By Felicia Czochanski Bisaro
You don’t need to get on an expensive flight to have a new experience or a taste of a new culture. Books can help with that, providing a new adventure with the turn of a page. Reading can be one of life’s most precious joys, taking you out of reality for a few minutes and into another world through storytelling. But books are more than fiction — they’re educational, protectors of history, sparks of creativity and even décor.
With so many possibilities, it’s time to embrace the beauty of secondhand books from Goodwill® in your daily life.
Check out the below for more inspiration.
Cookbooks
Photo: @collected_on_chronicle
There is something particularly special about used cookbooks. The next time you’re in your local Goodwill, make sure to check out the shelves for some of the classics above. Not only will you be able to buy a guide to delicious meals and dinner inspiration but purchasing a cookbook secondhand can come with other benefits. You might be lucky to find notes within the recipes from the cookbook’s previous owner, notes that make the recipe better, modify them for certain diets or add a little something extra based on flavor preferences. Picking up a secondhand cookbook from the shelf can feel a lot like entering someone else’s world. You never know what you might find, and good recipes are timeless.
Books as Centerpieces
Photo: @lilacgardendesignco
The beauty of books goes beyond the shelf. As an avid book lover, my bridal shower centerpieces were actually thrifted vintage books wrapped with pretty lace bows! I love seeing another Goodwill shopper take advantage of all the bookish treasures you can find at Goodwill and incorporate them into her own wedding. This shopper sourced secondhand vintage books in a stack and a used globe from Goodwill, which she then painted to create a wedding welcome sign and unique guest book for the special day. Knowing how expensive weddings can be to plan, especially when you get down to meaningful details like this, getting creative with books you find at Goodwill can be the perfect solution.
Books as Décor
Photo: @reevesredesign
Of course, there’s nothing more classically elegant than a beautiful bookshelf. This DIY bookshelf looks like a built-in, but the crafty Goodwill shopper who created it actually put it together herself. I love how books can add pops of color to a room, brightening it up and adding personality. Especially if you’re starting fresh with a new shelf, make sure you check out the books at your nearby Goodwill store. They’ll be a fraction of retail price and you’ll be saving them from going to waste. Books don’t expire, and a worn-in book can have more character. Plus, you never know what surprises you may find in the margins.
Celebrate your love of books everyday! Tag us in your photos on Instagram @goodwillintl.
