Celebrate World Book Day With Goodwill by Giving Great Books a New Chapter

By Felicia Czochanski Bisaro

Books are one of life’s greatest joys. Turning the pages brings you into a story, takes you on an adventure, allows you to travel and opens you up to experiences through the lens of the characters in a way that you may never have the chance to do in your own life. World Book Day is dedicated to books, authors and creativity. There’s no better way to celebrate the wonders of books than to visit your favorite Goodwill store and give second-hand books on the shelf new life.

Books at Goodwill

When you’re shopping at Goodwill, you never know what you might find. It could be a top in a style you’ve been hesitating to buy at full retail price or a book that you’ve been meaning to read. The excitement of shopping second-hand not only allows you to access brands and literature that you may not have wanted to buy at the traditional retail store at a fraction of the price.

While it can vary depending on your store, most books at Goodwill are just a few dollars. A brand-new book can cost about $30. Not only is this a more affordable way to shop, but it is more sustainable as well. Shopping at Goodwill deters items from being sent to landfills, contributing to a circular economy that gives them their next chapter.

Photo: @thehomebodybydesign

Start a Thrifted Book Club

Thrifting books can be a fun experience to do with friends and family. One idea is to start a thrifted book club where each person thrifts a different book and reads it ahead of the meeting. At the meeting, you can put all the books in the middle and give a summary of the book. Then, you can swap books and start over again with a new thrift store selection for the next meeting.

Photo: @teafromtya

Make it a Scavenger Hunt

If you’d rather read the same book in your book club, it can be a fun scavenger hunt to shop for it at different Goodwill and second-hand stores. My sister recently did this as a family gift to kick-start a family book club. Think about what genres you might be interested in reading, and when you head to Goodwill, check out the authors that you’re finding on the shelf. You’ll be surprised at how many copies of the same book you might be able to find after just a few trips.

Photo: @remnantsofbrit

Books as Home Décor

Books as décor is one of my favorite recent trends. “Bookshelf wealth” can be done on actual shelves or by using books as the centerpieces on your living room table or mantel. Books can help create a unique atmosphere. Like in the picture above, the black and white minimalist color palette is elevated by the text on the book spines.

Next time you head to Goodwill, don’t forget to check out what books are available on the shelves. Did you recently find your favorite new book at Goodwill? Don’t forget to tag us @goodwillintl on Instagram for a chance to be featured on social or in a future blog.