The Mary Sue Books and More Club discussion
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Resources for Getting Ebooks
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Thanks! I've never heard of Comixology. I'll have to check it out.
Many libraries now have ebook resources these days too. I recommend checking out your local library's website to see if they have any options available! For example, I use the San Francisco Local Library and just get books sent to my Kindle with my library card. You can also set the length for how many days you want to borrow a book for (my library's site allows that at least).
Grace wrote: "Many libraries now have ebook resources these days too. I recommend checking out your local library's website to see if they have any options available! For example, I use the San Francisco Local L..."Yep! That is what Overdrive (the first link) is for. You can go to your library's site directly, of course. The search tool is handy for finding other libraries in your area.
The Internet Archive has a surprising number of excellent e-books available.A near-random example I found by searching for 'warrior queen' and specifying 'Texts' as the type: a vintage SF magazine adventure in various formats - Warrior Queen of Mars.
As a bonus, searching for texts on the site seems to automatically search through Project Gutenberg, as well.
I first came across it last year while taking a number of online courses on literature. Nearly all of the texts I needed, even really obscure never-reprinted early American penny dreadfuls, were available on archive.org.
Oh another resource my friend showed me is Book Bub, which shows you deals on free or really cheap books. I get an email every day and oh my lord it's amazing!
DianeC wrote: "Grace wrote: "Many libraries now have ebook resources these days too. I recommend checking out your local library's website to see if they have any options available! For example, I use the San Fra..."You definitely should look at how your personal library does eBooks when searching for them, because most libraries won't allow you to check out eBooks without a card from them. Overdrive is the most common one, but your library may also offer 3M or other smaller databases that give them unique collections! ^_^
Anne wrote: "DianeC wrote: "Grace wrote: "Many libraries now have ebook resources these days too. I recommend checking out your local library's website to see if they have any options available! For example, I ..."Yep, that's true. I've amended my original post to make that clear. I assumed everyone knew that's how Overdrive and libraries worked.
Just an additional tip. If you use goodreads' browser based site and not the app, you'll be able to go to a book's page and see a button that says "libraries" next to the other buttons that tell you where to buy the book. Put in your location to see which libraries near you have the book.
DianeC wrote: "Grace wrote: "Many libraries now have ebook resources these days too. I recommend checking out your local library's website to see if they have any options available! For example, I use the San Fra..."Many libraries also offer 3M, Hoopla, Freading, Axis360, Tumble Books and non-fiction resources through Gale and EBSCO Host with a library card.
Oh, I almost forgot Zinio or Flipster for magazines. Depending on the library, you can find full magazines on gaming, comics, etc.
I also use ereaderiq.com! They tell you what books are free & cheap, and you can set a price alert for ebooks, which are always fluctuating in price. They also tell you if you should "Wait" or "Get it" based on the pricing patterns.
https://brooklyn.bibliocommons.com/Out-of-state customers can get a Brooklyn Public Library card for $50 per year. Their ebook and audiobook selection is huge so it can really boost your "free" options. You can have up to fifteen items checked at a time and the lending period is up to 21 days.
If we're reading a new or recent bestseller it won't likely be offered for free, but it is likely to be in a public library's ebook catalog. If we're reading the classics, you can usually find them for free on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Books, or Project Gutenberg.
I have included some services that offer books for a fee because some members may be interested.
If you have any suggestions or sites, please leave a comment and I will add them to the list. Legit sites only, please.
Overdrive - Most libraries in the United States use Overdrive to catalog and distribute ebooks. Find your library and login with your library card account to check out a book or place one on hold, just like you would at the physical location. Overdrive also has an app for tablet and smartphone.
Did you know that you might qualify for a library account in a neighboring county or city if you work there or are a student there? Look for other libraries nearby and see whether you or a family member qualify.
Project Gutenberg - Free ebooks, mostly from the public domain. This is a good resource for classics.
Free Amazon ebooks - Amazon offers many books for free or cheaply. You don't even need a Kindle; all of the books can be read using the Kindle app if you have a tablet or smartphone.
Free Barnes and Noble Nook Books - Like Amazon, Barnes and Noble offers free ebooks, and you can read them using Barnes and Noble's Nook app.
Free Google Books - Google Books, like its buddies Amazon and Barnes and Noble, has a free section where you can find lots of classics.
Oyster Books - Oyster has been described as the "Netflix for books." For a fee, you can read as many books as you want. You can sign up for a free trial to try it out.
Marvel Unlimited - Just as the name implies: all the Marvel comics you want. For a fee, of course. Accessible via browser or app on tablet or smartphone.
Comixology Digital comics from nearly all the most well-known publishers. Pay per issue or collection. Browse the free section! Read using a browser or the app for tablet and smartphone.
Goodreads - Goodreads has a section with free ebooks to download or read on the browser.