Free ebook sites?

mandykaysmith · 01-12-2015, 08:36 AM

Hi Everyone,
For ages now both me and some friends have been looking for and trying all sorts of ebook sites for our Androids & PC's, and there are a few, even better though are the FREE ones. We found a couple that were OK!!

, but we then found one a year ago now, that was AWSOME

, it was "eprint 10,000 free ebooks" the best of the rest by far, and all FREE.....at first you could download it from Google but that unfortunately stopped, So when I had to update it, I had to go to the Samsung Store. But now there seems to be a problem, at first I thought it was me and my internet, but all my friends are experiencing the same problem. Now when attempting to access the Store(Library) part of this ebook reader, we get error, that's it just error!! nothing more....Does ANYBODY KNOW what has happened to what we reckon was the best access to free books online ever to be accessible to the public

This is a great loss to those who cannot afford to buy books, with such a wide variety covering everybodys taste in a good read.

kyteflyer · 01-12-2015, 08:41 AM

Most of us who cannot afford to buy get ours from Amazon, Gutenberg, Smashwords... which site are you talking about?

pdurrant · 01-12-2015, 10:01 AM

I think the OP is confused between web sites and android apps. It's possible the reference is to the ebook-studio app, and the associated web site.

It does seem to be down at the moment. I'm also unsure whether it only had public domain books and licensed books, or whether the content was just pirated.

I do recommend the MobileRead Library for good quality conversions of classic titles.

HarryT · 01-12-2015, 10:09 AM

Perhaps the original poster can clarify whether she's talking about Android apps or ebook web sites, and give an example of the type of book she's looking for.

cromag · 01-12-2015, 05:39 PM

There are several reports online that the "eprint-studio" app was offering ebooks without authorization. No proof that they were pirating, but it does look like it.

EDIT: They have a Youtube promotional/tutorial video that does promise any ebook for free, including books by Stephen Hawking, Dan Brown, and in particular, states the Harry Potter books are available free. The narrator does specifically state that they carry any ebook available from Google Play, etc., and their books are free.

Definitely sounds like piracy, which might account for the site being shut down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvaZF7BR0sQ

If the original poster is interested in free/low cost best sellers and the like, I'd recommend looking into book downloads offered by a legitimate library.

HarryT · 01-12-2015, 06:24 PM

They certainly sound like a pirate site. Good to hear they've been shut down.

Mrs. Marple · 01-12-2015, 07:42 PM

The eprint website has not been accessible for a week. I assumed since they've been offering books for so long, and they were pretty well publicized that that the ad at the bottom of the page when you read the books was the reason the books could be read free. I don't know how stuff like that works, tho.

crich70 · 01-12-2015, 10:00 PM

There are no doubt a lot more pirate ebook sites out there than there are legitimate ones. Some things should be red flags though. Like offering books by living authors for free when they are selling for say $9.99 on up at sites like Amazon or Kobo.

pdurrant · 01-13-2015, 02:22 AM

Thanks for the research. It does seem that the OP had been using an app/web site that supplied pirated ebooks.

Just for absolute clarity: Links to pirate web sites or asking how to obtain pirated ebooks is strictly forbidden on MobileRead.

rollei · 01-16-2015, 06:47 PM

e-books are available for borrowing from Public Library these days.

jscarbo · 01-17-2015, 07:01 AM

A comprehensive compilation of legal free ebook sites can be found here: http://www.techsupportalert.com/cont...oks-online.htm

Fiat_Lux · 01-17-2015, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandykaysmith

ANYBODY KNOW what has happened to what we reckon was the best access to free books online ever to be accessible to the public:

If it shut down on either 31 December 2014 or 1 January 2015, then it was the site in Spain that closed because of a change in Spanish law. (What it was doing was perfectly legal in Spain, before the change in the law.)

If it disappeared around 10 December 2014, then it was taken out as a side-effect of the take-down of TPB. That takedown had a negative impact on virtually all the domains hosted by the organization that provided an Internet presence to TPB.

If it disappeared on some other date, then it probably switched domain names, and "favoured users" have the URL.

Katsunami · 01-21-2015, 05:38 AM

CoolReader and FBReader are free reading apps for Android.

Websites to get free ebooks are:
Gutenberg.org
MobileRead.com
Feedbooks.com
The Baen Library at Baen.com
Free books at Amazon and Kobo, both classics and freebies.
And many others....

crich70 · 01-21-2015, 07:22 AM

Don't forget Amazon.com. They have some classics for free and there are always new books being offered for free as well. And some books at Kobo are also free.

Rev. Bob · 02-11-2015, 02:41 AM

Does reward point redemption count as "free"?

If so, the Viggle store is a new option, but an interesting one. I've been using their iOS app for a while, since it's a fairly easy way to rack up points that would hopefully be good for something (aside from saving up 2M points for an iPad Air).

Viggle gives 1 pt/min for checking into a TV show, from the time you check in until either you check into a new show or that one ends. Some shows have live trivia games, where answering questions while watching the show during broadcast (instead of DVR) scores more points - the Grammys had a 250/question game, and The Flash had a 100/question game plus a 4x bonus point rate for the basic check-in. (That is, check in for 60 minutes and get 180 bonus points.) The other big point options are watching ads (usually 20 points and 15-30 seconds each) and matching songs (100 points each, max 20/day, no points for repeats). I usually check into whatever I'm watching, zip through the music-only channels to match 20 songs a night, and play muted ads when I'm not busy - which is worth about 2500 points a night. I think the usual maximum is 6000-8000 points per day, which resets at midnight Pacific time.

So much for the points economy. I was originally into it for B&N gift cards (Nook books!), but those dried up last year. Now Viggle has their own online rewards store, which started with music and has since added movies (some of which are UV-compatible) and - as of January - ebooks.

Their selection isn't great, and they have some interface problems (use IE on a Windows PC; Firefox and Chrome have issues), but they do carry HarperCollins, Open Road, Scholastic, and some smaller publishers. A $3 HC novella cost me 9K points, there's a $1 short listed at 2500, a $10 indie novel-length anthology was 27K, and I've seen some new releases priced at over 40K.

There are certainly worse ways to get books than by absorbing points while watching the same TV shows I already follow.

Plus, my two "purchases" so far have been books that would've been problematic to buy from Kobo - the novella's an EPUB 3, and the anthology's publisher feeds PDFs to Kobo for reasons I cannot fathom. Watching the Grammys last night and The Flash tonight covered most of those points; I still have over 400K in my account.

01-12-2015, 08:36 AM	#1
mandykaysmith Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 1000010 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Bristol. UK Device: Laptop, Android Phone.	Free ebook sites? Hi Everyone, For ages now both me and some friends have been looking for and trying all sorts of ebook sites for our Androids & PC's, and there are a few, even better though are the FREE ones. We found a couple that were OK!!, but we then found one a year ago now, that was AWSOME, it was "eprint 10,000 free ebooks" the best of the rest by far, and all FREE.....at first you could download it from Google but that unfortunately stopped, So when I had to update it, I had to go to the Samsung Store. But now there seems to be a problem, at first I thought it was me and my internet, but all my friends are experiencing the same problem. Now when attempting to access the Store(Library) part of this ebook reader, we get error, that's it just error!! nothing more....Does ANYBODY KNOW what has happened to what we reckon was the best access to free books online ever to be accessible to the public This is a great loss to those who cannot afford to buy books, with such a wide variety covering everybodys taste in a good read.

01-12-2015, 05:39 PM	#5
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 24,293 Karma: 459220161 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	There are several reports online that the "eprint-studio" app was offering ebooks without authorization. No proof that they were pirating, but it does look like it. EDIT: They have a Youtube promotional/tutorial video that does promise any ebook for free, including books by Stephen Hawking, Dan Brown, and in particular, states the Harry Potter books are available free. The narrator does specifically state that they carry any ebook available from Google Play, etc., and their books are free. Definitely sounds like piracy, which might account for the site being shut down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvaZF7BR0sQ If the original poster is interested in free/low cost best sellers and the like, I'd recommend looking into book downloads offered by a legitimate library. Last edited by cromag; 01-12-2015 at 06:10 PM.

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01-12-2015, 08:41 AM	#2
kyteflyer Wizard Posts: 1,841 Karma: 9547754 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Device: iPhone SE2020	Most of us who cannot afford to buy get ours from Amazon, Gutenberg, Smashwords... which site are you talking about?

01-12-2015, 10:01 AM	#3
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,504 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	I think the OP is confused between web sites and android apps. It's possible the reference is to the ebook-studio app, and the associated web site. It does seem to be down at the moment. I'm also unsure whether it only had public domain books and licensed books, or whether the content was just pirated. I do recommend the MobileRead Library for good quality conversions of classic titles.

01-12-2015, 10:09 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Perhaps the original poster can clarify whether she's talking about Android apps or ebook web sites, and give an example of the type of book she's looking for.

01-12-2015, 06:24 PM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	They certainly sound like a pirate site. Good to hear they've been shut down.

01-12-2015, 07:42 PM	#7
Mrs. Marple gossipy old village lady. Posts: 15 Karma: 400176 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kobo Vox, Polaroid PMID 701C, Samsung Galaxy Tab2	The eprint website has not been accessible for a week. I assumed since they've been offering books for so long, and they were pretty well publicized that that the ad at the bottom of the page when you read the books was the reason the books could be read free. I don't know how stuff like that works, tho.

01-12-2015, 10:00 PM	#8
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	There are no doubt a lot more pirate ebook sites out there than there are legitimate ones. Some things should be red flags though. Like offering books by living authors for free when they are selling for say $9.99 on up at sites like Amazon or Kobo.

01-13-2015, 02:22 AM	#9
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,504 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	Thanks for the research. It does seem that the OP had been using an app/web site that supplied pirated ebooks. Just for absolute clarity: Links to pirate web sites or asking how to obtain pirated ebooks is strictly forbidden on MobileRead.

01-16-2015, 06:47 PM	#10
rollei Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 1000210 Join Date: Mar 2014 Device: Kobo	e-books are available for borrowing from Public Library these days.

01-17-2015, 07:01 AM	#11
jscarbo Addict Posts: 220 Karma: 1075434 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Costa Rica Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle PW2, Nook HD+, Nexus 7	A comprehensive compilation of legal free ebook sites can be found here: http://www.techsupportalert.com/cont...oks-online.htm

01-21-2015, 05:38 AM	#13
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	CoolReader and FBReader are free reading apps for Android. Websites to get free ebooks are: Gutenberg.org MobileRead.com Feedbooks.com The Baen Library at Baen.com Free books at Amazon and Kobo, both classics and freebies. And many others....

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01-21-2015, 07:22 AM	#14
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Don't forget Amazon.com. They have some classics for free and there are always new books being offered for free as well. And some books at Kobo are also free.

02-11-2015, 02:41 AM	#15
Rev. Bob Wizard Posts: 1,760 Karma: 9918418 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Here on the perimeter, there are no stars Device: Kobo H2O, iPad mini 3, Kindle Touch	Does reward point redemption count as "free"? If so, the Viggle store is a new option, but an interesting one. I've been using their iOS app for a while, since it's a fairly easy way to rack up points that would hopefully be good for something (aside from saving up 2M points for an iPad Air). Viggle gives 1 pt/min for checking into a TV show, from the time you check in until either you check into a new show or that one ends. Some shows have live trivia games, where answering questions while watching the show during broadcast (instead of DVR) scores more points - the Grammys had a 250/question game, and The Flash had a 100/question game plus a 4x bonus point rate for the basic check-in. (That is, check in for 60 minutes and get 180 bonus points.) The other big point options are watching ads (usually 20 points and 15-30 seconds each) and matching songs (100 points each, max 20/day, no points for repeats). I usually check into whatever I'm watching, zip through the music-only channels to match 20 songs a night, and play muted ads when I'm not busy - which is worth about 2500 points a night. I think the usual maximum is 6000-8000 points per day, which resets at midnight Pacific time. So much for the points economy. I was originally into it for B&N gift cards (Nook books!), but those dried up last year. Now Viggle has their own online rewards store, which started with music and has since added movies (some of which are UV-compatible) and - as of January - ebooks. Their selection isn't great, and they have some interface problems (use IE on a Windows PC; Firefox and Chrome have issues), but they do carry HarperCollins, Open Road, Scholastic, and some smaller publishers. A $3 HC novella cost me 9K points, there's a $1 short listed at 2500, a $10 indie novel-length anthology was 27K, and I've seen some new releases priced at over 40K. There are certainly worse ways to get books than by absorbing points while watching the same TV shows I already follow. Plus, my two "purchases" so far have been books that would've been problematic to buy from Kobo - the novella's an EPUB 3, and the anthology's publisher feeds PDFs to Kobo for reasons I cannot fathom. Watching the Grammys last night and The Flash tonight covered most of those points; I still have over 400K in my account.