If you have a great love for books, but a small amount of cash in your bank account, don’t worry; you don’t have to cut new books from your budget. With these fourteen ways to get popular books for free, you can go beyond borrowing great books to adding them to your home library for zero dollars out of pocket. Plus, you don’t have to be limited to free ebooks and audiobooks–you can receive paperbacks and hardbacks for free too.
(Links in this post are affiliate links. I will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking those links. See my disclosure page for more information)
Let’s get the obvious source for free books out of the way–your local library. Here you can enjoy audiobooks, books on CD, paperback books, hardcover books, large print books, and even ebooks for free (well, it could cost you a few library fines if you don’t return them on time).
I rarely even step into my library anymore, yet I use their services several times a week. How? My library card allows me to use the Libby app (replaced the overdrive app) and the Hoopla app to borrow audiobooks and ebooks. I love these apps. Thanks to my library for providing them, I can now listen to a book while decluttering, doing housework, or taking a relaxing walk through the park.
And don’t forget to sign up for your local library’s summer reading program. These programs are not just for kids, and often the rewards for adults are free books!
The downside of the library is that you can’t keep these books indefinitely, except for those earned during their summer reading programs. But you can keep the books from the rest of the places on this resource list.
I have received dozens of books delivered to my door free of charge through My Reader Rewards Club (formerly Tyndale Rewards).
The club offers members simple ways to earn points that they can then cash in for paperbacks and sometimes even hardback books. Use my referral code here to sign up for My Reader Rewards Club, and you will start your account with 25 points.
These books include fiction and nonfiction books as well as children’s books.
Like My Reader Rewards Club, you can earn points towards free paperback books using BookishFirst. They also offer weekly giveaways of free books. Every Monday, they post a listing of books that you can enter to win. To enter, you need to read “First Look” for the pre-publication book and then use the “First Impression” section to write a mini-review. On Tuesday of the following week, they contact the winners of the books through email.
If you don’t win the book, your time reading and writing the review is rewarded with points (even if you win, you still get these points). You can cash in your points for a copy of pre-release books, delivered right to your door.
You can check your points anytime in “My Profile.” Use my referral code da2f3c2fddc817b1b during the sign-up process to receive bonus points! (and I get some too; a huge thank you to those who use it).
You can get free ebooks that you can keep forever through Amazon, but many of them are low-quality or super short. However, Prime members have access to Prime Reading, which gives you access to more than a thousand ebooks–many of which are recent releases or titles that have stood the test of time and are still well-read. You can download 10 Prime Reading titles at a time.
Prime members also get access to the First Reads program, which allows you to pick one ebook per month from a list of half a dozen or so. These books are new releases that are not yet available for download by the general public. They are a great way to build up your digital library for free.
You might have spotted one of these boxes in your area and wondered about it. The slogan for Little Free Library is “take a book, share a book.” I keep a bag of books in the back of my car that I have already read so I can swap them out at Little Free Libraries I pass by for books I have not read yet. If you pass one and don’t have a book to swap, don’t worry, you can still take a book. Just slip one in the box next time you pass it.
If you haven’t seen one of these in your area, head to their website or head to the google play store or iOS store and download their app. The app allows you to find registered locations in your area and save them in a favorites list.
“No rush” rewards is an incentive program that is often offered to Prime members in the shopping cart area as you are picking your shipping option. Amazon regularly offers its Prime members a $1 digital credit that can be used towards purchasing ebooks if they choose no-rush shipping instead of the two-day prime shipping option. I do this whenever I don’t need an item right away and let the credits add up until I can get an ebook for free.
To stretch my dollars even further, I created an Amazon wishlist that I add kindle titles to and whenever I have at least $3 in credit, I scroll this list to see if any of the books I want are on sale–often, this leads to a free book.
If you are disciplined enough to set a reminder to cancel a free trial before it ends and then take the time to cancel it, no-cost trials for audio and ebook services can be great ways to read books for free.
What works for me is to set a reminder on my phone and write a reminder in my agenda book to cancel the service two to three days before the free trial ends.
You will need to enter your debit card or credit card to sign up for these trials, but you will not be charged unless you continue your membership past the trial period. If I am not keeping a service, I like to cancel a few days before the end of trials to be on the safe side.
Check Rakuten or Swagbucks for a cash back deal first before signing up for trials. If you end up joining, using their links could earn you a bit of money back through cash back.
When I first started blogging, I signed up for every company I could find that offered bloggers free books in exchange for a written review on their blog. The number of books I was required to read each month was overwhelming. So if you go this route, I suggest signing up for just one or two companies. Two companies to look into are NetGalley and TLC Book Tours.
NetGalley offers audiobooks and digital copies of books for review. You can download the books in various file formats, including MOBI, EPUB, and PDF. They have a large selection of books available to review. No matter your favorite genre, you can probably find a book to review through NetGalley–including romance, travel, and history. If you are part of a book club, check out their “Book Club kits.”
You don’t need a blog to receive and do reviews at TLC Book Tours; they accept those with Instagram accounts and TikTok accounts. I would assume that your account needs a strong following and a book focus. If you are part of a Book Club, enter your club into their monthly book club giveaway, and you might win a set of books for your book club to review. TLC offers real paperback books to review.
Bookworms tend to attract other book lovers, so why not gather your friends together and hold a book swap.
Earning a few gift cards to spend on books doesn’t have to be time-consuming. I earn dozens of gift cards each year by joining several companies and sticking to the simplest ways to earn points. Often these point-earning tasks are things I already do online, so why not make something in return for doing them–like performing web searches or buying daily deals.
If you like to shop at Barnes & Noble, here are a few places where you can earn gift cards for their store.
If you are an active user on GoodReads, under the “browse” tab, you will find “giveaways.” Here you can enter to win print copies of soon-to-be-released or newly released books.
If you have a child ages one to five, you can sign them up for free children’s books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This literacy program is not just for those who reside in America, but also for those who live in Canada, the Republic Of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Summer reading programs are another way that your kids can get free books. I already mentioned library reading programs, but bookstores including Barnes & Noble and Half Price Books also offer summer reading programs where the prizes include free books.
If you live in a town with an active BuyNothing group or FreeCycle, check the listings for books.
These following five ways to increase your at-home library will cost you up to a few dollars per book.
Each yard sale season, I pick up a stack of books to keep me busy all winter long for ridiculously low prices.
These types of programs will cost you postage, but if you live in the United States, you can use media mail to reduce the cost to significantly less than the retail cost of a new book. Two companies to try are Paperbackswap and Bookmooch.
Thrift store prices for books can vary from store to store, so if the first one you walk into has high prices, don’t let that stop you from trying another one. To bring the costs down even lower, see if the store runs sales.
Secondhand bookstores tend to have higher prices due to higher overhead expenses. However, at some of these stores you may be able to get free books by trading in books you have already read for store credit. This is why I decided to add them to this list.
Thriftbooks offers new and used books at great prices, plus free shipping on orders over $15. They also have a point system where your purchases add up to free books. Here is my referral link; when you use it and purchase $30 worth of books, you and I will both get a free book.
For those who love the classics as much as you do new titles, don’t forget about Project Gutenberg, where you can download free ebooks. The titles are public domain books, meaning that the copyrights have expired, which is why they can be offered free of charge.
Thrifty And Thriving: More Life For Less Money is available in both paperback and Kindle format
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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.
I had no clue how many books I owned until I organized my entire book collection in Goodreads.
But even more surprising was the number of free books I had accumulated compared to the ones I purchased!
As much as I label myself a bookworm, the thrifty side of me doesn’t want to spend all my hard-earned money (or clutter up my bookshelves) on a book I’m probably going to only read once.
So anytime I see a limited time promotion pop up on various sites or email newsletters, I flood my Kindle with as many $0.00 titles as I can. Within reason, of course. There are plenty of books I skip! When it comes to my book collection, I’m still a minimalist who prioritizes quality over quantity.
If you’re a fellow bookworm who wants to feed your bookish addiction without spending a dime, the following ideas and websites are ones I’ve collected and bookmarked as my absolute favorites.
They include not just free eBooks, but free audiobooks and free paperback books too!
Paperback
This option is totally undervalued but a great way to read free books. If you have a title you want to read, ask around to make sure no one else has a copy of it before you buy. I know I personally could have saved so much money over the years if I had only checked with my friends first!
Paperback, Digital, and Audiobooks
Bloggers can get hundreds of free books to review from various publishing companies. I once had a book blog for this purpose, and it fueled my reading habit for years!
If I were starting an online book business today, I would definitely go with a blog as apposed to an Instagram account. It’s much easier to link to books through the Amazon or Bookshop affiliate programs, which help you earn a small commission via anyone who purchases through your link.
Learn how to start a blog in less than 15 minutes (and for super cheap!), then sign up through these companies to request your free books.
Psst… I have a Bookstagram account (a book Instagram) just for fun! I’m @theunclutteredbookshelf if you’re interested in following my reviews and updates about all things books.
Paperback, Digital, and Audiobooks
Who doesn’t want to be rewarded with free books?
Some online bookstores and publishing companies offer incredible loyalty programs just by purchasing books through through their websites or completing other small tasks. When you earn a certain number of points, you can redeem those points for free books!
Here are the most popular programs right now:
Digital
Finding quality free books online is all about knowing where to look. There are plenty of independent and self-published databases offering free downloads, but I always find their selections lacking. (And let’s be honest, even though you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, I often do!)
But this list is worth checking out. While I can’t vouch for every book promoted, you’ll definitely find higher quality options more often than not.
Many websites provide daily and/or weekly updates of free eBooks, so you’ll want to check in often to see their rotation. I highly recommend creating a new bookmark folder to your favorites. That way, you’ll never miss a free book!
Digital
Kindle Unlimited typically costs $9.99 per month but offers unlimited books to read on your Kindle. So how is that free, you ask?
Well, when you sign up for their 30-day trial, you can read as many books as you like! Just make sure to set a reminder on your phone to cancel if you don’t want to continue with the monthly fee.
However, sometimes, you’ll receive a special offer to extend your membership for 6-12 months at a deep discount. If you love reading and read books fairly quickly, this program might be worth it for you. It is for me! Many books that have longer wait times at my library are available right away on Kindle Unlimited.
Audiobooks
Similar to the Kindle Unlimited offer, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Audible. During this trial, you get two free credits to redeem for audiobooks. 1 credit = 1 audiobook. So you can access two free books!
I’m not an audiobook fan personally, but I have plenty of friends (and a husband) who love them. So if you prefer listening rather than reading, or you find yourself strapped for time and like to do something productive while “reading,” audiobooks are the perfect option.
Paperback, Digital and Audiobooks
The library is an obvious one, but they offer so many options and formats to read or listen to free books. Even if they don’t have the book you want in stock, they will often transfer it from a different library or buy a copy for their own shelves if you request it.
Now that I’m traveling full-time and can’t borrow books from a physical library, I use the Overdrive app to download books to my Kindle. You have 21 days to read the book, but here’s a secret if you won’t finish it in time. Just turn on your Kindle’s airplane mode to keep the book from disappearing. Then you can finish it at your own pace!
Hoopla is a similar app to Overdrive, where you have 5 Instant Borrows a month to use in their vast catalog (which extends beyond your library’s stock!) and 5 Flex Borrows you can redeem for books your library has immediately available. For books available via Instant Borrow, you don’t have a wait time either!
Digital
Last but not least, make sure you’re following your favorite authors on the social media channel you use most or by signing up for their mailing list. Authors let their readers know exactly when books are FREE for a limited time, but you have to be following them to find out!
NOTE: If you want to take advantage of these FREE eBooks and don’t have an eReading device, you can always download this free app, which lets you read Kindle ebooks right on your PC, tablet, or smartphone right away.
Of course! Just not as often as I used to.
I keep an eye out for Kindle deals and scour bargain bookstores during our travels. I also love to preorder books to help out other authors (preorders count as the first week of book sales, so they really do make a difference!).
I’m also more likely to purchase non-fiction books over fiction novels. I get more out of a book when I interact with it—sticky flags, notes, highlighter, etc. The only way I’ll purchase a fiction novel is if it’s deeply discounted so if I don’t like it, I don’t mind passing it on to Goodwill.
But like I said before, I enjoy keeping quality books on hand over quantity. Hence, my Bookstagram name, The Uncluttered Bookshelf. 😉
I hope you enjoyed these new-to-you options so the next time you want to find a new book to read, you can do it for free!
I’d love to hear all about your favorite sites and ideas. I know there are some I probably missed!
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.