CBS News
The best bookcases under $500 include one that’s 50% off right now
Amazon
Ask any book lover and they’ll say that a home is not complete without a proper bookcase. We agree, which is why we selected the best bookcases that are pretty to look at, perfect for any kind of book collection — and, because most of us prefer to buy books, not shelves — under $500.
These bookcases from Wayfair, Amazon and Bed Bath & Beyond are all highly rated, boasting a customer rating of four stars or above. Give your living space a refresh this spring with one of the best bookcases of 2024.
Latitude Run rotating bookshelf, five shelves: Save 13%
Wayfair
We love the convenience and unconventional design of this Latitude Run rotating bookshelf. The bookcase spins 360 degrees and provides easy organization for your books, thanks to the built-in book ends on each shelf. This setup may also offer easier organization for readers who like to keep books separate by genre, size, color and more.
In other words, this option is great for someone with a big book collection but not a lot of space in their home to store them.
The Latitude Run rotating bookshelf has a 4.3-star rating on Wayfair.
One reviewer wrote, “I am blown away by this bookshelf! I thought we had a ton of kids books as our previous kids bookshelf was bursting at the seams. I ordered the five tier but we stopped assembling at the three tier- this thing holds SO. MANY. BOOKS. Seriously, an amazing storage solution! Highly recommended.”
Ebern Designs Nyajiah corner bookcase: Save 15%
Wayfair
Corners are underrated spaces for storing books. That’s why we are such fans of this corner bookcase by Ebern Designs. We also like the size of this bookcase, as many corner shelving units tend to be too small to store a sizable book collection.
The shelf includes six tiers, offering 10 dedicated places to store books, or a mixture of books and display items. It’s also designed to be anti-fall, so you can rest easy knowing this can be anchored to the wall. You can get this bookcase in one of three colors, including white, wood grain and dark gray.
The Ebern Designs Nyajiah corner bookcase has a 4.5-star rating on Wayfair.
One reviewer wrote, “Great corner bookshelf. Heavier and more well-built than I was expecting. Love the natural wood finish. Easy to assemble.”
Yoobure tree bookshelf: Save 10%
Amazon
If you’re working with a tight budget, but still want an eye-catching book case, get the unique Yoobure tree bookshelf at Amazon. The six shelves, or, rather, branches, of this book tree are designed to hold books of varying sizes, including heavy coffee table tomes. The bottom shelf, or trunk, of the book tree provides extra storage, and there’s space between the bottom branches to add decorative accents, such as candles or succulents.
This would work best for people with small book collections. You can get this in various colors, ranging from white to pink. Make sure to add the available 10% coupon to get the best deal.
The Yoobure tree bookshelf has a 4.5-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “I was looking for a small funky bookshelf to hold my TBR collection, and this perfectly fit the bill! This product was very easy to install, and the individual boards were really nice quality. It also feels really sturdy.”
Crosley Sloane two-piece Etagere set: Save 50%
Bed Bath & Beyond
This elegant glass and gold bookcase is a great alternative to built-ins. The style of the book case is based on Art Deco designs, and book collectors have 14 shelves available to store their favorite coffee-table books, novels, biographies and more.
Each shelf is made of tempered glass, which is four times stronger than regular glass, and has a 20-pound weight limit. We’re sure shoppers will have lots of fun storing and styling their books on the geometric shelves.
Push this set together to create an extra large bookcase, or keep them separate to create balance with your furniture. Right now, you can get the Crosley Sloane two-piece Etagere set for 50% off on Bed Bath & Beyond for a limited time.
AllModern Stiles Etagere storage bookcase: Save up to 18%
Wayfair
This mid-century modern bookcase is a stunner and about $150 less than its West Elm counterpart. The Allmodern storage bookcase offers four shelves to store books and a convenient drawer that you can store other essentials such as documents, tools, keepsakes and more.
This would work great for someone who lives in a small apartment or home and needs all the extra storage space they can get. The mahogany bookcase is 18% off, while the acorn finish is 8% off.
The AllModern Stiles Etagere storage bookcase has a 4.5-star rating on Wayfair. One reviewer wrote, “I ordered two of these for my office and I love them. They are the perfect size and style.”
Another verified customer added, “Beautiful piece and the easiest furniture-assembly process I have ever experienced!”
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Saturday that would have required new cars to beep at drivers if they exceed the speed limit in an effort to reduce traffic deaths.
California would have become the first to require such systems for all new cars, trucks and buses sold in the state starting in 2030. The bill would have mandated that vehicles beep at drivers when they exceed the speed limit by at least 10 mph.
The European Union has passed similar legislation to encourage drivers to slow down. California’s proposal would have provided exceptions for emergency vehicles, motorcycles and motorized scooters.
In explaining his veto, Newsom said federal law already dictates vehicle safety standards and adding California-specific requirements would create a patchwork of regulations.
The National Highway Traffic Safety “is also actively evaluating intelligent speed assistance systems, and imposing state-level mandates at this time risks disrupting these ongoing federal assessments,” the Democratic governor said.
Opponents, including automotive groups and the state Chamber of Commerce, said such regulations should be decided by the federal government, which earlier this year established new requirements for automatic emergency braking to curb traffic deaths. Republican lawmakers also said the proposal could make cars more expensive and distract drivers.
The legislation would have likely impacted all new car sales in the U.S., since the California market is so large that car manufacturers would likely just make all of their vehicles comply.
California often throws that weight around to influence national and even international policy. The state has set its own emission standards for cars for decades, rules that more than a dozen other states have also adopted. And when California announced it would eventually ban the sale of new gas-powered cars, major automakers soon followed with their own announcement to phase out fossil-fuel vehicles.
Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener, who sponsored the bill, called the veto disappointing and a setback for street safety.
“California should have led on this crisis as Wisconsin did in passing the first seatbelt mandate in 1961,” Wiener said in a statement. “Instead, this veto resigns Californians to a completely unnecessary risk of fatality.”
The speeding alert technology, known as intelligent speed assistance, uses GPS to compare a vehicle’s pace with a dataset of posted limits. If the car is at least 10 mph over, the system emits a single, brief, visual and audio alert.
The proposal would have required the state to maintain a list of posted speed limits, and it’s likely that those would not include local roads or recent changes in speed limits, resulting in conflicts.
The technology has been used in the U.S. and Europe for years. Starting in July, the European Union will require all new cars to have the technology, although drivers would be able to turn it off. At least 18 manufacturers including Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan, have already offered some form of speed limiters on some models sold in America, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 10% of all car crashes reported to police in 2021 were related to speeding. This was especially a problem in California, where 35% of traffic fatalities were speeding-related — the second highest in the country, according to a legislative analysis of the proposal.
Last year the NTSB recommended federal regulators require all new cars to alert drivers when they speed. Their recommendation came after a crash in January 2022, when a man with a history of speeding violations ran a red light at more than 100 mph and struck a minivan, killing himself and eight other people.
