2026 is now declared as the National Year of Reading – something I think is a fantastic idea and supportive of. The National Literary Trust has started this UK-wide campaign in the hopes of inspiring people to make reading a part of their everyday lives.
I am hugely passionate about books and reading. I’ve always loved reading – I can’t remember a time when I didn’t. I am lucky to have grown up in a house with parents who always supported and encouraged this in me, and it’s shaped a lifelong love of literature to this date.
One thing I am also passionate about is that reading should be accessible for everyone. You don’t need to spend lots of money to be able to read. When I was younger, my parents didn’t spend a small fortune on books for me; we went on frequent library trips, which made me more than happy! So, I want to share ideas on how reading can be accessible. No one should feel like they don’t have access to great stories.
Here are the other ways I’ve found that books can be accessed in a way that is either free or more affordable…
Libraries!
Libraries are golden. You can go to one in person, where there are thousands of books to choose from. My own library has an insanely huge collection of books for all ages and genres – there are even some very new releases, so fear not about missing out! The library even has audiobooks and ebooks to loan out. And if there is something you want to loan but you can’t find it? Ask the librarians – they may be able to request it from another library.
If you can’t get to a library, there are alternatives – a lot of libraries will have options if you can’t get there in person. Whether that’s shipping books to you at home or a travelling library, there are other options.
Every library will have its own specific ways of working, but all have the same general rules: anyone can have a library card, they’re free to all, adults can generally loan between 10-20 books and children between 10-15, and these can be on loan for up to about 3 weeks.
A lot of libraries also do displays in theme with a lot of current holidays – my own library had a section for Chinese New Year with books by Chinese authors and featuring Chinese culture. My library also had a section for newspapers dating back decades, so they really are buildings full of worlds to explore within books, but also so much history and knowledge, all open for anyone to access.
My friend Nat (@Natsbookshelves on Instagram) is on a mission this year to visit as many libraries as she can, and she’s sharing all of them through reels on her Instagram page. I find this really fun and interesting – seeing how each library she visits is different and has its own qualities to offer, so if you want to see the diversity that can be found from one to another, you can do so on her page.
So, why not start by visiting your local library and seeing what they have for you? You may leave having learnt something new about a different culture, or even about the history of the very place you live!
BorrowBox and/or Libby
An extension of the library, these are a part of the library, but don’t require you to even get off the sofa. They’re apps you can download from the comfort of your own home. BorrowBox is one I personally use quite a bit and find it really easy to use. The apps are free to download, and with your library card, you can loan ebooks or audiobooks.
Charity Shops/Vinted
Libraries and loaning are fantastic, but having your own copies of books matters too. The most obvious way to get books for much cheaper is from charity shops. I absolutely love a charity shop hunt. Now, more often than not, I’ll start here before I go to a bookstore! I’ve found some absolute steals in charity shops. I’ve found signed copies, special editions…or even just books that have been on my radar for ages but I haven’t bought yet, as I didn’t want to pay full price. I’ve even picked up some books I’d never heard of but sounded good, and then completely loved them. I especially love it when I get a book in a charity shop, and I find a written message inside, like ‘happy birthday’ or something. It feels special, like the book has a history of its own. As is the case with charity shops, they can be a bit touch and go as to whether you’ll actually find any books to take home, but they are a great starting point to find books that are new-to-you. The books are often in really good condition and at a much better price, you’re preventing books from being chucked in the bin, and you’re helping a charity at the same time. Everyone wins!
Vinted is very much the same, but online. Obviously, you have to pay shipping too for this, but a lot of standard books get sold on Vinted for as little as a pound. I managed just this week to get a graphic novel I’ve wanted to read for ages, for just £4.50, which included my shipping costs! If you sell on Vinted, you can also use your Vinted balance to pay for things you buy! If you don’t live near a charity store or can’t get to one, or are even just not having a lot of luck finding books you want in them, this is a really good alternative.
World of Books
This is basically like a charity shop, except just for books…and online! What I love about World of Books is that they buy books from people – you can sell books you don’t want to them, and they also buy any excess stock from charities that they can’t sell, and then sell them on their website to people. This means books aren’t ending up being chucked or wasted, and they’re being rehomed and end up in the hands of people who want to read them! This is now usually my first place to look online to find a book I want, and with there being free delivery over £5, I wait until there are a few books I want to buy, as it works out I’m getting a lot for my money. I’ve not yet come across them not having a book I want, and they frequently have offers on to entice people further. At the moment of writing this, there’s a current offer where if you buy 3 books, you can get another for free! And if that wasn’t enough…there’s even a discount code you can use! Use the code Bookwormguy for 10% off.
99p Kindle Deals
Whilst having a Kindle is somewhat of a luxury to an extent, this can also be an accessible way to read. I personally got a thirdhand kindle from my friend, and there are places like cex, vinted or eBay where you can get used Kindles that still work. Whether you have a physical Kindle or the app on a smart device, you can access the 99p Kindle deals available through Amazon. These are exactly as advertised – a range of books at 99p to read instantly on your Kindle. There’s no predicting which books will be in the choices, but you can sign up for the Kindle Daily Deal newsletter so they can notify you of new deals when they happen.
Stuff Your Kindle Days
Stuff Your Kindle days tend to be 24-hour events where thousands of indie-published ebooks become free to download. Completely free! Indie-published, meaning not published by a publishing house, but generally by the author themselves. This is not a barrier to a good story, however. I’ve downloaded many good books on a Stuff Your Kindle day.
The days happen a few times a year, and mostly I find out they’re happening through word of mouth, either on Instagram or threads, but a quick Google search also showed me several websites sharing the dates and details for 2026.
They’re primarily romance books, but not limited to this genre; often there’s also some fantasy, mystery and thrillers to be downloaded too – and if a book isn’t your cup of tea…there’s no money lost! These are ebooks, so you’ll need to use either a Kindle, Apple Books, Google Books, or something you can access and read ebooks on, but there is also absolutely no limit on the number of books you can download!
Netgalley
This is another website that can be used for ebooks and audiobooks, which can be accessed for free. Netgalley is how a lot of reviewers request ebooks to read, before the book is out yet, but there are also a lot of books you do not need to request. It’s simple enough – sign up for free and see if anything on the site takes your fancy! There are whole sections for listen/read now, so it’s easy to find the books that are instantly accessible, where you just find a book you want, download onto your device of choice…and let the reading commence! If you’re after a specific book, especially a popular one, this site may not be the best place to start looking for it, but if you’re just looking generally, this is another way to get free books.
Book Clubs/Book Shares & Exchanges/Free Book Swaps
Finally, swapping and sharing books with other people. Whilst most towns do have their own book clubs through the bookstores, that does not mean you have to buy the book brand new each time. You can use any of the options above…and the bonus of book clubs means you meet like-minded people – other readers – who you can share and swap books with! My friends and I are frequently exchanging books we recommend we all read, and then you can chat about the book together after you’ve all read it!
A lot of towns also have free book exchanges where you can take a book and/or leave a book – a lot of disused phone boxes have been turned into these in villages, and the one in my town is by our customer service desk in the town centre. Whilst the theory is to take a book and leave a book, I’ve taken a book before and not left one, as I didn’t have anything to leave at the time, but other times I’ve left loads of books and not taken any away. As long as you’re fair and not taking opportunities for free books away from other people, these can also be a nice way to make reading more accessible for the community, without anyone having to spend a penny to leave with a new-to-them book.
And that is that! A range of ways to show that reading does not have to be costly and inaccessible. Reading is such a fantastic way to escape life, go on adventures, learn about lives different from our own…all without moving from where you’re sitting. I always have and always will believe that words are magical and everyone deserves access to them.
I hope this post shows that reading can be accessible to everyone, and in The Year of Reading, what better time than to get lost in a good story? With all these ways to access literature, the next question is…what book do you start with?!
You can find out more about the National Year of Reading here: https://goallin.org.uk/
You can find out more about the National Literary Trust here: https://literacytrust.org.uk/about-us/national-year-of-reading-2026/
One Show at a Time 