If you’ve never heard of Paperback Book Day before, then today is the perfect opportunity to get involved for the first time. Book lovers deserve a million bookish holidays, but since they only come around a few times a year, it’s best to make the most of them.
Paperback Book Day is designed to get people to treasure the joys of reading. In a world of video games, Netflix, and ebooks, it’s easy to forget how good it feels to pick up a real book and hold it in your hands.
There are plenty of ways you can enjoy Paperback Book Day, and here are some of our favorite ones!
1. Gift someone a Paperback
What better way to celebrate a paperback book day than to give someone the gift of a book? Whether your friend is a fellow book lover or someone you’re trying to talk to reading more, a paperback is always a perfect gift. There are so many to choose from in the world that you’re guaranteed to find something for everyone as you browse your favorite bookstore or online retailer.
2. Order a Book Through the Scholastic Website
Everyone knows that readers are empathetic people and are always looking for ways to give back to their community. Wouldn’t it be great to know that every time you buy a book you’re giving something to someone else?
When you buy through Scholastic books you can be happy in the knowledge that your purchase has gone towards buying books for your local schools. A well-stocked library is a happy library, and buying paperbacks through Scholastic ensures that children in your area can enjoy books as much as you do.
3. Head to a Library
Some say that libraries are a dying breed, but just going in and borrowing a paperback ensures that libraries have a reason to stay open. The benefit? Free books that you can check out! You can even ask for a specific book to be ordered so that you don’t have to be spending to enjoy reading all of your favorite books.
4. Browse an Independent Bookstore or Charity Shop
Everyone knows that going into Barnes and Noble or Waterstones is a thrill like no other. There’s always so much to choose from and the atmosphere of being surrounded by book lovers is always a happy one.
But by buying books from an independent bookstore, you can be happy in the knowledge that you’re supporting local small businesses. Independent bookstores often have unusual books too, such as books by indie writers that you can’t buy elsewhere.
You might discover something that nobody has ever stumbled across before!
Charity shops are also great for browsing for paperbacks. You can always find a cheap deal, and though you might not be able to buy every book under the sun, you might discover some hidden gems.
Plus, every time you buy a paperback from a charity shop, you’re saving the environment, giving to good causes, and getting a good bargain!
5. Read a book in one sitting
Paperback Book Day is the perfect day to clear your schedule and kick back with a good book. Life can get on top of you sometimes and the perfect place to escape is inside a good book. Take a breather, make a nice cup of coffee and crack open a brand new paperback, then don’t stop reading until you’ve reached the end. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the day and finally take a crack at your TBR pile!
6. Buy a paperback book by an indie author
Indie publishing is hard. Authors of indie literature work hard not only to write their books but to promote them and get people outside of their family and friends to buy them. This Paperback Book Day is the perfect time to begin a celebration of indie authors. Try out an author that’s had a few good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. You might be surprised at what you find and discover your new favorite author!
7. Review a book
In the world of authors, reviews are vital. You might not realize it, but all of your favorite authors relied on reviews when their books first came out to make other people buy them. Think about it; you wouldn’t visit a restaurant with terrible reviews! The same goes for authors and their books.
By leaving a review of your thoughts, you help not only authors but other readers too. Who knows; someone else who is looking for something to read this Paperback Book Day might see your review and have their decision swayed! Whether you leave a positive or negative review, your thoughts will contribute to someone’s decision to buy a book!
8. Take a book photoshoot
If you follow bookstagrammers, you’ll know the joy of seeing a pretty picture of a book. It’s satisfying to see your favorite paperbacks in nice locations or on a good backdrop. So why not try it yourself for this occasion? You don’t have to be a professional photographer to enjoy doing it yourself, either! Plenty of amateurs take to Instagram to share the books they love, so you can too!
9. Organize your bookshelves
How do you organize your books? In alphabetical order? By genre? By spine and cover color? Maybe it’s time to mix it up! Take all of your books off their shelves and give them a new home. It might even inspire you to take a book photoshoot with your newly organized shelves!
10. Visit a bookish location
If you’re able to get out and about for the day, you might want to go somewhere that has inspired a lot of books, or is the home of your favorite story. Maybe you could head to Haworth in England to see where the Bronte sisters lived, or visit the Community Bookshelf in Missouri. London is also a hub for book lovers with all of its Harry Potter hotspots, and San Fransisco is great for indie bookstores.
11. Donate some paperbacks
Being able to delve into a book whenever you want is a privilege that not everyone has. It can be an expensive hobby to upkeep when you buy paperbacks, but its something that everyone should be able to enjoy. Of course, some books will have a special place in your heart, and keeping those is absolutely fine.
However, if you have some books that you’ve already read and don’t plan to use again, donating them to charity, to a school, a library or other public space is a great idea. Especially for children’s books, it ensures that everyone has access to the joys of reading, no matter if they can afford to buy literature or not.
12. Check for book-related events
Bookstores and libraries are always hosting events to celebrate books, and many websites will also have virtual events planned. You might not be available to attend one on the 29th, but in celebration of Paperback Book Day, why not sign up for something in your local area? It might be an author meet and greet or a book festival, but whatever you choose is an exciting way to get involved in the bookish community.
13. Join a book club
Many bookworms find that their friends and family don’t share their love of books and take to the internet to meet other bookish people. But if you’d like to meet people face to face who have the same love of books as you, then joining a book club is perfect. If you can’t find one in your local area, there are also plenty of book clubs online with much wider communities.
14. Dress up as your favorite character
If cosplay is your kind of thing, then why not get creative and make a costume for your favorite character from a paperback? You could even have a costume party and get your friends to join in the fun! Dressing up as a character is a great way of showing your favorite authors’ support and having a good laugh at the same time.
15. Write a book of your own
Have you always fancied having a copy of a paperback you wrote yourself in your hands? There’s no better time to start writing than the present. Get yourself a pad and paper or a laptop (maybe even an old fashioned typewriter!) Get yourself comfortable. Then, unleash your story onto the page. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll find yourself among the bestsellers you’ve always admired!
Books are one of the purest pleasures in life, and sometimes, it’s easy to forget how much of a joy it is to read. We’re all guilty of scrolling too much on our phones or choosing to watch TV over picking up a book. However, if you feel like you’ve lost touch with your favorite hobby, it’s never too late to start again!
If you can’t think where to start, Hooked to Books has a whole host of suggestions available on our site! Just type in your favorite genre and see what we can offer you!