Once upon a time, if you wanted to read a book, you either had to go to a bookstore and buy one or check it out of the local library. But in this wonderfully technological age, you don’t even have to leave your desk to track down a book. There are tons of fantastic ebook online libraries out there for you to frolic through to your heart’s desire.
With all the many different types of ebook libraries out there, it can be tough to choose one. Here’s a rundown of 10 different ebook libraries that can help you decide what is the best online library for your needs.
You’ve probably already heard of this one. With over 60,000 books to choose from, Project Gutenberg is one of the largest and most well-known ebook libraries on the Internet.
Pros
- You don’t have to sign up or register
- Every single book is 100% free
- The site has tons of great classics like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- You have the option to read the book online or download an EPUB or Kindle version
Cons
- The browser versions of the books are single-spaced, which can be hard to read
- The site doesn’t offer contemporary titles
- If you don’t already know what you want to read, the sheer number of options can be overwhelming
Like Project Gutenberg, American Literature also features classic works in the public domain. But instead of Project Gutenberg’s wide range of books, this site specifically offers classic novels, short stories, and poetry.
Pros
- Each book’s page includes a short description of the story that will help you decide if it’s for you
- Every single book is 100% free
- For parents, the site includes a Short Stories for Children page full of stories, fairy tales, fables, and nursery rhymes for children like “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams and “Jack and the Beanstalk”
- If you don’t already have a book in mind, you may find something in American Literature’s 25 Great American Novels collection
Cons
- The collection is limited, so you may not be able to find a specific book
- The site doesn’t offer contemporary titles
- The only way to read the books is in your browser
3) Manybooks
“Welcome to your friendly neighborhood library” is the greeting on Manybooks’ homepage. But unlike most brick-and-mortar libraries, this one has over 50,000 books to choose from.
Pros
- You are able to browse books by subject, like Romance, Young Adult, and Historical Fiction
- The site has an aesthetically pleasing interface that is very easy to navigate
- Manybooks offers both classic and contemporary titles, so you can find both the 1847 classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and the 2013 sci-fi novel After the Cure by Deirdre Gould
- Every single book is 100% free
Cons
- The browser versions of the books are single-spaced, which can be hard to read
- You have to sign up for the site in order to download a book
- While the site has some contemporary novels, the main offerings are still the classics
4) Open Library
Unlike the other entries listed thus far, Open Library is more of a “library” in the traditional sense of the word. While there are a number of books you can read for free right in your browser, you borrow other ebooks just like you would from a brick-and-mortar library.
Pros
- When you read, you are able to flip through the pages of a virtual book that looks just like the real version
- You can borrow more contemporary titles like Atonement by Ian McEwan and The Shining by Stephen King
- You are able to browse books by subject, like Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Mystery and Detective Stories
- If you don’t know what you want to read, the site’s Books We Love category may give you some ideas
Cons
- A lot of the books are only available to borrow for one hour at a time—there’s often a waitlist to take one out for longer
- You can’t view most of the books unless you borrow them
- The only way to read the books is in your browser
A subscription to Kindle Unlimited gives you access to over a million Kindle ebook titles. You can also get up to 3 subscriptions to magazines like People and Women’s Health.
Pros
- As the name implies, how much you can read is completely unlimited
- You can read each book on any device that has the Kindle app
- You have access to plenty of great contemporary titles like Devoted by Dean Koontz and When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel by Barbara O’Neal
- The Kindle Unlimited library features thousands of books with Audible narration
Cons
- You have to download each book
- After a 30-day free trial, this service costs $9.99 a month
- Only some books on Amazon are Kindle Unlimited Eligible, so you may not have access to a particular book you want to read
6) Scribd
Similar to Kindle Unlimited, Scribd is a subscription-based service that gives you unlimited access to an extensive library of books, audiobooks, and magazines. On Scribd, you can also find podcasts and sheet music.
Pros
- You have the option to download each title or read it online
- You have access to current New York Times Best Sellers like If It Bleeds by Stephen King and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
- Scribd allows you to add highlights and bookmarks as you read
- A subscription comes with perks like Pandora Plus, where you can listen to ad-free music stations based on your personal preferences
Cons
- After a 30-day free trial, this service costs $9.99 a month
- You can only listen to audiobooks offline if you download them first
- Some users complain that it is difficult to unsubscribe from the service
According to Forgotten Books’ main page, the website is a “London-based book publisher specializing in the restoration of old books, both fiction and non-fiction”. There are over a million books to choose from in this e-library.
Pros
- The site features a Free Book of the Day each day
- With its wide selection of reference texts, Forgotten Books is perfect for researching papers without ever having to leave your home
- You can browse the books by categories like Evolution, Folklore, and Metaphysics
- Forgotten Books includes intriguing works like Why the Mind Has a Body by Charles Augustus Strong and Chaos, Dissipation, Arrow of Time, in Quantum Physics by Michael Danos
Cons
- This service costs $8.99 a month
- Forgotten Books does not offer contemporary titles
- If you’re looking to read a novel and not a reference book, this is probably not the e-library for you
ComiXology is a veritable paradise for comic book lovers. The site’s unlimited service gives you access to over 25,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more.
Pros
- ComiXology Unlimited’s e-library includes popular comics like Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series and Watchmen by Alan Moore
- This is a much cheaper alternative to buying stacks of expensive comics and graphic novels
- ComiXology Unlimited members get a 10-15% discount off all books from Marvel Comics, Image Comics, IDW Publishing, Dynamite, and more
- You can read offline on any device
Cons
- After a 30-day free trial, this service costs $5.99 a month
- If you don’t already know what you’re looking for, it can be tough to pick something out
- If you’re looking to read anything other than comics, this is not the e-library for you
9) Overdrive
Unlike the other entries listed thus far on this list, Overdrive doesn’t abandon the brick-and-mortar library. Instead, this service enables you to check books and ebooks out of your local library without ever having to leave home.
Pros
- All you need to get started is your library card
- You can use the Libby app to read books on your tablet or phone
- You can borrow 2021 titles like In the Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
- Every single book is 100% free
Cons
- You can only borrow each title for a limited time (1 to 3 weeks, depending on the library)
- The book you want may not be available at your local library
- Not every library offers access to audiobooks
10) Hoopla
Like Overdrive, Hoopla is another platform you can use to borrow digital content from your local library. But while Overdrive just has ebooks and audiobooks, Hoopla offers comics, TV shows, movies, and music as well.
Pros
- All you need to get started is your library card
- Unlike Overdrive, you don’t have to place a hold on an ebook that’s already checked out
- Hoopla’s extensive collection is updated regularly and includes bestselling novels like Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling and The Duke And I by Julie Quinn.
- Every single book is 100% free
Cons
- There is a monthly limit to how many books you can borrow
- You can only borrow each title for a limited time (3 weeks)
Author’s Bio: Jillian Karger was born in Ohio but has lived in and around New York City for over a decade. Since graduating from NYU in 2009, Jill has had a long string of jobs doing things like scouting books to be adapted for film and researching trivia questions for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”.
She has done freelance writing as well for sites like Cracked.com, and had her Twitter jokes featured on BuzzFeed and funnyordie.com. Jill has also self-published two novels on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Karger/e/B07B894DNW).
Follow her blog posts about books and writing advice, read books and publish them for free at: https://www.fictionate.me.
