Where to get Paid and Free Ebooks

I discussed ebook readers in a previous post, and I would like to expand on where to get or download digital books.

You can purchase ebooks in sites such as Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon books, and once paid, the digital books will be sent to you.

However, there are many sites that offer free ebooks in various ebook formats that you can download from (these are actually what got me started on ebooks).

The top site is Project Gutenberg, which stores over 40,000 books that have become part of the public domain.

I also frequent Manybooks.net. Like Project Gutenberg, it provides public domain books as well as new authors who wish to distribute their books for free.

If you have a Kindle or Kindle app in your phone or tablet, you can download free Kindle books as well. Sites such as Hundred Zeros and One Hundred Free Books show an updated list of Kindle ebooks that you can download for free and later on read in your Kindle or Kindle app.

Taking the Plunge on a Dedicated Ebook Reader

I love traditional books. Reading a book is an experience in and of itself: feeling the texture of the paper, flipping each page as you go along, hearing the sound that the pages make as you flip them, smelling the irresistible scent of paper.

However, having your books stored in one gadget is can be a real convenience. Sometimes, I want to jump from one book to the next. I really cannot do that with traditional books, especially when I am not at home, unless I bring all my books with me. That is why I am drawn to ebooks.

Before, I used to read ebooks through my laptop. But reading from the computer was not really comfortable for an extended period. I was better off reading traditional books.

I then discovered that I could read ebooks from my Palm Pilot (and later, Treo), but the apps and ebook formats were limited.

When I had my Android phone, I read my ebooks from there, thanks to a growing number of apps and ebook formats. Right now, the larger screens of tablets offer more real estate for ebooks.

However, there are drawbacks from reading ebooks in your phones and tablets. The battery life of these gadgets are limited, so you have to constantly plug these. The multifunctionality of these gizmos can also be a distraction from your reading, as it is very easy to switch from one app to the next.

That is why if you really want to enhance your reading experience, having a dedicated gadget such as an ebook reader like Kindle or Nook is the way to go. It may only do one thing, but it serves its purpose very well.

Right now, the best ebook reader for me is the Kindle Paperwhite.

It has a long battery life, it is lightweight, and it lets you read under direct sunlight (something that you really cannot do with phones or tablets without cranking up the brightness to max, draining your battery in the process). You can also read at night, thanks to its built-in light.

Amazon has had a lot of experience in what consumers look for in an ebook reader; its Kindle Paperwhite has ticked all the requirements of what an ebook reader should be, making it the best out there.

Yearning for a Standard eBook Format

I like reading books, whether it is in printed or digital form. Sometimes, it is better to read a book on paper. The look, feel and smell of the paper just adds to the reading experience. But reading digital books has its advantages too. I read books through my Palm Treo phone, and the fact that the books are in my phone is a very convenient thing. Whenever I commute, or I am about to sleep, I just whip out my phone and read. Also, since I have everything on my phone, I can store my favorite books, minus the weight and bulkiness of an actual book.

But one gripe that I have with digital books is that there is no universal format as of yet. For my phone, I have three different readers in order to read my books, because of incompatibility of format. For those who want to try digital books, deciding which ereader (like Kindle) to purchase may turn them off. Since there is no dominant format yet, will not be resolved for a long time, until one ereader stands out from the rest.

Photo: oskay, Flickr, Creative Commons