I wanted to branch out and talk about other things on here along with book reviews so I thought Sundays would be my day to introduce you all to new things. I decided that Sundays just weren’t good so I just will spread these out throughout the month. Some of the things I have planned are: App reviews, movie reviews and recs, and taking you on my cooking adventures.

About the Apps- Libby and Overdrive

Overdrive

Borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming video from your library using OverDrive on your Android device. More than 40,000 libraries worldwide offer titles from OverDrive, so download the app and find your next book today!

• Available 24/7, now the library comes to you.
• No more late fees. Titles are automatically returned.
• Place holds, create wish lists, and return titles easily.
• Sync libraries, bookmarks, and recent positions across mobile devices.
• A valid account with a participating library, school, or other institution is required.
• Each library builds its own collection of titles. Contact them directly to let them know that you’re using OverDrive and to share any suggestions for books you would like to see them carry.

Libby

All over the world, local libraries offer millions of ebooks and audiobooks. You can borrow them — for free, instantly — with a library card and Libby: the award-winning, much-loved app for libraries.

• Browse your library’s digital catalog of books — from classics to NYT best-sellers
• Borrow and enjoy ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines
• Download titles for offline reading, or stream them to save space
• Send ebooks to your Kindle (U.S. libraries only)
• Listen to audiobooks via Apple CarPlay
• Use tags to create your must-read list and any other book lists you want
• Keep your reading position automatically synced on all your devices

In our beautiful, intuitive ebook reader:

• Adjust text size, background color, and book design
• Zoom into magazines and comic books
• Define and search for words and phrases
• Read and listen to read-alongs with your kids
• Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights

In our ground-breaking audio player:

• Slow down or speed up the audio (0.6 to 3.0x)
• Set a sleep timer
• Simply swipe to skip forward and backward
• Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights

Libby is built by the team at OverDrive, in support of local libraries everywhere.

My Thoughts on the Apps

Overdrive

I use this app the most out of all the library apps that are available to me. I just love how easy it is to pop on there and grab a book, place ahold, or even recommend titles that the library doesn’t own. I like that once you place a recommendation it adds you to the waitlist for the book and it is very simple to acquire books once they are ready for you.

I’ve placed several holds through Overdrive for both e-books and audiobooks and I love how it gives me the estimate for how long it will take to get the book. I love being able to plan my reading based on this and like that I can say pass on me for now. I have used this feature before and the great thing is that it lets you know when you should expect the book to arrive again.

I remember when I lived in Fullerton and only had one library available to me in person, overdrive really came in handy since I was able to use my Los Angeles Public Library card to access books digitally.

Libby

I rarely use Libby but I have heard great things about it. I like that this app tells you how many people are in line waiting for the book, when it is due and gives you the option to manage books you have loaned out. With Libby I also like the option to add multiple library cards so you can see if other libraries have the item that you are searching for.

I like how easy it is to use the guides on Libby for different topics and to get book suggestions if you don’t know what you are looking for. I also like that you can access the librarian lists and see what they suggest based on what type of reading you want.

Libby has a lot more images and looks more appealing than overdrive does but since I used Overdrive first that is still my go to. I will be using Libby more now after discovering their generated list, especially as I recommend books to other people.