Book Accessibility for the Hardcover, Paperback or Paperless Hottie
Here are some of our favorite ways to read, listen and learn from anywhere and at any time.
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Long gone are the days where the literary lovers and learners of the world are limited to reading physical copies of our favorite books by candlelight. Not only do we now have the luxury of electricity, but also a multitude of options to choose from when deciding how best to consume your reading material.
Whether you prefer audiobooks, e-books or la classique (a physical copy), it is true that the answers to how and by what means we read and learn are constantly adapting to our community’s changing needs, with emphasis on the ecological and economic implications of such modes of reading.
Hardcover Hotties works to educate its members about the options for book accessibility that best fit into one’s lifestyle and schedule. Here is a brief list of some of our favorite ways to read, listen and learn from anywhere and at any time.
ID: (from left to right) Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies audiobook via the Libby app; Stephanie lounging on a tree branch listening to the Interpreter of Maladies audiobook; Lauren holding a paperback Interpreter of Maladies in front of mountains.
#1 - Borrow from your local library
On a budget and wanting to reduce paper usage? Try borrowing books from your local or university libraries.
Grab a Hottie and take a walk to your local library to pick up a book. If its your first time, most community libraries will allow you to apply for library cards online if that is most convenient for you. If you are a student, take a look at your university’s library catalog to see if they have what you are looking for.
#2 - Apps connected to public libraries
Interested in trying out e-books and audiobooks, but don’t want to support J*ff B*zos? Me too.
Head to the app store to download Libby or Hoopla, connect your library card and then have access to your library’s selection of e-books and audiobooks … for free!
#3 - Purchase from your local bookstore
Audiobook service libro.fm partners with local independent bookstores and allows you to browse bookseller curated lists and to purchase audiobooks with a portion of the funds going to a local bookseller of your choice. You can also gift audiobooks to a fellow Hottie if you are feeling generous!
Hardcover Hotties purchases from Columbus-based independent & radical bookseller Bookspace when using both Libro and buying copies of our monthly book picks. Check out their website and instagram @bookspace_columbus.
Here are some of our other favorite independent Columbus, OH bookstores:
Phoenix Books Ltd.
#4 - Buy secondhand
Checkout your local thrift stores, Half Price Books or Thrift Books to score a used book!
If you’re lucky, its previous owner(s) may have left notes in its margins or underlined quotes that stood out to them. It is such a blessing to get to know a story through another’s eyes :-)
#5 - Find a PDF
If all else fails, google it.
#6 - Sharing is caring
Pass along the love & lend it to a friend once you’re finished!
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Did we forget something?
DM us on instagram @hardcoverhotties or email us hardcoverhotties@gmail.com.