The library is so 2014.

I’ve always been a lover of books and was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by them. (Literally. They were in every room of the house.) Because I never had to leave home to find a good book, I didn’t really spend a whole lot of time inside libraries. But now for the first time, I’ve begun kind of a love affair with the Los Angeles Public Library system. It’s nothing short of amazing.

Living in a small apartment on an even smaller budget means buying books just isn’t practical for me right now. I’d heard great things about L.A.’s libraries (one of the largest systems in the country!), so a couple months ago, I finally decided to get my own library card.

My favorite part? The online library account system, which even has its own app.

When I first checked out the Silver Lake branch, I was disappointed by how small it was. Then I realized I could go online and have any book at any of the other 71 branches sent to mine within days for pick-up. MIND. BLOWN.

Not only can you renew books and place holds online, but you can even create a wishlist and save searches. The wishlist is especially wonderful. Unlike Amazon, the books in THIS wishlist are free, and I’ve been adding books to my list like crazy. I’m going to do all of the reading and go up a hat size.

Another unique L.A. fixture is the Library Store on Wheels. I’ve come across this truck at flea markets and other city events, and it’s filled with awesome gifts for book lovers. Proceeds from the sales go right back to the library system, and you can follow the store on Twitter to catch where the truck will end up next.

I was curious how L.A.’s libraries stacked up against others in the country. Turns out Chicago’s library system was ranked best in the U.S. this year and third best in the world. (Ahead of them internationally were Vancouver and Montreal. New York, San Francisco and Toronto were in the top 10 international libraries, as well.) And go figure – the library in the town where I grew up is nationally recognized for its public library system!

Right now, I’m reading a couple of great books for a journalism class that I saved around $50 by checking them out. When I’m done with those, I plan on making a dent on my ever-growing wishlist.

Here are just a few of the books currently on my wishlist:

The Empathy Exams, by Leslie Jamison
Bad Feminist, by Roxane Gay
The New New Journalism, edited by Robert S. Boynton
The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer
I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections, by Nora Ephron
Not That Kind of Girl, by Lena Dunham (I’m the 218th person in line for this one!)

…and so many more.

Do you love the library? What books are currently on your wishlist? I’m looking for more books to add to mine, so comment with your must-reads!