38 Easy Ways to Get Free Books by Mail

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With so many outlets for news, feel-good videos, politics, recipes, personal stories and everything in between available at your fingertips, it’s easy to get caught scrolling in the endless world that is social media. But there is something to be said about the gratification of flipping thin pages and smelling the aroma of the paper, all while anxiously awaiting the next chapter of a good book.

Not only does thumbing through a good story provide moments of imagination and escape, but unlike e-readers, picking up and reading a book off the shelf also builds critical thinking and comprehension skills.

If you’re someone who enjoys the satisfaction of a good book or appreciates the convenience and low cost of e-books, consider signing up to receive free books by mail from one of the suppliers below.

Free Books by Mail

Luckily for bookworms and bibliophiles, there are quite a few ways to get brand new and new-to-you books sent directly to your doorstep for free. Read on to find out where to find your book without having to pay!

BookCrossing: Become part of an international online book exchange when you register to join BookCrossing’s “world library.” Participating is fun. First, pick a preloved book from your own collection to add to the BookCrossing library. Then, you’ll be connected with over a million others who’ve sent a book out into “the wild.”
Braille books from Action Fund: If you or your child has low-vision or is blind, then you may qualify to receive free braille books by mail from ActionFund. All you need to do is provide some personal information for shipping to enroll in the Braille Books Program — no credit card required!
Craigslist: Craigslist is a great option to find new-to-you books at an unbeatable price. Tons of families use Craigslist to list new and used items that they no longer want. There’s even an entire “Free” section of their website where you can find anything from bed frames to books. You can type in a specific title in the search bar or simply search for “books’’ if you’re open to anything.
Facebook Marketplace: Take advantage of Facebook’s huge user base and look for books on their nation-wide marketplace. There are new posts daily listing a variety of items available for sale and for free including books and magazines. Be sure to toggle the search filter to off the local pick-up option so that listers who are willing to ship are shown.
Harlequin Reader Service: Join Harlequin Reader Service’s book club and receive two free books in the genre of your choice. While you can’t choose exactly which books you will be gifted, excerpts from each of the options are provided so that you may choose whichever is most interesting to you.
Local libraries: Just as the San Francisco Public Library does, many other city libraries allow their patrons to rent and receive books by mail. Start by finding a nearby library and see if they offer a book-by-mail service. Becoming a member of a local library means access to thousands of books, magazines and more — with no membership fees!

If you’re on a roll, keep track of each book you’ve read with this printable bookmark book tracker. Once a book is complete, write the title on the spine and color it in. When all the books have been colored, you’ve read 20 books! This is a great option if you’re trying to get some more reading in, or for children participating in summer reading challenges.

Free Activity Books by Mail

If short stories and activities are more your style, see if you can grab a magazine or a crossword puzzle at no cost when you sign up with one of the following options.

EPA: Teach your young ones about drinking water safety, planet protection and other important environmental lessons when you request free activity books from the Environmental Protection Agency. Choose to print the activity pages straight from the site or have them sent to you straight via USPS. Editor’s tip: Use a USPS coupon the next time you need to make a shipment of your own.
That Daily Deal: Check out That Daily Deal to find brand new online discounts that can save some major green on books, magazines and more. In the past, readers have been lucky enough to score free activity books such as adult coloring books and other creative stress relievers.
ValueMags: Take surveys and rack up points that can be used to get magazines for free when you sign up to be a ValueMags member. Find just about any genre that appeals to you — from fitness and finance to cooking and crafts.

Free Books for Kids by Mail

Help your little one learn to love reading by gifting them with new books frequently — without paying! There are some great resources that offer books to children free of charge to encourage vocabulary growth and critical thinking through reading comprehension. See if any of the following options sound like they could be beneficial to your family.

Barnes and Noble: In summers past, kids in grades 1–6 have had the opportunity to earn free books by reading. All they need to do is keep a reading log to bring in as proof to receive a brand new book!
Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation: If you’re a resident of Tennessee, you’re eligible to get up to 60 books sent from the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation at no cost to you. Children are able to get a free book every month from birth up until age five after qualifying.
Imagination Library: This non-profit organization has gifted over 150 million books to children across the world. Register your child up to age five with Imagination Library and have a book sent to them every month at absolutely no cost to you.
LEGO Life Magazine: Build creativity and vocabulary in your grade-schooler when you get LEGO Life Magazine. Simply sign up for your five- to nine-year-old on LEGO’s website and enter your address to subscribe to their bi-monthly magazine for free!
Natural Inquirer Program: When you order the Bee A Scientist Coloring Book, you’ll have the option to download it directly to your computer or request it to be mailed to your home. This science-based coloring book will entertain and educate your kids at no cost to you.

Free Spiritual Books by Mail

For those who prefer to read spiritual literature, there are quite a few places that offer spiritual, self-improvement and religious books for free.

Barnes and Noble: From 31-day mindfulness challenges to books on how to cultivate happiness or move on after loss, Barnes and Noble offers a catalog of spiritual e-books available to download for free.
BDK America: Download a free copy of “Excerpts from The Teaching of Buddha” from BDK America, a site focused on Buddhism.
Bibles of America: Get a free copy of The Bible through the mail from Bibles of America.
Holy Books: On Holy Books, you can instantly download PDFs of spiritual and religious texts, from The Bible to The Quran, as well as books on meditation and general spirituality.
IslamiCity: IslamiCity will mail the Quran to those in America who are not already of the Muslim faith.
Free Booksy: Free Booksy’s spiritual categories include free e-books covering everything from prayer to self-help.
Mormon.org: Receive a free Book of Mormon from Mormon.org.
Public Bookshelf: Public Bookshelf offers a number of spiritual books focusing on Western and Eastern spirituality that are available for instant download.

If you find yourself overwhelmed reading long passages of text, such as those found in many religious texts, then maybe audiobooks are a better option. Be sure to take advantage of the coupons for Audiobooks.com if you do decide to listen to your next scripture.

Regardless of religion or creed, it is always a wonderful idea to practice gratitude. Take a moment to reflect on your day with this printable gratitude journal. Use it as a place to keep moving quotes from the text you’re reading, or as a place to write your own insights.

Keeping track of the things that you’re appreciative of as well as small goals you wish to accomplish in the future will be a positive and motivating part of your day

Free Recipe Books by Mail

In the age of air fryers and bread baking, making a fun pastime out of cooking has become somewhat of a trend. Instead of depending on memory (or riskier, guesstimations) to create a yummy meal, request a hard copy recipe booklet to be sent to your house. There are even a few options that offer e-cookbooks with an instant download so that you can get cookin’ immediately.

Cookstr: Try out over 50 new recipes when you download any of Cookstr’s e-cookbooks. Whether it’s purely desserts, holiday recipes or quick and easy weekday meals, there’s a cookbook for everyone — and nobody has to pay!
Jiffy: Learn how to make homemade cheddar biscuits and cinnamon rolls without the expense of cooking lessons when you request a Jiffy recipe book online. Just share your name and address to have one sent directly to you in the mail in a jiffy!
Sun-Maid: Simply enter your name, shipping and email address on Sun-Maid’s recipe booklet request page to get healthy recipes sent right to your home. Or, you can save a tree or two and access it directly online!
TryVeg: Get your vegan recipes booklet and learn how to make dairy-free dishes like fluffy pancakes and more. Their vegan starter guide will help simplify plant-based eating and why it’s beneficial — all without any cost!
Recipelion: Recipelion offers a ton of downloadable and printable e-cookbooks for just about anything you can think of. There are recipes for pies, pasta and pressure cookers that look absolutely delicious. The best part? They’re free.

Almost Free Books by Mail

Many blog sites will offer free books by mail in exchange for a review on their website, Amazon, or if you’re an established blogger, possibly on your own site. Save your cash and get to reading for free when you agree to review for the following sites.

LibraryThing: Be the first to read and review newly published books at no cost to you when you sign up to become a reviewer with LibraryThing. Only a few copies of each book are available, so the more books you request to review, the higher your chance of being selected to preview new titles.
NetGalley: Discover brand new books and read them for free when you become a member of NetGalley. Membership is completely free, but to maintain the position, a thorough review of the book is required. Many of the books are available for online reading, but hard-copy books can be found occasionally.
Goodreads: Enter to be randomly selected to critique pre-released books with Goodreads. Since copies of each book are limited, sign up to review multiple stories to increase your chances of getting selected!
Fresh Fiction: Sign up for Fresh Fiction’s Review Team to see if you qualify to receive and review pre-released books. Books cover categories from action to psychological to thriller — all available for preview.
Lola’s Blog Tours: When you sign up to partake in Lola’s Blog Tour, you will be “touring,” or reviewing, fiction books in exchange for the book. Some previously toured titles are, “Indigo” by Paula Berinstein, “Fire Dancer” by Elizabeth Lowell and “Spent Identity” by Marlene M. Bell.
Enchanted Book Promotions: Find a book to read for free if you agree to leave a review as compensation with Enchanted Book Promotions. Unlike other book review sites, you’ll review the titles on Amazon or your personal blog.

Freebies Sites with Books by Mail

Free samples of just about anything can be found all over the internet! Bookworms can find new freebies they love daily when checking out the following giveaway sites.

Scam-Free Samples: Find free audiobooks and more on Scam Free Samples. No membership is required and no fees are charged to take advantage of all they have to offer.
Hunt4Freebies: Not only can you find free magazines here, but you can find free samples of just about anything if you’re patient!
TheFreeSite: Find a new roundup daily listing the best freebies around the web on TheFreeSite, including free books and magazines.
SweetFreeStuff: Check out a comprehensive list of where you can find additional free books on SweetFreeStuff’s website.
Take advantage of special holiday offers: Whether it’s Earth Day, Mothers Day or even Tax Day, there are almost always freebies to be found around the web. Peruse around and see what you can find to celebrate without spending a dime.

If you love a good challenge, see if you can read every day for 60 days! Print out this 60 Day Reading Challenge to record your progress as well as any quotes, notes and new book titles you‘d like to checkout. Read on!

You don’t need a plane ticket to have a temporary escape. Especially in times of stress, it can be beneficial to pick up a new book and let go. Reading provides a vacation without the price tag that typically comes along with it.

Hopefully you’ve found some great opportunities to get free reading material to last you a while.

If you still have some shelf space that needs filling, check out these AbeBooks coupons to save even more on your growing book collection!

Sources: Science Direct | WorldCat

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