How to Read Books Online for Free

How to read books online for free? Reading is a habit that has gone to the back seat as we got new modes of engagement. And in the era of internet and smartphones where variety of content is just a click away reading has further taken a step back. However for reading lovers' books are still their best friend and they don’t like to miss that fun and excitement of reading a new book at any cost. And in the digitized world they found the answer in E-book space like Kindle, Google e bookstore, Cali’s choice etc  where they can fulfill their joy of reading with the aid of technology.

While an avid reader would not mind spending for e-books online, those who are occasional readers or have started reading to build a hobby (say during their home stay due to pandemic triggered lock-down) would not like to pay a certain amount to read books online. Though I respect the hard work of the author and his creativity and call for purchase of books whether online or offline I also support the fact that accessibility and affordability shall not be a barrier in the path of reading books.

With that though I am here to discuss with you some of the online platforms (websites, apps etc) where you can quench the thirst of reading and can choose from millions of books on offer. So, without wasting any time let’s begin discussion about them one by one.

How to Read Books Online for Free

1.  Open Library:

As the name goes, ‘Open Library’ is one of the biggest open source platforms where you can access over a million books for free. Books are categorized as per their genre in a number of categories ranging from Art, Fantasy, Recipes, Science, Fiction etc.  Further if you feel that the people behind the website are doing a great effort then you can donate a certain amount as per your wish as well.

Access Link: https://openlibrary.org/

2.  Project Gutenberg:

Known as the mother of all the e-book resources on the internet, Project Gutenberg runs on the back of a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works. The platform also has the 1st ever ebook that was created way back in 1971 by Michael S. Hart. The website is available in Portugese, Dutch, and French language apart from the English. A user can also see the original book over on the website for the books of his/her choice. Being a volunteer effort the website runs on donation and support from the users.

Access Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/

3.  Google Books:

Talk of some kind of resource base online and you can hardly ignore the tech giant itself. Like the ‘Google Web Search’, Google Books is your specialized search engine for ebooks. You can type the name of your desired book in the search bar and you would get access to the same. The Google’s library contains a number of books that are scanned copies of the original and offers free access to the users.

Access Link: https://books.google.co.in/

4.  Internet Archive:

Internet Archive is another effort by a not for profit organization where you can access more than just free ebooks.  Yes, on the platform you can access images, videos, and audio files apart from books. The website has a collection of around 1.3 million books. You can easily borrow the e-books all you need to do is to register for free on the website.

Access Link: https://archive.org/

5.  Free eBooks.net:

The name itself says free which leaves no further scope for me to tell you that this is another amazing platform to access ebooks that you were luring to read. The platform’s tagline reads anytime, anywhere which quite well fits in the needs of modern day readers as someone likes to read before sleep while others utilize their time of commuting to finish their favourite novel or science fiction. Thus, the idea of on the go access is something that website connects with.

Access Link: https://www.free-ebooks.net/

6.  Authorama:

If slow loading of websites or poor internet connectivity is your problem then this website solves all the problem and allows you a hassle free and smooth reading experience. Basically it’s a kind of sub-website of Project Gutenberg where you can find some of the popular and bestselling books. The plain and simple design of the website is something that doesn’t eat much of your internet data and is not affected by slow connectivity.

Access Link: http://www.authorama.com/

So, what more do you want? If reading is in your mind and you have that time these days to nurture the hobby then you should not wait much time and should hit the websites listed above. While you keep on enjoying your favorite works we would catch up with you soon. Also, don’t forget to share with us the name of other platforms which offer free access to ebooks.  

Author bio: Jacqueline is a marketing manager at Cali's Choice Plumbing & Restoration. We provide 24 hour emergency plumbers in orange county. She loves to write about plumbing services, Water Damage Repair, slab leak repair, Hydro Jetting and AC & heater installation.