This week shall henceforth be known as “Free Week.” Every post this week is going to focus on one thing I’m passionate about that you can do for free. From listening to music to getting into shape, you’ll find it here.

I love books. I love being around them, being surrounded by them, talking about them, buying them, selling them, and looking at them.

And I love reading them too.

I always like to say there are an infinite amount of books in the world. Go stand in the middle of a Borders store for a second and you’ll see what I mean. No one could ever read all those books and keep up with all the new ones coming out.

Anyway, what are you doing standing in a Borders if you’re looking for free books? Get the hell out of there!

I can’t remember the last time I bought a book (it may have been Manhunt, the great book about Lincoln’s assassination), and that’s because there are so many ways of getting books for free these days. There’s no need to pay for them anymore (although book geeks like myself will always be buying them).

Here are some of my favorite ways of getting your greedy paws on all the books you want—free of charge.

• Your Public Library: The obvious place to go first. Most libraries will let you request any book they don’t have and they’ll go out into the world and fetch it for you. If you don’t have a library card, you’re really missing out. Whether or not you believe me when I said library cards were more valuable than a college diploma, you still can’t ignore how great the public-library system is.
• Book Clubs: Most informal groups force you to buy your own copy before getting together and talking about the book, but sometimes they’ll buy the book for you. Ask around at work and see if they’ll go for it. Pitch it as an employee bonding thing or something—maybe they’ll buy it. Then all you have to do is get the group to agree on the books and you’re all set.
• Friends: Most people are willing to lend their books out. This solves the whole “waiting for days to get your book” problem that sometimes plagues the library. Just make sure not to damage it or take it into the tub with you. You may never get another book lent to you again.
• Paperback Swap: This one’s pretty neat. You join the site and become a part of this huge network of people that want to trade books. Just like that, they all become your “friends.” You send a book to someone, you get a credit to request a book from someone. It’s kind of like the library only you get to keep the books you get. One minor catch: you do have to pay postage.
• Public Spaces: In my building, there is a little communal shelf down in the laundry room, and that’s where people hold a little bit of an informal Paperbook Swap. Very informal. I’m sure some people feel it’s a “leave one, take one” type deal, but for me it’s a free-for-all. You leave a book down there unattended and it’s going to get gotten. By me. For free. Oh yeah.

If you are a book lover like myself, I’m sure you’ll still find an excuse or two to go out there and buy books, but now you can at least read as many as you want for free before buying a book, finishing it, and going, “Well, that was terrible. Now what do I do with it?”

If I’m missing any big ones here, feel free to add them in the comments.

Other Posts You May Like:

• Free Week: Free Movies
• Read the Books You Already Own