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I desired the ease of ebooks, the selection of a neighborhood bookshop, and the accessibility of a library. That’s how I acquired it.
I had a book issue a year ago. I specifically ran out of places to put them. I’m not a Disney princess; I’m a renter in New York City. There aren’t any floor to ceiling bookcases with sliding ladders from which I could swing and sing about the most excellent book I just finished. Every time I ran out of room on my flimsy Ikea bookshelf, I used to carry a box of books over to my mother’s place. But I vowed to myself to be more frugal once she fell ill.
Easy fix, right? Get an e-reader. Thousands of books on a single, lightweight device. All the E Ink glory my decrepit eyes can handle. Problem solved? Yes and no. I’ve got a Kindle Paperwhite, but I’m cheap. Despite being intangible, ebooks are generally more expensive than paperbacks. Plus, browsing Amazon doesn’t have the same magic as wandering through a bookstore.
I desired an e-convenience reader’s combined with a bookstore’s selection of books. Better yet, if it could be as reasonably priced as a library without requiring this pajama gremlin to leave the house. I once texted a fellow bookworm exactly this speech. She replied with three words through SMS after I had finished griping. Download Libby now.
For those who are unaware, Libby is a free (! ) OverDrive-powered library app. Your local libraries offer a wide variety of magazines and books that you can borrow or reserve. (Multiple!) A library card is all you require. You can request one from some libraries by entering your phone number into the Libby app. You can browse through well crafted recommendations if you’re unsure about what to read. Even though it’s not exactly like the sticky notes that bookstore employees use to describe why they appreciated a particular book that was on display, Goodreads is still preferable to this. Additionally, even while you may read directly from the Libby app, you can also send ebooks to your Kindle to enjoy the wonderful E Ink display.
On paper, it appeared to be ideal, but I had my doubts. My fundamental problems with libraries weren’t resolved by the app, and this wasn’t my first experience with ebooks. It still imposed arbitrary borrowing periods and maintained lengthy waitlists for popular titles. For a few months, Libby remained dormant on my phone. Then, in the summer of 2021, my mother received a terminal sickness diagnosis.
On paper, it appeared to be ideal, but I had my doubts. My fundamental problems with libraries weren’t resolved by the app, and this wasn’t my first experience with ebooks. It still imposed arbitrary borrowing periods and maintained lengthy waitlists for popular titles. For a few months, Libby remained dormant on my phone. Then, in the summer of 2021, my mother received a terminal sickness diagnosis.
It started with audiobooks to drown out my thoughts when driving to my mom’s. Libby works with CarPlay (and Android Auto!), and unlike Audible, it was free. If I didn’t finish an audiobook or a hold lapsed, it wasn’t a big deal because I didn’t have to go anywhere or feel like I wasted money. Then it expanded to running magazines. I wasn’t running as often as I’d have liked, but it was comforting to imagine myself crossing finish lines when I felt stressed, which was often. Again, Libby afforded me the fantasy without throwing a paywall in my face.
To block off my thoughts while travelling to my mother’s house, I first turned to audiobooks. Libby, in contrast to Audible, was free and compatible with CarPlay (and Android Auto!). I didn’t have to go anyplace or feel like I wasted money if I didn’t finish an audiobook or if a hold expired. Later, it grew to include publishing publications. Although I wasn’t running as frequently as I’d have wanted, it was calming to visualize myself winning races when I was under stress, which was frequently. Once more, Libby gave me the fantasy without inflicting a paywall on me.
I still held out on novels until I heard about Michelle Zauner’s memoir Crying in H Mart. No spoilers, but it’s about a Korean-American woman losing her mother and cultural identity in one fell swoop. Eerily relevant, its existence was a flame burning in my mind, and I was another stupid moth. After weeks of avoiding it, I cracked — only to find it wasn’t immediately available at all my usual haunts. But it was there on Libby. For free, with miraculously no waitlist at the digital Queens Public Library. I tore through it in a single afternoon.
