If you're a responsible member of society, you’re social distancing and self-isolating when you’re able, in order to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. I applaud and appreciate you for that. Because you’re doing such a great job, I wanted to reward you with this handy little guide to obtaining your book club book while in quarantine. You’ve got plenty of options. 

E-Books/Audio Books

If you don’t mind reading on your smart device, the easiest way to get your book club book is to get a digital version. There are tons of ways to do this. 

Amazon Prime

While ordering a physical copy of a book on Amazon right now could land you a delivery date of late April, Amazon is still a great place to order digital books that you can start reading as fast as you can click “Buy”. 

Kindle

Prime Reading is the spot for you to purchase kindle versions of books, which you can download and read through the Kindle app. If you have an Amazon Prime account, some Kindle downloads are free, while some cost a fee. Also, if you are a current subscriber to Kindle Unlimited, you can download any book from Amazon’s Kindle Store for free with your membership.

Sidenote: No, you do not need to own an actual Kindle in order to utilize Kindle books or the Kindle App.

Audible

Another advantage of Amazon’s Prime Reading is their inventory of audiobooks through the app Audible. Audible is a virtual audio bookstore run by Amazon. While super convenient for audiobook lovers, in order to make use of this service, you’ll need to pay for a subscription. Prime members automatically get 2 Audible books for free, and you can always sign up for Audible’s 30-day free trial, but after you’ve used those up, you’ll need to pay $14.95/month for the full-time subscription. 

Libby

Saving money is always the goal, which is why I recommend the app Libby whenever I can! Libby is your local library in the palm of your hands. You can make use of your library card even while in Quarantine with Libby. 

What I love about this app is that everything is free, so long as you have a library card. You have access to all of the digital inventories of the entire county your library card is good for.

The only downside to this app is the same as with any physical library; your options are limited and their inventory is low. Most libraries only have a couple of physical copies of any given book, and their e-books and audiobook inventories through Libby are much the same. Oftentimes, I get placed on a waitlist for a book, especially when it’s a current or popular book. Though, I’ve found that audiobooks are often easier to obtain through Libby than e-books. 

While it’s not guaranteed you can get the book you need, I highly recommend trying out Libby first, just to see if you can get lucky!

Sidenote: If you do not have a library card yet, you can sign up for a virtual one through the Libby app, which you can then convert to a physical one, once the public libraries reopen.

Scribd

While I haven’t used Scribd, it’s another option for all of the audiobook lovers out there. This subscription service offers a 30-day free trial, which grants access to their complete library of audiobooks. Once your 30-day trial is over, you’ll only pay $9.99/month for the service, which is cheaper than Audible. 

Physical Copies

Like I said before, you can’t turn to Amazon Prime nowadays to get your book delivered to your doorstep in two days. If you try to order your book for April, you’ll get it by May, so don’t even try. Instead, here are some other options for you:

Target

There are two great options with Target; delivery and pick-up. Target’s delivery service is not as impacted as Amazon’s, so you can order a book, and get it delivered by the following week, or even the next couple of days if you choose to pay for expedited shipping. Or, if you are a last-minute book buyer, you can pre-order your book online, and if it’s in-stock at your local store, you can opt to pick it up in as soon as 4-hours after you place your order. 

While I don’t encourage leaving self-isolation to go to Target, this is a great option because you won’t have to spend a lot of time in the store, and can still avoid the crowded aisles of the store.

Barnes & Noble

Similarly to Target, Barnes & Noble offers both delivery and pre-order curbside pickup. Their standard shipping won’t get your book to you super quickly, but their expedited shipping could get you your book in about 5 business days. 

Their curbside pickup, though, is super awesome! I recommend doing this if you have a nearby Barnes & Noble that’s still open during the pandemic. What’s great about this service is that it’s free (no shipping fees), it’s quick (you can get your book the same day, and you don’t even have to get out of your car (seriously, when you get the confirmation email that your book is ready for pickup, all you have to do is call the store once you park and an employee will run out to bring the book to you). This option is super convenient, and it helps to keep our lovely bookstores alive!

Local Bookstores

Depending on where you live, you may be able to shop for a book at your local bookstore. Yes, most bookstores have had to close and even layoff some of their employees due to this pandemic, but there are still some open who need your business.

Most are operating on a curbside or appointment-only basis, such as The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles, so I would suggest calling ahead or checking their website to see if it’s possible to buy from them. Again, please support your local small businesses if you can!

So, there you have it! A bunch of ways to get your read on during this pandemic! If you know of any additional ways to get your books, feel free to leave your suggestions in a comment below! Happy Reading & Stay Safe!