While we traditionally recommend a weekend read, we thought a roundup of places for free ebooks, audiobooks and yes, even magazines, might be more helpful. Many have their own apps for reading on a variety of devices. Here are some of our favorites:
Scribd, the world’s largest digital library, is currently offering free access for the next 30 days, no credit card required.
Hoopla allows library patrons free access to audio books, comics, ebooks, movies, music, and TV through many library systems.
Overdrive lets library cardholders borrow ebooks, audiobooks and videos from thousands of public libraries worldwide. Their app Libby is a great way to search and read books.
RBDigital offers more than a dozen types of content, including digital books, magazines, newspapers, comics, entertainment, health and wellness, and more. Access is free through many library systems.
Google Books has the most extensive collection of free books on the internet. Your search may include books for purchase, so include “free” for better results.
Open Library provides free access to a range of materials.
Read.gov is a service from the Library of Congress that features hundreds of classic books used in schools. Helpful for those now home-schooling.
Project Gutenberg provides free access to more than 60,000 ebooks, making it a great resource for at-home learning.
Sesame Street is offering a host of free ebooks for the younger (and young-at-heart) set.
Prefer a physical book? Many local bookstores have online shipping services and could use our support during this time. Or try Bookshop.org which shares sales with local bookstores.
We’d love to hear of other ways to get books, so feel free to share your favorites in the comments.