Celebrated annually on August 9, Book Lovers Day is a holiday for the bookworms out there, either by nature or nurture. Here are ten ways to celebrate.
Give Your Favorite Book to a Friend—or Stranger
Share your copy of a book you love with a friend—or get them their own copy from a place like Bookshop.org. Bookshop.org lets you shop local bookstores remotely, and you can even find ebooks and audiobooks!
You can also gift your book as a book fairy to a stranger. According to The Book Fairies: “Book fairies are people who, when they’ve finished reading a good book, want a unique and fun way to pass it on to the next person. They pop an official book fairy sticker on it, which reads ‘take this book, read it & leave it for the next person to enjoy,’ and they might even add a ribbon to dress it up as a gift. When they’ve prepared their gift, they will hide it in public to be found.”
A famous book fairy you may know is Emma Watson. She was still a book fairy as recently as November 2021.
Reread a Book You Love
I promise your TBR (to-be-read) pile won’t be jealous. In fact, you may want to read the next item and give your TBR pile some love.
Organize Your TBR Pile
Find or build a bookcase. Consider organizing your books by genre and group series together. That way, you know where to go when a story craving hits but you don’t want to reach for your wallet.
Read the Book Version of a Movie You Loved
Nothing wrong with watching the movie, but did the movie leave you wanting more—or even unfulfilled? Books often have more details in them than their movie version. Why? Quite frankly, there’s just more space! (And let’s be real—if you can read, books are almost always better than their movie counterparts.)
Visit Your Local Library, In Person or Virtually
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically expanded the way libraries offer their services to their communities. For instance, some libraries offer curbside or drive-through window pickups while others even have lockers if you want to go completely contactless.
If your library offers ebooks, you may want to check out Libby. You can borrow ebooks right from your bed while you’re still in your pajamas.
Leave a Review on a Book You Love
Leaving a book review, whether it be on a site like Amazon or Bookshop.org, helps not only another reader but the author of the book.
Work on Your Own Book
NaNoWriMo is in November. NaNoWriMo offers NaNo Prep 101, which starts in September, but who’s to say you can’t start early?
Donate Books or Money
Little Free Library
Have you ever seen what looks like little schoolhouses on posts? If there are books inside, chances are these little structures are part of the Little Free Library. Contribute a book or two while you find a new one to enjoy.
Reach Out and Read
Some kids do not have access to books or to books that are accessible to them. Read Out and Read helps kids like these find books. Monetary donations are probably the best way to go so that professionals can assess and provide the right books to kids.
Libraries
Check to see if your library has a donation program, like a Friends of the Library program. Some Friends of the Library groups will sell the books donated as a fundraiser for the library they support. Each group has different objectives. Reach out to your library to see if they need your books.
Prisons
Books are a lifeline to folks who are incarcerated. Keep in mind restrictions the prison facility may have in place. For example, the facility may only allow paperback books, not hardcover or spiral bound. BookRiot has an extensive list that you may find helpful.
Organize a Book Club
Your book club can be as intense as analyzing a book or as laid back as watching the movie version of the book. (Lots of streaming services now have ways to virtually watch movies together!) Consider reading a banned book together.
Pick a New Read Written by a Marginalized Author
Again, I promise your TBR will not be jealous if you pick up a new book, especially if the book is different from the rest of your pile. The Margins 2022 Virtual conference promoted their virtual bookfair here.
Share some ways you like to celebrate books, not only for Book Lovers Day but every day. Leave a comment below or reach out to me on social media!
Happy reading!
Regards,
Rita
Editor’s Note
By posting these charities in this blog post, I am in no way affiliating myself with them or recommending you donate to them. I do not take any liability. Always check out a charity before donating. The FTC’s article, “Before You Give,” outlines ways to research a charity.
Updated February 7, 2024.