While periodic book sales offer unbeatable discounts, it’s not always that you find the titles you’re looking for, and many a book-lover is guilty of carting home armfuls of books, all bought on impulse and often left unread for months or years to come.
And despite a new generation of readers who have embraced e-books, many more still crave for the tactile sensations that come with reading a physical book.
These are some of the reasons that prompted Carol Low to start her book rental service, called simply “The Joy of Books”, after she rekindled her long-abandoned love of reading during the long lockdowns brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As a child, I used to get a lot of books from rental bookstores in Petaling Jaya, so I thought, why not start a book rental service, especially since I have a lot of books at home anyway,” says Low, 44, who is a former national rhythmic gymnast.
Popping into “The Joy of Books” website, you are greeted by a comprehensive collection of titles across various genres from fiction and biographies to children’s classics.
“Some books are brand-new, whereas others were sold to me by readers,” she says, adding that she takes requests as well and is ever ready to hunt down a title a customer wants.
For just RM5, you can rent a book for two months. In addition, there is a refundable deposit of RM20-RM70, depending on the book you rent.
The shipping cost in West Malaysia is at a flat rate of RM12, and once customers are done reading, Low will arrange a courier service to collect the books from their very doorsteps.
“People usually rent four to five books at a time in order to save on the shipping cost,” she tells FMT, adding that customers can also choose to extend the rental period by another month by paying an additional RM2.
There are also subscription plans available where a one-time fee is charged.
“This option is more convenient for long-term customers as they don’t have to pay the deposit each time,” she says, adding that the fee will be refunded upon cancellation of the subscription.
Low says most of her customers are those who practise a zero-waste and minimalist lifestyle.
“Occasionally, I get customers from book clubs as well,” says Low, adding that fiction is the most popular genre.
However, Low admits that it has been challenging to convince people to rent instead of buy books, especially since there are many secondhand bookstores that sell books at low prices.
“Renting actually forces you to read the books, because you’ll have to return them. That’s the objective behind this initiative – to encourage people to read, instead of buying books and forgetting about them,” she says.
At the end of the day, Low wants to spread the joy of reading to as many people as possible, especially children.
In fact, earlier this year, she started a mini street library in her neighbourhood in Kemuning Utara with the aim of fostering a reading culture in the community.
“It was a big hit with the children,” she recalls with a smile.
When it comes to her own reading habits, Low says she loves crime, thrillers and historical fiction to take her mind off the pressures of life.
She used to read self-help books for business management. “Then I stopped reading altogether – it got overwhelming and it wasn’t fun because it was for work.”
“Right now, I’m into Agatha Christie,” she says, with the kind of excitement often seen when bibliophiles talk about the books they love.
Get your reading fix by popping into “The Joy of Books” website, Facebook and Instagram accounts.