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Take a look below for any number of ways to get books -- including bestsellers and classics -- for nothing...
(Scroll all the way down for sample chapters of some of my favorite recent reads. You're welcome, fellow bookworm!)
Open Library
One of the coolest things about Open Library is the fact that the books are not digital files, but rather scans of actual books. It's the next best thing to pulling books off a shelf in a library. You'll see occasional notes penciled in margins, a few coffee stains, and the beautiful look of actual ink on actual pages. The bad news? You can't send these to an e-reader. The good news? They look amazing on tablets, plus you can export books as PDFs to Adobe Digital Editions.
Open Library does old book browsing one better: click the "Read Aloud" tab of any book, and your device will read it to you, even though it is a scanned book. Amazon Fire tablets blow away any of my other devices when it comes to natural-sounding AI voices. (Plus, they offer the best value for tablets of any other manufacturer. I snagged a Fire 7 last year for $29, with free shipping.) If you have a Fire, I heartily suggest setting your device voice to Brian (UK) -- it's like having Carson from Downton Abbey read you a story.
Project Gutenberg offers 58,000+ free ebooks available for download or reading online:
Want to listen to free audiobooks? Go to Librivox!
Search for free kindle books
Join me in reading ebooks from your public library
Libraries are more than physical books! Ask your library if they offer a digital library from Overdrive. This is literally a book nerd's paradise. You can check out ebooks online or from your phone app to read on the device of your choice. (Yes, you can even send books to your Kindle!)
This is the Kindle I read with. Our Amazon overlords are surely leading us to a dystopian monopoly hellscape, but they really do make a great e-reader. I use mine to check out library ebooks. You really don't need the fancy models, and for god's sake stop reading on a phone or tablet if you don't have to. Once you remember the joy of just reading books without distraction (or Like buttons or retina-burning LED screens) you'll thank me. This basic kindle works great, has a glare-free, almost-like-a-real-book "e-paper" screen and lets you carry around hundred of books and audiobooks.
And because I'm a sucker for a leather-bound book, I love this kindle cover:
Kindle Update as of March, 2019:
I don't know how much longer my beloved Kindle above will be available. Amazon is launching their latest simple model and it comes with a front light that, like the other Kindle models, can not be turned off. NOOOOO!!!!! It might not be the backlit screen of a phone or tablet, but LED light of any kind is damaging to your retinas as well as sleep cycles/melatonin production. (This is why so many little book lights are now being manufactured with yellow or amber LED bulbs. The Kindle LEDs are blue/white.)
I really, really hope Amazon doesn't completely phase-out a light-free e-paper Kindle, but that's what it looks like they're doing. You can get my light-free model (for now) with a cover and sold as a Kid's Bundle:
I might actually buy a spare because no other e-reader can read Kindle ebook files. (Damn you, Lord Bezos.)
Got a great source for free ebooks? Let me know about it by leaving a comment or by dropping me a line.
Project Gutenberg offers 58,000+ free ebooks available for download or reading online:
 |
| Find a great book at Project Gutenberg |
Want to listen to free audiobooks? Go to Librivox!
Search for free kindle books
Join me in reading ebooks from your public library
Libraries are more than physical books! Ask your library if they offer a digital library from Overdrive. This is literally a book nerd's paradise. You can check out ebooks online or from your phone app to read on the device of your choice. (Yes, you can even send books to your Kindle!)
Here are sample chapters from several book I recently checked out (and loved!) from my library via Overdrive:
More free ebooks from Hoopla:
Also ask your library if they subscribe to the Hoopla digital library. Access it on your computer or with a phone app to check out ebooks, audiobooks, films and TV shows. (Films can be accessed on smart TVs and via Roku.)
Here are several books I recently read for free thanks to Hoopla:
Does your library have Cloud Library and RB Digital?
If it does, you have access to two more great digital libraries of ebooks, audiobooks, courses and magazines available to check out for free.
Find out more about Cloud Library here.
Find out more about RB Digital here.
Yes, I love my Kindle:
Also ask your library if they subscribe to the Hoopla digital library. Access it on your computer or with a phone app to check out ebooks, audiobooks, films and TV shows. (Films can be accessed on smart TVs and via Roku.)
Here are several books I recently read for free thanks to Hoopla:
Does your library have Cloud Library and RB Digital?
If it does, you have access to two more great digital libraries of ebooks, audiobooks, courses and magazines available to check out for free.
Find out more about Cloud Library here.
Find out more about RB Digital here.
Yes, I love my Kindle:
This is the Kindle I read with. Our Amazon overlords are surely leading us to a dystopian monopoly hellscape, but they really do make a great e-reader. I use mine to check out library ebooks. You really don't need the fancy models, and for god's sake stop reading on a phone or tablet if you don't have to. Once you remember the joy of just reading books without distraction (or Like buttons or retina-burning LED screens) you'll thank me. This basic kindle works great, has a glare-free, almost-like-a-real-book "e-paper" screen and lets you carry around hundred of books and audiobooks.
And because I'm a sucker for a leather-bound book, I love this kindle cover:
I don't know how much longer my beloved Kindle above will be available. Amazon is launching their latest simple model and it comes with a front light that, like the other Kindle models, can not be turned off. NOOOOO!!!!! It might not be the backlit screen of a phone or tablet, but LED light of any kind is damaging to your retinas as well as sleep cycles/melatonin production. (This is why so many little book lights are now being manufactured with yellow or amber LED bulbs. The Kindle LEDs are blue/white.)
I really, really hope Amazon doesn't completely phase-out a light-free e-paper Kindle, but that's what it looks like they're doing. You can get my light-free model (for now) with a cover and sold as a Kid's Bundle:
