The rise in online book downloads has been greatly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic with an increase of 12.6% in downloads for 2020 compared to the previous year.
An online book is a text, whether that be a novel, play or poetry, that has been converted into a format that is readable on technological devices, such as computers, laptops and handheld devices.
Are books on Kindle free?
Kindle offers a free section that allows you to browse texts and download them free of charge. If you have a kindle membership, they offer a section of free books that are strictly for members. Alternatively, you can type 'Free' into the Kindle search bar and find the novels being advertised as free.
However, if you are interested in finding books to download for free, then we have outlined the easiest places to find them. Aside from kindle, there are other platforms and apps that allow you to read texts for free.
What books are on Kindle Unlimited?
Kindle Unlimited has over one million titles, that offer a range of different forms such as magazines, novels and plays. If you are interested in finding what books are on Kindle unlimited then they offer a free 30-day trial which allows you to browse their libraries and find the novels that you are most interested in. There is a total of 1.5 million Kindle texts that range from books, comics, magazines and audiobooks. Most of the texts are sold for £4.99 or $4.99 on average. It is worth noting that Kindle Unlimited is still unavailable in some countries, due to Amazon being an American product and the books dealing with copyright issues relating to individual countries and their regulations.
Amazon offers such a wide range of titles that it is almost impossible to list every novel on the site, however, they do offer best sellers, such as:
- Harry Potter Series
- The Thursday Murder Club
- Dune
- The Man Who Died Twice
- The Eye of the World
This is based on the 2021 Most Read list issued by Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
Where to find free books online to read
1. Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg, an online library, offers a wide range of free eBooks and Kindle books that you can either read directly from the internet or download them to read at your convenience. They have a heavy presence for classic literature. This is particularly great platform as you do not need to register, download an app or pay to have access to the novels. They state that their intention is to encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks.
Founded in 1971, they are also one of the oldest, eBook based projects on the internet and are still operating today. If you are interested in using this website, click here to download books for free.
2. FanFiction.net
FanFiction.net is a fantastic site for those who are looking to read novels that are not in publication. It is a fan fiction archive website. They have plenty of categories that allow easy navigation of the site. Anyone is able to join and post their work for others to have access to. You can download them to the app or read them in the browsing section of the website.
The opening section allows you to choose from fandoms, listing them from most popular to least. However, you are able to search for your chosen fandom in the search bar. It offers a great filtering system that allows you to choose the following:
- Books, Cartoons, Comics, Games, Movies, Plays or TV
- Which characters are included in the story
- What the rating system is (K, K+, T, or M)
- Genre
- Update date, Publish date, Reviews, Favourites and Follows
- Word Count or Chapter Count
They will also include the amount of stories that are listed within each category, for example 'Supernatural (126K)'. If you are interested in using the website, click here for books to download for free.
3. Open Library
Open library is a catalogue for book data that is an open and universal source for anyone. You are able to look for books that you want to borrow. You are able to select from the 1.7million eBooks that they have online. You are also able to contribute books to their archive.
You can make a Open Library account that allows certain features, for instance, you can borrow books from the archive with an account, you can contribute and personalise your open library experience by creating reading lists, notes and a public profile. If you are interested in using the website, click here to access free books online.
4.Wattpad
This is another archive that hosts fanfiction stories. They are a free online reading platform that enables you to write and read original stories written by others. Anyone can join and upload, you can create your own novel covers and a public profile that allows you to present yourself and your stories. You can save stories, create reading lists, favourite ones that you are particularly interested in and share them.
Wattpad states that over two billion minutes are spent on Wattpad every month. It can be used online or in an app on your hand held device. If you are interested in using this site, click here to read downloadable books online.
5. Google Books
Google books offers a mixture of different sources. They are not always free eBooks, but they can point you in the direction of where you may be able to find it. They will occasionally offer a free sample of the novel and sometimes they will provide you with the full version of the book.
Additionally, the google play store does offer some free novels if you search in the bar for 'free books'. These will vary depending on what novels are being advertised for free. However, if you are interested in an alternative form of eBook, there is also audiobooks available. Google play is only available to those on android. If you are interested in using this website, click here for books to read online.
What about free books online for kids?
If the type of online book you are looking for a more designed for kids, then we have compiled a list of websites that provide child friendly books for download. eBooks for children are great because they allow the adjustment of print size making them easier to read. In addition, it gives quick access to books that can benefit children with special education needs, such as dyslexia.
The interaction of eBooks on a tablet like device can encourage them to interact with the novel on a deeper level by clicking on links, pages and the words they are reading. There is a big argument for the accessibility of eBooks for children. It allows you to take hundreds of books where ever you go with easy access almost instantly.
1. Oxford Owl
Oxford Owl is a website that hosts a collection of eBooks for ages 3 to 11 years old. They include books that progress in levels to aid your children's learning abilities. They ensure that there eBooks are friendly for child-tablets. If you register and log in you are able to start reading the eBooks.
They have a great collection of learning genres, such as:
- English
- Maths
- Reading
- Activities
Click here if you are interested in free books online for kids.
2. International Children's Digital Library
This is a great website for accessing books where there are language barriers. The ICDL's intention is to build a collection of books for children that are representing historical and contemporary books that are from around the world. They want to grow and expand by having every culture and language represented within their library so that every child can appreciate children's literature from the world. This is a particularly great tool for those who are living in a country where the books are not printed in the language your child reads in. It gives them quick access to books that they are able to read, as well as opening them up to a world of other languages.
Click here if you are interested in free books online for kids.
3. Centsless Books
If you join the book club, you can get free books and content. It is free and you are able to cancel at any time. They are not exclusively a site that deals with free online books for kids, but they have a category titled, 'Children's eBooks', where you are able to find a selection of children's books.
Click here if you are interested in free books online for kids.
4. Free Booksy
This site, like Centsless Books, is not exclusively for children's books, but they do a selection of free books that are available for children to read on Kindle. They are great for building language skills. They act as a bridge between you and Kindle, advertising the free Kindle books within your chosen category.
Click here if you are interested in free books online for kids.
5. The Savvy Bump
The savvy bump is a blog that offers tops for motherhood. However, they also a helpful section that showcases free books for children on Kindle. Their idea is that it allows parents to go to one source in order to help them stock up on free Kindle books. They regularly update their website with the newest free books.
Click here if you are interested in free books online for kids.
What about used books?
If your intention behind finding free downloadable books is due to the cost, then a great alternative to free eBooks is used books. You may find yourself wanting to buy used books in order to repurpose printed versions. There are plenty of websites that offer used books for cheap costs. If you are interested in finding used books, we have complied a list of websites where you can find cheap used texts.
1. Abe Books
Abe Books is a website that repurposes used books and offers a large range of different genres, from classic literature to cookbooks. You can also sell your books if you are intending to repurpose your own books. It does cost to buy the books, but you can register for monthly fees can start trading at £17 a month (2021).
Click here if you are interested in buying used books.
2. eBay
eBay offer a lot of used products, not just novels. However, the do offer a great array of used books. You can select the Fiction and Non-Fiction Books category in the search bar. From here you are able to filter the novels from used or new. It is also possible to buy audiobooks on eBay too.
Click here if you are interested in buying used books.
3. Amazon Used
Whilst Amazon Kindle is a great source of material, there is also another option for paperback books. When you search the novel you are looking for, there is an option to look at more buying options, such as 'used' and 'new offers'. These enable you to buy used books for cheaper.
Click here if you are interested in buying used books.
4. WOB (World of Books)
Originally titled World of Books, they have shortened their name to WOB. They offer a plethora of used books and other forms of media on their website. Some of their novels offer a 'also in eBook' edition, which is a great alternative to buying paperback novels.
Click here if you are interested in buying used books.
5. MusicMagpie
MusicMagpie is a site that encourages the selling and buying of used books. You are able to sell your unwanted books and buy others on their website. They sell all categories of book, such as crime and thriller, children's books and fitness.
You are able to shop by author, genre or trending books. They offer deals and argue that it makes money whilst being able to protect the environment by selling your old books.
Click here if you are interested in buying used books.
