I see all of you going past your reading goals and I just want to say I’M JEALOUS!!!!

Like how do you all do it?😩

So, I decided at the start of this month for a few reasons to support getting my life together and really stepping away from the consumerism of it all, I will be undertaking a No Spend for the rest of this year and most of, if not all, of next year, to get my spending under control and also work on paying down my debt and start saving for a flat deposit.

I have always been a prolific library user from a physical book pov, and since being able to use Libby on my Kobo as well it's been a game changer once I found a library that used it here in the UK.

However, buying books has always been a HUGE weakness of mine (alongside borrowing them) over the last few years particularly. Given reading is my main big hobby, I really wanted to move my habit from ‘buying’ automatically to ‘borrowing’ automatically to really work on resetting the consuming urge, and, actually, maybe having to endure some delayed gratification shock horror if there was a wait list at the library for said book. I also have a huge number of books on my own TBR shelves that I should be reading from before adding to them!

As part of this, to hammer the point home to myself, I decided to keep a running list of all of the books I borrow from the library, and how much they would have cost me to buy new based on the Waterstones price (I am a UK girl), and also by fair comparison because I do use it a lot, on the Kobo store as not all of my purchases would have been physical (I have a 75/25 spilt).

Fair to say not even one month in and i’m already shocked! I’ve read 11 books from the library this month and saved £165 against the physical price and £89 on the EBooks!!!

Just wanted to mention it for anyone who is doing something similar and who might want a little bit of motivation to see how much money you are saving, whilst still being able to enjoy what you love :)

Hey everyone! I’ve been on a bit of a Connecticut indie bookstore kick lately and would love to hear about your favorites—anywhere, not just CT!

Here’s some of my favorites I’ve been to:

• The Golden Owl in New London – Honorable mention since I didn't buy anything, but the owners were super nice and they have some really creative events and quirks for regulars—like designated mugs for each regular at their cafe. Made me wish I lived in New London! 😅 • Some Books in Ridgefield – Super tiny, highly curated used bookstore that opened last October if I remember. I went in with no expectations and walked out with TWO five-star reads. It’s proof that newer small shops can have killer selections. • Possible Futures in New Haven – Awesome spot with a great community vibe—couches, tons to browse, and lots of events if you're local. I grabbed a short story anthology based on a bookseller's rec and absolutely loved it. Staff who actually know their stuff. • Book Barn in Niantic – Took a drive out west for this one (it's where I sell my old books if I don't want to keep them). It's so sprawling, huge selection, always fun to browse. The decorations are so fun and book themed and you can find some great things for cheap! • Black Rock Books in Mystic – This one really stood out. Such a cool store! They had a free little queer library for ARCs and donations, plus a free blind date with a book setup (again with ARCs). Their selection was impressively wide—I ended up buying a translated book for myself, a board book for my cousin’s kid, and snagged 3 free queer ARCs for books that came out earlier this year (one was already on my radar, so there was some major excitement there).

Everything but the Book Barn was on the Connecticut Indie Bookstore Passport, which is how I found them!

So tell me: What are your favorite indie bookstores? Any spots with awesome staff recs, free ARC tables, or quirky setups? I would love to expand my road trip list lol!

So, I decided at the start of this month for a few reasons to support getting my life together and really stepping away from the consumerism of it all, I will be undertaking a No Spend for the rest of this year and most of, if not all, of next year, to get my spending under control and also work on paying down my debt and start saving for a flat deposit.

I have always been a prolific library user from a physical book pov, and since being able to use Libby on my Kobo as well it's been a game changer once I found a library that used it here in the UK.

However, buying books has always been a HUGE weakness of mine (alongside borrowing them) over the last few years particularly. Given reading is my main big hobby, I really wanted to move my habit from ‘buying’ automatically to ‘borrowing’ automatically to really work on resetting the consuming urge, and, actually, maybe having to endure some delayed gratification shock horror if there was a wait list at the library for said book. I also have a huge number of books on my own TBR shelves that I should be reading from before adding to them!

As part of this, to hammer the point home to myself, I decided to keep a running list of all of the books I borrow from the library, and how much they would have cost me to buy new based on the Waterstones price (I am a UK girl), and also by fair comparison because I do use it a lot, on the Kobo store as not all of my purchases would have been physical (I have a 75/25 spilt).

Fair to say not even one month in and i’m already shocked! I’ve read 11 books from the library this month and saved £165 against the physical price and £89 on the EBooks!!!

Just wanted to mention it for anyone who is doing something similar and who might want a little bit of motivation to see how much money you are saving, whilst still being able to enjoy what you love :)