Free or a small fee: Libby and Bookbub help make reading easier for me again

My reading has really dropped off since the pandemic. Perhaps that has happened to you as well. I’ve tried various ways to read more, but two things I’ve recently adopted that have helped me read more are the Libby app and the Bookbub site.

The Libby app in conjunction with a library card from the Toronto Public Library gives me access to thousands of ebooks for free. Not to mention audiobooks, magazines and more. That wide access combined with the easy of use features of the app means I am more likely to find something I want to read and then read it once I find it. I now enjoy going to the library again, even if the library comes through my iPad. (You can use Libby on your phone and even through your web browser, but I find the experience through my iPad is the best of them all.)

While Libby provides a massive amount of things to read, there are still times when I want something they don’t have. That’s where Bookbub comes in. I’ve subscribed to Bookbub’s service and several times a week it emails me a list of low cost ebooks to sample and then purchase. When you sign up, you tell it the subject areas you are interested in and then it proceeds to send you emails with a list of books you might like. I’ve already bought several which I then read using the Apple Books app. It also provides access to books for Google Books, the Kindle, and the Kobo, if you are not an Apple user.

For more on the Libby app, go here or here. For more on Bookbub, go here.

Happy reading!