2 Free Digital Tools To Find Free eBooks
So much to read, so little time!
Hey there!
I buy A LOT of books.
I just love them.
I especially love used book stores.
(Here’s a fun TikTok I made of a wild bookstore I just happened upon, if you’re into that kind of thing.)
But I also buy plenty of books online.
I used to buy from Amazon. Because, of course, I did.
But I’ve been working really hard these days to shop elsewhere.
Madison, WI has an epically cool bookstore called A Room Of One’s Own that has become my go-to spot for new book purchases. (I order them online and pick them up there, but they also will ship nationally.)
For used books, I’ve been using ThriftBooks.com.
I know a lot of folks also really like BookShop.org.
But of course all of these are places to BUY books. And we’re here to talk about FREE digital tools.
Know anyone who might appreciate what we’re doing here? Invite them to join us! As you know, we’re all really nice, and cool, and we all LOVE free digital tools! And you can earn free rewards when you invite your friends, so it’s really win/win/win.
So let’s dig in. 📚📚📚
Libby (by OverDrive)
Tool type: Platform
Have a library card? Then you’ve got access to free ebooks.
I have a Kindle — I don’t use it as much these days, but during my digital reading phase, it was a game-changer, especially for travel.
You can (and should!) buy books for your Kindle. But just like you can borrow physical books from the library, you can also borrow ebooks — totally free.
Libby is a free app that lets you check out ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. All you need is a library card.
Here’s how it works:
Download the Libby app (iOS, Android, or Kindle Fire) or visit libbyapp.com.
Search for your library and sign in with your library card number.
Browse or search for a book, then tap Borrow to check it out instantly.
Read or listen right in the app — or send ebooks to your Kindle (U.S. only).
No late fees. No waiting in line. Just free books, anytime, anywhere.
FREE or FREEmium: FREE
Get to reading!
Project Gutenberg
Tool type: Platform
If you love the classics, then you’ll appreciate Project Gutenberg.
Project Gutenberg is a free online library with over 70,000 ebooks — all in the public domain. That means you can read them anytime, anywhere, totally free and legally.
It also means that, unlike on Libby, there’s nothing modern on there.
But heaven knows there were a lot of great books written way back.
You don’t need a library card, account, or login. Just go to gutenberg.org, search for a book, and download it in your preferred format.
If you’ve been meaning to work your way back through the high school English lit curriculum, this is the place for you.
It works great for a Kindle, tablet, or just reading directly in your browser.
FREE or FREEmium: FREE
3 cheers for the public domain!
I’m currently working my way through two great books: Youtility by Jay Baer (an oldie but goodie on content marketing) and Don’t Think of an Elephant! by George Lakoff (a classic on political messaging).
I just finished High Conflict by Amanda Ripley — a fascinating read about how we get stuck in unhealthy conflict and what it takes to break free.
What are you reading right now? I’d love to hear!
If you like Free Digital Tools, you probably know others who will too. Invite them to join us. They’ll appreciate it… as will I! When you refer friends, you can also win free stuff!!
See you in a fortnight.
Josh
joshklemons.com