I love Libby!!  Nope, I am not talking about a woman, it’s the app “Libby” from the Los Angeles Public Library (also known as Overdrive as well).  It’s been a revelation that has revolutionized my reading habit.  I was talking to a friend last summer who was discussing books she had read.  I realized I had no books to talk about because I wasn’t reading.  I decided right then - I wanted to make the time to read again.  It has added a beautiful dimension back into my life.

How it works

On Libby, you can borrow books, both audio and ebooks, for free.  You will need a library card, or the app will ask for your phone number which becomes your access.  You can borrow books right away for 3 weeks, but sometimes you have to put it on hold.  Once you are in line for a book, it goes on your shelf, where you can see a timeline of its availability. This helps me stack my books in a perfect time order of when they will become available.  I am strangely love doing this - I guess the it’s time manager in me.  When a book is on your shelf, Libby also offers a “skip the line” option.  This means you can borrow for one week only before the book becomes available to you for three weeks more.  This worked great for me for shorter length books.  Longer books, I opted to wait.  They also send you an email when the book becomes yours to borrow.  It will also deliver it to your kindle device or Kindle app, but you can read and listen to everything in the Libby ass as well.

It may seem inconvenient to do it this way, but I think it is fun, as well as good teacher of patience!  I ask you, what’s one less thing in our life that demands immediate gratification?  All jokes aside, it’s really about preference!    With an audible account, you won’t have to wait for your books and you receive credits to buy books as well.  With Libby, if you don’t mind waiting, you can stagger your books to make it work for you, but all books get returned.  But I would like to spend that yearly rate $180 on something else.  Like a nice pair of shoes, but I digress…

I like have one audio book, and one reading book at the same time.  Audiobooks are great to listen to while driving or going on a walk/run.  When reading a book before bed on a tablet or phone, make sure it has a blue light filter.  Blue light from those devices affect the health of your eyes and can disrupt sleep patterns.  Buying a tablet specifically for reading books is also an option, as it is better for the eyes as well.   

Not just pillow talk

Now I can be part of the conversation!   I read _____ book and it’s_____.  Did you read____? Let’s talk about it!  I learned ____in the book_____ and it changed the way it think about _____.  Having books to talk about wasn’t the objective in my desire to read again.  It’s mind expanding and the act of reading is peaceful and calming.  What books are you reading? Do you have any recommendations to share?  During our stay at home orders, I have read 3 books, and starting the Harry Potter series (finally), all through Libby!