#but this is also motivated by me seeing massive book hauls on bookstagram that came straight from amaz*n

[ghooolish]

alternative places to buy books instead of amaz*n

edited: removing abebooks from this list because i've been informed it's an amzn subsidiary. thanks!

i apologize in advance, these sources are generally best for people looking for books in the U.S. and not outside of it. this is by no means a comprehensive list; please feel free to add onto this list, especially if you know of places that cater to customers outside of the U.S.

used books

- thriftbooks (used and new, ships outside of U.S. at higher cost): you can usually get used popular books here for under $10 and they'll generally come in very good shape. for U.S. domestic orders, shipping is free for orders $10 or more, and only $0.99 for anything under. this was one of my favorite places to buy books for class when I was in college. they also have a points reward system, so every purchase gets you a certain amount of points, and if you earn enough, you get a $5 credit, which is generally enough to get you a free book.

- goodwill books (used, only operates in the U.S.): rather than aimlessly searching shelves in a physical store, goodwill has an online database that sells games, movies, and music in addition to books. free standard shipping on all orders, but shipping can take a while depending on where your order is coming from. it depends on what you're looking for, but books will generally be very cheap. i almost paid $50 for a book before finding it here for $10, and it came in near-perfect condition.

- abebooks (new and used, ships to many different locations): in addition to new and used books, this might also be a good resources for students to find cheap(er) textbooks. you also have the option to sell your textbooks back to them when you're done.

- bookmooch (a bartering system for used books, good for non-English texts, works worldwide): i haven't personally used this one, so this is just what i know from online information, but instead of buying books, there's a point system that allows you to give away and receive books. you list which books you own and want to give away, then someone can request that book from you. you ship it out to them and pay shipping fees (the only money you'll spend) and then gain points, allowing you to request books from others.

- bookoff (used, physical store, locations only in U.S.): their online store is only for buying anime figures and manga, but if you have a location near you like i do, i suggest you go there! unfortunately, the majority of them are in California, but they have a $1 section, where i've gotten a lot of good books. they also sell movies, music, video games, video game consoles, used electronics, and one time i randomly got a set of rubber stamps there.

new books

- bookshop (ships to U.K., Spain, and U.S.): an online bookstore meant to support independent bookstores by dedicating a certain portion of their profits to helping independent bookstores and providing a platform to connect you to independent booksellers . their "find a bookstore" feature is my favorite because they'll recommend you independent booksellers in your area and you can avoid the shipping costs and wait.

- indiebound: similar to bookshop except you can't buy directly from this website, but what it does is connect you to local booksellers based on your location and you can buy directly from their websites or go in person.

- just buy from indie shops' websites if they have one

other ways to get books

- this generally won't work with big publishers, but if the book's publisher is small enough, you can buy it directly from them

- just check for shops you can go to in your area!

- i know this is meant to be a resource for buying books, but also just borrow! borrow books from your local library or get them electronically. you can get access and borrow ebooks from your library using the mobile app Libby, and you don't need a kindle to read the books on, you can read directly from the app.

- if your library doesn't have the book you want, you can sometimes request an order. or you can do an inter-library loan, where your library will request it from another library system, though there might be a fee of a couple dollars.

- my final note. there is no need to buy the Twilight series new. every single used bookstore i've gone to has had multiple copies of the entire series for, like, a dollar for each book. i am generally very big on supporting authors because their income is nowhere near as glamorous as actors or directors, but SM will be fine. whatever you were willing to spend on the books, just donate that to moving the Quileute nation to higher ground

#bookblr #litblr #english major #studyblr #reading #books #literature #this is the culmination of my efforts not to buy from amaz*n as an english major who had to buy so many books #but this is also motivated by me seeing massive book hauls on bookstagram that came straight from amaz*n #i just think if you have the means to spend large sums of money on books in one go #you can be a bit more conscious about who you're supporting with your purchases #namely not someone like j*ff b*zos who is a real-life villain #i also have a list of g**dreads alternatives that i want to share #bye and thanks for this callout