too…

  • NYReads

    Bookmooch.com! You post books you want to get rid of, pay to ship them, and get points you can use towards “mooching” other people's books.

    • carolinewaxler

      Love the name! bookmooch! Thanks for passing this tidbit on. Please keep them coming!

    • http://twitter.com/amazonv Nicole Schwartz

      there are many book swaping sites, i do love bookmooch but there is also swaptree.com and paperbackswap.com

    • http://www.facebook.com/arianna.schlegel Arianna Schlegel

      The paperbackswap.com site is by far my favorite for swapping books, as Nicole pointed out, but I wanted to add that there is also bookins.com, which works kind of the opposite of PBS: you don't have to pay to ship a book, but you do have to pay to have one shipped to you. (I find this site is great for helping me to declutter & get books into the hands of those who want them, while spending less money!) :)

  • http://twitter.com/emilysmith Emily Smith

    iBooks isn't the only way to read on your iPad. The Kindle app is great! I also have downloaded books from individual publishers and viewed them with GoodReader. Just had to mention those other options for the techie ladies out there. :)

    • Alexa

      Thanks Emily– this is so helpful! so the Kindle App…awesome.

  • Liz

    check our your local used book store, which may also have a coffee bar and better hours than the library

  • JackieAU5

    Libraries all the way! America's most forgotten treasure. Libraries are the way to go unless you need to write in your book or want to keep it–in that case, used book store.

  • Andrea Morabito

    If you want to bring your Kindle to the beach, consider investing in the Leisure Jacket from M-Edge (http://www.medgestore.com/products/kindle2-leis…). It has a clear cover that allows you to read while protecting your device from sand and moisture. I just bought one for my Kindle-loving boyfriend. It's backordered on the M-Edge site, but I found mine at J&R in NYC and Amazon usually has them, too.

  • mary

    If you buy at half.com, you are going to make already struggling authors broke. The author who wrote the book gets NO PAYMENT when books are sold used. Please, if you like a book, purchase it–preferably at your local independent bookstore. If consumers don't support authors and independent bookstores, there will be no more wonderful books to discover!

    • Anne

      Wonderful reminder, Mary. I use half.com onlly when I need an out-of-print book that I can't find elsewhere or a reference book or textbook. SUPPORT AUTHORS AND INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS.

  • Sharsisadove

    Don't forget the Barnes and Noble Nook! With that eReader you CAN share books with friends (who have a Nook of course). I have one and I've taken it to the beach and I love it :)

  • Lauren

    After not being able to find one book on my summer reading list at my local public library and books becoming more and more expensive (not only do pay more because a book is newer, but because newer books are released exclusively with hardcovers), I almost gave up. But I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend buy me a nook for our anniversary! Even if I had absorbed the $149 for a strictly wi-fi version, it pays for itself after about 15 books. I HIGHLY recommend this for English majors who are required to buy dozens of novels every semester.

  • http://twitter.com/amkade Allison Kade

    In addition to these sites, my friend recently told me about Bookswim.com–and then I heard about it the very next day from a different email! Anyway, food for thought.

  • http://twitter.com/suziesavings Suzie Savings

    Check out isbn.nu where you can look up your book (get the ISBN off amazon) and find the cheapest place to get it online. I use it for all of my college textbooks! The most major drawback is shipping costs, which depends on the website, but these books tend to pay for themselves!

  • eggbot

    p.s. some information in this article is incorrect… you CAN borrow books with kindle.  you can borrow from your friends who have one, and you will be allowed to borrow from your participating library for free as well sometime this year…