How to Read the Latest Best Selling Books for Next to Nothing

My grade school library teacher once told me that she thought my name was on the sign-out card of every book in the library. It's a good possibility that it was. Reading was my lifeline as I was growing up. I would rather have been reading as eating. And it's a good thing because getting books from the library was a lot easier than getting food was back then. That love of reading is still with me today. Relaxing to me is to open up a book and "lose" myself inside it.

But books, like everything else, can be pretty expensive. And I love reading all the great authors of today. I am a particular fan of murder-mysteries and want to read all the new books as soon as they come out. And I don't like paperbacks. Oh, I will read one, don't get me wrong. If it's all I can afford and I can't find anyone who has the hardback copy, then I will buy it. But I much prefer the feel and shape of a hard cover book. Don't ask me why. Maybe it's a kickback to those school library days. I don't ever remember reading a paperback book back then, other than comic books.

So my best solution to how to read the latest best-selling books was to join a book club. And then join another book club. I joined the first book club with one of those ads that said, "Get 6 books for 99 cents." Of course, in the fine print, you have to agree to buy usually four more books over a period of time. But it also let me go ahead and choose a seventh book for only $3.99, leaving my obligation to buy at only three. I also got free shipping and handling on this order. In the meantime I received a card telling me if I got a friend to join, I would receive three free books and my friend would get 6 for 99 cents. So I invited my daughter to join. She ordered different books than what I had ordered. She also received the the seventh book on her order. We read our books, then traded out.

I then joined another book club and went through the same process. I never run out of offers to join book clubs. I will purchase the number of books required to fulfill my obligation, then close my account. And to be honest, the prices of the books I buy to fulfill my agreement are as cheap or cheaper than they are at even the discount stores. So I'm really saving money there also. And almost immediately after I close my account, I will receive another invitation to join with a special offer. And the good thing about book clubs is you get descriptions of the books so you can decide which ones you want to read. No having to go to the library or bookstore and browse through the books trying to decide which ones to buy. Then the books are delivered right to your home.
I now trade with my daughter and my sister-in-law who also joined a book club. Our biggest problem is who gets to read which book first and making sure we all order different books. Read on, America!