Going Analog With Your Books

Remember the feeling of opening up an old paperback and taking in that old book smell? Neither do we.

These days, it seems like all the books on the subway have been replaced by Kindles (Stock Quote: AMZN) and Sony eBooks (Stock Quote: SNE). The only use for books is to decorate your house and make yourself look more sophisticated. The Strand, a popular New York City book store, has already started offering this service professionally. Will our kids even know what a library is when they grow up?

If you are holding out on the digital book craze, or just feeling nostalgic, consider these five ways to find books for less and get the most out of them:

1.    Join A Book Club or Start Your Own

Books clubs aren’t just old ladies sitting around talking about Jane Austen. Or at least they don’t have to be. There are thousands of clubs in America you can join to match your interests. If you want to learn more about finance, join a business book club. If you’re in the mood for politics, try the Conservative Book Club or the Progressive Book Club. The latter offers discounted books each month and donates much of their proceeds to a charity of your choice.

If you can’t find one you like, start your own (Learn how here.). One big perk: when you order books in bulk for your meetings, you’ll get them cheaper.

2.    Book Swapping

Unlike the spouse-variety, this swapping scheme ends up well for everyone involved. Websites like Swaptree.com and What’s On My Bookshelf let users post books they don’t want and trade them for other books of equal value. Best of all, you can create a book profile and meet new people based on their favorite reads. It’s like J-Date for nerds.