I’ve been keeping quiet lately while I readjust to a new daily routine of social distancing. If you’re like me, by now you may have dry eyes from too much screen time and not enough sunlight, but we all need to do our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
It can be difficult to amuse yourself at home and frustrating, especially as nicer weather is approaching, but please stay in. Stay in and read! Reading has always been a way for me to travel the world—this one and many others—when I’ve felt stuck in one place. You can read to get lost in another time or place, learn something new, or even just for pure entertainment. You can find solace in reading.
If you don’t already have some books waiting in your to-be-read queue, or none of them suit your fancy right now, here are a few ways you can get your hands on books while practicing social distancing:
Order new books for delivery
Let’s face it, there’s just something about a new book. Plus, who doesn’t like getting mail? A lot of small businesses are going to struggle for the next little while. For an extra sense of feeling helpful, look up your local, independent bookstore and find out if they have options for delivery or curbside pick-up. You can also support a great Canadian business and order online from Indigo. They’re even offering free shipping across Canada for a limited time.
Here are a few of my favourite shops in Toronto that are taking extra precautions to ensure the safe delivery of books:
- Type Books – One of my favourite bookshops. Type is offering free delivery in the West-end and curbside pick up from their store locations
- Flying Books – Get same-day, contactless delivery within Toronto from a selection of choice books featuring Canadian authors.
- A Different Booklist – Shop literary gems from our cultural mosaic with free shipping on orders in Canada.
- House of Anasi – This beloved publisher is offering the “Reading Apart, Together” program which means for every ebook you buy you can send a free copy to a friend so you can read together!
Embrace audiobooks
I never could get into audiobooks before now but with my dry, aching eyes I’ve grown a new appreciation for them! They’re also great to listen to while your hands are busy folding laundry or eating a sandwich. They can also be downloaded easily online for free or for the fraction of the price of print books if you’re looking to save up right now.
- Overdrive – This app partners with local libraries to offer ebooks and audiobooks for free! Just get your library card ready and search for your local branch.
- Audible – If you’ve listened to a podcast, you know about Audible. The first month is free plus they’re currently offering a complimentary selection of stories for kids in 6 different languages while schools are closed.
- Phoebe Reads a Mystery – If you’re a fan of the Criminal podcast, listen while Phoebe reads a chapter each day of Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles for free on almost every podcast platform.
- Librivox – A non-profit that offers audiobook versions of books in the public domain. Catch up on classics like Little Women, Dracula, and War and Peace.
- Mind Webs – Listen to haunting, old-time radio dramatizations of classic sci-fi short stories in the stylings of Michael Hanson, who started the radio series in the 1970s. It’s now been archived on the internet, free for all to enjoy.
Reread the books you have
While you’re homebound and decluttering, why not revisit some of the old books you have lying around? Why not start the Harry Potter series over again from the beginning? Or, maybe give that old book you never read for class another shot? After reading the book, see if you still feel the same way about it as before. If you live with others, find out which books are their favourite and do a swap. Regroup at the end and talk about what you both liked.
Then you can add all of these books to your Goodreads account (if you haven’t already!) and continue the conversation online by leaving a review and exchanging thoughts with other readers online. You can add me on Goodreads too.
Please skip Little Free Libraries right now!
If you’re out for a walk in your neighbourhood and see a Little Free Library, please hold off on taking or exchanging books if your community is experiencing an outbreak. Follow the best practice guidelines from the Free Little Library project and stick to the books you already have or have ordered from stores that are taking precautions in their shipping.
Stay safe everyone and happy reading!