Thursday, July 14, 2011

What's Better than Free Books?


It's no secret that I love books. When our movers delivered our goods just a few weeks ago, they remarked that they'd never seen someone with so little furniture and so many books! I guess it's all about priorities, right? I've been accumulating books for years (my first real job was shop-girl in a second hand bookstore in England) and love them all - old ones, new ones, fat ones, skinny ones...and especially free ones.

Matt bought me a Kindle for my birthday last year, and though I thought the transition would be difficult - I love the feel of a crisp page or the pulpy smell of a new binding - I've come to love my e-books, too. Of course, it helps that most of them have been free! There are a lot of websites out there promising to link you up with some free Kindle content, for a small fee, of course, but with patience and a bit of detective work, you can quickly fill up your Kindle without spending a cent.

For classic reads, Project Gutenberg is a good choice, but my favorite source for free downloads is Amazon.com itself. They maintain collection of free books which include all the classics as well as limited-time promotions - I've even been able to get my hands on some new releases. I typically scroll through the list every couple of weeks, but they're constantly being updated. If you check now, you'll even be able to pick up a few travel related titles, including a whole collection of mini city guides.

Of course, the best news is that even those of you who aren't Kindle-enabled can amass a free, virtual library. Just visit Amazon.com to download a free Kindle reading app for your iPhone or computer and let the search begin!

EDIT: I suppose I should have clarified that the Limited-Time Offers list isn't always fully updated - some books are left on the list even after their free offer period has expired. The most efficient way to search, therefore, is to filter price from Low to High.

3 comments:

  1. Nice, I love free books and my Kindle too. Brian got it for me for Christmas. I thought I wouldn't like the switch either but it's so nice to travel and not lug around library books!

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  2. I love to read! I am holding out for my hubby to get one for me for our 14th Anniversary! :)

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  3. Jenn - I know exactly what you mean! Travel was what persuaded me to use it and now I love it. Of course, I'll never stop loving (and accumulating!!!) 'real' books, too!

    Lark- I hope your husband's gotten the hint! The Kindle would make a great anniversary present :)

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