Sunday, September 3, 2017

Reading... For Free


One of the amazing ability of technology is to make tons of books fit on a page size tablet. This is a real boon to the traveler and camper... no more stacks of books under the bed. Now you can take those "must read" books with you. Not only that, but there are myriad websites that offer free or inexpensive books. Below you will find a list of these sites that will give you access to more books than you can read in a lifetime.

Your Library and OverDrive  https://www.overdrive.com  Most libraries have set up e-book and audio book lending libraries using the app above.  Here you can borrow some of the latest books as well as classics.  As you travel, you might want to visit libraries where you stay for long periods of time and see if you can get a library card that will allow you to borrow books for your tablet.  Most books are for a limited checkout period just like library books.  The nice thing about this way of borrowing from your library is that the books are automatically returned without you having to take them back.  Just don't forgot you checked them out!

Kindle App  The free Kindle App for iPad is Amazon's ebook reader. Unlike Apple's iBooks, Kindle is cross-platform. If you already have a large Kindle book collection, free or otherwise, or you just want to keep your options open for the future, Kindle is a great choice.

Newsletters and Free Kindle Websites

Important: If you see a free Kindle book that you want then get it as soon as you can. Prices often change and it's difficult to tell how long the book will remain free. When downloading a free Kindle book on Amazon verify that the book is still free by making sure the price is $0.00. If it lists a price or says "read for free" or has a price for prime members the book is not free anymore.

Book Bub BookBub alerts you to limited-time free & discounted ebooks matching your interests.  It's free to join, you can read on any device, and the books are yours to own.  You receive a newsletter email each day with the current selection of books from the preferences you set up when you enroll.

EReader IQ  Very similar to BookBub in format, although books are generally different.  You set up your genre preference when you enroll.

Freebooksy  Like the newsletters above, Freebooksy will send you a daily email alerting you of free books that interest you from the preferences you set when you enroll.  These free books are often for a very limited time, so check before you buy them. The price may have changed from free.

Buck Books  This list contains books that are $1.

eBook Discovery  Ebook Discovery presents you with a list of free and discounted books to choose from.  To get the books for the Kindle app, you must download the .mobi file.  To get the file on your device requires another step.

Instafree  You have access to many books through this app.  Be aware that you are often subscribed to the author's webpage and newsletter in order to download the book.  These, however, can often lead to more free books from these authors.  

Amazon --How to locate free books
Go to the Kindle Store
Enter term free books or $.00  and see what you can find.  Download to your heart's content.

Hundred Zeros  You can find books by categories at this website.  Watch the price before you download as they may no longer be free.

Kindle Buffet Each day's list of new free Kindle books includes a top recommendation with an author profile and then is followed by more free books that include the genre, title, author, and synopsis.

The Reader's Cafe The eReader Cafe has listings every day for free Kindle books and a few bargain books. Daily email subscriptions and social media profiles are also available if you don't want to check their site every day.

Ebook Daily  Every day, eBookDaily adds three new free Kindle books to several different genres.

Ebooks Habit The free kindle book listings here include a full description of the book as well as a photo of the cover.

Centless Books All the books are listed down a single page with thumbnails of the cover image and direct links to Amazon. You can also subscribe.


Public Domain Books

These are books that have been scanned by volunteers. These books are out of copyright so you can find many classics and obscure texts from the 1700 and 1800s.  Most can be downloaded and printed making them good for research.  Others can be read on-line.
A note to genealogists:  Look for books on your family surname, county histories or Who's Who books.  You'll be surprised at what you will find.
Project Gutenberg: Free eBooks  A digital library of free e-books which includes book listings, search engine, newsletter, articles, and information on how users can help add to the library.

Google Books  Search and preview millions of books from libraries and publishers worldwide using Google Book Search. Discover a new favorite or unearth an old classic.

Internet Archive  An extensive library of books, audios, texts, and videos are available.  Some can be downloaded or read online.   If you are researching or looking for texts from the 1800s-1900s, this is a great place to look.

What?  You Want More!!
Check out these websites.
Fifty  Places to Get Free Books  A list of different places to look for free books most of which are public domain or classics.

 20 Best Sites to Download Free Books  Another list of free books which includes both children's books and books on technology.



You'll never have to load heavy books 
in your RV again!