How I Find Books

I would say I like reading. Before I went to university, my family’s spending on books had already reached tens of thousands of yuan. The books we bought over more than a decade filled the bookshelves in three rooms. I had few other expenses then; most of my extra money went on books.

After starting university, however, I hardly bought any books, because I had grown accustomed to reading digitally.

I have explored many reading apps and websites. These days, I mainly use just two: WeChat Reading and Z-Library.

Let me start with WeChat Reading. Its strengths are its substantial backing and extensive collection. I used to use vivo Reading, but after switching to a Huawei phone, I could no longer find my old reading data and notes. WeChat Reading does not present that problem. Judging by the current situation, it is very unlikely to shut down. Other people can also like your notes, you can read their comments while reading, and you can add friends and discuss books with them, all of which gives you a real sense of accomplishment.

Its collection is fairly comprehensive and keeps expanding. With a membership, it can meet most of your reading needs. For an ordinary reader, this app can cover 90% of those needs, because it has both popular books and classics.

Of course, a new reading app may feel unfamiliar at first. Once you get used to it, though, you will find it very convenient and well suited to reading in small pockets of time.

WeChat Reading also lets you download books. Download one to read on a flight, and you have something to entertain you during the parts of the journey without internet access.

If the book you want is not on WeChat Reading, you can try Z-Library.

Unless a book is particularly obscure, this website will usually have it. If even Z-Library does not have a book, you will have to look somewhere more specialized, such as a specialist website or a library.

The drawback of Z-Library is that it has to be accessed from overseas, and it is said to have been declared illegal in many countries. So if you want to access it, it is best to find a country where doing so is legal.

I always ask friends abroad to download books for me and send them over, and I do not use them commercially, so what I do is legal.

If any friends want an ebook, they can contact me. I will certainly help as long as doing so does not break the law.

In my first year at university, I also frequently used the Chinese Marxists Internet Archive. It contains all the classic works of Marxist theory and is accessible within China. Since downloading the Collected Works of Marx and Engels to my computer, though, I have rarely visited it.

Libraries are another good place. They have many books you cannot find elsewhere, so if there is a library near where you live, go and have a look. You might discover something new.

I occasionally browse bookshops too. Their stock tends to consist mainly of bestsellers. Although the quality varies, it gives you a sense of the general public’s level.

That is how knowledge works: those who know something take it for granted, while those who do not may have no idea about it at all. The two ways of finding books I have shared today may be common knowledge to some people, but they could save others a great deal of time. I hope they are helpful.