My Favorite Amazon-Alternative (for When My Bookshelves Need More!)

I love Amazon.

That may seem like a weird opening for a blog post about an alternative to Amazon.

I’ve been a fan since the first time I shopped there in 1999. I know the problems with it. I’ve read the books, the think pieces, etc. And, yet, I still shop there. (And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our Alexa devices.)

Over the years, I’ve become more intentional about diversifying my online shopping. I’ve shopped at Vitacost for years. When it’s an option, I’ll often buy directly from a company’s website now. Or even the other big-box stores. (Yes, still with their own sets of problems, I know. But if the goal is diversifying & breaking a habit…)

But there was one thing that I struggled to stop buying on Amazon. Books. I love a good local bookstore. I grew up with a fantastic one (still in business!) and have the best memories. But the nearest local bookstore is 45 minutes away in a town we rarely visit.

Ironically, it was an experience on another problematic platform (of the social media variety) that convinced me to break that last stronghold — which led me to Bookshop.org.

What is Bookshop.Org?

Opening in January 2020, Bookshop partners with independent bookstores across the world in a unique way. Rather than buying from the bookstore, your purchase is fulfilled by a distributor, and the profit from your purchase goes to the bookstore of your choice.

That means you can support your local bookstore, a bookstore you grew up visiting, or that cute bookstore you wandered into on vacation. As long as they are a participating store, you can buy from the coziness of your couch — and still support them.

(Bookshop also offers better rates to their affiliates like myself. Shameless plug. My goal is to keep this site ad-free for a better experience for you. When you make purchases on & through affiliate links on my site, you help make that possible.)

How awesome is that?! Nothing replaces going into a bookstore staffed by people who love books and their customers. But buying books on Bookshop.org is a better option than buying books on Amazon.

(They’re also certified as a B Corp & are a carbon-neutral company, two more reasons to choose them.)

Shop The Homeschool Bookroom

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org, where your purchases support local bookstores and The Homeschool Breakroom.

My goal is to regularly gather up the best book suggestions for your homeschool life. Whether you need a historical fiction book for your history course, something to make science more appealing to your reluctant science kiddo, or a book for you, mama.

Below are just a few of the bookshelves I’ve curated just for you. Head over to Bookshop.org for more!

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