How to Build a Home library That's Right for You by Darasha Singleton

Photo by Radu Marcusu on Unsplash

Are you someone who still enjoys a good book? Even with the popularity of streaming services and podcasts, books are here to stay. For avid readers, having a book collection can be refreshing yet tedious when keeping up with your new books, old books, and anything else related to those books. The best way to combat this is by creating your very own home library. 

What is a Home Library? 

A home library is having a dedicated space that resembles a public library but in your home. This keeps all your books in one area, safe and organized. It can also be used as a place to work and study. Home libraries do not have to follow certain guidelines and designs but rather what fits the owners’ preferences.

Here are a few tips to remember to make a home library that's stylish, functional, and works for you. 

Assess Your Current Collection

Before getting your hands dirty with building your home library, see what you have in your collection. This will help you determine how much space you will need for your books. 

Finding the Perfect Spot

The size of a home library can vary depending on the need for the size. Are you looking to dedicate an entire room to be made into your home library or just a corner nook in your bedroom? There are a few things to keep in mind when making your decision.

Here are spots in your home that you can put in your home library and areas that you should avoid. 

Where to Put Your Home Library? 

Under the Bed

It is good to put your books in an underutilized area, where they can be kept out of the way and protected. 

A Corner Nook

This may require taking on a DIY project, but having your books away in a corner creates its own designated space. 

Where to Not Put Your Home Library? 

Against outside Walls

You want to keep your books in an area where they will last forever. Having your books against outside walls is subject to temperature change. This can cause mold and mildew to grow on your book collection. 

Areas near food and drink

Building your home library may not be the best choice. This will avoid attracting any small animals or insects that may damage your books. 

How to Organize Your Home Library

Since you've already assessed your current collection and seen what books you have, it's time to figure out how you want them organized. Here are some ways that you can organize your home library. 

• Alphabetical order - You can decide if you want to go A-Z by author name or book title.

• Chronological order - Books can be ordered by the date it was published.

• By color - If you're big on color schemes, you can group your books by a particular color.

• By genre- Group your books by their genre. For example all the non-fiction books on one shelf and the sci-fi books on the next shelf. 

Surrounding yourself with books can have many benefits. To ensure all your hard work doesn't go to waste, get homeowners insurance that will keep your books safe and protected in your home.

For more steps on how to create an at-home library, check out the infographic below. 

How to Rediscover Your Love of Reading

If you want to rediscover your love for reading, you’re not alone. As we get older, some of the things we used to enjoy doing get lost in the shuffle, and things like reading for pleasure get put on the back burner. It doesn’t mean you never truly enjoyed the activity; it just means other, more pressing matters could have arisen.

The upside is that it’s easy to get this lovely hobby back into your life with just a few steps. Finding your way back to reading might seem like a challenge, but if you’re genuinely interested in picking up a book again, you’re already halfway there.

Learn how you can get back into reading and enjoy those books you’ve been meaning to read by following our recommendations.

Start Light 

It might be tempting to dive into reading head first, picking up the most complicated or challenging book you can find. But the best way to get back into reading is by starting light. You don’t have to look for the longest, most dense book to prove you’re back in the game—it’s not a competition! 

Look for books that could be easy to get through; this is helpful because you’ll be able to finish the book in a short amount of time, which will make you feel accomplished. That sense of accomplishment will give you the confidence to continue on your reading journey, which is when you can start intruding more challenging material into the mix. Look for YA novels, satirical or comedy books, or even a fun thriller.

If you really want to ease your way into reading, why not consider an audiobook? Audiobooks can be a fantastic way to introduce yourself to reading as a form of entertainment. Some audiobooks are even read by the author of the novel, so you can truly hear the way the story was meant to be read. 

Ask Your Friends to Recommend Books 

Sometimes when we’re trying to get back into a hobby, we need some help. If you don’t know where to start when it comes to reading, ask what other people are reading. The chances are pretty high that at least one of your friends is reading something that would also interest you. Or maybe they’ll tell you about a book that they’ve been meaning to read, and you can suggest you read it at the same time. Not only will you get more ideas about what books to buy, you’ll also be able to talk about the books you read with your friends. 

If you and your friends or family members share different interests when it comes to books, then take a look at some bestseller lists, award lists, or books that have recently been published. 

Reframe Your Thoughts

Sometimes, the thing preventing us from achieving a goal is us. If you’re upset or down on yourself for not being able to get back into reading, or you're caught up in what you “should” be doing, you’re actually working against yourself. 

Sometimes it’s easier to focus on what we did wrong or our regret instead of accepting the facts and moving on. It can be difficult to reframe our thoughts and think more positively. We think we “should” be going more or doing something else, and the idea that we’re not checking off times from our to-do list can cause us to freeze up because we become overwhelmed.

If you acknowledge that you might be beating yourself up or putting too high of an expectation on yourself, maybe it’s time to ease up. Set realistic goals, think about what you want to get out of these goals, and accept that it might be challenging at first to start a routine from scratch. 

Read Short Stories & Essays 

Lastly, one of the best ways to get back into reading on a regular basis is to read short stories or short essays. Short stories are easily digestible, you can finish them quite fast, and they’re entertaining. You can find short stories that are 10,000 words long or under 1,000 words long. They don’t require a ton of commitment and can be read in one sitting, making them accessible and thought-provoking. 

If fiction is not your thing, essays can be a great alternative. And no, we don’t mean those long essays you had to write for school. Essays can be punchy. They can read just like a short story, but the only difference is that they’re nonfiction. When a creative essay is done correctly, it can almost be compared to a documentary or a docuseries; you learn while being entertained. 

There are personal essays, creative nonfiction essays, and funny essays. Essays have come back into popularity in the past couple of years because they can have biting wit, but also talk about real-life issues. Both short stories and essays can be found in book form—you just want to search for “collections” or “anthologies” if you’re browsing an online bookstore. 

Get Back to Reading 

If you lost your love of reading, know that it can be easy to get it back if you give yourself time and set goals. Don’t be too hard on yourself; find things that interest you, and open yourself up to reading about new things. 

Reading can be a relaxing hobby that strengthens your mind and helps you learn more about the world. If you’re trying to rediscover your love of reading, know that you’re doing something great for your happiness and health. To find books at great prices and have them delivered to your door, browse through an online bookstore like Book Outlet.

5 Must-Read Books Written By Legendary Musicians

It's no surprise that musicians and writers have a lot in common. When you think about it, artists are both performers and songwriters. Any good song will tell you a story. Songs induce deep emotion, and listeners will often wonder about the backstory. Writing songs and music is just a step away from writing poetry, stories, and memoirs for artists who convey emotion through language. 

1. Chronicles By Bob Dylan

In Bob Dylan's Chronicles, you’re able to see Greenwich Village in 1961 through his eyes and mind. His version of New York is a magnificent city of opportunities, with lavish parties, literary awakenings, fleeting romances, and lasting friendships. Chronicles is an emotional and highly personal account of remarkable times, as well as side trips to New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota, and points west. Chronicles is a captivating window into Bob Dylan's ideas and inspirations, at times insightful, poetical, emotional, and humorous.

Using his exceptional storytelling ability and beautiful expressiveness that have become trademarks of his music, he has created a profound reflection on life, as well as the people and places that have helped form the man and the art.

2. The Beautiful Ones By Prince

The Beautiful Ones is the story of the renowned flamboyant, singer Prince. Before topping charts and stardom, he was a young boy named Prince Rogers Nelson.

The book is divided into four parts. The first part tells of Prince's memoir before his terrible death, the memoir transports readers to his early childhood through his own poetic narrative. The second half focuses on Prince's early years as a musician, prior to the release of his debut album, told through an entire collection of his writing and photos. The third part illustrates Prince's growth through candid photographs that lead readers to the brink of his greatest success, which is shown in the fourth part: his original handwritten screenplay for Purple Rain—the pinnacle of Prince's identity.

The book can be the start of a Prince obsession or the continuation of an enduring admiration. Nevertheless, The Beautiful Ones will strengthen any reader's connection with the legendary superstar.

3. Life By Keith Richards

Keith Richards has lived the rockstar lifestyle like no other. He co-created the riffs, lyrics, and songs that shook the world with the Rolling Stones, and he lived the classic rock and roll life for four decades.

He talks about his drug and alcohol problems, as well as his friendship with Mick Jagger. If you want to know how a genuine rockstar deals with the ups and downs of life, this is the book for you. Depending on how you look at it, this is either the perfect book or the not-so-perfect read. Regardless, it remains one of the greatest books written by a legendary musician.

4. Just Kids By Patti Smith

Just Kids is a poetic and touching story of Smith's childhood friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who died in 1989. Smith keeps a minimal focus that reinforces her story, painting an unforgettable picture of two young artists trying to figure out their futures while living in 1970s Manhattan. Also, Smith conveys the same distinct, poetic quality to Just Kids as she does to the rest of her art, including her iconic 1975 album Horses, as well as her visual art and poetry.

5. Me By Elton John

Music legend Elton John narrates about his remarkable life–which is also the basis of the film Rocketman–in his autobiography, Me.

Elton was born Reginald Dwight, a quiet boy with large spectacles, who grew up in the London neighborhood of Pinner and aspired to be a pop sensation. His journey has been full of twists and turns. From working with songwriting collaborator Bernie Taupin to going off the rails as a chart-topping rockstar; from roughly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to dancing with the Queen. From collaborations with other musicians such as John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, and George Michael, to establishing his AIDS Foundation. It’s safe to say that he has done it all.

But, all the while, Elton was hiding a drugs and alcohol addiction that would consume him for more than a decade.

In Me, Elton discusses being sober and changing his lifestyle, falling in love with David Furnish, and becoming a parent. Elton makes fun of himself more than anyone else—this way, Me is its own unique thing. He is completely, shockingly, and self-deprecating in a satirical way.

Final Thoughts

Writing songs is similar to writing a poem or a short story, so it's understandable that many famous musicians would experiment with published writing. It's not a simple task, but it's a great challenge for a creative musician. These are the five best books written by legendary musicians--they’re motivating, engaging, and full of stories you wish you had witnessed first-hand.

4 Tips To Get Free Books Online

Reading books is a fun and engaging activity that allows you to gain new insights, expand your perspective, and generally become well-versed on certain subjects. Apart from this, reading can contribute to your creative thinking ability, which supports your problem-solving skills. Moreover, research claims that reading increases brain power, boosts memory, and mental sharpness. 

Tips To Feed Your Reading Addiction For Free

With all the mentioned benefits, no wonder why there are a lot of people who prefer to consume content through books. However, as you become an avid reader, you might wonder how you can collect more materials without having to stretch out from your budget. Eventually, you’ll have to come up with a few, creative ways to satisfy your desire for books.

Are you ready to dive in and find out how you can get free books online? Below are tips you should take note of.

1. Check Out Free Book Websites

Here’s a not-so-secret tip — there are certain pages online that allow you to freely and legally download electronic books (eBooks). While not every book will be available on these sites, at least you can enjoy an array of literature genres in the comfort of your space. 

You can check out Free Ebooks from Obooko and other similar digital places for a unique collection of novels, classics, short stories, factual, and more. Thanks to technology and these certain websites, reading has become an inexpensive hobby. These resources will surely help feed your reading addiction.

You can freely download your preferred reads and take them with you whenever you’re alone or while traveling afar. Books are almost always the best company and can even make the journey far less intimidating. 

2. Swap Books Online

Another tip to get free reads is to exchange your eBooks with your friends and family. What’s great with this is that you necessarily don’t have to go out to swap with them. It’s also a convenient way to make your reading material diverse and interesting.

Likewise, this allows your loved ones to finally read the book you’ve been talking about for weeks. They’ll surely be able to understand your sentiments and share another viewpoint once they’re done. You can even organize a book swapping group online to make it more fun and interactive.

Furthermore, check in with your online community as there might be book swapping activities in which you can join. There are even region-specific sites that encourage readers to pass books physically, especially if you prefer to meet up with the person you’re trading books with.

Apart from eBooks, audiobooks have also risen in fame because it allows people to consume content on the go. Swapping audiobooks allows you to dive into the plot while you’re cooking, riding on the bus, waiting for the train, and doing other mundane activities. If you’re short on time, this can be a perfect solution to continue following your protagonist’s story. 

With all these, consider exchanging books online. However, make sure to record the books you’ve borrowed and sent out. Also, a book trading etiquette is to return books in the same condition. Otherwise, your friends and family might want to opt-out from swapping reads again.

3. Help Out In Exchange For Free Books

Skim through your community page and see whether or not there are recent posts of people who need online assistance. Alternatively, if you know someone in the neighborhood who needs help in sorting their digital files, offer support in exchange for free books.

If you did great, they might even give you another free reading material in exchange for your excellent service. All these new books can surely help improve your writing skills, especially if you’re currently finishing an essay for school.

4. Be On The Lookout For Online Giveaways

Giveaways always occur everywhere in the online world. For instance, the representatives and leaders of your online book club might host giveaways as a way to pay forward. 

Additionally, if your favorite author releases a new book, make sure to keep an eye out for their posts. At times, authors give away their books to a few people as a way of promoting their work and attracting attention from the public. 

Online bookstores might launch giveaways to drive traffic to their sites. Considering all these options, make sure to be alert and sign up for certain newsletters that’ll notify you every time a giveaway is ongoing. You can also follow certain hashtags online that help you discover live book events and giveaways. 

Takeaway

Knowledge is power and is something no one can take away from you. If you’re planning to make reading a habit, you don’t have to struggle and find money to splurge on books. By following the tips and suggestions above, you can enjoy a plethora of free reading treasures online.

15 Must-Read Books About Personal Finance

Improving your financial literacy can seem like a daunting task. From making investments to planning for retirement, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Luckily, there are all kinds of books to help you expand your knowledge.

Check out these 15 personal finance books covering a wide range of topics:

Books on Investing

1. The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing: Co-written by Mel Lindauer, Taylor Larimore, Michael LeBoeuf, and John C. Bogle, this book offers a variety of viewpoints on the basics of investing.

2. A Random Walk Down Wall Street: Author Burton G. Malkiel describes the history, economics, and market theory that can help investors understand how to best use their money.

3. The Book on Rental Property Investing: Offering easy-to-understand tips, Brandon Turner tells readers how to successfully invest in real estate.

Books on Gaining Wealth

1. Everyday Millionaires: Author Chris Hogan compiles advice from real people who got rich and explains how readers can make the same smart financial choices.

2. The Simple Path to Wealth: In this step-by-step guide, JL Collins teaches readers how to build wealth using data-backed strategies.

3. Rich Dad Poor Dad: Robert Kiyosaki compares the financial planning methods used by one wealthy and one non-wealthy father, offering thoughtful insight and giving advice on best practices.

Books on Planning for Retirement

1. How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?: Author Todd Tresidder answers the most important retirement questions and explains the fundamentals of planning for your future.

2. How to Make Your Money Last: For every step in the retirement planning process, Jane Bryant Quinn explains the necessary topics and offers actionable advice for readers.

3. AgeProof: Co-authors Jean Chatzky and Michael F. Roizen discuss the relationship between health and wealth and advise readers on the best ways to use health and retirement benefits.

Books on Budgeting

1. The Financial Diet: From budgeting pro-tips to guidance on mortgages, Chelsea Fagan draws on her personal experience and advice from other experts to discuss ways to handle various financial concerns.

2. How to Manage Your Money When You Don’t Have Any: If you struggle with money management, author Erik Wecks offers easy tips for dealing with everyday expenses.

3. The One Week Budget: Tiffany Aliche provides actionable steps for managing money in a way that promotes financial freedom.

Books on Handling Finances After College

1. Broke Millennial: Author Erin Lowry offers easily digestible advice for millennials on difficult-to-grasp concepts, such as handling student loans and discussing debt with a partner. 

2. I Will Teach You To Be Rich: Taking the stress out of money management, Ramit Sethi walks through the best ways to tackle key financial topics including car purchases and wedding payments.

3. Get a Financial Life: Beth Kobliner teaches readers in their twenties and thirties a wide range of personal finance topics, like handling taxes and reducing debt.

No matter which area of personal finance you’re aiming to grasp, a book is a great way to get started. To apply what you learn, download this printable worksheet from Annuity.org and keep your financial goals in mind as you read.

5 Things To Know About Digital Comic Books

Have you ever been a comic book fan? When you were growing up, you might remember them being commonplace, as they were available in supermarkets, newsstands, bookstores, and many other retail stores. Some famous bookstores catered these trade paperback copies, and their sales were quite doing very well. 

Unfortunately, there are fewer comic book stores and physical bookstores available now than a few years ago. This is ultimately due to the rise of digitalization. People would instead use and read resources from their PC, tablet, and smartphones. This goes the same when they want to dive into the thrilling world of digital comics. 

Because of the digital age, the comic book industry was in danger of going extinct. As more people became interested in the virtual world for fun and entertainment, comic books that were widely popular from the late 20th century became neglected from the shelves. Some publishers faced difficulties staying in business, so they had to adopt strategies that don't seem to work even on their regular customers. Finally, after accepting the digital age, the comic book industry decided to adapt. 

If you're just starting your journey towards adapting to digital comics, here are some basic things you need to know about them: 

What Are Digital Comics? 

A digital comic book is a comic book in electronic form. A new digital comic becomes available at the same time as its paper counterpart. Digital publishing eliminates the inconvenience of walking into a bookstore to find out that a popular title has sold out. Thus, digital comic books may be more dependable than print books, considering this context. In addition, some digital comics copies include some bonus materials or promotional gimmicks that may not be offered in print versions. 

How Can You Create a Digital Comic Book? 

You may be asking yourself, 'how to make a comic book?' This second question is a given if you are a comic artist yourself and you're planning on self-publishing your works. Before you dive into the publishing part, learn the following steps in creating your digital comic book first:

• Begin With an Idea 

An idea is the foundation of every endeavor; the same goes for comic books. The best tool for a storyteller is your digital notebook, where you can write or type anytime and anywhere. Keep your writing device nearby so you can jot down ideas as soon as they pop into your head. 

• Construct The Story 

Invest the time in writing a script. There are easy ways to improve your writing skills. No fancy app is needed, and you do not need to shell out vast amounts of money for it. It's adequate to hire text editors. 

• Plan The Layout 

You should ensure that the layout will keep the reader engaged. The act of ending some pages with a cliffhanger may help do this. It would help if you focused on drawing your readers into your comics. 

• Draw Your Comics 

It's not necessary to turn in a perfect piece of work at this stage. Concentrate on sketching your comic when inspiration hits; later on, you can add color and add more details. 

• Make The Right Lettering 

Lettering is an integral part of creating a comic. Your story may be fantastic. You may provide excellent illustrations. However, if your lettering looks messy, no one will read your story! 

• Market And Sell 

Marketing and selling your comic are difficult. Informing people is the best option for you. Share it with your family and friends! Tell everyone! This is relatively easy thanks to platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. 

How Wide Is the Selection for Digital Comics? 

If you have known the history of comics and graphic novels and are seeking materials that have been published since the mid-90s, chances are there might be digital copies of those items. The number of comic books may very well exceed hundreds of thousands from different publishers and titles. Publishing companies collect older comic books so they can convert them into digital format. The answer to this question is that digital comics do have an extensive selection that goes way back from two to three decades ago.  

Why Are Digital Comics the Same Price with Printed Ones? 

Since digital comics do not involve paper and ink, you might wonder why they are the same price as print comics. This is a viable question to ask. 

For digital conversion of comics, publishers often hire dedicated staff. Depending on the need, comic books must be prepared in different formats like epub, pdf, and so on, which requires file management, tracking, and submitting to various electronic marketplaces. 

One more reason why digital comics cost the same as print: Publishers want to make sure that they are not undercutting themselves or the comic shops. 

Can You Own the Digital Comics That You Buy? 

Generally, you can't own the digital comics you buy. Even though some digital comic book purchases include ownership, most are rentals. Unlimited lifetime access to its resources is provided by paying a certain amount to the source. 

On the other hand, this is better since it eliminates the need for a larger hard drive to store all your comic purchases. You just need to access them from the retailer's server when you feel like you want to. 

Conclusion 

That covers some of the things you need to know about digital comics. Digital comics are becoming more popular these days. Now is the best time for you to shift and take a plunge into the digital formats since illegal acquisitions of digital comics are not yet commonplace.