After years of reading, I have amassed an arsenal of resources I use to track my reading progress, discover new books, and not break the bank. Here are my top four favorite resources for readers.

A quick disclaimer: None of the resources below are sponsors. I just use these websites a lot and know other readers would find them as helpful as I do.

Thriftbooks.com

By far, Thriftbooks is the #1 book retailer I buy from (not sponsored, but I wish I was!)

If you read as much as I do, you quickly realize that if you bought a new hardback copy of every book you wanted to read, you would be broke by next Tuesday. Which is why I stuff my bookshelves with used books.

Thriftbooks was a godsend during college when I needed to purchase five to ten books per class. Most of the used copies of books range from around 5 to 10 dollars each. I get to save money, help the environment by buying second-hand, and I absolutely love the feel of used books. I love the times I have found annotations in some of the books

Also, their rewards system is amazing and has allowed me to get free books!

The StoryGraph

If you love Goodreads but wish it had more insights about your reading, then you need to switch over to The StoryGraph. While I have been loyal to Goodreads for years, I can find their website’s interface and features very dated. Which is why The StoryGraph is so fun. Imagine your Goodreads data combined with the analytics of Spotify Wrapped: that’s the The Storygraph.

They have so much data about the genres you read, the mood of the books you read, and your star ratings. It is also easier to search for new book recommendations based on length, mood, or pace. It was also easy to export all of my Goodreads data over. This is such a great website for discovering more about they types of books you love.

Local Library

When was the last time you visited your local library? Chances are, your closest library probably has a ton of free online resources you never knew about. Check out your local library’s website, because you might be surprised at all of the awesome resources they offer. Here are some of the awesome services I have used from the libraries near me:

• Ebooks and audiobooks

• Online courses (Coursera and Linkedin Learning)

This is not an exhaustive list, so reach out to the libraries near you to see what else they can offer.

Libby

While you are at the library, ask the librarian if that branch offers an online catalog. The one that I use is Libby, which is a free service for audiobooks, eBooks, and magazines you access through your local library.

While I don’t *love* reading eBooks on my phone, my favorite is the audiobooks. They also have magazines, with unlimited copies, so there is never a wait.

Check out your local library to see if they have Libby or a similar service. Different libraries often have different catalogs of books they offer, so if you have multiple library cards to different branches, you can expand your access to books.