It’s crazy to think it’s that time of year again, but we’re ready to start a new Library Love challenge for 2024! I’ve participated in this challenge for several years. It’s a great way to support your local library and save money at the same time.

Welcome back to the eighth annual Library Love Challenge hosted by Angel’s Book Nook & Books of My Heart.

We hope you will join us in celebrating and supporting libraries.

The goal of this challenge is to save money and check out books (prints, ebooks, or audios) from the library.  You should be able to get a free library card in your area — if not, check in other cities near you. Some libraries offer free digital checkouts anywhere in the US, so get creative!

❤️ Runs: January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024. You can join anytime.  The sign-up will remain open until Dec. 1st, 2024.

❤️ The goal is to find your love of your local library and to read at least twelve (12) books from the library, but you can read more.  While twelve is the minimum; there is no maximum limit.  See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you.

❤️ Any format will work for this challenge (prints, ebooks, or audios) as long as you checked it out from the library, it counts.

❤️ Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).

❤️ Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads. The goal is to support your local library and save money.

❤️ You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.

❤️ If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word.  If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook, Tweet, or Instagram about the challenge.  Please link back to both hosts: Angel’s Guilty Pleasures & Books of My Heart.

❤️ As an added bonus: We’re offering up a GIVEAWAY with this Challenge. Winner will be picked at the end of the year!!  There are a few freebie entries just for signing up to join the challenge and then the main entries throughout the year will be the direct links to your book reviews.  You will have until Jan. 4th, 2025 to enter your reviews in the Linky/Rafflecopter.

Review Link Up & Giveaway Live Jan. 1st 2024.

2024 Library Love Challenge Review Link-Up

❤️ (Optional) Added Challenge(s) & Giveaway(s): This year we will be doing a few fun challenges throughout the year.  We will have an Audiobook Challenge (May-June), the Library BINGO (July-Aug.), & lastly an End Of Year Check-In (Dec. 15th).  Each added challenge will have a fun giveaway plus the MAIN giveaway.

❤️ (Optional) Reviews: Write a review to enter the giveaway – 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences.  Not sure what to write?  How about something like; “The plot was a delight, but the characters didn’t capture me.” “I enjoyed the story and really liked the characters.”

❤️ Please use #LibraryLoveChallenge when sharing your reviews, library pictures, etc…

Levels:

• Dewey Decimal: Read 12 books
• Thrifty Reader: Read 24 books
• Overdrive Junkie: Read 36 books
• Library Addict: Read 48 books
• Library Card on Fire: Read 60+ books

If you are interested, we also have a Goodreads Group for the Library Love Challenge, where we talk, share, and discuss the books we snagged/read during the Library Love Challenge – Click Here

If you are interested, we are offering up a Library Love Email. This email will go out 4x’s during the year.  Everyone who signs up will get a confirmation email, you can unsubscribe at any time, including after signing-up.  This email will only feature the posts for the library love challenge – Click Here

Giveaway Information

What you could win: One (1) lucky winner gets a $100 Amazon Gift Card (US) or $100 worth of books from Better World Books (INT).  The International winner can pick physical book(s) from Better World Books and the US winner can pick the GC or Books from Amazon!  The Winner will be notified by eMail, and will have 48 hours to respond or a new Winner will be chosen.  Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded.  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited by law.
Giveaway Starts Jan. 1st 2024 & Ends Jan. 4th, 2025 — Note that the giveaway is owned by the host blogs. Savings in Seconds has no control over the winner selection.

Giveaway goes live Jan. 1st 2024:
Find the Review Link Up & Giveaway HERE

2023 Wrap-Up

Here’s a list to recap my library reads from 2023. All of these were either ebooks or audiobooks through my Libby and Hoopla apps. I love that I can download them, read them, and return them without leaving my house. So convenient! When I borrow “real” books, I tend to neglect returning them on time and end up having to pay fines, which is no fun (and negates the savings of library books).

On the list below, I have linked to the book on Amazon (affiliate links; if you make a purchase, I might earn money). The second link goes to my review on Goodreads. The prices shown are Amazon’s current prices for the mode with which I read the book.

1. The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf ebook $9.99 4 stars
2. Nine Lives by Peter Swanson ebook $10.49 4 stars
3. A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox audiobook $22.04 3 stars
4. Haunted New Orleans by Troy Taylor audiobook $10.65 2 stars
5. Bliss House by Laura Benedict audiobook $29.95 3 stars
6. The Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox audiobook $12.25 3 stars
7. Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves audiobook $29.95 3 stars
8. Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce audiobook $18.63 2 stars
9. A Year without the Grocery Store by Karen Morris ebook $4.99 2 stars
10. Gardening with Chickens by Lisa Steele ebook $20.99 5 stars
11. Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman ebook $12.99 3 stars
12. The Chicken Chick’s Guide by Kathy Shea Mormino ebook $9.99 5 stars
13. The Moonlight School by Suzanne Woods Fisher audiobook $21.31 4 stars
14. The Girl He Pined by Blake Pierce audiobook $17.46 2 stars
15. The House on Cold Hill by Peter James audiobook $15.04 4 stars
16. The Secret of Cold Hill by Peter James audiobook $18.64 2 stars
17. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix ebook $14.99 2 stars
18. Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo audiobook $14.83 2 stars
19. The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell audiobook $15.75 3 stars
20. The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell ebook $13.99 3 stars
21. The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone audiobook $15.74 3 stars
22. Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie ebook $7.99 3 stars
23. Better Read than Dead by Victoria Laurie ebook $9.99 3 stars
24. Killer Insight by Victoria Laurie ebook $6.99 3 stars
25. Caroline by Sarah Miller ebook $18.99 3 stars
26. With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson audiobook $22.04 3 stars
27. Fade to Red by Linda Castillo audiobook $18.37 3 stars
28. Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak audiobook $17.71 5 stars
29. The Spectacular by Fiona Davis audiobook $17.72 2 stars
30. The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox ebook $2.99 3 stars
31. A Vision of Murder by Victoria Laurie ebook $6.99 3 stars
32. Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie ebook $6.99 4 stars
33. The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox ebook $2.99 3 stars
34. A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow audiobook $7.21 4 stars
35. Just Like Home by Sarah Gainey audiobook $17.71 2 stars
36. Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger ebook $11.99 3 stars
37. The Resting Place by Camilla Sten audiobook $13.12 3 stars
38. Gwendy’s Button Box by Stephen King & Richard Chizmar audiobook $9.84 4 stars
39. Gwendy’s Magic Feather by Richard Chizmar audiobook $11.37 4 stars
40. Gwendy’s Final Task by Richard Chizmar audiobook $13.12 5 stars
41. Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson ebook $13.49 2 stars
42. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson audiobook $17.72 4 stars
43. Never Lie by Freida McFadden audiobook $37.29 5 stars
44. The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson ebook $11.99 2 stars
45. Revenge by Yoko Ogawa audiobook $17.99 2 stars

Total amount saved: $663.23

I couldn’t believe that total amount when I calculated it. That’s a huge amount of money! Overall, I read about 70 books this year and more than half of them were library books. The rest were borrowed, already on my shelf, or swapped for books I already had. I purchased very few books this year.

This year, we started tending chickens. I read several books to help me prep for their arrival. Thankfully the library had several books I was able to get, and I also borrowed some from a friend. I didn’t spend any money on chicken books!

Here’s how I maximize my library reads — when I hear of a book I want to read, I immediately look to see if the library has it. When necessary, I put the book on hold. Even new releases are relatively easy to get through my library, as long as I’m willing to wait for them. The wait time is almost always overestimated. If it’s not available through the library and I REALLY want to read it, then I look for places where I can find it used. My favorites are Paperbackswap and Bookmooch (I can use credits). I have also found good prices on eBay, Pangobooks, and sometimes Facebook marketplace. Getting the book through the library is my first action, though. As you can see from my list, most of the books I read weren’t 5 star reads. It’s definitely frustrating to spend money on a mediocre book!

I hope you’ll join the 2024 challenge and have fun reading!

Big Thanks to Angel’s Book Nook and Books of My Heart for hosting the challenge.