This is what I was going to suggest. Using more than one library system - Libby will usually find the shorter line for you.
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Sorry to hear that Libby can be so expensive for libraries. But there does seem to be an advantage to not needing more and more shelf space over time.
Hoopla has a very limited selection, but if a book is on Hoopla there are unlimited ācopiesā for people to check out. So there are no holds. They tend to not have new releases, but there are a lot of good books on Hoopla. Iāve often had a book on a long hold with Libby only to find it available on Hoopla.
I always have at least 1-2 books checked out on Hoopla and Libby each at the same time, and a long list of holds on Libby. I try to prioritize a Libby book if someone is waiting for it. And if I finish my Libby books without one of my holds becoming available, I just do my Hoopla books in the meantime.
There is a monthly borrowing limit on Hoopla, but Iāve not yet exceeded it. If I donāt finish a book on Hoopla before it āreturnsā, I just check it right back out again.
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One of my recent favorites is The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Itās a mystery in a fantasy setting. Iād call it ālightā fantasy; the world isnāt super different from our own. Thereās a Sherlock-type quirky lady and her rookie assistant. Itās a lot of fun, and the audiobook narrator is delightful.
The sequel, A Drop of Corruption, just came out this week. Iām currently reading it and enjoying it just as much so far.
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Our library system apparently doesnāt have Hoopla.
I have been enjoying the mysteries written by Tana French. They are set in Ireland and I enjoy seeing a more gritty Ireland than the usual green and leprechauny place.
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For more gritty mysteries set in Ireland, try the Jack Taylor series by the late Ken Bruen. Theyāre set in Galway.
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As far as mysteries go, have you read any of the Armand Gamache mysteries by Louise Penny? Quirky characters, really give you a taste of life in Quebec/Montreal, excellent story lines.
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I have read all of Louise Pennyās Gamache series, and heard her speak at a book festival in Nantucket a few years ago. There are a couple of other contemporary women who write interesting mysteries: Sara Paretsky (V.I. Warshawski series), Katherine Hall Page (Faith Fairchild series), and Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta series). Plus, there are great older (dead) women mystery writers: PD James, Dorothy Sayers, and Ruth Rendell.
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Is Hoopla only accessible on the phone? They have a lot of Spanish books, but itās much easier for me to look up words in a Kindle than on the phone.
I use the Hoopladigital website on my laptop and on my Samsung tablet. Not using any app. We replaced our Kindle years ago with the tablet, as at least at that time you had to use the terrible Kindle browser and could only download apps from the Amazon app store.
It may be different now, but I love the tablet too much to go back to a Kindle.
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Hereās one I enjoyed several years ago:
Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh.
There was a recommendation (@Bromfield2 ??) for Playworld by Adam Ross upthread, so when I saw it, I picked it up. So glad I did!
Beautifully written and often funny ā itās a coming of age story, a family drama, a love letter to NYC ā all in one.
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I recently finished All the Colors of the Dark. Iām not sure if I recommend it or not lol. Itās kind of like the tv show Adolescence to me, itās very well done, but too upsetting to be considered enjoyable.
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Thanks for all the suggestions. Iām making a list and will check on Libby and Hoopla.
I have Hoopla as an app on my iPad.
My libraryās libby only allows 6 holds and 14 day checkout. I wish it was 21 days. I think Hoopla is 21 days but I hardly have any luck on that app.
We also have a nook app that we can share among our family members rather than a Kindle.
I just finished the Alice Network. It didnāt grab me as quickly as the Briar Club did, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. And I was blown away when I realized how much of the story (not the fictional main characters, but the setting and some of the other characters) was fact-based.
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My library allows 10 holds which is easy to fill. I get 21 days with Libby but no renewal. I need to time the checkouts in order to have something to read my entire vacation.
Iāve had decent luck with Hoopla especially for travel guides. What I find the pages on Hoopla switch directions off and on through the book. I donāt know if they are scanned.
My library is closing for a remodel. They will have a temporary location but it wonāt be up and running right away. They will have the book mobile but those donāt hold much. Our family are huge library users. I love that my daughters picked up the love of reading. My son not so much.
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I found this book at the Goodwill Book store today. I already checked my library and it wasnāt in the system. I look forward to reading it!!!
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Just a note that you can buy ebooks on bookshop.org and support your local indie bookstore rather than the 800 pound gorilla!
There are often good deals on new releases or older books
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