Since early childhood, I've been a voracious reader. I'm a nerd in the classical sense - I was that kid on the playground in 2nd grade reading treasure island while everyone else was playing kickball... by 4th grade I had graduated to Toni Morrison and George Orwell. Sickening, I know.
Whatever the case may be, reading books is now my occupation and I really can't be mad at that. For every "non-pleasure" book I read, I try to read one of my own choosing. Unsurprisingly, my personal library is massive (and right now completely contained to storage...womp womp)...
Recently, I've noticed an increase in the amount of "big readers"... and by "big readers," I mean people that read constantly... whether it be "52 books in 52 weeks" or something as simple as sporadic interest in the New York Times Book Review...
But along with this increased desire to read comes an overwhelmingly loud complaint: "It's too expensive to read everything I want to read!" My first instinct would be to tell you to take yourself to the library and "rent" a book! However, my second (kinder... gentler) instinct would tell you that there are many alternatives to starting/expanding your personal library!
I've always been aware of the "expensiveness" surrounding books (especially new ones) but I ignored it given my interest. However, when my generals exams forced me to ponder the purchase of approximately 600 books...at...the...same...time... I was forced to come up with a solution that wouldn't hurt my pockets, but would allow me to expand my database.
My solution (and the secret that 90% of graduate students in the humanities and social sciences share)?
Alibris (www.alibris.com) - a website that allows the buyer to purchase books at a fraction of the price... while maintaining quality. I've purchased books for as low as 35 cents...! Even better, for every purchase, Alibris will apply a discount for your future purchases. Yes, many of the books are second-hand, but second-hand doesn't necessarily mean second-rate. Merchants describe the condition and usability of the book, so that you can determine how much you are/aren't willing to pay. Amazon offers a similar service (which I encourage you to check out) but on the average, Alibris' books are better quality, lower prices, and arrive faster.
So next time you go to buy that $50 biography on [insert presidential hopeful here]... check out Alibris first. You might find something special... and satisfyingly affordable!
