I have spent the past few years really getting back into loving reading, and I feel like I have so much catching up to do. There are tons of series that most read in middle school that I have yet to read. I always have an eye out for a book on my long mental list that I want to add to my library. One of my favorite sources to do this is Half Price Books. They have tons of popular and unpopular books for, truly, half the price of a new copy. Goodwill, Thrift Books, and Pango Books have also been some of my favorite resources.

Buying books second hand is, in my opinion, the best way to build your library and explore new genres without spending too much money. The price of books lately has been outrageousness, making it harder for people to get new books. The solution here is to buy used books instead. Sometimes libraries just don’t do the job. Whether I can’t find the book I want, or I love the book so much that I want to keep it, thrifting is just as good as borrowing.

Half Priced Books and thrifting books has allowed me to grow my library so much for half the price or even less. At the same time, I have given new life to books that otherwise may have been thrown away. In doing this, you also support alternate book sellers so that bigger companies like Barnes & Noble and Amazon don’t have a monopoly over book sales. Searching used bookstores and websites is also a great way to find older or out of print books easily.

Cheaper prices give access to book to so many people who normally wouldn’t be able to buy many, especially with the prices going up. So many people can barely afford rent, never mind books, and it is more important than ever that people keep reading. Kids books are some of the easiest to find at these places, and all kids deserve a selection of books to choose from every day.

Another major perk for me is not having to support certain authors in order to read their work. So many popular authors have questionable political beliefs, or have been involved in controversies I do not want to get involved in. But as a writer, I know how important it is to separate the art from the artist. Just because JK Rowling is crazy, doesn’t mean I don’t want to read Harry Potter. Good thing my Half Price Books always has the whole series in stock.

It seems like every other day there is some new dispute going on online, and I don’t want to have to research every new author I pick up. I’m much happier supporting small businesses and giving books new life than spending more money and not being able to buy books from authors I don’t support.

         However, if you have the means and know an author you want to support, by all means pay full price for their work. All the money I save in my regular purchases, I am able to spend on my favorite author’s next release or a special edition.

Additionally, there is no reason to pay full price for authors who have passed away. They do not need our money anymore. Most classics are public domain so take advantage of that. We have reached an age where accessibility should never be an issue for anyone, and despite people’s reluctance to read, it is easier than ever to get books. You don’t have to let money stop you from being well-read.

There was a blog posted last year reasoning that buying used books was stealing from the authors because you should be supporting them. However, I disagree strongly with this claim because people should be reading and limiting them to buying books new takes away that ability for some. As a writer myself, I wouldn’t mind losing a bit of money if more people could enjoy my work.

I do believe that you should be supporting your favorite authors when you can, but if you can’t, there are still plenty of ways to get new books, especially if your someone like me who loves their book trophies.