My Reading Must-Haves!

I am obviously an avid reader (considering this is a book blog!) and I am also low- income, so I have to get creative with buying books, storage and book accessories! I do unfortunately rely on Amazon and Walmart as a poor, disabled person, and if you have disposable income, I highly suggest purchasing items elsewhere. I do not have that option, personally.

I decided to show you some of my favorite reader on a budget products and websites!

Keep in mind: I moved into my first apartment almost a year ago, so all of these things have been bought slowly, not all at once!

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Bookshelves

Turn N Tube Shelves via Amazon: These are SO EASY to assemble, take about ten minutes (less once you have already made one), and require no tools! I have two of these in my bedroom, and will eventually buy two more as my book collection expands. This definitely is not everyone’s aesthetic, but I really like them and wrapped fake vines around the poles which was a nice touch!

Cube Shelves via Amazon: I am terrible at assembly so I did have a friend put this together, but if you are good at simple assembly this should be no problem for you. I really like how these shelves look in conjunction with the next shelf recommendation.

Three Shelved White Book Shelf via Walmart: This was an affordable shelf, and was the first shelf I bought when I found out I was moving. The same friend who helped me assemble the cube shelves put this together for me, and again if you have any experience this should be fairly simple.

Book Accessories

Clip-on Book Light via Amazon: I am more of a morning reader myself but whenever I want to read in the evening, this bad boy comes in handy! It is dimmable and as someone who has bad eyesight and is sensitive to light, that is a really nice feature.

Page Turning Ring via Amazon: I have neck and back issues, and when I want to read on the Kindle app, this helps me be able to prop up my tablet and turn pages without having to touch the screen. Do keep in mind, this does not work with a Kindle device, just with the Kindle app. I use this with my iPad.

Bookmarks: I don’t have any specific recs here, but I tend to find bulk buying bookmarks has been great for me. I love picking out a bookmark when I start a new book, and I have almost 100 bookmarks as of writing this. If you can afford to, I suggest browsing Etsy for some fun bookmarks from small businesses.

Subscriptions

Book of the Month Club: I have been a Book of the Month member for over a year! I also wrote a whole article over on Write Through the Night, so I recommend going over there to read about all the things you need to know about this book subscription service.

Aardvark Book Club: I joined this book club last month and my first two choices were really good! Honestly, I joined specifically for their adorable bookmarks, and it seems like they are a well liked company, so I am excited to continue my subscription.

Secondhand (or Discounted) Book Shopping

Better World Books: I personally suggest Better World Books over any other secondhand retailer, because they have the best prices, donate a book for each book purchased, and they have an awesome rewards program. They also have free shipping when you spend $15!

Thrift Books: ThriftBooks gets points for their Secret Shelf (clearly not actually a secret!) where books in great condition are $2.99. Like Better World Books, they do free shipping over $15.

Book Outlet: I have only used them once, but if you would like newer, more popular books at a discount, I recommend Book Outlet. The books are not secondhand, so if that is what you are looking for, I would pick from the two suggestions above. They do free shipping over $35.

I have seen people suggest Alibris or Abe Books, but I find they are usually far more expensive than the three spots I have suggested above.

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What are some of your reading must-haves? Let me know in the comments!