Thursday, February 17, 2011

6 Must Use FREE eBook & Audiobook Websites


If you’re anything like me you have or know someone who has an e-reader. Each device lets you easily buy books from the associated stores. But, you are not limited to purchasing titles for your e-reader. You can get free eBooks to read on your Kindles, Nooks, iPads, and other devices.


Below you will find my 6 must use free eBook and audiobook websites. Each of them provides free content that you can read on your e-readers or listen to on your mp3 players.


Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
-Has eBooks at
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/
-Has Audiobooks at
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/categories/1
-Many different formats (HTML, EPUB, and Kindle for eBooks. MP3, iTunes, Ogg Vorbis, and Speex for audiobooks)
-Many different languages
-No signup
-Largest collection of free public domain books
-Proofread by dedicated volunteers = good quality texts.
-Lots of “classic” literature
-The eBooks are available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch via free app Stanza

Internet Archive
http://www.archive.org/
-Public domain titles
-Has eBooks at
http://www.archive.org/details/texts
-Has Audiobooks at
http://www.archive.org/details/audio_bookspoetry
-Many different formats (PDF, Kindle, EPUB for eBooks. MP3 and Ogg Vorbis for audiobooks)
-No signup

Feedbooks
http://www.feedbooks.com/
-Has eBooks for free or to buy
-Has public domain titles at
http://www.feedbooks.com/publicdomain
-Has original works at
http://www.feedbooks.com/original
-Has for sale titles at
http://www.feedbooks.com/store
-Used by well-known authors like Cory Doctorow (free titles)
-EPUB, Kindle, and PDF formats
-No signup for free titles
-Easy to search and get titles in formats for popular eReaders (Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPad)

Google Books
http://books.google.com/ebooks
-Has eBooks for free at
http://books.google.com/books
-Has eBooks to buy at
http://books.google.com/ebooks (some free too)
-Has public domain titles, previews of other titles
-Provides links to booksellers and libraries
-Download titles to iPhone/iPad with appropriate app, or Android devices with appropriate app
-EPUB and PDF formats work with Sony eReader, BN Nook, Kobo eReader
-Not compatible with the Kindle
-No signup for free titles, but need to download an app for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Android, and Nook and Sony devices

Baen Free Library
http://www.baen.com/library/defaultTitles.htm
-Science Fiction titles (i.e. 1812 by Eric Flint)
-Multiple formats (EPUB/Nook, Mobi/Palm/Kindle, Microsoft Reader, Sony Reader, Rich Text, etc)
-No signup

BookShouldBeFree
http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/
-Has free audiobooks
-MP3 and iPod/iTunes formats
-Suggests similar titles to the one you are browsing
-No signup
-Download the titles to your computer and then sync them with your MP3 player via software like iTunes.

JR

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