Where to find living books
Many of the best living books are older, and plenty are out of print. That isn't a problem — it's an opportunity. Here's how we actually find them, in the order we try.
Your library first
Before buying anything, check your library. WorldCat shows which libraries near you hold a title, and interlibrary loan will borrow an out-of-print book from another system — usually for free. For ebooks and audiobooks, Libby and Hoopla (free with a library card) hold a surprising number of classics.
Free and in the public domain
Many pre-1929 living books are public domain — free and legal to read:
- Project Gutenberg — tens of thousands of etexts.
- Standard Ebooks — the same classics, carefully typeset and lovely to read.
- LibriVox — free audiobook recordings read by volunteers.
- Internet Archive & Open Library — scans and borrowable copies of many more.
When a book on our shelf is public domain, we point you to a free edition.
Used copies
For in-copyright or simply out-of-print titles, used is often the way — and cheaper. ThriftBooks, AbeBooks, Better World Books, and Biblio all list used copies from sellers worldwide. And don't overlook your local used bookshop and library book sales, where living books turn up for a dollar.
New copies and reprints
Some small publishers exist specifically to keep living books in print. If you can buy new, supporting them keeps these books available for the next family: Living Book Press, Purple House Press, Bethlehem Books, and Yesterday's Classics.
Where our links go
When we link to a place to buy, we send you to Bookshop.org first — it supports independent bookstores — and to other retailers where useful. Those are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it never changes what we recommend. When a book is free or your library has it, we would rather tell you that.
Last reviewed 2026-07-11