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wikiHow to Read Books Online

Four Methods:Finding Free Books OnlinePurchasing Books OnlineAccessing eBooks on a Mobile DeviceUsing a File-sharing MethodCommunity Q&A

While finding a specific book online can be difficult, there are hundreds of extensive free databases and online eBook stores to browse through and find good reads. Many eBook sellers provide apps and software that allow you to read their eBooks on any mainstream device, not just the seller's proprietary eReader. Even old, rare, or difficult to find books are available from niche databases or file-sharing communities.

1
Finding Free Books Online

  1. 1
    Browse a collection of free books. There's a lot of advertising and spam for sites that promise to provide free books, but there are a couple reliable, long-lasting sites that provide extensive free collections.
    • Project Gutenberg hosts a large volunteer-provided collection of books without U.S. copyright protection, usually because the author died more than 70 years ago.[1] All of them are free, almost all of them are available in plain text for any computer, and many are available in eBook reader formats as well.[2]
    • Google Books has an extensive and varied collection, but not all of it is fully available or free. Books under copyright protection usually only have a few pages displayed, but sometimes there is a link provided for purchasing the full version.
  2. 2
    Find rare, historical, or academic books online. If you are studying an academic subject, or are interested in historical works, books in these fields may be easier to find online than in physical form. Take a look at the following free, specialized collections:
  3. 3
    Browse free books on an eBook database. Companies that sell eBook readers often have their own collection of eBooks, including free options. If you do not have an eBook reader device, you can download a free program to access the Kindle collection on your Windows or Mac computer, or use a non-proprietary database such as FeedBooks by installing Adobe Digital Editions for free.[3] Apps are also available for most eBook databases in the app stores of all major phone and tablet manufacturers.
  4. 4
    Search for a specific book online. If you are trying to track down a specific book, and it is not available in any of the above collections, an online search may locate it on another website. Keep in mind that most recent books are not available for free, although some publishers offer a free or discounted eBook if you already own a paper copy.
    • Be cautious about any website you do not recognize as a well-known, trustworthy source of books. Try searching for reviews of the website before you download anything, and never enter your credit card information for a "free" eBook.

2
Purchasing Books Online

  1. 1
    Purchase an eBook from a mainstream bookseller. The Amazon Kindle store, The Barnes and Noble Nook store and Google Books are all large and well-established, and can be used on a computer, tablet, or smart phone as well as an e-reader device. They are likely to have the latest available eBooks, and carry little to no risk of viruses or identity theft.
    • If you are using a computer, you can either download the free eBook reader software made available by the book seller, or look for books in general purpose formats. PDFs can be viewed in Adobe Acrobat Reader, while .LIT, ePub, and .Mobi files can be read in Microsoft Reader.
  2. 2
    Browse self-published works and niche databases. Independent eBook sellers may offer collections focused on specific topics, or works by new and unknown authors.[4][5] Before downloading any files from a site you do not recognize, search for reviews of the site online to determine whether it is safe.
    • Smashwords offers self-published and independent works, with a focus on fiction.
    • Safari offers access to O'Reilly Publishing's extensive library of programming and computer books.
    • APress Alpha and Manning Early Access provide access to books on technological topics as the book is being written.
  3. 3
    Join a book subscription service. Book subscription services offer access to a library of online books for a periodic subscription fee. Many of these services offer a free trial month.
    • Scribd offers unlimited access to paying subscribers.
    • Entitle offers access to your choice of two books each month, for a monthly fee.
    • Oyster is a book subscription service oriented at mobile devices, with a heavy selection of indie and new authors.
  4. 4
    Visit textbook sites to find eBook versions of textbooks. Commercial sites like CourseSmart.com, Chegg.com or Textbooks.com are often the most likely to have recent or required textbooks, but may require paid registration. Portions of the textbook may be available for free, or the entire eBook version may come free with the physical textbook.
  5. 5
    Visit the publisher or author's website to download your eBook. If you are looking for a specific book, search online for the author's personal website or the publisher's promotional website for that book. An eBook is sometimes offered through these sites, or the author may provide free supplemental material or previews.

3
Accessing eBooks on a Mobile Device

  1. 1
    Download additional eBook apps. Many tablets, smart phones, and eReaders come with their own app for reading eBooks. In order to read books available through other sellers, however, you may need to download another app. Search for apps such as Entitle, Kobo, Amazon Kindle, or Noble Nook to access books through those proprietary services, or to import eBooks in other formats. The Adobe Acrobat Reader app can be used to view any PDF document, no matter where it was downloaded or purchased.
  2. 2
    Transfer eBooks from your computer. Computers are often faster at downloading files, and may have access to online databases that do not function properly on your mobile device. Many devices can be plugged into your computer for quick file transfer, or you can use Bluetooth, iTunes syncing, Dropbox, or email.
    • Some files, especially those purchased from an eBook store, may have DRM protection, preventing them from being opened on more than one device.
  3. 3
    Consider buying an eReader. While mobile phones and tablets can be fine, portable ways to read books, eReaders typically offer an easier way to download books, and more energy-efficient and daylight-visible screens. Keep in mind that many eReaders use DRM protection, which will prevent you from transferring the books to other devices.

4
Using a File-sharing Method

  1. 1
    Use caution and high security measures with this method. File-sharing websites transfer files from user to user, with no third-party oversight. While you may find books not available anywhere else online, there is a significant chance of exposing your computer to viruses and malware that could slow it down or steal your personal information. Many file-sharing sites contain copyrighted material, whose download is considered illegal in many countries.
    • Set your operating system's security level to its highest setting. In Windows, this is available through the Control Panel; on MacOS, this can be done through the Internet option in System Preferences.
    • Turn any security software you have on to maximum. Turn on your anti-virus software and your firewall software and turn them to their highest settings.
  2. 2
    Download books using BitTorrent. Note that the selection of books that are available on BitTorrent tend to reflect popularity instead of literary or reference value.This method can also take a little time and effort to set up and learn how to use.
    • Choose a BitTorrent client. In order to avoid malware, using a trusted source such as BitTorrent.com is recommended.
    • Search online for an "eBook torrent tracker." These collections of links to eBook files come and go quickly, so searching online is the best method of finding them. Many require a signup, and a minimum amount of time spent using your computer to share files before you can download files. Public torrents without a signup may have a higher security risk.
  3. 3
    Use Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Many out of date or otherwise obscure works, as well as recent popular ones, are available on IRC, or Internet Relay Chat. Once you've downloaded an IRC client, such as mIRC, you can use it to search for chat channels devoted to "books" or "eBooks" to find other users to share files with or talk to about books.
  4. 4
    Purchase a Usenet service. Usenet is a bulletin-board-like server-based network originally developed for secure, high-speed chat. Today Usenet is also heavily used for file sharing, but it requires a monthly fee from a Usenet service such as Usenet Server or Newshosting. Many of these services also provide search tools and automatic conversion of downloaded NZB files to readable formats, which is recommended if you are new to Usenet.[6]

Community Q&A

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    Tips

    • Use book club and book review sites such as Goodreads, the London Review of Books, or the New York Times Book Review to gather book recommendations.
    • Take periodic breaks to rest your eyes and stretch your muscles while reading on a screen.
    • Keep the copyright laws of your own country in mind. If your country's laws are more stringent than those in the US, it will actually be illegal for you to access some works on the US version of the Gutenberg website, for example. On the other hand, if your country's laws are less strict, American websites for copyright-free books won't have everything - check for local alternatives too.

    Warnings

    • Be cautious when you see a free eBook version of a recent, popular book, These often contain viruses or malware that can seriously damage your computer.
    • Illegally downloading copyrighted eBooks is a crime in the United States and many other countries. Proponents of the copyright view argue that you're depriving the author of fair payment for her or his work.
    • Some BitTorrent ebook downloads are 'tracked', resulting in copyright owners gaining your name and email address and potentially exposing you to legal risk. United States law, specifically the Digital Millenium Copyright Act or DMCA, is especially stringent with regard to the cooperation required by your Internet service provider when a copyright owner is investigating the propagation of copyrighted material. Serious legal penalties can accrue. Popular works in particular tend to be tracked.

    Article Info

    Categories: Books | Web Writing and eBooks

    In other languages:

    Español: leer libros en Internet, Português: Ler Livros Online, Italiano: Leggere Libri Online, Français: lire des livres en ligne, Русский: читать книги в интернете, Deutsch: Online Bücher lesen, Bahasa Indonesia: Membaca Buku Dari Internet

    Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 12,169 times.

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