Discussion: Favorite Book Accessories

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I'm one of those traditionalists who will always prefer a good old paperback as opposed to an e-reader; it's not that I won't read a digital book, but if given the choice, I would choose a book where I can physically turn pages. That doesn't mean however, that I don't take advantage of the all the lovely technology and other accessories that are available these days. I use a variety of different accessories to help make my reading experience more enjoyable and I thought that I would share them with you guys today. Enjoy!

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OverDrive

This app, available for both Apple and Android devices as well as Windows and Chrome, is my favorite e-reader platform whenever I can't get hold of an actual copy of a book. The great thing about this app is that it supports digital libraries, so I am able to have access to both my public library and my school library whenever I want to. And not only does this app support e-books, but audio books as well. The interface is also very easy and intuitive and gives you the ability to sync across devices, so definitely check this one out.

Goodreads

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Goodreads, of course, is my favorite book sharing website so of course I love the app as well. The Goodreads app lets me update my status quickly and look at all my books on the go. It has a different layout than the website and is limited to certain functions (you can't insert pictures or enter book giveaways among a few other things) but it still pretty great. My favorite part about this app is the fact that it has a bar code scanner that lets you scan your books whenever you want to. I think scanning books is so much fun, but that's just weird little me.

Project Gutenberg

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Project Gutenberg is a repository of over 49,000 free books and it's just marvelous. It carries a wide variety of books that are available online or downloaded onto a kindle or epub format (which OverDrive supports!). There is such a large library of classics to choose from so you can read anything from George Orwell's 1984 to Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. The best part about this website is the fact that there is absolutely no registration and it's absolutely, magnificently free. And isn't the name wonderful too? 

Handmade Bookmarks

Photo: Mariama Poquiz

One of my favorite things to do is to make my own bookmarks because I just can't justify spending money on something that I can easily make myself. I also really like making bookmarks because I can design it however I like, making them more personal. This is the most recent bookmark I have made (and there have been quite a lot over the years!) and I do like it a lot. I will be making a new one soon however because I feel like it's time for a little change. I might even put up a bookmark tutorial so be sure to watch out for that! I've recently started making my bookmarks out of old book pages, and I know some of you might be cringing at that (I know I sure did, at first!) But here's the way I look at it: I think of giving these poor, unwanted books new life so everyone wins in the end.

Used Book Sales

One of my bookshelves. The second shelf is double shelved!
Photo: Mariama Poquiz

Over the last year or so, I've been frequenting used book sales more. I usually volunteer at my local used book sale for my school and as a thank you, they are nice enough to let us pick out an entire bag full of books! It's absolutely amazing because all the books that can fit in the bag are yours for free! I've volunteered so many times that I have grown my library to less than 100 books to about 300 books. And everyone wins: I get to help out my local community and get free books chock full with history all at the same time! So definitely check out around your town for your own used book shops and book sales that might need a little help. You never know, you might get a great deal!

What are your favorite book accessories? Do you have a favorite app to use? Is there a bookmark that you just have to use every time? How do you mainly acquire your books?