It may seem overwhelming when you think about how to find and download ebooks, but it’s actually very simple. With the steps below, you’ll be just minutes away from getting your first free book.
What You’ll Need Before You Can Get Free eBooks
Before downloading free books, decide how you’ll be reading them. A popular way is on an e-reader, such as a Kindle, Nook, or Kobo, but you can also read from your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Most ebook files open on your computer using a program you already have installed, but with your smartphone, you have to have a specific installed, which your phone probably doesn’t come with by default. You can use an e-reader app on your computer, too, to make reading and organizing your books easy. These are some of our favorite free e-reader apps:
Where to Get Free eBooks
Now that you have something on which you can read your ebooks, it’s time to start your collection. If you have a Kindle or Nook, or their reading apps, we can make it really easy for you:
Free Kindle Books Free Nook Books Free Kobo Books
Below are some of our favorite websites where you can download free ebooks that will work with just about any device or reading app.
Project Gutenberg: More than 60,000 free ebooks you can read on your Kindle, Nook, e-reader app, or computer. ManyBooks: Download more than 50,000 ebooks for every e-reader or reading app out there. Feedbooks: Free books categorized in a number of fiction and non-fiction genres. No user account necessary; just use the download button to save the EPUB file. Bookyards: Thousands upon thousands of free ebooks. GetFreeBooks: Download original ebooks here that authors give away for free. Obooko: Thousands of ebooks for free that the original authors have submitted. Google Play Books: A collection of free books that are great if you like to read from the Google Play Books app or website.
You can also borrow and lend Kindle books to your friends and family. Here’s a guide on how to share Kindle ebooks.
Make Sure the Free eBooks Will Open In Your Device or App
Every e-reader and e-reader app has certain types of files that will work with them. When you go to download a free ebook, you’ll want to make sure that the ebook file you’re downloading will open. Below are some of the most popular file types that will work with your device or apps. See this eBook file compatibility chart for more information.
Kindle/Kindle eReader App: AZW, MOBI, PDF, TXT, PRC Nook/Nook eReader App: EPUB, PDF, PNG Sony/Sony eReader App: EPUB, PDF, PNG, TXT Apple Books App: EPUB and PDF Google Play Books App: EPUB and PDF
How to Download Your Free eBooks
If there’s more than one file type download available for the book you want, select a file type from the list above that’s compatible with your device or app. Use the download link to save the file. If the book opens in your web browser, right-click the download link instead, and choose to save it.
How to Open the Free eBooks
If your books aren’t from those sources, you can still copy them to your Kindle. To move the ebooks onto your e-reader, connect it to your computer and copy the files over. In most cases, once your computer identifies the device, it will appear as another storage drive. If the ebook is in the PDF format, and you want to read it on your computer, use a free PDF reader. Another way to read PDF and EPUB books on a computer, tablet, or phone, is to upload them to Google Play Books.
