Free Online Book Reading Websites
The internet age has given us a wealth of information and entertainment over the years. With just a tap of a finger, we can access free content like never before. And luckily for all of us book nerds, literature is no exception.
With the advent of ebooks, readers can now read more than ever before, wherever they want—for free or for a discounted price.
But if you’re wondering where to read free books online, never fear! Below is a roundup of free online book reading websites where you can read for free (or very cheaply!) without needing an e-reader or downloads.
Authorama
Have a slow connection at home or while traveling? Then Authorama is the site for you! This site boasts a no-frills interface with HTML links, and there are no pictures or ads that take forever to load. This isn’t one of the biggest libraries ever, but they have dozens of books in the public domain, and you don’t even need to make an account.
The front page is uncomplicated, just a series of links sorted by author, with a search bar at the top if you already know what book or author you’re looking for. Just click on the book you want to read, and a simple HTML viewer pops up right in your browser. You also have the option to download or even print your books if you so desire. Each book is divided into sections so data loads as quickly as possible.
Read: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; At the Earth’s Core by Edgar Rice
Burroughs
BookBoon
While this isn’t exactly for reading fiction novels for free, this site is well… a boon for students and business owners alike, providing free (and paid) textbooks written by university professors from all over the world.
If you are a business owner, you can access hundreds of ebooks on business skills and personal development, which is free for the first 30 days, then you’ll need a subscription. Textbooks for students are free.
To access over 1000 free textbooks, make a free account using your email, Google, or LinkedIn account. There are many different categories like IT and programming, chemistry, economics and finance, marketing, engineering, and many others.
So if you’re a college student, this could be a great way to save big bucks on textbooks that would usually drain your bank account.
Read: Automation and Robotics by Dr. Miltiadis A. Boboulus; Introductory Chemistry by Edward W. Pitzer
BookRix
This free online reading site is different in that it has a mix of both public domain and ebooks self-published by new and upcoming authors. Here you can either download ebooks in epub format or read them right in your browser. If you’re an author, you can even publish your book here for free.
The site is easy to navigate, with links to all the genres for the free (self-published) content right at the top of the page. For public domain books, search for your book in the search bar, or click on “Fiction” and search that section for free content. To read, click on the book, or click “download” to download in epub format, which works with all major e-readers.
You don’t even have to make an account to read, which is a plus. The e-reader interface is clean and simple but doesn’t offer any customizations like adjusting text size or highlighting.
Read: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley; Calypso: The Children of the Stars Volume 1 by S.G. Ricketts
BookSpring
Looking for free ebooks for your kids? Reading with your kids creates a lifelong bond and helps them become stronger readers. BookSpring not only has free ebooks and stories for children, but they also have activities for your little learners. There are books for ages birth to age eight (ish), and narration is offered on most books. BookSpring also has content for tween and young adults like articles and book reviews, but no free books are directly linked for this age group.
The site is free and you can read three books right in your browser immediately, but you will have to make an account (free and very quick) to save, review, or download books. Are you a budding children’s book author? You can even make your own book on this website as well! New books and activities are added every Sunday, so check back weekly.
To access the free digital books, click on the “Families” drop-down menu and select Digital Books.
Read: Violet Counts Cookies by Holly Hartman; I Am a Scientist by Ann Francis
Fictionate.Me
Fictionate.Me is a great platform if you love to read indie authors who self-publish. On this site, you can read many books for free (or for a discount), as well as give feedback directly to the authors. This site mostly caters to speculative fiction: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and all the sub-genres in between, but books from other genres can be found here as well.
You will need to make an account, but it’s free and fast, and once you do, you can read and publish your own book if you want to. (If you plan on buying books, you will need to open a Stripe account, but that is also an easy process.) You can search by genre tags, top paid books, new authors, consistent writers, or top trending on the home page. Once you have an account, all of your books will be saved at the top of your personal landing page.
Another great feature is that audiobook versions of the ebooks are completely free. You can read or listen right in your browser or on your phone, which gives the feeling of reading on your Kindle. You can change the text size, listen to the audiobook, access all chapters, or change the interface to light or dark, all at the top of the screen.
To access free books, just type in free in the search bar, or browse for the free stuff in your favorite genre. While not all books are free, most authors let you read the first few chapters of their books for free before you commit, and most books only cost between $0.99 and $2.99, though some may be a bit more.
Read: Vita and the Monsters of Moorhouse (first 12 chapters free) by Jillian Karger; Concerning Coeus by S.R. Malone (first chapter free).