Multi language e-book stores

joerg.herzinger · 02-06-2013, 04:51 AM

I recently got myself a Kobo GLO and until now I just read free ebooks but now I want to do more and stumbled around a seemingly simple problem: Pretty much all book stores are single language. I would like to buy mostly english books, but some also in german.
How do you deal with such a problem? Amazon? Well, Amazon would be a solution but I am using Linux only and can't find a way to download those ebooks. Buying from multiple stores would be a solution, but I kind of would prefer one single store. Also, buying from multiple stores usually means having to convert between formats (azw to epub, nook to epub...) and I am not sure about the quality of conversion.
Any tips??

MikeB1972 · 02-06-2013, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joerg.herzinger

I recently got myself a Kobo GLO and until now I just read free ebooks but now I want to do more and stumbled around a seemingly simple problem: Pretty much all book stores are single language. I would like to buy mostly english books, but some also in german.
How do you deal with such a problem? Amazon? Well, Amazon would be a solution but I am using Linux only and can't find a way to download those ebooks. Buying from multiple stores would be a solution, but I kind of would prefer one single store. Also, buying from multiple stores usually means having to convert between formats (azw to epub, nook to epub...) and I am not sure about the quality of conversion.
Any tips??

Err.. Kobo sell german books.

Pookeysgirl · 02-06-2013, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Err.. Kobo sell german books.

Yep, lots of them

susan_cassidy · 02-06-2013, 12:43 PM

Amazon books download via a browser, if you are doing it via a pc. Should work fine on Linux.

Abtacha · 02-06-2013, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Amazon books download via a browser, if you are doing it via a pc. Should work fine on Linux.

I'm pretty sure they only offer that option when you have a Kindle, otherwise you have to use the Kindle for PC program.
Kindle for PC does however work fine with the current version of WINE.
But be aware that you can't read Amazon#s books on the Kobo if they have DRM and I don't think you can see on Amazon's (german?) page whether they do. And even without DRM I don't know whether the Kobo reads Amazons .azw files without converting them with Calibre first.

susan_cassidy · 02-06-2013, 05:07 PM

No, a Kobo reader won't read Amazon books, without removing the DRM and converting first. Unless you can root it and install the Kindle for Android app, or similar.

xendula · 02-07-2013, 01:18 AM

I don't have a Kobo, but found it difficult to navigate the Kobo site for foreign books, especially because Kobo refuses to let me go to the German or French store - it always redirects me to the US store. I hate it when websites do that.

What I personally do is browse amazon.de, amazon.fr and amazon.es for book suggestions, then enter the title in the US site (my Kindle account is registered in the US, so it's the only Amazon store that I can purchase books from). Some books are not available here, but most/ very many German ones are. Also, when you click on an author's name on amazon, it shows you all their books, including all the translations that you can buy.

I work on Windows, so things may be much easier for me, and I run the books through Calibre anyway (it takes only the press of a button), so the format does not really matter to me. Amazon is the only store that at least does not hinder me from buying the foreign language books I want.

If you read a lot, I would also suggest getting a US libarary card - there are a few that let non-residents do it for a small yearly fee. That would cover the English books.

Kumabjorn · 02-07-2013, 06:30 AM

You should be able to reach the German and French Kobo store through a proxy or VPN. I believe there are lots of free options available out there.

02-06-2013, 04:51 AM	#1
joerg.herzinger Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 5394 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: none	Multi language e-book stores I recently got myself a Kobo GLO and until now I just read free ebooks but now I want to do more and stumbled around a seemingly simple problem: Pretty much all book stores are single language. I would like to buy mostly english books, but some also in german. How do you deal with such a problem? Amazon? Well, Amazon would be a solution but I am using Linux only and can't find a way to download those ebooks. Buying from multiple stores would be a solution, but I kind of would prefer one single store. Also, buying from multiple stores usually means having to convert between formats (azw to epub, nook to epub...) and I am not sure about the quality of conversion. Any tips??

02-07-2013, 01:18 AM	#7
xendula eBookworm Posts: 2,300 Karma: 4525746 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: East Coast brrrrr Device: Kindle 4B/K ~ Nexus 7 ~ Kindle Paperwhite 1&2 ~ iPad Air	I don't have a Kobo, but found it difficult to navigate the Kobo site for foreign books, especially because Kobo refuses to let me go to the German or French store - it always redirects me to the US store. I hate it when websites do that. What I personally do is browse amazon.de, amazon.fr and amazon.es for book suggestions, then enter the title in the US site (my Kindle account is registered in the US, so it's the only Amazon store that I can purchase books from). Some books are not available here, but most/ very many German ones are. Also, when you click on an author's name on amazon, it shows you all their books, including all the translations that you can buy. I work on Windows, so things may be much easier for me, and I run the books through Calibre anyway (it takes only the press of a button), so the format does not really matter to me. Amazon is the only store that at least does not hinder me from buying the foreign language books I want. If you read a lot, I would also suggest getting a US libarary card - there are a few that let non-residents do it for a small yearly fee. That would cover the English books. Last edited by xendula; 02-07-2013 at 01:23 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Multi-language incl. Russian	muzzex	Which one should I buy?	2	12-11-2012 08:29 PM
Multi-language bookstore?	hieronymos	Kobo Tablets	4	11-17-2011 09:02 PM
best multi-language e-reader?	sovre	Which one should I buy?	9	08-13-2011 11:11 AM
Multi language support via Calibre	Jim77	Calibre	4	02-12-2010 03:46 PM
Multi-language books in mobipocket	Jellby	Kindle Formats	2	12-17-2008 09:34 PM

02-06-2013, 12:43 PM	#4
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Amazon books download via a browser, if you are doing it via a pc. Should work fine on Linux.

02-06-2013, 05:07 PM	#6
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	No, a Kobo reader won't read Amazon books, without removing the DRM and converting first. Unless you can root it and install the Kindle for Android app, or similar.

02-07-2013, 06:30 AM	#8
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	You should be able to reach the German and French Kobo store through a proxy or VPN. I believe there are lots of free options available out there.