By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of Bobbisbargains.
goXunuReviews/flickr
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own a Kindle, but I know if I owned one I would want to know about and use these services.
Now that you have a new Kindle or eReader for your birthday, December holiday, or anniversary, how do you populate your reading list without going way over budget?
Ebooks average $10 each. This can add up to a hefty chunk of change if you are a fast reader or want a large ebook library. So, what are the ways that you can get your ebooks for free?
Here are six ways to get free ebooks:
- The free Kindle lending club. Amazon, the same company that sells us so many books, has just launched the Kindle Lending Club. The site seems quite simple and the idea is fabulous. You list the books that you have and the books that you want. The system matches you with other readers. The good news is that the system automatically returns the rights of the book to you in 14 days (so you don’t loose it like when you lend it to a friend). The bad news is that you can only lend each book once.
- Amazon also has a huge selection of free Kindle downloads. In the Kindle department, search for “free kindle books” and sort prices low to high. You will find a vast array of free ebooks and games.
- Gutenberg Project. This project was the first site to provide free ebooks and with the help of many volunteers, is working to make available all books that have expired copyrights.
- Bookyards is a library to the world. This site not only has free ebooks, but also has links to library collections, videos, and blogs.
- Feedbooks. This site allows you to publish your own books as well as download free public domain and self published books.
- Hongkiat has a list of 20 more free ebook sites. Whew! Enjoy.
Check out our daily roundup of freebies and coupons or get my free 15-minute budget. It really only takes 15 minutes to set up!
Hope these links are helpful to you. If you are a Kindle or other electronic reader owner, please share your experiences. Do you love your new toy or do you miss the feel of a real book?
January 26th, 2011 at 11:16 am
Um, you could also get any other kind of e-reader, which accept e-pub format. Then you can download ebooks from the library.
There’s also a program called Calibre that allows you to manage your ebook library, and convert them into different formats. I have a Nook so I’ve never tried to format them to whatever the Kindle takes, but you might be able to convert epub books with it.
January 26th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
You can get Kindle for PC on Amazon for free so you can take advantage of the free ebooks
January 26th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
I LOVE my Kindle! I can look up words I don’t understand right then and there, if I forget who a character is I can do a search and see where he/she was first mentioned, and I don’t have to ask my husband to build new bookshelves!
January 27th, 2011 at 10:36 pm
I have a Kindle app on my smart phone and love it. I always have my phone on me so I always have a book to read.
January 28th, 2011 at 2:01 am
[...] How to Get Free eBooks for your Kindle. I got a Kindle last year and have enjoyed reading the free classics as much as I have new releases. While I do enjoy some of the features of the Kindle, I admittedly miss the feel (and smell) of a real book. [...]
February 3rd, 2011 at 7:44 am
I bought myself a Kindle for Christmas, I wanted it mainly to stop having to print out e-books and PDFs since I don’t like reading books worth of reading on the computer screen. I had already found the free books on Amazon but didn’t know about most of these other places. I also use Kindle for PC especially if I’m hunting for a phrase or something I read in the book – I can do that on the Kindle, but love the Kindle for PC option, too. Thanks for these options!
February 17th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
I read Kindle books on my iTouch. It’s great because it slips into your purse and if you’re waiting in a long line, you can pass the time by reading a novel. Often times I’m at the front of the line before I want to stop reading. My husband has a kindle and he rarely reads physical books now although at first he thought he’d miss the book feel.
I also took my iTouch on vacation in Costa Rica and with wifi it was a great way to stay in touch with people back home.
February 18th, 2011 at 9:36 am
@Davida Calibre is great although since I plan to eventually buy some kind of Reader I also have all the types of separate Readers as well. So far Calibre hasn’t given me any trouble, Adobe Digital Editions doesn’t always bookmark my book or it says I’m reading something else.
February 23rd, 2011 at 5:42 pm
I love my Kindle too!! Many of the free books are great, tho many have a religious overtone.
As for missing “real books” — I was forever trying to turn them into Kindle books and didn’t even know it! I bought and lost more of those gadgets that hold your books open than I can count, wanting hands free to eat lunch and read too.
Thanks for the great ideas and sites.