Have you wanted to try an ebook? Would you like to keep ebooks handy to read on your phone or tablet? Has the cost of ebooks stopped you?
Well, there are ebooks out there that you can download some books without spending any money at all.
Several websites offer free ebooks. Others share information about where to find free or discounted ebooks.
There are several reasons some ebooks are free. In some cases, the book's copyright has expired. In other cases, writers offer books for free to grow a readership. Often a free ebook will be the first in a series. The writer hopes you will like the first book enough to buy those that follow.
When you find a free ebook you want to read, get it right away. Often the offer is open only briefly. If you wait too long, you may discover the book now has a price attached.
Be careful of websites that offer free ebook files to download directly from the site. These files could have malware designed to infect your computer. For example, be suspicious if a best-selling novel is available free on an unfamiliar website. It is best not to download ebooks, or any file, from an unknown site.
Some free ebook sites offer referral links to other websites so you can download the free ebooks there. These referral sites help you find free ebooks of interest to you. They also let you know when an ebook is free or goes on sale.
Amazon
Amazon is filled with free Kindle ebooks you can download, if you know where to look. Check out Amazon's Best Selling Free Kindle Books, a list of the top 100 free ebooks on Amazon.
This list changes constantly, based on how well the books are "selling" and whether they become or remain free.
Amazon's Best Seller list is divided into Paid and Free. Check out the free sections in dozens of genres, such as:
Non-fiction
Business and investing
History
Foreign Language
Computers and Technology
Romance
Teens and Young Adults
Each genre lists the Top 100 free ebooks so you will have a lot of choices.
Prime Reading
If you are a member of Amazon Prime in the United States you can download free Kindle books through its program called Prime Reading.
The ebook has to be eligible for the Prime Reading program. You can keep the book as long as you want, as long as you remain a member of Amazon Prime.
When you want to download a Prime Reading Kindle book from Amazon, click the "Read for Free" button to download it.
Prime Reading also includes magazines to download for free. To learn more, check out the Amazon Prime Reading page.
OverDrive
Amazon is not your only source for free ebooks.
OverDrive is an ebook service that works with local libraries to lend free ebooks to readers. If your library is a member of OverDrive, you can borrow free ebooks, without even having to go to the library.
OverDrive includes a wide collection of ebooks, from new best sellers to classics. Sometimes there is a wait for a library ebook, just as there can be for a popular print book.
Project Gutenberg
Started in 1971, Project Gutenberg has over 53,000 free ebooks. Their website is filled with books that are no longer protected by copyright and are available to download for free.
Project Gutenberg books are available to download in the U.S. but may be restricted in other countries if they are still protected by copyright. You can also check out its partner sites in other countries.
Apple iBooks
You can read free ebooks on your iPhone and iPad using the iBooks app. After you download the app, head to the iTunes App Store and click the "Free Books" category. You can see a list of the top best sellers in the free category of books.
Click "Get" to download those books to your phone or iPad.
Google Play Store
Check out Google Play Store's Free Best Sellers to find popular books that will not cost anything.
You can also search by genre, such as
Fiction & Literature
Cooking, Food & Wine
Science & Math
Books in Spanish
and many more.
Ebooks from the Google Play store can be read on Android devices using the Google Play Books app.
Audible
Audible lets you download audio books, a different kind of ebook you listen to. You can get a free audiobook when you sign up for a trial membership. An Audible member can also give you an audiobook.
Audible members are permitted to send one copy of each audiobook in their Audible library free to a friend. If a friend of yours is an Audible member and has enjoyed a book, ask him or her to send it to you so you can listen to it too.
Each listener can receive one free audiobook from a friend. This audiobook program is currently available for listeners in the U.S.
BookBub
BookBub is a subscription service to let you know about ebooks that go free or are on sale. You can get daily emails to alert you about free and discounted books, and choose which books you want to hear about. Select from different formats (Kindle, iBook, Nook, etc.) and genres (fiction, mysteries, biographies, etc.).
The BookBub site has a "no spam" guarantee for your email address.
BookBub is available for readers in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, India, and Australia.
I'm Dorothy Gundy. And I'm Bruce Alpert.