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Project gutenberg is a library of over 70,000 free ebooks.

Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for you to enjoy.

Plane Jane by Frederick C. Davis

Valkea kansa by Ilma Virtala

Un nid dans les ruines by Léon de Tinseau

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Erinnerungen eines alten Leipzigers by Adolf Lippold

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Trimblerigg by Laurence Housman

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50 years of eBooks 1971-2021. In 2021, Project Gutenberg celebrated the first eBook for reading enjoyment and unlimited free redistribution. This eBook was created on July 4, 1971 by Project Gutenberg’s founder, Michael S. Hart. Read more about this lasting innovation . Project Gutenberg is grateful to all volunteers who helped to reach this milestone anniversary. Project Gutenberg offers a vibrant and growing collection of the world’s great literature. Read, enjoy, and share!

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Audio books are a great way to enjoy and share literature. Project Gutenberg no longer adds new audio books to the collection, and suggests these audio book resources. These audio books are all freely available and in the public domain in the US. They may be easily played back on computers, tablets, mobile phones, and other devices. They may be shared non-commercially, without limitation except in countries where the printed source is still copyrighted. All of the sources listed below are digitizations of texts from Project Gutenberg.

• Project Gutenberg’s human-read audio books . 662 titles read by people, sometimes with sound effects or other enhancements. These are from a few different contributors.
• Project Gutenberg’s computer-generated audio books . 386 titles from 2003, using text-to-speech automation. These are listenable but relatively low quality compared to today’s technology.
• Human-read audio books from LibriVox . LibriVox is a volunteer community that produces high-quality performances that are done by many different volunteers. Follow the link to find audio books, and also to help create new audio books.
• The Project Gutenberg Open Audiobook Collection . Almost 5,000 titles from 2023, via a Project Gutenberg collaboration with Microsoft and MIT. These use neural text-to-speech technology for more natural-sounding computer-generated audio books. These audio books are also available on major music/podcast platforms as well as The Internet Archive . Project Gutenberg and partners were recognized by TIME for this work in their Best Inventions of 2023 .
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15 Of The Best Places To Find Free Books Online

Nikki VanRy

Nikki VanRy is a proud resident of Arizona, where she gets to indulge her love of tacos, desert storms, and tank tops. She also writes for the Tucson Festival of Books, loves anything sci-fi/fantasy/historical, drinks too much chai, and will spend all day in bed reading thankyouverymuch. Follow her on Instagram @nikki.vanry .

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Want to get your eyes on MILLIONS of free books online?

If you’ve been following along, you already know that you can find free audiobooks online  (woop woop!). We talked about options like LibriVox and MindWebs that are offering readers free audio books and short stories.

Now, we’ve got 15 more sites where you can read free books online when earbuds aren’t an option. You’ll get beyond the classics (though those are cool too), with free YA books, graphic novels, fanfiction, children’s books, and more.

And all together these sites have a lot of great books. A lot. Like, in the millions. Seriously. Your TBR list may be crying, but at least your wallet is happy?

Where can I download free books Online?

We give more details about each one below, but the following sites all offer (or curate a collection with) free books online:

1. Goodreads’ Free Shelves

While many of the books on the following websites are classic books and out of copyright, you can find more contemporary online books for free at Goodreads’ free eBooks shelves (either full or excerpts) or with the “ free-online ” tag.

2. International Children’s Digital Library

If you’re looking for free children’s books online, the ICDL is a nonprofit organization with a mission to: “promote tolerance and a respect for diverse cultures by providing access to the best of children’s literature from around the world.”

You can read freely and anonymously on their site, or create an account to keep an ongoing bookshelf. And there are books from all over the world (you can even search by countries on the globe). Look for great free books online like:

Related: 25 Free Amazon Prime Audiobooks

3. Internet Sacred Text ARchive

Dedicated to religion, mythology, and folklore, the ISTA online collection provides access to hundreds of sacred texts online. It also promotes religious diversity, tolerance, and scholarship baked into its mission (which is pretty rad of course).

You’ll find versions of the  Bible,  as well as the  Talmud ,  Vedas,  and more.

4. ManyBooks

Just as the name implies, ManyBooks has loads and loads of online books for free. Over 30,000 in fact. The majority of their eBooks work for Kindles, Nooks, iPads, and other readers.

You’ll find thousands of books, both classic and contemporary here, such as:

5. Open Culture

Open Culture connected readers with a curated list of free audiobooks, and they’ve created something similar for free eBooks. You’ll find 800 free and downloadable eBooks through their site, ready to download for iPads, iPhones, Kindles, or to read in your browser directly.

Some knockouts include The Stranger  by Albert Camus and poems from Charles Bukowski.

6. Open Library

Open Library offers over 1.7 million free eBooks online to users. It’s part of the Internet Archive, which also allows users to contribute (and correct!) books. They both offer free versions of full books and links to access paid books elsewhere.

Books to read online include  Sherlock Holmes  by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or  Matilda  by Roald Dahl.

7. Overdrive

The Libby App by OverDrive connects you with your local libraries to check out eBooks on your personal devices. You only need a library card and you’ll be able to check out classic and contemporary eBooks for free, anywhere and anytime. They host a catalog of over two million eBooks, as well as audiobooks. And, they’ve recently made it easier to transfer books onto your device.

Of course, since it’s connected to your library, you’ll also see free bestselling YA eBooks and other more recent bestsellers and other classics.

8. Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg continues to be a fantastic resource for classic novels and obscure older texts alike that are already in the public domain. The organization is run entirely by volunteers who digitize and then also proofread works. In all, they’ve added over 50,000 free books online.

Whether you’re reading them online or downloading them to your device, you can dig into classic books like:

9. Read Print

Read Print is a user-friendly website that allows users to read classics online. It also has a fancy bookshelf widget where you can track books read and books (so many books) that you want to read.

You’ll find free classic books like:

10. Riveted

Riveted offers YA books for free online, either full books or excerpts on a time-limited basis.

By signing into the site from Simon & Schuster and becoming a member, you’ll be able to read some sweet free books, download them to any device, join in giveaways, and discuss your YA favorites.

If you love all things science fiction and fantasy, check out Tor’s eBook club and weekly newsletters .

The publisher releases weekly original short stories from some of the biggest sci-fi/fantasy authors. And, seriously, receiving a smashingly fantastic short story in my inbox every week has been such a joy and has helped me find great new authors.

They also release the eBook of the Month club where you can get free access to one pick each month.

12. WikiSource

Got a jonesing for some original source material? Even if you’re not in academia, Wikisource is the ultimate place to do a deep dive on a topic. The site hosts almost 400,000 texts in English, with user-generated submissions allowed.

You can find texts from 1846 to 1941, from authors like Rudyard Kipling and Marie de France, on werewolves specifically. Or, discover new worlds with texts from Jules Verne and Philip Dick.

13. World Public Library

The World Public Library’s online Millennium Collection isn’t free, but for less than $10 a year for *ahem* millions of free books in over 300 languages, it’s basically free. They also offer free memberships for physically disabled or special needs members. You’ll find eBooks from all over the world, including:

Some of their knock-outs include  1984  by George Orwell,  Siddhartha  by Hemann Hesse, and  The Mahabharata  translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli.

Seriously, even more Free Books Online

These are mostly websites that share free books online that have at one time been traditionally published and disseminated. But, um, there’s the internet which means there’s more books available out there than you’ll ever have time to read.

Check out WattPad for stories by independent authors, historical fiction, fanfiction, and more. There’s also a huge active community over there to talk about books with. Here’s your beginner’s guide .

FanFiction.net is a hub for short story and novel length spin-offs of your favorite fictional worlds.

Phew, we’re not done yet.  BookRix is also a community of independent authors who publish free eBooks in any of your favorite genres. We’re talking fantasy, romance, sci-fi, children’s and more.

The Library of Congress also has a small collection of classic children’s books.

Finally, also make sure to follow your favorite authors on social media. They’ll often share links to eBook deals, excerpts to upcoming novels, giveaways, or free shorts set in the same universe.

Want To Find Cheap Books?

Other cheaper options ($10 a month or less) include Kindle Unlimited , some of the books on the Google Play store, Unlimited Library , and Scribd .

You can also follow along with Book Riot’s Deals of the Day “ Book Deals ” emails where you’ll get alerts about absurdly cheap eBooks and audiobooks.

Read Next: 50+ Ways to Get Free Books

It makes my heart swell a little bit that there are SO MANY places to find free books online. That’s a lot of literature, all with a simple internet connection.

You Might Also Like

Welcome to Project Gutenberg

Project gutenberg is a library of over 60,000 free ebooks.

Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for you to enjoy.

Hollyhock House

The Story of the Sun. New York, 1833 1918

Philosophical Transactions, Giving Some Account Of The Present Undertakings,

Job and Solomon: Or, The Wisdom of the Old Testament

The Art of Music, Volume Two (of 14)

Kardinaalin laulu

On the Border with Crook

Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, Fifth Series,

The Mischievous Typesetter

The Old Miracle Plays of England

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50 years of eBooks 1971-2021. The first eBook for reading enjoyment and unlimited free redistribution was created on July 4, 1971 by founder Michael S. Hart. Read more about this lasting innovation . Project Gutenberg is grateful to all volunteers who helped to reach this milestone anniversary. Project Gutenberg offers a vibrant and growing collection of the world’s great literature. Read, enjoy, and share!

No fee or registration! Everything from Project Gutenberg is gratis, libre, and completely without cost to readers. If you find Project Gutenberg useful, please consider a small donation to help Project Gutenberg digitize more books, maintain its online presence, and improve Project Gutenberg programs and offerings. Other ways to help include digitizing, proofreading and formatting, or reporting errors.

No special apps needed! Project Gutenberg eBooks require no special apps to read, just the regular Web browsers or eBook readers that are included with computers and mobile devices. There have been reports of sites that charge fees for custom apps, or for the same eBooks that are freely available from Project Gutenberg. Some of the apps might have worthwhile features, but none are required to enjoy Project Gutenberg eBooks.

Find Free eBooks

• Search and browse . By author, title, subject, language, type, popularity, and more.
• Bookshelves of related eBooks.
• Frequently downloaded : Top 100, or ranked by popularity .
• Offline catalogs : handy eBook listings and metadata to consult offline.
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• Visit self.gutenberg.org for free eBooks by contemporary authors.
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Free books in Google Books

Did you know that Google Books has more than 10 million free books available for users to read and download? And we're adding more all of the time!

Google's free books are made available to read through careful consideration of and respect for copyright law globally: they are public-domain works, made free on request of the copyright owner, or copyright-free, e.g. US government documents.

Search the full set of free books here:

• Alfred Lord Tennyson
• Beatrix Potter
• Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Frederick Douglass
• Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
• Robert Louis Stevenson

More information on downloading PDFs and EPUBs for the free books you discover can be found in the Google Books Help Center .

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The 6 best places to find free books online:

Project gutenberg, open library, digital public library, the 6 best places to find free books online in 2021.

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• It's great to support authors by directly buying books, but cost shouldn't be a barrier to reading.
• You can read thousands of free books online using everything from Libby to Project Gutenberg .
• You can read more about Insider's Education and Personal Development section here .

It's great to support authors by directly buying their books. But if buying every exciting bestseller isn't realistic for you, many authors are the first to say that cost should never be the reason you miss out on great books.

—Ashley C. Ford (@iSmashFizzle) June 15, 2021

Public libraries have existed to increase accessibility to knowledge and benefit the public since the 18th century (though this last year forced closures across the nation ). Luckily, you can find the same books for free online (and even browse your local library's shelves via apps) if you know where to look.  

Below, you'll find six places where you can read free books online, from Project Gutenberg and thousands of books in the public domain (which tend to be classics) to digitized open libraries where you can borrow and download books for free. 

And if a book sparks a new interest, you can also find free online courses from some of the best universities in the world, too. 

Read for free on Libby

Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and more from your local public library for free. You can download them for offline reading via the app . 

All you need is a library card, which you can potentially sign up for in the app itself , depending on the library. 

What to read:

Note: select your local library to see custom search results

• " Where the Crawdads Sing " by Delia Owens
• " Becoming " by Michelle Obama
• " Educated " by Tara Westover
• " Little Fires Everywhere " by Celeste Ng

Read for free on Project Gutenberg

Choose from reportedly more than 60,000 free ebooks , especially older classics for which US copyright has expired. 

There's no fee or registration required, so you don't need an ID or library card to access these.

• " Pride and Prejudice " by Jane Austen
• " Frankenstein " by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
• " Alice's Adventures in Wonderland " by Lewis Carroll
• " Moby Dick " by Herman Melville

Read for free on Overdrive

Overdrive hosts millions of books and audiobooks online for free (and owns apps Libby and Sora ). You can find everything from "The New York Times" bestsellers to children's books . 

As with Libby and other library apps, you'll need a library card to access the books.

• " The Four Winds " by Kristin Hannah
• " The Rose Code " by Kate Quinn
• " The Sanatorium " by Sarah Pearse
• " Klara and the Sun " by Kazuo Ishiguro
• " A Court of Silver Flames " by Sarah J. Maas

Read for free on Open Library

Open Library's eBook lending library gives you access to millions of books through the Internet Archive , an American digital library and preservation project that has been the subject of some controversy . 

Unlike other sites, you'll be flipping through images of a book that's been digitized rather than downloading a PDF. 

You can register with an email address, and you won't need an ID or library card to use it. 

• " The Four Agreements " by Don Miguel Ruiz
• " Snow Falling on Cedars " by David Guterson
• " The Lord of the Rings " by J.R.R. Tolkien
• " Pale Blue Dot " by Carl Sagan

Listen for free on LibriVox

Listen to free public domain audiobooks read by volunteers from around the world. Audiobooks range from historical fiction to children's action and adventure .

LibriVox's collection is also included in the Internet Archive . 

What to listen to:

• " Anna Karenina " by Leo Tolstoy 
• " Wuthering Heights " by Emily Brontë 
• " Adventures of Huckleberry Finn " by Mark Twain
• ​​" The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes " by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Read for free through the Digital Public Library

Download free ebooks within the public domain without creating an account.

You can search the Digital Public Library site by title, or scroll through collections that range from textbooks , children's books , young adult titles, language-specific books , works most recently added to the public domain, and editor picks .

• " Monah Loves the Market " by Nathalie Aigil
• " Japanese Fairy Tales " by Yei Theodora Ozaki
• " Romeo and Juliet " by William Shakespeare
• " Meditations " by Marcus Aurelius
• " Introductory Statistics " by Senior Contributing Authors

While you'll find the best combination of title choices and helpful or unique features above, you can also find free books through Wikisource (a now inactive catalog of texts ranging from " The Art of War " to " Sherlock Holmes "), and some on Amazon through Kindle's free popular classics.

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Welcome to Google Play Books

Choose from millions of best-selling ebooks, audiobooks, comics, manga, and textbooks. Save books in your library and then read or listen on any device, including your web browser.

Most popular books

Bestselling on google play.

Top Selling Audiobooks

Z-Library Project - Search & Download Free Books | ZLibrary

Z-library is a free online library containing over 100 million books. Anyone can download e-books from our website without registration and in many formats.

Latest Upload

Bear's Magic (Grey Lake Shifters Book 4)

Burn Baby Burnt: A Second Chance, Age-Gap, Billionaire Romance

Curveball: End Game Book 2

UNTIL JUDE (PULSETUNES ROCK GODS Book 1)

Our Shellfish Desires (Sucker For Love Mysteries)

Time Stamps

Strapped for Cash: A Dark Mafia Romance

Bad Magic: Fated Mates Book 4

The Fire Wolf Saga: Demon Rejected

The Monster Keeps Me Safe

The Easter Hunt

House of Bastiion (The Haidren Legacy, Book 1)

The Virgin and the Billionaires: The Complete Series

The Dark Arts

A Whisper in the Dark (Charlie Travesty Book 1)

The Proposal

From Then Until Forever: Falls Village Collection

Cruel Games: A Bully Romance: (Ridgeside High Book 3)

Dark 'N Stormy (Naughty Nights Presents)

A Promise Kept (Clear Creek Brides Book 2)

Blinded By The Sun: A Dark Mafia Romance

His Saving Grace (Clear Creek Brides Book 5)

Hale’s Pawn

Most Popular

Latest upload

Editor's Picks

Self-improvement

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Health & Fitness

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Engineering

Environment

Welcome to ZLibrary, a comprehensive digital library platform designed to provide free access to a vast collection of e-books and articles spanning various genres and topics. In this ultimate guide, we'll explore the benefits of using ZLibrary over traditional libraries and other online sources, helping you discover, download, and maximize your digital reading experience.

What is Z Library?

Z Library is a digital library that allows users to download books for free. The website has many books covering various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, and research papers. Users can search for books by author, title, or ISBN, and the website also provides recommendations based on the user's search history.

Exploring ZLibrary's Collection

Variety of content.

No registration or fees are required, and the books are available in ePub, Kindle, HTML, and plain text formats. Browse our 10 million+ titles or use a powerful search to find exactly what you're looking for.

User-friendly Search Options

Navigating ZLibrary's vast collection is a breeze, thanks to its user-friendly search options. You can conduct a simple keyword search or use advanced search filters to refine your query by language, publication year, or file format.

Content Sources

ZLibrary's impressive selection comes from collaborations with libraries and publishers, and user uploads, ensuring a continually growing and diverse collection of materials for you to explore.

Benefits of Using Z-Library

One of the significant advantages of using Z-Library is the cost-saving aspect. Books can be expensive, and even borrowing from the library can incur fees. With Z-Library, users can access a vast selection of books for free. The website also provides the convenience of accessing books online, making it easy to read on the go or from the comfort of your home.

In addition to cost-saving and convenience, Z-Library also provides a vast selection of books. With over 6 million books available, there is something for everyone. Whether you're looking for a classic novel, a textbook for school, or a research paper for work, Z-Library has you covered.

How to Use ZLibrary.to?

To use ZLibrary, users need to create an account. Creating an account is easy and free, allowing users to save their search history and bookmark books for future reference. Once users have created an account, they can search for books by author, title, or ISBN. The website will then provide a list of books that match the search criteria. Users can then download the book in the format of their choice, including PDF, EPUB, and MOBI.

ZLibrary also provides some helpful tools and features for users. For example, users can filter their search results by language, year of publication, and category. The website also has a rating system, allowing users to see the top-rated books in each category.

Frequently Asked Questions

1 . Is it legal to download books from Z Library?

ZLibrary operates under the concept of fair use, which allows users to access copyrighted material for educational purposes. However, we recommend checking your local laws before downloading any material.

2 . What formats are available for book downloads?

Z-Library offers books in various formats, including PDF, EPUB, and MOBI.

3 . Is it safe to download books from Z-Library?

ZLibrary takes user safety seriously and ensures that all books are virus-free.

4 . Can I upload content to ZLibrary?

Yes, users can contribute to ZLibrary's collection by uploading content. However, it's crucial to respect copyright and intellectual property rights.

5 . How can I support ZLibrary?

You can support ZLibrary through donations, sharing the platform with others, or providing feedback to help improve the user experience. You should place the backlink to our website when sharing the content from Zlibrary.to.

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ZLibrary imposes download limits to maintain resources for all users. Creating an account and logging in can grant you access to

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Z-Library is updated regularly with new books. However, the frequency of updates may vary depending on various factors, such as the availability of new books and the website's policies.

8 . Can I access Z Library from my mobile device?

Yes, ZLib is mobile-friendly and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection.

9 . What if I can't find the book I'm looking for on ZLibrary?

If you can't find the book you're looking for on ZLibrary, you can request the book from ZLibrary:hope , and the contributors may add it to their collection if it's available.

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Free ebooks, audiobooks & magazines from your library

All you need is a public library card or access through your workplace or university. always free - no fees or subscriptions..

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Blog – Posted on Thursday, Apr 01

The 25 best places to find free ebooks in 2024.

In recent years, the ebook format has exploded in popularity. Today, it only takes a few clicks to find the ebook version of almost any title. And while you can always save money on discount ebooks, doesn’t the idea of free ebooks sound pretty sweet?

Luckily, there are tons of different ebook platforms that offer exactly that. Here you'll find 25 places to get free ebooks, from mainstream ebook retailers to digital libraries that fill in the gaps! We’ll start with the former, but if you can’t find that elusive ebook in these first few stores, fear not: you have plenty of other options.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of great books out there, you can also take our 30-second quiz below to narrow it down quickly and get a personalized book recommendation 😉

Which book should you read next?

Takes 30 seconds!

1. Amazon Kindle Store

If you’re seeking free Kindle books , you’re in luck! The Amazon Kindle Store has two sections dedicated to just that: its Free Popular Classics page and its list of Top 100 Free Best Sellers . For those who enjoy indie books, Kindle Unlimited could also be a good investment — it’s $9.99/month, so not quite free, but you’ll gain access to over a million titles and there’s no cap on how many books you can read per month.

2. Apple Book Store

The Apple Books Store is another big-name ebook retailer with a nice selection of free titles. You’ll find them divided by category under the Free Books tab in the sidebar: Newly Added, First in a Series, Try Something New, and many more. Though its range isn’t as extensive as Amazon’s, the Apple Book Store is a solid choice if you’re looking for free fiction, especially if you like gripping suspense books and/or speculative fiction.

3. Google Play Bookstore

Google Play makes it easy to find free books on its digital store — unlike on other sites, you can simply enter “free ebooks” into the search bar (makes sense for a search engine, right?). You’ll be directed to this page of freebies, and can click “See more” to explore. There aren’t many big-name titles available for free on the Google Play Store, but if you’re interested in nonfiction (especially test prep and self-help books ), it’s definitely worth scoping out.

4. Barnes & Noble Online

Despite originating as a brick-and-mortar bookstore, the Barnes & Noble digital shop is stocked with plenty of free and discount books. It also retains a reassuring element of human curation, with “Staff Picks” at the top of B&N’s Free eBooks page , as well as an eye-catching section of free magazines below. Readers should note that some free titles can only be read on B&N’s NOOK Reading App; it’s free to download, but does add an extra step to the process.

5. Kobo Bookstore

Kobo is the last major player in the literary e-tailer game, with a huge digital store and its own brand of e-readers. To find Kobo’s free ebook section, hover over the “eBooks” tab at the top of the page and click Free eBooks on the right. Even seasoned readers will be impressed by the selection, as Kobo offers a number of free titles you won’t see anywhere else, particularly in the romance and thriller genres — and also features a list of #ownvoices authors for those craving more diverse reads.

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6. Free-Ebooks.net

Needless to say, if you’re looking for free ebooks, Free-Ebooks.net is a fine place to start. With thousands of ebooks available to download, you’ll never run out of reading material… however, you’ll be hard-pressed to find works by well-known authors. Forge ahead if you’re intrigued by a vast landscape of free indie ebooks — or check out Free-Ebooks’ extensive classics package for some more recognizable titles.

7. Project Gutenberg

If you’ve ever Googled any variation of “[iconic classic novel] read online”, you’re probably already familiar with Project Gutenberg . This tremendous digital archive was founded all the way back in 1971, and today hosts over 60,000 documents and books, all of which are free to access. For those in search of plain-text, easily searchable, copy-and-pastable versions of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens books , look no further: Project Gutenberg has you covered.

8. Open Culture

Open Culture is another great place to find classic novels by authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Virginia Woolf, and even the massive tomes of Proust and Tolstoy. Take note that Open Culture doesn’t host ebooks, instead serving as a hub for all manner of free online resources. However, you can find its impressive master list of 800 free books right here , with multiple links to download these texts or read them online, depending on which file format you prefer.

9. Freebooksy

Freebooksy, a popular book promotion site , is also a hub rather than a host site, linking out to free books on various retailers. What sets Freebooksy apart as a platform is that it only features ebooks that are free that day, so get ’em while they’re hot! You can browse each day’s selections right there on the homepage , or subscribe to the Freebooksy newsletter to receive them in your inbox.

10. BookBub

BookBub is another excellent promotional tool for authors and a quality source of free and discount books for readers. To access BookBub’s current freebies, just click Free Ebooks under the “Readers” tab at the bottom of the page. Here you’ll find abundant free titles with links to download them on Amazon and more. Also, if you’d like to see deals in a specific genre or for a certain retailer, you can select it on the left — though you’ll have to sort through these, as BookBub’s category pages mix both 100% free and discount promotions.

11. ManyBooks

The ManyBooks premise is simple: “Lots of ebooks. 100% free.” Select a genre, scroll through “Today’s Free Ebooks and Deals”, or check out the “Editor’s Choice” recs to see what’s worth your while. Indeed, ManyBooks offers a great deal in the way of quality control, from the ability to sort books by average rating to its own book review blog . If you’re looking for ebooks endorsed by real people, ManyBooks is the site for you.

12. OverDrive

Used by over 43,000 libraries and schools worldwide, OverDrive allows anyone with a library card to pull ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines from its digital bookshelves. Though there can  be long waiting lists for popular books (just like a real library — quaint, no?), borrowing them on OverDrive is a much better alternative than scouring the Internet in vain. Browse its featured collections, or search by title or author to locate the book you have in mind. And if you’d rather read on your phone, be sure to download OverDrive’s mobile app, Libby .

13. Open Library

Coming in hot with another virtual library, we have Open Library , a division of the long-running Internet Archive. This site is convenient because you don’t have to deal with multiple libraries;  any ebook on Open Library can be borrowed with a single click. Keep in mind that the site has a narrower selection as a result, and most recent releases aren’t available. But if you’re content to read books that came out a few years ago, Open Library won’t let you down.

14. Get Free Ebooks

Pivoting back to non-library sites, you’ll find plenty of ebooks on none other than Get Free Ebooks — though again, this one isn’t an ebook hosting platform, but a site that links out to other sources. However, if you’re seeking helpful literary lists divided by genre and subject, this is the place to be. Check out their top compilations of ebooks for tons of interesting titles, or select a genre under the “Top Categories” list at the bottom of the page.

15. Ebooks.com

A reliable source for all things ebook-related, Ebooks.com offers up a fairly large collection of free books , with a focus on the classics. Its online e-reader runs pretty smoothly and is nice for readers who like to mark up their texts, with options to highlight passages and leave notes. However, those looking to download their ebooks should be aware that Ebooks.com requires you to install Adobe Digital Editions first (it’s a free program, but may still be a drawback for readers hoping to conserve storage space).

16. Reedsy Discovery

For those who like to properly digest their free ebooks and then share your thoughts with an audience, consider becoming a reviewer on Reedsy Discovery! You’ll receive a free ebook copy of every title you pick up for review, plus you’ll gain followers and can even get tipped for your work. If that’s not a great bargain, we don’t know what is.

17. Planet Ebook

If the refreshingly minimalist design of Planet Ebook doesn’t instantly convince you of its merits, its sizable catalogue of public domain books certainly will. And because it’s based in Australia, Planet Ebook pulls from a wider public domain than in the US, so you may be able to find titles on there that you couldn’t find elsewhere. To survey its full list of books, click here .

18. Standard Ebooks

Standard Ebooks is another site that’s easy on the eyes, mainly for the beautiful book covers that accompany each title in its library — perfectly in line with the project’s mission to provide free ebooks that “meet or exceed the quality of commercially produced ebooks.” Indeed, here are 500+ books that aren’t just “standard,” but exceptionally formatted. Readers in constant search of nice-looking classics, make sure to bookmark this site.

19. Feedbooks

On Feedbooks, a site that hosts vast quantities of ebooks to purchase, you can also find free public domain ebooks and free original books . The latter should appeal to readers who have gotten their fill of the public domain, especially as Feedbooks offers some books to download that mainstream retailers do not. However, be prepared to sift carefully through its offerings, as the free offerings can get mixed up with priced ebooks on its featured pages — you may have to search “free” in the upper righthand corner to get what you came for.

20. Book Cave

Book Cave has a pretty compelling headline: “Free ebooks you’ll actually want to read.” You’ll find the aforementioned ebooks right here , with sophisticated filters attached. Not only can you divide these books up by genre, but also by maturity level and even sensitive content, if you wish to exclude violence, profanity, etc. With nearly 2,000 free books available and all these ways to filter them, Book Cave really does help readers find precisely what they want.

21. Smashwords

Since so many authors use Smashwords as an aggregator to distribute their ebooks , the Smashwords store ends up hosting quite a few books itself — and according to its stat counter, a whopping 86,000+ of those books are available for free. You can browse through them all here , though you’ll probably want to select a category in the sidebar to narrow it down.

22. BookRix

Another popular self-publishing platform, BookRix hosts thousands of freebies in its online library , most of which are original stories from brand-new authors. Indeed, BookRix is more Wattpad than Amazon KDP , since ebooks can be of any length and fanfiction is allowed. For readers looking to expand their horizons or just have fun, BookRix is definitely worth a shot.

23. Baen Books

And for readers who adore science fiction and fantasy , Baen Books could be your new favorite corner of the Internet. This publisher, founded by celebrated SFF editor Jim Baen, has grown into a wonderful hub for SFF readers and writers alike — complete with plenty of Baen ebooks in its Free Library . Many are actually the first in a series, so if you’re looking for a new fantastical world in which to immerse yourself, Baen Books should be your first stop.

24. BookBoon

We also can’t leave out BookBoon , a site that provides free e-textbooks, making it an incredibly valuable resource for students and autodidacts alike. If you’re in school or know someone else who is, this site needs to be on your radar: under their free “Student” plan, BookBoon offers 1,000+ full-length textbooks, on subjects ranging from chemistry to communications. Go get your Good Will Hunting on!

25. The Online Books Page

Speaking of academic resources, the University of Pennsylvania’s Online Books Page is a clean, accessible hub for over three million ebooks and digitized papers — some originally published more than two centuries ago. For the historically inclined, this site (which also has a pretty good search engine) is a veritable fountain of knowledge.

Hungry for more? Check out this list of additional places to find free books online , or our post on where to find free audiobooks . Happy freebie’ing!

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12 sites where you can read full books online.

To enjoy reading books, you don’t need a tablet or e-reader. You can read entire books online, completely legally, in an internet browser on your computer. The most popular sites are listed below.

The internet is the ultimate tool for finding answers and items we need. With a vast majority of products available from online stores, you don’t have to leave home to get anything that’s on your wishlist, including books, movies, games or audiobooks.

The best thing is that you don’t have to wait for delivery. Most books are digitized and it means you can start enjoying them in a matter of seconds. It’s just a matter of finding the most convenient – and fully legal – online source of books to read.

World’s most beloved classics are available online for free. They are the so-called public domain books . They are free because their intellectual property rights have expired, and everyone is entitled not only to download and read them but also remix and reshare.

Institutions like Project Gutenberg or Internet Archive digitize public domain books and make them available for free through their online catalogs.

Unless you are determined to create a stunningly large personal collection of ebooks, you don’t have to deal with copying and converting files. You can read books the moment you find them in one of the sites listed below.

But what “read books online” means exactly? It means you won’t need any of these:

• A dedicated device, such as a Kindle e-reader
• A tablet with a book reading app installed
• An ebook reader application on your computer
• An extension for your internet browser

All you need is a computer connected to the internet and the internet browser of your choice, such as Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

When it comes to paid books (and it doesn’t matter whether you want to buy a print or ebook version), free book previews are a standard feature offered by many online bookstores, including Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

The free previews account for approximately 15% of the paid book. It’s long enough to make a decision whether to order a book or not.

The sites listed below are the ones where you can read books online from the first to the last page. In the detailed descriptions, we have included a choice of titles and tips how to improve the reading experience.

One big disadvantage of reading books in the web browser is that you have to be connected to the web. What if you’d like to read books offline? One way is to download web pages to your computer and open them from a downloaded file directly in a browser.

A much better way is to download an ebook file and use an e-reader, such as a Kindle , or one of many book-reading apps available for iPad , iPhone, Android tablets and smartphones, and almost any other mobile devices.

Most of the sites listed below offer an option to download files in several formats. All you have to remember is the correct format. Make sure to download:

• mobi file – if you own a Kindle or Amazon Fire tablet.
• epub file – if you own iPad, iPhone, Kobo, Nook, or Android device.

Would you like to add any site to the list? Let’s contact on social media. We are waiting for you on Twitter and Facebook . Thank you for dropping by. You’re awesome as always!

Read full books online – here are 12 best sites

1. project gutenberg.

Project Gutenberg is a mother of all ebook sites. It started in 1971, when the world’s first ebook was created by Michael S. Hart. It was “Declaration of Independence of the United States of America,” and you can read it right away in a next tab of your internet browser.

Many sites that offer free ebooks from the public domain use the titles created and uploaded to Project Gutenberg.

Currently, there are over 60,000 public domain books in the catalog. If you’re looking for great classic books, Project Gutenberg is the best destination to explore.

To read the book in your browser, simply click “Read this book online: HTML” option on the list of available formats.

The option to read the book online displays all elements of a book. You will be able to see the original cover of the book, as well as illustrations inside. You can also navigate the book easily using the table of content or click on hyperlinks inside the file.

There is one more benefit of a html file opened in a browser. This file is searchable. You can use your browser’s find tool to search for words inside the book.

You can start exploring Project Gutenberg from the list of the most popular ebook downloads . The world’s most loved and adored books are here: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Bram Stoker’s Dracula , Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, works by Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain’s A Tale of Two Cities , Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, or Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre . And it’s just the beginning!

2. Internet Archive

Internet Archive, founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization offering free access to digital or digitized content: books, images, videos, or audio files.

The catalog includes over 25,000,000 fully accessible books and other text files. From here, you can also start browsing a collection of 1.3 million contemporary ebooks that you will be able to borrow for free once you register an account. The ebook section can be reached at:  archive.org/details/texts .

Use the search box in the top right corner to find the book. By default, the list of results shows collection from popular libraries. You can sort the results by relevance, views, title, and the date of adding the item to the catalog.

You can use the tools on the left side to narrow down the list of results by collection, media type, availability (free or to borrow), language, or creator.

To start reading, just click on the arrows in the bottom bar of the image of the opened book. You can enter full screen by clicking on the full-screen toggle in the bottom right.

The online viewer presents the scanned pages of the book, what brings an extra flavor to reading. There are many ways to go through the content of the book, including one-page view, and zooming.

One thing to keep in mind is that the content of the book is fully searchable, let not the scan mislead you. Use the search bar in the top right corner to find a word. All found instances will be marked in the progress bar at the bottom.

One of the most amazing things on Internet Archive is the text-to-speech function. You can turn it on by clicking on the speaker icon in the bottom right corner of the book viewer.

What’s worth highlighting is that the Internet Archive hosts a vast number of foreign-language books. There are over 20 languages with the number of published text works exceeding 1,000 each.

3. Open Library

Open Library is Internet Archive’s separate project, focused on collecting library records. Its goal is to create one web page for every book ever published. On a page of a single book, you’ll find all its documented editions.

Compared to the Internet Archive, with its vast catalog and advanced search features, the Open Library website is simpler and more user-friendly, and you can find the books you need much quicker.

When you go to  Classic Books  section, you will find over 3 million books that are “accessible,” which means they are free to read online or download.

Once you find the book, you will immediately know whether you can read it online or not. Just look for the big blue “Read” button. When you hover open the headphones icon, you will be able to listen to the audio version.

Click on the Read icon and you will be redirected to a full-screen online reader on the Internet Archive website.

In the top right corner of the viewer, you will see an option to download the book, usually in either epub or pdf format.

Open Library is more than just a catalog of free classic books. It also shows contemporary books that are free to read if you decide to borrow them. To do that, you may need to register at Open Library or find the book in your local library using WorldCat or Library Link. Each library book is marked with a “Borrow” button instead of “Read.”

4. Google Books

A huge collection of books that Google has scanned and turned into viewable files is available on Google Books.

The homepage of Google Books at books.google.com is actually nothing more than a search box. To start exploring this vast library of digitized books, you have to type in something, for instance a name of your favorite classic author or a title of a book.

Not all books can be fully previewed online, but you can narrow search results to those that are.

To do that, in the upper bar click on “Any view.” From a drop-down list select “Free Google eBooks” to see only the books that can be read online from the very beginning to the very end.

Google Books gives also a chance to preview free samples of books that are not available in the public domain. To see a list of these books, select “Preview available” option from the “Any books” drop-down menu.

The free preview of a copyrighted title included in Google Books doesn’t have to be a first part of the book.

Let’s say a publisher sets a free preview to be 20% of a book. You can select a chapter in the middle and read 20% from now on. Or jump from page to page, if you want.

You’ll be able to preview the book until you reach the limit of free pages set by a publisher.

5. Smashwords

Smashwords is a leading online platform with ebooks from independent authors and publishers. There are currently over 500,000 from over 100,000 self-published authors.

Thousands of books are available for free download and online view. The total number is changing, but usually around 100,000 titles are available for free viewing.

Smashwords authors have an option to set up the length of a free preview. Many writers decide to let readers preview the entire book online.

To see which books are free to read in your internet browser, go to Smashwords’ catalog of free ebooks . Then, change the way entries are being displayed – from stacks to list. Do it by clicking the bullet list icon in the top right.

In the list view, look for “Online Reader” button displayed at the bottom of an entry, next to blue buttons with ebook formats.

There are several customization options to choose from. You can select a size (4 levels to choose from), and font face (Arial, Courier, Times, Verdana, Georgia). You can also personalize colors by setting up your own font and background.

Quite frankly, reading interface offered by Smashwords is not the strongest part of this great site. There is no full-screen view, for example. It would help a lot, as the book content window is very narrow.

6. ManyBooks

ManyBooks offers free books in a clean and friendly interface. The site is ad supported but these ads are displayed usually at the bottom of the browser window and are not too disturbing.

Most books are sourced from Project Gutenberg and sites that offer books with a Creative Commons license.

In total, over 50 thousand books are available, all with nicely designed covers. Plus, each book is available in several file formats, a lot more than what you can find elsewhere.

Most importantly, each title from the ManyBooks catalog can be read in your internet browser.

After you find the book you want to read, go to this book’s details page and click on a large “Read Online” button.

The reading interface is very clean and nicely designed, although it takes some time to load it, especially when it comes with a book cover.

You can change the font size (4 levels), plus the site works well on mobile devices, so you can read books also in a browser on your tablet.

BookRix is a platform that offers books from self-published authors combined with free books from the public domain.

A catalog of free ebooks is an essential part of the website. On the top of a list, you will find the most popular categories, including literary fiction, fantasy, romance, thrillers, and young adult fiction.

When you enter any category, you will see books sorted by the popularity. On the top, you will see free books offered by contemporary authors.

Many classic titles from the public domain are also included in the BookRix directory of free ebooks. You will find them in the Fiction category.

When you find the book you want to read, click on its cover or title to enter the book details page. To open an online viewer, look for the “Read Book” button located next to the cover.

8. Authorama

If you are looking for a site that loads quickly even when you have a slow connection speed, you should visit Authorama.

Created and maintained by Philipp Lenssen, this dead-simple website includes several dozen popular books from Project Gutenberg. You can find here books by Mary Shelley, Francis Bacon, Charles Dickens, Jerome K. Jerome (yes, Three Men in a Boat !), or Robert Louis Stevenson.

The front page is at the same time a simple table of content, sorted by the name of an author.

Clicking on a book title link will open a simple html viewer. The content of each book is divided into several parts to let data load as quickly as possible.

This site can be viewed also in a browser on a mobile phone.

9. Bookboon

Bookboon is an online platform focused on providing free and paid textbooks for students and businesses.

The site offers textbooks written by professors from the world’s top universities. There are over 1,000 books that are free to download, but to do that, you have to sign up. When you visor the site for the first time, choose “Sign up for free eBooks.” You can use your Google, Facebook, Linkedin credentials to quickly access the catalog of books.

You can find on Bookboon several interesting books from the following categories: engineering, IT & programming, economics & finance, career & study advice, marketing, strategy & management, or languages.

Each book can be downloaded in pdf format, but you can also open an online reading interface by clicking “Start Reading” button.

If you are a free member, you will see ads in the content of the books you read. The company claims ads take no more than 15% of the content.

It’s worth highlighting that Bookboon has the nicest online reading interface. It’s clean, very well designed, and uses 100% of the web browser window without switching to full-screen mode.

10. Wattpad

Wattpad is one of the most popular e-reading websites in the world. It connects over 80 million readers-writers who spend over 23 billion minutes a month engaged in original stories published directly on the platform.

The site offers and promotes paid stories, but a vast majority of content is free to enjoy – but only for registered users, so you have to sign up to get access.

Use the “Browse” tab next to the logo on the left to find favorite genres. You can choose from adventure, fan fiction, LGBT+, new adult, romance, short stories, urban, or werewolf.

After you select the book from a list of results and click on its cover, a pop-up window will appear. Click on an orange button saying “Read” to start enjoying the story.

Please note that the site is ad supported and the reading interface also displays ads.

11. Library of Congress

Did you know you can read the world’s beloved children’s classics on the Library of Congress website?

The digital collection Classic Books includes “only” about 60 titles, but they are the ones you can’t find anywhere else.

This catalog looks like a great idea to spend some time with your kids reading together the books in their original look and feel. The books are scanned and digitized beautifully and the interface looks gorgeous!

To start reading, simply click on a link “Read This Book Now” that’s located next to the book’s cover.

What would you like to start with? How about Humpty Dumpty , with extraordinary illustrations by W. W. Denslow? Or the original edition of The Jungle Book ? You can read Peter Rabbit , The Rocket Book by Peter Newell, or one of the best stories from Hans Christian Andersen – The Snow Queen . Enjoy!

12. HathiTrust Library

HathiTrust Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from academic and research libraries, aggregating millions of books and texts from Google Books, Internet Archive or Library of Congress.

HathiTrust is like Google Books but much more user friendly. The front page includes a search box with advanced options. Make sure to check “Full-text” and “Full view only” options to see only the books that are ready to be opened in an online reading interface.

A surprisingly enjoyable way of exploring available books is to use Collections (you can choose this option in the top navigation bar).

When you find the book you want to read, simply click on the “Full View” link and the viewer will open immediately. You can dismiss the left sidebar to enter the full-screen mode. If you don’t see the “Full View” link, it means the book is not available for online reading.

Keep exploring. Here are other popular lists for book lovers:

• Free ebooks for Christmas 2023: here are the top 20 downloads Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
• 12 best personalized gifts for librarians and library supporters These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
• Here are the 12 best iPhone case covers for book lovers In this updated overview, you’ll see gorgeous iPhone covers that will remind you of the joy of reading books anywhere, […]
• 12 best metal accessories and home decor for book lovers Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]

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4 responses to “12 sites where you can read full books online”

[…] have a detailed list of sites where you can read ebooks online – why not exploring it right […]

[…] Before ordering a hard copy, first, try to find an online textbook. You can use various websites or just conduct your research using Google (remember to type a format, like epub, pdf, txt, mobi). You can also find and read the books online. […]

Please check out Century Past Free Online Library. An easy way to find exactly what you want from the free 3.6 million book online library at Internet Archive. Plus we have 500 free magazines.

centurypast.org

[…] Whenever you need to buy a textbook, try to find it online first. You can use various websites or just conduct your research using Google (remember to type a format, like epub, pdf, txt, mobi). You can also use .html or .htm to find and read books online. […]

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Revolution Begins Book Lover Funny T-Shirt – Time to start a revolution, comrades! Wait, I need to finish the book, first – and a bookmark comes as a handy excuse. This vintage artwork says: “The revolution begins as soon as I remember where I left my bookmark”.

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• Top 10 Free Online Book Websites

Free online book websites allow you to read full books whenever you want. This article covers the 10 best websites.

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Reading books is one of the most popular and oldest hobbies. The problem is that it can be an expensive hobby. Printed or digital books can cost a lot. They also take physical space or storage space in your device. Fortunately, there are free online book websites . With these, you can access hundreds of full books without spending any cash! In this article, you will learn the top 10 of these websites.

Some of the websites allow you to download the books as PDFs for offline reading. You can use Wondershare PDFelement to open them for the best digital book reading experience.

In this article

• Openlibrary.org
• Project Gutenberg
• Bookreadfree.com
• Readanybook
• Allnovel.net
• Archive.org
• Read PDF Books Offline

Part 1. Top 10 Free Online Book Websites

Here are the 10 best sites to read books for free.

1. Openlibrary.org

Openlibrary.org is a free book reading website built by the community. Anyone can add books, fix typos, and write widgets. This project has added 20 million records from a wide variety of catalogs and single contributions. And there's more that's being added.

On this website, you can read textbooks, horror books, fantasy books, kids books, and more. You can read these online or download them as PDFs or ePUBS.

2. Project Gutenberg

Read full books online for free on the Project Gutenberg website. Here, you will find thousands of books, but do not expect to find new books here. Project Gutenberg focuses on works for which U.S. copyright has expired. They are added and proofread by thousands of volunteers.

What's so likable about this website is it does not require registration. You can start reading as soon as you hop on the website.

3. Bookreadfree.com

Another free book website to read online is Bookreadfree.com . You can find so many free books - even including popular titles. You can sort them by genre, series, or by author. Thus, it's super easy to find books that will pique your interest.

Some book series are even compiled into one book. That's convenient. You do not have to search for the next installation after reading a book. You can just go to the next page, and it will start the next book in the series.

4. Readanybook

On the Readanybook website, you can find more than a book to read online for free. There are hundreds of books and book series on this website. You can also add more if you want to. You can search by book title or by authors. The feature that we like most is the rating system. Based on the number of stars a book has gotten, you can decide whether or not it's worth your time. You can also read reviews posted by other readers.

The reading experience is great, as you can view one or two pages at a time. Readanybook also allows you to download books for offline reading. You can download them as PDFs, ePUBs, FB2s, or TXT files.

5. Monkey Pen

Is your son or daughter into reading? Monkey Pen is the best website where they can read books online for free in a PDF format. Other websites will have adult books in their collections. You would not want these near your children. On Monkey Pen, you can find nothing but kids' books. So it's safe for your little ones. Even better, you can download the books as PDFs. Letting your children read them offline eliminates the risks of them finding materials that are not age-appropriate.

6. Allnovel.net

Where to read books online for free? You can find really popular books on the free online book reading website, Allnovel.net . The most popular ones are displayed on its landing page. You can see how many views each book has. Of course, if there are many views, it means people are enjoying the book, meaning it is worth reading.

Allnovel.net also has a filter that lets you easily find newly added books. Similar to the other websites, you can also search using book titles, series names, authors, and categories.

7. Read.gov

The government has created a website where you can find books to read online for free. Read.gov is the official website of the Library of Congress. You can find many classical works and fables on this website. The digital books are made by scanning the physical books. As such, the original font styles, format, notes, and images are all preserved. Combined with Read.gov's book reader's attractive interface, this makes it feel like you are reading a physical book - visually, at least.

Wattpad is a popular website for authors and readers. Aspiring authors can post their works here for free. Thus, you can find so many books to read online for free in English and other languages. They can post finished stories or stories that get updated every week. This gives readers a unique experience where they can see how the story progresses and even contribute to it. Readers can comment on the books and the lines in the books and chat with the writer.

To use Wattpad, however, you need to create an account. But registration would not take too much of your time.

9. Archive.org

If you want to read digital versions of popular books, head to Archive.org . This free book reading site has more than 7,500,000 books in its collection. For each book, you can see the views, ratings, and comments. These will help you find the books that are worth reading. You can also sort by date published, date archived, date added, and author to make your searches shorter.

You can find books written in different languages on this website. Of course, you can filter the books by language.

Archive.org also has audiobooks, perfect for people who prefer to listen to stories.

10. Authorama

Authorama has a huge collection of public domain books. This free online book website lists books alphabetically, using the author's surname as the basis. If you have a specific book in mind, you can use the search feature.

What we like most about this website is its simplicity. It uses a white background, and there are no ads, like on the other websites. It's very distraction-free, allowing you to focus on reading.

Part 2. Read PDF Books Offline

What’s a better question than “How to read books online for free”? That would be “How to read books offline for free?” This way, you would not be interrupted if you suddenly get disconnected from the internet. Fortunately, some of the websites that let you read books for free also allow you to download those books.

How to read the downloaded books? The books are usually available in PDF. Therefore, you need a PDF viewer. There are some built-in apps on your computer, like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Preview. But if you want an even better reading experience, install Wondershare PDFelement .

Wondershare PDFelement is a cross-platform PDF solution that's available on Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android. You can upload the PDFs to the Wondershare Cloud. With that, when you switch from your PC to your smartphone, you can still access the ebook.

Wondershare PDFelement for Android also has a liquid mode. What it does is it makes the PDF more mobile-friendly. You do not have to pinch, zoom, and span because liquid mode adjusts the PDF's contents and optimizes the file for mobile viewing.

Free online book websites are wonderful. They allow you to read the classics and even some popular books without spending money. Additionally, online digital books also do not require space on your bookshelf or storage device.But please note that you can't access these websites when you do not have an internet connection.

That said, we recommend downloading the books as PDFs when possible. You can read these books with Wondershare PDFelement, which has a bunch of tools that can improve your reading experience. It is also on PC and mobile. Since you can upload the books to the Cloud, you do not have to transfer or copy the book.

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The experts: librarians on 20 easy, enjoyable ways to read more brilliant books

Do you love reading – but all too often find yourself just scrolling through your phone or watching TV? Here is how to get lost in literature again

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In the age of digital distractions, it is easy to struggle to find the time and headspace to get lost in literature. How can you get back into the habit? Librarians share the best ways to rediscover reading, make it a regular habit – and their tips for the most unputdownable books.

1. Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t read in years

“A whole combination of things have come together in an unfortunate way to make it harder for people to read,” says Nancy Pearl, who is referred to as “ America’s librarian ” and lives in Seattle, where she worked for almost 40 years in public libraries. “The state of the world makes it very hard to read, because there is so much to worry about. People don’t have the energy to concentrate on reading as we used to.”

2. Listen to a book rather than ‘read’

“The thing about reading is that it is a choice that you make,” says Pearl. “You can read or you can go out in the garden and get rid of some weeds or watch the television. If you have consistently not found pleasure in reading, then you’re not going to choose reading, because it involves sitting down doing one thing at a time – except if you’re listening to audiobooks.

“I was a very late adopter of audiobooks. Now I would much rather listen to a book than sit down and read a book because I can do it while I’m walking.”

“Listening to an audiobook is reading,” says Louise Morrish, a librarian turned novelist who has worked at all kinds of libraries, including a haunted one, and now works at a secondary school in Hampshire. “There have been scientific studies where they’ve stuck sensors on to people’s heads, and the areas of the brain that are lighting up and connecting are the same when you’re listening to a story as when you’re reading it yourself.”

3. Join a library

“Your local library is a really good source,” says Morrish. “The librarians there are brilliant at helping you find books and it is free: you can take a punt on something and won’t have wasted money.”

“I always suggest going to the library or bookstore and talking about what you’re looking for,” says Pearl. “Say: ‘I just read this book, I want another book just like it.’”

There is so much more than just books in libraries. Danny Middleton works at Manchester Central Library , which has to be the coolest public library in Britain (and officially the busiest, with 4,200 visitors a day), offering murder mystery nights, silent discos and drag bingo. Middleton is in charge of reader development, which involves “encouraging people to come through the doors and discover what magic is inside”, he says. “Once we get them in the library, then it’s bam! You can’t go out until you’ve joined.”

4. Widen your search

“Think about books that you have liked in the past,” says Morrish. “Searching on the internet for ‘books like …’ or ‘books written like …’ is always a good place to start. Goodreads is incredible. It has lists and lists of books: novels, short stories, thrillers. There are so many bespoke lists on there so you can find books that you fancy. A new website – shepherd.com – collates books in terms of your interests. You can type in, ‘I want to read books about women who have overcome adversity,’ and you’ll have people on there who have curated lists of books with that as the subject matter.”

Morrish also recommends BookTok and following authors and book bloggers on social media, which she says is a “fantastic corner of the internet to hang out”. Joining a local book club “is a really good way of meeting people who love books”, Morrish says.

5. Work out what you are drawn to in books

For some readers this will be characters, for others it will be a sense of place, but for most it is all about the plot, says Pearl. “One book that satisfies all three of those needs is Larry McMurtry ’s Pulitzer prize-winning Lonesome Dove,” says Pearl. “It is the story of two Texas Rangers after the [American] civil war, taking a herd of cattle across the United States to be slaughtered. You will never forget the experience of meeting those two characters. And for those who are plot people, oh my gosh, the story of that cattle drive, and what happens on the way, that keeps the pages turning.”

6. Create a positive reading routine

“My big life hack is to read every single day,” says Morrish. “I read every night without fail, even if it’s just for five minutes or a page. You get through a book that way. You don’t lose your place or forget what is going on in the story. It becomes a habit.” If you are too tired at night, “you could create a routine where you read when you commute or listen to an audiobook when you walk the dog”, Morrish suggests. Setting a reading target can be a good incentive: “Say to yourself: ‘This month I’m going to try to read two books a week.’ And if you reach that target, give yourself a treat,”.

7. Read what you love

Finding the right thing to get back into reading depends entirely on your preferences, says Middleton, who doesn’t “do grisly”. But for many people, crime and thrillers are very accessible, with Richard Osman, James Patterson, Ann Cleeves and Lee Child particularly hot in Manchester, Middleton says. “Don’t be put off reading things by worrying about what other people might think,” says Ian Cooke, head of contemporary British and Irish collections at the British Library in London. “Loads of people love reading romance and it’s a really strong, innovative genre. I love reading comics, which some people think isn’t ‘proper reading’; it’s a different type of literacy.”

8. Be open minded

“Experiment with trying something new,” says Cooke, which you can do easily through public libraries. “If you don’t like something, take it back, borrow something else.” He gives poetry as an example, which he got into eight years ago after previously being slightly scared by it: “It’s like music; it’s people talking about their experiences in very personal ways.” Charlotte Wetton is a current favourite poet of Cooke’s. “Try to read as widely as you can because your tastes may have changed if you’ve had a gap,” says Morrish. “You may have once loved vampire books but now you’ve moved on to something else.”

9. Consider nonfiction

If you struggle to get into a story, head to the non-fiction aisle, says Morrish. “I’m very interested in the gut microbiome at the moment so am finding books on that. If you watch a lot of true crime on television, there are loads of books out there that are based on true crime cases. Biographies and memoirs are very readable, too.” Literary prizes can offer inspiration: “The Women’s prize have their inaugural prize for non-fiction this year and there is the Walter Scott prize for historical fiction,” says Morrish. “Reading comes in all forms – magazines, catalogues, books, short story collections, manuals – it doesn’t have to be a novel.”

10. Pick up a Quick Read

Middleton suggests the Quick Reads series, which are short and accessible versions of novels and non-fiction. “Massive authors contribute page-turning thrillers, comedy or holiday read romances. They are written in very accessible English, with short, snappy chapters, and are only about 150 to 200 pages.”

11. Remove any distractions

When reading, “turn your phone off or put it in a different room”, says Morrish. “It is the biggest distraction possible. For children particularly, if they get a notification on their phone, then they’re off and they don’t get back to the book.”

12. Surround yourself with books

“Leave books lying around your home that look enticing,” says Mariesa Dulak, a librarian at a primary school in Ealing, west London and a children’s author . This is a helpful technique to encourage yourself and family members to read more: “If you let children see you reaching for a book rather than your phone, then it is going to make them want to read, too.” This can also be replicated in the workplace says Middleton: “If you have books in the staff room, when you’re sat having a brew, the books will be staring at you and you might be tempted to pick one up.”

13. It is never too early to establish good reading habits

Start reading to kids as soon as possible, says Dulak. “If you are taking your baby out with the buggy, in the same way that you might pack a snack, make sure you’ve got a board book in there which they can interact with. Hearing you read the words out loud to them is such an important part of learning language: there is nothing that a child likes more than their parent’s voice.”

14. Read aloud

“Somehow we stop reading to kids when they learn to read themselves,” says Pearl. “One of the best things to do is to set aside a part of the evening for a family read, which can be all of you sitting around reading, not having your phone handy. I do think reading out loud through the teen years is a great way to share that experience with your children.” Cooke recommends attending or tuning in online to an author reading, such as through the library Living Knowledge network.

15. Keep a reading diary

“Write down what you’re reading, who wrote it, who published it and what you thought of it,” says Cooke. “So over time, you can go back, see what you’ve read and what you’ve liked. It doesn’t have to be very involved, just a couple of sentences to jog your memory.”

16. Ebook or print?

“Print,” says Middleton. “I’m old school, I like holding it in my hands and turning the page. I like an audiobook when I’m doing the ironing, though.” Pearl adds: “I read Susie Boyt’s book Loved and Missed recently and that was a book that I really needed to hold to encounter the words and the characters myself.” Dulak says: “I would say that a Kindle has its place but only when I’m on holiday,”

Cooke is an ebook enthusiast: “What’s really exciting about digital is it can allow new ways to tell stories and engage people, such as books that include the reader making a choice as they go through or [a book] that reacts to the reader’s environment.” He recommends Breathe by Kate Pullinger , a ghost story that is designed to be read on your phone and uses data about you to create a personal experience of the book based on your circumstances.

17. Avoid fines

The best way to do this, says Dulak, is to “keep your books visible – not under the bed – and in the same place so you always know where they are”. “Don’t fear the fine,” says Cooke. “Find out what your library’s policy is, how to renew online, and set a calendar alert.”

18. For the perfect unputdownable holiday read, try …

Pearl: “What I would look for is a good saga or a really good fantasy novel. Rosamunde Pilcher was a great holiday book writer.”

Morrish: “For people who don’t read regularly, I would recommend Tahereh Mafi , a crossover author who writes adult and YA. Her writing style is almost like a text message: short, sharp chapters, written in stream of consciousness.”

Middleton: “The Tales of the City books by Armistead Maupin. I’m halfway through the new one – it’s brilliant.”

Cooke: “ 80 Days by Inkle Studios , an online retelling of the classic in which you help Phileas Fogg around the world and get drawn into your own adventures too.”

Dulak: “The Skandar series by AF Steadman is good for kids because it’s got bloodthirsty unicorns and Harry Potter-esque magic but with a more contemporary twist. For older readers, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, a beautifully written page-turner about love, loss and gaming.”

19. Know when to give up

The librarians agree on the 50-page rule. “Read to the bottom of page 50,” says Pearl. “If you’re enjoying it, of course go on. If you just can’t slog through it, then stop reading. If all you care about is, did they get the killer?, then turn to the last page.” She adds: “As my 50s came and went, I realised that you don’t have enough time left to read all the books that you want to read. So if you’re 51 and up, subtract your age from 100 and that number, which gets smaller every year, is the number of pages you should read before you can guiltlessly give up on a book. When you turn 100, the ultimate reward is that you can judge a book by its cover.”

20. Read a book and reap the rewards

“If you take 10 minutes a day to sink into a book, newspaper or read anything, it is very good for your mental health,” says Middleton. “There is lots of medical evidence of that being the case. Reading a book for 10 minutes is better for you than listening to your favourite record.”

Morrish makes a final impassioned plea: “It has been scientifically proven that reading increases your powers of empathy, social skills and ability to relate to other people. It relaxes you, it lowers your cortisol levels and blood pressure. It increases your vocabulary, your knowledge, creativity and imagination. If you read for pleasure, your grades will be better. To read from a book gives you time off the screen, which is hugely beneficial for your mental health.”

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The 30 best classic novels everyone should read.

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"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison is one of the best classic novels ever written.

Classic books stand the test of time by capturing readers’ attention generation after generation. They focus on themes that people across continents, religious backgrounds, socioeconomic circumstances and education levels can all relate to, such as love and loss. Many classic novels explore familial relationships and how life circumstances can change on a dime. The best classic literature endures because it is well-written and appeals to a wide swath of readers who want to travel to far-away locations, laugh at the improbable, or feel heart-pumping excitement—all vicariously. A list of the best classic novels should transport the reader to times in the past, future or present that give them new things to aspire to and ponder.

Must-Read Classics

The best classic novels remain relevant and accessible decade after decade. Classic literature is not a genre—it encompasses romance , science fiction, humor and any other type of book. Instead, what makes a book a classic is expressing something fundamental about the human condition. These novels are relatable.

Some of the best-known authors of classic literature wrote more than a century ago, including Mary Shelley, Daniel Defoe and Miguel de Cervantes, who penned the oldest book on the list. More contemporary authors include Toni Morrison, Alex Haley, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. This list covers 30 books representing the best in literature. While most of these must-read classics are older, a few are just a couple decades old and have already become beloved by multiple generations.

Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian-born novelist and poet, poses at his home on the campus of Bard College in ... [+] Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., where he was a professor. He wrote one of the best classic books, "Things Fall Apart."

30. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958)

Nigerian author Chinua Achebe’s first novel explores the colonization of Africa through the eyes of Okonkwo, a young Igbo man whose world changes for the worse as his culture is eradicated. The book deals with themes of decolonization, nationalism and family, which remain relevant today.

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You can read Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

29. Native Son by Richard Wright (1940)

The author of the acclaimed memoir Black Boy first published this novel about Bigger Thomas, a young Black man in Chicago who accidentally kills a white woman, then commits another murder to cover up the crime. The book deals with racism and classism, forcing Bigger to confront the consequences of his violent acts.

You can read Richard Wright’s Native Son by ordering through publisher HarperCollins .

28. Roots by Alex Haley (1976)

Before the hugely successful Roots miniseries came Alex Haley’s bestselling novel, which follows Kunta Kinte, a man brought from Africa to America to be enslaved. The book also follows his descendants, including Haley. Roots reckons with the U.S.’s shameful history of slavery and examines how it continues to impact race relations centuries later.

You can read Alex Haley ’s Roots by ordering through publisher DaCapo Press .

The film adaptation of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1976.

27. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey (1962)

Ken Kesey’s novel, which became an Oscar-winning film starring Jack Nicholson, follows what happens when a rebellious patient named Randle Patrick “Mac” McMurphy is sent to a psychiatric hospital ruled by the iron will of Nurse Ratched. The book is told from the perspective of an observant (and supposedly mute) Native American patient.

The book questions the wisdom of authority amid an era of deinstitutionalization, and it sparks questions about individualism and who deserves power. You can read Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

26. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967)

The precursor to modern-day young adult novels , The Outsiders presents the conflict between teenage gangs from differing socioeconomic backgrounds: the wealthy Socials (Socs) and the blue-collar Greasers. One of the Greasers, Ponyboy, narrates the book, which perfectly captures the pain, confusion and frustration of being a teenager. It also explores dysfunctional families and friendship ties.

You can read S.E. Hinton ’s The Outsiders , which she published when she was only 18, by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

25. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

Like so many Jane Austen novels, Pride and Prejudice relies on humor and a relatable protagonist to critique social norms of the day, including marriage, the class system and morality. This work of historical fiction tells the love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, who nearly remain estranged due to their pride and prejudices.

Some famous quotes from the book include, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” and “My good opinion once lost is lost forever.” You can read Jane Austen ’s Pride and Prejudice by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

24. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

Frankenstein is one of the most influential novels ever published. Its gothic and romantic elements combine with the science fiction-style plot for a book that appeals to all types of readers. Scientist Victor Frankenstein’s experiments yield a man made of others’ parts—or is he a monster?

The book is a classic man vs. nature tale, raising questions about morality as well as mortality and what we owe those we leave behind. You can read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by ordering through publisher Dover Publishing .

23. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952)

A searing depiction of the psychological and societal consequences of racism, Invisible Man follows an unnamed Black protagonist as he navigates the world in both the South and the North, where he suffers from “invisibility”—not a physical condition but one rendered when others willfully fail to see him. The societal observations hold true today.

You can read Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

President Bush, left, presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to author Harper Lee, the elusive ... [+] author of best-seller "To Kill a Mockingbird," one of the best classic books.

22. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

Another book dealing with the entrenched racism in the United States, To Kill a Mockingbird follows attorney Atticus Finch, a white lawyer who defends a Black man, Tom Robinson, charged with raping a white woman. The book is told through the eyes of Scout, Atticus’s 8-year-old daughter, offering a child’s perspective on harsh societal realities.

You can read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird by ordering through publisher Hachette Book Group .

21. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)

J.D. Salinger gave voice to teenage angst and anger in this tome about Holden Caulfield, a rebellious teen recently expelled from boarding school. Holden rails against the phonies while struggling to connect with others despite his loneliness. The book is a classic coming-of-age tale turned on its head, since Holden doesn’t mature.

You can read J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye by ordering through publisher Hachette Book Group .

20. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1605)

The phrase “tilting at windmills” comes from Miguel de Cervantes’ novel about a man who decides to become a knight-errant in order to live out his fantasies—which he has a difficult time separating from reality. It pokes fun at outdated beliefs and embraces the value of all people rather than just the upper class.

You can read Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" was a Broadway play starring James Franco, Chris O'Dowd, Leighton ... [+] Meester and Jim Norton in 2014.

19. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (1937)

Farm workers Lennie and George deal with their tough lot in life by dreaming of purchasing a farm. Lennie’s intellectual disability presents additional challenges. John Steinbeck questions the validity and wiseness of pursuing a dream in a nation that, the author argues, doesn’t value everyone equally.

You can read John Steinbeck ’s Of Mice and Men by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

18. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

Joseph Heller’s insightful book about war coined the phrase “catch-22.” It describes the inescapable situation that pilot Yossarian finds himself in when he pretends to have mental issues to get out of flying missions—but his scheming proves his sanity because who would want to fly dangerous missions? The book explores why war is hell.

You can read Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 by ordering through publisher Simon & Schuster .

17. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez (1967)

Colombian author and Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia-Marquez uses magical realism to trace the evolution of the town of Macondo as experienced by generations of the Buendiá family. Garcia-Marquez plays with the constructs of time and the supernatural to probe themes like love and family.

You can read Gabriel Garcia-Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude by ordering through publisher HarperCollins .

16. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)

A brilliant combination of love story, remembrance of coming of age, and critique of American gender roles and race relations, Zora Neale Hurston’s dialogue is written in dialect, giving the characters believability. Her insights on masculinity and femininity continue to be discussed by scholars almost a century later.

You can read Zora Neale Hurston ’s Their Eyes Were Watching God by ordering through publisher HarperCollins .

Sir Anthony Hopkins and Christopher Reeve during the filming of "The Remains of the Day" in 1992.

15. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)

British author Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel listens in on a longtime servant recounting the events of his life with a former colleague, offering a post-war critique of British manners and dignity. The novel, which won the Booker Prize, asks where you should aim your focus, on the past or on the future.

You can read Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

14. My Antonia by Willa Cather (1918)

During the Great Migration, orphan Jim and immigrant Antonia move west, where they become pioneers on differing life paths. Cather’s novel was one of the first to center the American West and make it a character of itself in a book, which also features the author’s thoughts on women’s rights.

You can read Willa Cather ’s My Antonia by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

13. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)

The four precocious March daughters (Jo, Amy, Meg and Beth) use their talents to help their mother while their father is away. They come of age with a purpose and goals. The book plays with the 1800s idea of domesticity and explores different paths to love.

You can read Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

12. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (1945)

A sharp takedown of religion using irony and wit, Brideshead Revisited follows Charles Ryder’s obsession with the family who owns the Brideshead estate. He is especially drawn to classmate Sebastian, who appears to be gay but never confirms it. Their relationship has been the subject of endless literary speculation.

You can read Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited by ordering through publisher Hachette Book Group .

11. Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)

When middle school boys become stranded on an island with no supervision, anarchy reigns and paranoia follows. The tale has become a touchstone for the unfortunate tendencies of human behavior, exploring themes of groupthink and the end of innocence.

You can read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

Actress Sofia Boutella and executive producer/director/co-writer Ramin Bahrani discuss the TV ... [+] adaptation of "Fahrenheit 451" in 2018.

10. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

With the recent rise of book bans , Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel couldn’t feel more relevant. It predicts a future where books are illegal and any found are burned by fire fighters, including one who grows a conscience and begins fighting censorship. Book burnings in Nazi Germany and the McCarthy hearings in the U.S. inspired the plot.

You can read Ray Bradbury ’s Fahrenheit 451 by ordering through publisher Simon & Schuster .

9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)

Sparking not one but two hit movie adaptations , The Color Purple is Alice Walker’s meditation on race and gender dynamics through the eyes of Celie, a poor Black woman navigating a nightmarish upbringing and abusive marriage in the 1900s. It won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.

You can read Alice Walker ’s The Color Purple by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

8. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (1719)

After British sailor Robinson’s years of adventuring, his boat crashes on a remote island, where he learns to survive by his wits and using nature. He battles the elements, cannibals and loneliness. Defoe’s book spawned the realistic fiction genre and was an early bestseller.

You can read Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

7. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (1952)

The wise spider Charlotte teaches prized pig Wilbur lessons about life and found family in this beloved, insightful children’s book. Charlotte’s Web earned a Newbery Honor and remains one of the most popular kids’ novels for its enduring themes of sacrifice and compassion.

You can read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web by ordering through publisher HarperCollins .

Actors Richard Dempsey, Sophie Wilcox, Jonathan R. Scott and Sophie Cook in a scene from "The Lion, ... [+] the Witch and the Wardrobe," part of the BBC television serial "The Chronicles of Narnia."

6. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1950)

Another classic children’s tale, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a Christian parable wherein mighty lion Aslan must sacrifice himself to end the endless winter brought on by the evil White Witch. It’s the first in a series of books about the Pevensie children and others set in the magical land of Narnia.

You can read C.S. Lewis ’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by ordering through publisher HarperCollins .

5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)

Emily Brontë helped birth the gothic novel with this story of the doomed love between Catherine and Heathcliff, whose tortured life amid the moors culminates in avenging those who kept them apart by acquiring the home of Thrushcross Grange from Catherine’s husband. The novel illustrates the good and evil living inside all of us.

You can read Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

4. Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871)

Subtitled “A Study of Provincial Life,” this novel follows the lives of characters in the fictional town of Middlemarch over a three-year period that includes a clear-eyed look at real-life British events. George Eliot’s characters address gender roles, political reform, self-interest vs. idealism and more.

You can read George Eliot’s Middlemarch by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

3. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)

Set in New York’s high society during the Gilded Age, The Age of Innocence became the first novel written by a woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. It follows May and Newland as they ready to marry, a match thwarted by May’s scandalous cousin Ellen. The novel explores class expectations, reputation and social mores.

You can read Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence by ordering through publisher Penguin Random House .

2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)

One of the greatest fantasy novels ever, The Hobbit is nominally a children’s book but appeals to people of all ages. It is a classic quest novel: Bilbo Baggins sets off on a journey with the wizard Gandalf to help some dwarves get their homes back from a fierce dragon named Smaug.

The critically lauded book earned the Carnegie Medal and has been adapted into hit movies . You can read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit by ordering through publisher Simon & Schuster .

"The Bluest Eye" author Toni Morrison attends the Carl Sandburg literary awards dinner at the ... [+] University of Illinois at Chicago Forum on October 20, 2010.

The 10 Best Ways to Read Comics Online for Free

Where can you go to read comic books online for free, and legally? There are numerous options available to you.

Marvel and DC have gained a lot of new fans with their increased cinematic presence, meaning a boost to the comic book industry. Unfortunately, visiting your local comic book store can prove expensive. Single issues typically cost $3.99. Milestone issues and variants cost even more. And some people don't even live near a comic shop.

Thankfully, you can save some money by using these sites to read comics online for free and completely legally. No matter what kind of comics you're into, you should find them on the best sites for free comics.

1. Marvel Unlimited

Where do you go to read Marvel Comics online for free? Marvel Unlimited is the obvious answer, but most know it solely as a paid-for service. With a monthly or annual subscription, you get access to over 30,000 comics. Its corresponding mobile app is one of the best Marvel apps for comic book fans .

However, Unlimited offers a series of tasters, also giving you the chance to try out its smart panel interface. There's a good mix of big-name characters and lesser-known heroes, so you can explore plenty that the Marvel Universe has to offer.

Of course, you'll see a lot of debut series, but keep checking because it further features entire miniseries for you to enjoy, including comics related to current and previous shows and films, like Marvel's Hero Project on Disney+ and digital-exclusive "Infinity Comics" related to the Loki TV series. If you enjoy the app, you can join Marvel Unlimited with monthly or annual subscriptions. This includes downloads for offline reading, creator and character spotlights, and plenty more fantastic Marvel Unlimited features .

2. DC Universe Infinite

Where can you go to read DC Comics online? DC Kids used to be a good option, and while it still features animations (for which the company is greatly celebrated, giving youngsters a good entry-point into comics), its comic selection has dwindled to nothing. Instead, then, there's DC Universe Infinity, the major publisher's alternative to Marvel Unlimited.

But this is region-locked, so isn't available to everyone. At the time of writing, readers in the UK, for instance, are exempt, as the main app that supports the free issues isn't ready yet.

If you're in America, Canada, or other select locations, however, you can enjoy a small but fair sample of freebies, notably issues released as part of Free Comic Book Day, an annual event in May that purports to help draw fans into independent comic book stores.

You'll find the big names here, i.e. Superman, Batman, and the Suicide Squad, so it's a decent way of introducing yourself or others to the worlds of DC.

If you want to read comics online, Libby is an ideal choice. It's brought to you by your local library service, you get a whole host of free stuff to borrow for 21 days. Plus, if you're not sure you'd like a particular title, you can read a sample before borrowing properly.

There are sections for kids and teenagers, or you can just browse a wide archive of graphic novels, magazines, and even audiobooks.

You need a library card, but because this app is sponsored by local libraries all across the world, you can actually request a card from your nearest library. You can borrow up to 10 titles at one time and download them for free too, so if you're going on vacation and can't guarantee internet access, this is a top choice.

4. Dark Horse's Free Books

Dark Horse is a great heavy-hitter with the license for numerous much-loved franchises. The company's Free Books page is a reflection of that, which also acts as a great way of getting newcomers into comics.

Let's say you have a friend who loves Stranger Things. Get them hooked by introducing them to the free comics! Maybe you love playing Overwatch. Why not take some time away from the PlayStation by sampling Dark Horse's miniseries expanding on that world?

Other popular brands you'll find here include Minecraft, The Umbrella Academy, Hellboy, Avatar, and Mass Effect.

5. DriveThru Comics

You won't find the big two here: Marvel and DC are absent from the list of publishers on DriveThru. However, there's a large collection of books with a variety of comics that span genres and styles. And you will find Marvel and DC's bigger competitors, like Valiant Comics, Top Cow, and Aspen Comics.

Most first issues are free, and if you like the series, you can buy subsequent issues from the store. Many of those that aren't free are available on a pay-what-you-want basis.

DriveThru's filters can be used to browse genres, formats, publishers, and prices. Use them to narrow down the selection of comics and start exploring. It's hard to know what you'll find here, but DriveThru is always a good place to read free comics online.

6. Amazon Best Sellers

You might not think of Amazon as a good place to find free comic books. But there's a surprising amount of free content available if you know where to look.

Start on the Comics and Graphic Novels Best Sellers list, then click Top 100 Free to see the most popular free titles available for download. That's DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, and lots more.

You can also filter the list by genre on the left of the screen, helping you find the comics you're interested in. The list is updated hourly, so check back regularly for new titles. In a way, it's essentially an aggregate of free content, so if you're not sure where to start off, this is the best place to explore.

7. Digital Comic Museum

If you'd like to see the genesis of the comic book medium, check out the Digital Comic Museum. You can spend days reading free comic books from the Golden Age (i.e. 1930s to 1950s).

The titles and characters may not be familiar—though Captain Marvel, now widely known as Shazam, does show up—but you can see how the Golden Age books had a strong influence on today's works.

You won't find modern comic books here. Nonetheless, it's fun to browse through the classic titles from 70+ years ago and see how the artwork and storytelling have changed. Today's publishers stand on the shoulders of giants.

8. Comic Book Plus

Established in 2006, Comic Book Plus takes a similar stance to the Digital Comic Museum, showcasing Golden and Silver Age comics in the public domain.

Except this site goes above and beyond the call of duty. It's an archive celebrating the whole genre, meaning it includes a number of features you won't find elsewhere. There are sections devoted to fanzines, pulp fiction, non-English comics, newspapers and magazines, adverts, booklets, public information posters, and even coloring books.

Comic Book Plus is a great resource for comic book fans, graphic designers, and historians. Once you start exploring, it's incredibly difficult to stop.

9. GoComics

Not all comics feature superheroes. Comics are a part of everyday life—that's evident from the number of humor strips you can find in newspapers. Comics are enjoying a resurgence, and you can take full advantage of this if you know the best comic book websites to visit . And GoComics is your top resource for syndicated strips.

There are two subscription options: free and paid. Fortunately, the former is all you really need (although we encourage readers to support the service). GoComics offers a massive catalog including lesser-known cartoons and popular names like Peanuts, Dilbert, and Calvin and Hobbes.

Plus there are two categories for our favorite Monday-hating cat: Garfield and Garfield Classics!

10. ElfQuest

Elfquest is an award-winning independent comic that has been running since the late 1970s. Every issue released before 2014 is available for free on its website.

If you like sprawling fantasy worlds, this is for you. There are several series available that detail the adventures of different characters and story arcs.

The series has now concluded with the Final Quest story arc, available from Dark Horse. The publisher has also released the complete ElfQuest series in collected editions. But you can get a good head-start on the series by reading the rest of the comics online for free.

Start Reading Comics Online for Free Now

These sites let you read comics online for free and, most importantly, legally.

You can revisit your favorites, explore the works of different publishers and creative teams, and get a glimpse into the past to see what the Golden Age of comics was like. All free of charge.

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The Onion Is Sold by G/O Media

The satirical news website was bought by a new firm in Chicago that took inspiration for its name, Global Tetrahedron, from a book written by The Onion’s staff.

By Katie Robertson

G/O Media announced on Thursday that it had sold The Onion, a satirical news site, to a group of digital media veterans.

The Onion, which started in 1988 in Wisconsin as a weekly satirical newspaper and later became a website, is known for its parodies of current events. For the last decade, it has republished the same headline after nearly every mass shooting: “‘No Way to Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.”

In an email to G/O Media staff that was obtained by The New York Times, Jim Spanfeller, the chief executive, said the company was “undergoing an extensive review of our portfolio with the intention of coring down to our leading sites in terms of audience and revenues.” He said G/O Media had agreed to sell to “a new Chicago-based firm called Global Tetrahedron.”

“This company is made up of four digital media veterans with a profound love for The Onion and comedy-based content,” Mr. Spanfeller wrote. “The site’s new owners have agreed to keep The Onion’s entire staff intact and in Chicago, something we insisted be part of the deal.”

The name Global Tetrahedron is, in true Onion fashion, a winking reference to a sinister fictional company featured in the book “Our Dumb Century,” which was written by The Onion’s staff and published in 1999.

The real-life Global Tetrahedron is owned by Jeff Lawson, a co-founder and former chief executive of the technology communications company Twilio. The chief executive is Ben Collins, who was a senior reporter at NBC News until recently. Leila Brillson, a former TikTok executive, and Danielle Strle, previously at Tumblr, round out the executive team.

In an interview, Mr. Lawson said that he had long wanted to buy The Onion and had pursued the project at various points in time before linking up with Mr. Collins, who started pondering the idea early this year.

“The world needs laughter; it needs satirical criticism more than ever,” Mr. Lawson said. “And that’s why we think this is the right time and the right way to help The Onion continue to grow, continue to flourish, and frankly I’m concerned if we hadn’t done this, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Mr. Collins said audiences had a longstanding connection to The Onion and noted that many of the website’s writers and editors had been there for years.

“Our goal is to be stewards for this thing,” he said. “We’re keeping all the writers, we’re going to work with the union, we’re going to make it so they can hopefully get paid a little bit more money, and we’re going to give them the room to grow.”

The new owners said they planned to improve user experience on the website and expand into multimedia, but otherwise wanted The Onion’s staff members to continue to do the work they’ve been doing.

Mr. Lawson and Mr. Collins, who were in Chicago Thursday to meet The Onion’s editorial staff, declined to disclose the deal price. Noah Shachtman, the former editor in chief of Rolling Stone, has advised on the project, according to two people with knowledge of the deal.

“The Onion is just an institution,” Mr. Lawson said, adding: “It should be preserved and it should be great.”

The website is the latest to be shed by G/O Media, which still publishes a few stalwart internet brands like Gizmodo, The Root and Quartz. In recent years, the company sold off Jezebel , Lifehacker , Deadspin and the A.V. Club . G/O Media was formed in 2019 by the private equity firm Great Hill Partners after it bought a collection of websites that were once part of Gawker Media.

Katie Robertson covers the media industry for The Times. Email:  [email protected]   More about Katie Robertson

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Sex offender banned from using AI tools in landmark UK case

The decision could set a precedent for future monitoring of people convicted of indecent image offences

A sex offender convicted of making more than 1,000 indecent images of children has been banned from using any “AI creating tools” for the next five years in the first known case of its kind.

Anthony Dover, 48, was ordered by a UK court “not to use, visit or access” artificial intelligence generation tools without the prior permission of police as a condition of a sexual harm prevention order imposed in February.

The ban prohibits him from using tools such as text-to-image generators, which can make lifelike pictures based on a written command, and “nudifying” websites used to make explicit “deepfakes”.

Dover, who was given a community order and £200 fine, has also been explicitly ordered not to use Stable Diffusion software, which has reportedly been exploited by paedophiles to create hyper-realistic child sexual abuse material, according to records from a sentencing hearing at Poole magistrates court.

The case is the latest in a string of prosecutions where AI generation has emerged as an issue and follows months of warnings from charities over the proliferation of AI-generated sexual abuse imagery.

Last week, the government announced the creation of a new offence that makes it illegal to make sexually explicit deepfakes of over-18s without consent. Those convicted face prosecution and an unlimited fine. If the image is then shared more widely offenders could be sent to jail.

Creating, possessing and sharing artificial child sexual abuse material was already illegal under laws in place since the 1990s, which ban both real and “pseudo” photographs of under-18s. In previous years, the law has been used to prosecute people for offences involving lifelike images such as those made using Photoshop.

Recent cases suggest it is increasingly being used to deal with the threat posed by sophisticated artificial content. In one going through the courts in England, a defendant who has indicated a guilty plea to making and distributing indecent “pseudo photographs” of under-18s was bailed with conditions including not accessing a Japanese photo-sharing platform where he is alleged to have sold and distributed artificial abuse imagery, according to court records.

In another case, a 17-year-old from Denbighshire, north-east Wales, was convicted in February of making hundreds of indecent “pseudo photographs”, including 93 images and 42 videos of the most extreme category A images. At least six others have appeared in court accused of possessing, making or sharing pseudo-photographs – which covers AI generated images – in the last year.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said the prosecutions were a “landmark” moment that “should sound the alarm that criminals producing AI-generated child sexual abuse images are like one-man factories, capable of churning out some of the most appalling imagery”.

Susie Hargreaves, the charity’s chief executive, said that while AI-generated sexual abuse imagery currently made up “a relatively low” proportion of reports, they were seeing a “slow but continual increase” in cases, and that some of the material was “highly realistic”. “We hope the prosecutions send a stark message for those making and distributing this content that it is illegal,” she said.

It is not clear exactly how many cases there have been involving AI-generated images because they are not counted separately in official data, and fake images can be difficult to tell from real ones.

Last year, a team from the IWF went undercover in a dark web child abuse forum and found 2,562 artificial images that were so realistic they would be treated by law as though they were real.

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF), which runs the confidential Stop It Now helpline for people worried about their thoughts or behaviour, said it had received multiple calls about AI images and that it was a “concerning trend growing at pace”.

It is also concerned about the use of “nudifying” tools used to create deepfake images. In one case, the father of a 12-year-old boy said he had found his son using an AI app to make topless pictures of friends.

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In another case, a caller to the NSPCC’s Childline helpline said a “stranger online” had made “fake nudes” of her. “It looks so real, it’s my face and my room in the background. They must have taken the pictures from my Instagram and edited them,” the 15-year-old said.

The charities said that as well as targeting offenders, tech companies needed to stop image generators from producing this content in the first place. “This is not tomorrow’s problem,” said Deborah Denis, chief executive at the LFF.

The decision to ban an adult sex offender from using AI generation tools could set a precedent for future monitoring of people convicted of indecent image offences.

Sex offenders have long faced restrictions on internet use, such as being banned from browsing in “incognito” mode, accessing encrypted messaging apps or from deleting their internet history. But there are no known cases where restrictions were imposed on use of AI tools.

In Dover’s case, it is not clear whether the ban was imposed because his offending involved AI-generated content, or due to concerns about future offending. Such conditions are often requested by prosecutors based on intelligence held by police. By law, they must be specific, proportionate to the threat posed, and “necessary for the purpose of protecting the public”.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: “Where we perceive there is an ongoing risk to children’s safety, we will ask the court to impose conditions, which may involve prohibiting use of certain technology.”

Stability AI, the company behind Stable Diffusion, said the concerns about child abuse material related to an earlier version of the software, which was released to the public by one of its partners. It said that since taking over the exclusive licence in 2022 it had invested in features to prevent misuse including “filters to intercept unsafe prompts and outputs” and that it banned any use of its services for unlawful activity.

• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• The Observer
• Sex offenders register
• Online abuse
• Prisons and probation
• Crown Prosecution Service

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BBC presenter’s likeness used in advert after firm tricked by AI-generated voice

UK competition watchdog steps up scrutiny of big tech’s role in AI startups

Can AI image generators be policed to prevent explicit deepfakes of children?

UK has real concerns about AI risks, says competition regulator

‘Miss AI’ is billed as a leap forward – but feels like a monumental step backwards

AI race heats up as OpenAI, Google and Mistral release new models

Meta’s Nick Clegg plays down AI’s threat to global democracy

Why I wrote an AI transparency statement for my book, and think other authors should too

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IRS releases 2023 Data Book describing agency’s transformation through statistics

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IR-2024-115, April 18, 2024

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued its annual Data Book detailing the agency’s activities during fiscal year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 30, 2023), including revenue collected and tax returns processed.

For FY 2023, the IRS collected approximately $4.7 trillion, or about 96 percent of the funding that supports the federal government’s operations — to fund everything from education to national defense.

During FY 2023, the IRS processed more than 271.4 million tax returns and other forms, including more than 163.1 million individual income tax returns.

Beyond statistics, the 2023 Data Book reflects the initial impacts of the historic long-term funding provided under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 to transform the IRS and modernize how the agency serves the American people.

“This once-in-a-generation funding opportunity provided by the IRA is an investment in the transformation of the IRS and an investment in the financial future of our nation,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel wrote in the Data Book introduction. “The effects of this IRA funding — to hire more IRS employees and modernize the agency’s technology and systems to provide better service to the American people — started showing up in the 2023 tax season. And that progress has accelerated into 2024.”

In FY 2023, with new phone assistors hired through IRA funding, IRS employees answered nearly 27.3 million phone calls — a 25% increase from FY 2022. The IRS opened or reopened more than 50 taxpayer assistance centers in FY 2023 that were closed during the pandemic. The IRS had more than 1.6 million contacts at 363 centers across the nation in FY 2023 to provide more in-person help to taxpayers – up 18% from FY 2022.

These increases in taxpayer assistance – on the phones, in person and on IRS.gov – are continuing in 2024,   as highlighted earlier this week   . The IRA funding is already making a difference for taxpayers, Werfel said — from shorter wait times for IRS telephone help, to more in-person and online resources for taxpayers, to the IRS’s free Direct File pilot tax filing program launched for 2024 in 12 states.

And the IRS has increased its enforcement and collections efforts on high wealth non-filers and those who underreport their tax liability through complex schemes. In FY 2023, there was no increase in audits of tax returns for taxpayers making under $400,000 per year.

After several challenging pandemic years, the IRS had a successful filing season in 2023, with the addition of 5,800 new employees hired to provide taxpayer service. Overall, the IRS’s workforce grew 5% in FY 2023.

Data highlights

The IRS issued $659 million in refunds to taxpayers during FY 2023 — a 2.7% increase over FY 2022.

In FY 2023, the IRS closed 582,944 tax return audits, resulting in $31.9 billion in recommended additional tax.

For all returns filed for tax years 2013 through 2021, the IRS examined 0.44% of individual returns filed and 0.74% of corporation returns filed, through the end of FY 2023.

The IRS has examined the returns of 8.7% of taxpayers filing individual returns reporting total positive income of $10 million or more for tax years 2013 through 2021, as of the end of FY 2023.

The IRS website had more than 880.9 million visits in FY 2023, including more than 303.1 million inquiries on its Where’s My Refund? online tool that enables taxpayers to check the status of their tax refund.

Some new features in the 2023 Data Book include two new tables from IRS’s Large Business & International Division focused on tax certainty programs. The Advance Pricing Agreement and Compliance Assurance Programs provide businesses the opportunity to work with the IRS to ensure tax compliance prior to filing, which benefits both businesses and the government.

The 2023 Data Book also features added information on telephone level of service with automation called LOS(A), and a trust score based on Performance.gov metrics.

To learn more details, view the complete 2023 Data Book online.

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