When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
I have always been a book worm. When I was eight, I even won an award for “being an avid, spontaneous reader” (my reward was a book — a beautifully illustrated version of “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett).
Growing up, my room was full of shelves upon shelves of paperbacks and hardcovers. I kept a journal to remember all the books I had read. I scorned people who bent the corners of pages instead of using a bookmark, I couldn’t imagine marking up a book with a pen or highlighter, I hated when book spines cracked or covers bent.
When ebooks came on the scene, I thought they were ridiculous. Why would I want to read on a digital device when I could hold a lovely physical book, when I could smell the pages and have the satisfaction of turning real pages? I was, in short, a book fanatic.
It all started when I (accidentally) became a tech reporter and I started to review e-readers. At first, I disliked having to test them and eagerly awaited going back to my paperbacks, but then I started traveling a lot for work and something clicked: Ebooks are good!
Convinced yet? You should be! Now that I’ve got you, here’s some more information on where to buy ebooks, where to get free ebooks, and which e-readers are the best ones.
You can read ebooks with or without an e-reader — all you need is a smartphone or tablet. Here is a list of places where you can buy ebooks:
You can also check out ebook subscription apps like Scribd and Kindle Unlimited, both of which I’ve tried personally and love. Essentially, for a flat rate of about $10 a month, you can read as many ebooks as you want. Scribd also offers magazines and audiobooks.
It’s easy to find free ebooks from a variety of sources. My favorite avenue is the Libby app from Overdrive, which gives me access to all the ebooks I can borrow from my local library. Although I sometimes have to wait for a title to be available, it’s a wonderful resource.
When it comes to classics, you can get many of them free from Amazon or Project Gutenberg. I’ve used both often.
I have strong opinions about e-readers. I personally think the Amazon Kindle Oasis (8GB) is worth its high cost of $280. However, I fully acknowledge that’s not a reasonable price for most people (I just read too much and can’t live without page-turning buttons). Most people will be more than happy with the mid-range Amazon Kindle Paperwhite or the basic Amazon Kindle.
If you prefer to have an e-reader from a company that’s not Amazon, Kobo’s e-readers are excellent. I like the budget-friendly Kobo Clara HD, the waterproof Kobo Libra H2O, and the large-screened Kobo Forma.
You can purchase syndication rights to this story here.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
Views: 0
