Top Ten Tuesday: Top Eight Reasons I Love ... Libby

Today's Top Ten Tuesday was a bit of a head-scratcher for me at first. "Top Ten Reasons I Love ..." I always have trouble with those open-ended prompts! I finally decided to write about my fairly new-found love for Libby, the app I use to check out audiobooks and ebooks from my library. But I only came up with eight :-)

8. Instant gratification.

When I browse Libby, I almost always find an available book that I want to check out. It literally takes seconds for the book to arrive on my Kindle. And books that aren't available on Kindle are available to be read in the app. (I always choose Kindle when it's an option because I prefer reading on my Kindle to my phone, but the convenience of phone reading can be nice, too.)

7. All of the YA.

My library has a decent YA section, but Libby has so much more! Since I'm a bit of a YA fanatic, I really appreciate all of the options Libby provides!

6. The chance to try books and audiobooks without buying.

Sure, you can sample a Kindle book before buying, but I love that I can preview books and then immediately check them out or put them on hold. Or, if a book is available, I'll usually just check it out and give it a go. Sometimes the sample isn't enough to tell me if I'll enjoy a book ... 

5. The ability to pass on a hold when it comes in while remaining at the front of the line.

I haven't used this option much, but when a hold comes in, Libby lets you choose to pass it on to the next person while you remain at the front of the line. It's really nice if I'm wanting to read a book soon but don't have time in my schedule when my hold comes in.

4. It's way more convenient than going to the library ... which I can't even do right now, thanks to the pandemic.

There will always be something special about casually browsing library shelves, but if you're looking for convenience, Libby is the way to go. I can pull it up literally anywhere, at any time. Even the middle of the night (yes, I've done it). No need to remember later what book I'm looking for—just pull up Libby and search!

3. I can keep a "wish list" of books, and I can go there to quickly see what's available or how long I'll have to wait for a book.

I have an extensive wish list on Libby! Practically any book I think I might want to read later goes on the list. Then, when a hold comes in, I go to that list and select something else to put on hold! And sometimes, a book on my wish list will even be available to borrow immediately—that's my favorite :-)

2. I can see what all the hype is about without spending any money.

I've discovered something about myself: I always think I want to read a hyped book, but rarely do I enjoy it as much as everyone else does. (Unless we're talking about Inspy fiction—then, I pretty much love what other readers love.) I have been able to read so many "hyped" books through Libby, and I love that I don't have to put out any money to do it! Because ... 

1. I don't feel guilty for abandoning a book.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've abandoned a book borrowed through Libby! If I'm not feeling it, I quit. I still feel compelled to finish books I've purchased or gotten for review, but if it's a borrow? I'll quit that book so fast your head will spin! And if I decide later that I really do want to finish it, I can always borrow it again :-)

Do you use Libby (or another library app)? If so, what do you like about it?