How to Start Reading eBooks

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 21, 2024 References

One of the great new inventions of the last several years is the e-book, which is a digital book that you can read on a variety of devices. From Amazon's Kindle to an iPad or standard laptop, there are many ways to read e-books and plenty of places to purchase them or obtain them for free. But before you get started, you need to decide on your e-book platform. After that, you can begin reading some stories and building your collection!

Quick Steps

Download e-book software on your device or buy an e-reader tablet.
Buy e-books through commercial services like Amazon or iBooks.
Borrow e-books from a public or educational library.
Download public domain e-books for free through Project Gutenberg.
Download an e-book organizer to help you keep track of your books.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Choosing Your E-Book Platform

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1
Find an e-book application for your mobile phone. Whether you have an iPhone or Android, there are many applications designed for reading e-books. The most popular are OverDrive Media Console, Kindle App, Google Play Books, Bluefire Reader, and iBooks. Compare the features of each and select one catered to your needs.
- Use Open Fire Media if you plan to read content offered through libraries and schools.
- Download Bluefire Reader if you are going to read e-books from many different sources.
- Select Kindle App if you have an Amazon Prime membership—this opens up over 1 million books for you to borrow from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.
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2
Download e-book software onto your computer. If you want to read an e-book on your desktop or laptop, there many programs to choose from. The Kindle App, Calibre, and Adobe Digital Editions are the most popular free software and all have Windows and Mac versions. ^{[1]
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- If your browser is Firefox by Mozilla, you can download the EPUBReader to read ePub files right in your browser. ^{[2]
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3
Purchase an e-reader tablet if you plan to read for long hours. Devices like Kindle (Amazon) and Nook (Barnes & Noble) have longer battery lives than iPads, meaning you can travel without a charger for weeks. They also come with e-ink screens that prevent you from staring directly into the source of light, which is easier on the eyes. ^{[3]
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- Choose a tablet if you plan to read outside during the day often.
- Remember that e-tablets are only compatible with e-books purchased from their respective companies (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, etc.).
- Download conversion software to remove digital rights management (DRM) from e-books and read them on any device. However, bear in mind these are third-party programs that are not guaranteed to be effective.
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4
Invest in an iPad if you plan to read a variety of image-rich materials. With an iPad, you can purchase e-books from Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Google Play Books, and more, giving you much more variety in terms of suppliers. It's also better suited for image-rich materials like comic books. ^{[4]
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- Don't use an iPad to read for long periods of time, especially outdoors—it will strain your eyes with its LCD display.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Finding E-Books to Read

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1
Purchase e-books using commercial services. There are plenty of places to purchase e-books, including Amazon's Kindle Store, Kobo, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Sony. Amazon is typically the cheapest, but look around and see which service has a selection of books suited to your tastes.
- If you lose a copy of your e-book on your computer or reader, return to the service you purchased it from and download it again from your personal library.
- If you're looking for free books, these services also have a limited number of options.
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2
Borrow e-books using a public or educational library. Local libraries and schools often have their own catalogue of e-books. For public libraries, you need a library card and PIN to download books to your device. For school libraries, you will need your student number and pin to log-in to the system and borrow materials. ^{[5]
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- Borrow e-books from libraries if you don't plan to take a while to read them. After the borrowing period is up, library e-books are automatically returned.
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3
Download public domain e-books through Project Gutenberg. This project contains an archive of public domain books in e-book format. Simply browse their catalog ( https://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/ ) and choose something you like, or search their database for something specific.
- Choose a specific language if you are interested in reading books in different languages.
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4
Download an e-book organizer. As you begin amassing an e-book collection through the methods above, you might find things get a bit cluttered. Download an organizer like Calibre, Alfa Ebooks Managers, Delicious Library, or Library Thing. These programs help you organize you collection alphabetically, by author, by publisher, or chronologically. ^{[6]
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- Tablets like Kindle and Nook come with management software, but only for e-books purchased through their distributors.
- Download a DRM removal plugin for organizers that support them, such as Calibre. This allows you to import e-books purchased through Kindle and Nook to the free organizer. DRM removal is typically only illegal if done with the intention to sell or share the file. ^{[7]
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Community Q&A

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How do I find the best book for me to read?

Victoria

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Consider your favorite genres, as well as your interests. You can also ask your family members and friends for book recommendations. Choose a Good Book has more helpful advice on choosing the best book for you to read.

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Tips

Keep an eye out for the latest e-books, as well as updates to the software and hardware. For example, illustrations can now be inserted into EPUB documents.

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On iPhones, download applications from the iTunes store. For Droid-style phones, download applications from the Google Play store.

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Kindle and Nook readers are essentially Android devices, but their operating systems restrict you from downloading apps.

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Warnings

Never try to make pirated copies of your e-books. If the distributor finds out, you will be blocked from using their service.

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Books bought from Kindle and Nook have DRM, which is a system to prevent you from handing off copies of your books to friends and family. This is the main reason you're not allowed to read Kindle and Nook books on other readers, or allowed to manage these books with Calibre without a DRM removal plugin.

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How to Start Reading eBooks

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Steps

Choosing Your E-Book Platform

Finding E-Books to Read

Community Q&A

Tips

Warnings

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