I’ll start with a confession. I used to associate library cards with musty, crinkly, plastic-covered books. Late fees. Generally bad vibes all around.
But I was wrong. And I’ve seen the light.
In the last year, I’ve discovered my library card is the key to ceaseless, instantaneous knowledge—literally right there at the tips of my fingers. Think: Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, popping up after having been plugged into his computer. “I know kung fu.”
That’s me. You know, minus the kung fu. And it can be you, too. All over the United States, getting a library card unlocks a treasure trove of books—hard copies, digital copies for Kindle and audio versions via the Libby App. All this without even mentioning all of the other great benefits that public libraries give us.
I’ve explored myriad worlds, subscribed to a trick bag of spiritual self-help and marketing philosophies, and generally absorbed knowledge and amusement morning, noon, and night. Washing dishes, doing housework, driving around town, and all the other mundanities of modern life have never been so rewarding.
Looking for some rewards of your own? Start with these recommended audiobooks I’ve tackled in the last year, all for free, thanks to my very own library card:
NON-FICTION
How to Change Your Mind - Michael Pollan
Save Me the Plums - Ruth Reichl
How to Be an Antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson
Talking to Strangers - Malcolm Gladwell
Finish - Jon Acuff
Dare To Lead - Brene Brown
Acid for the Children - Flea
Homo Deus - Yuval Noah Harari
In Defense of Food - Michael Pollan
Creative Quest - Questlove
Where the Deer and the Antelope Play - Nick Offerman
The Power of Moments - Chip & Dan Heath
The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain
Stolen Focus - Johann Hari
The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
Born Standing Up - Steve Martin
Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey
FICTION
Dark Matter - Blake Crouch
Nothing to See Here - Kevin Wilson
The Shawshank Redemption - Stephen King
Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick
Cloud Cuckoo Land - Anthony Doerr
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab
Bewilderment - Richard Powers
The Three-Body Problem - Cixin Liu
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card
