For my sisters and I growing up with the public library being the primary source of entertainment, naturally, evading library late fines became the earliest of our juvenile crimes. Myriad of excuses and pleading confessions to stern librarians were less than successful. Once the ten cents a book a day began to rack up, the ladies behind the check out desk would get increasingly intimidating. The IOUs ceased being cute, eventually even putting a few quarters down on the immense charges became insufficient.
Then one day my older sister discovered she could use the library card of a friend who moved far away, and she became "Michael". Little did she know she was already on the mental "most wanted" list of the head librarian. Why they let her get away with her false identity is beyond me, perhaps they were rewarding her for creativity, as I can only imagine one might be tempted to do if faced with a fearless ten year old willing to commit minor crime just to take home the next Nancy Drew.
That being said, aren't ebooks nice? You can download ebooks with a couple of touches on an ipad while sitting on your couch in your pjs and drinking your tea or coffee, and, bonus, you never, ever, get charged late fees.
Here are a few of my most favored ebook apps (in addition to ibooks, nook, and kindle) listed for you to try.
Overdrive, Overdrive, Overdrive!
Friends and family alike have all heard me sing this app's praises and you would sing too if all your book checking out was as simple, convenient and free as my experience with Overdrive has been. Pros:
- FREE Books, Audiobooks, and Movies
- Able to use multiple library cards (shh)
- Checks your books back in automatically
- The app is available on phone, tablet, etc
- Bookmarks your place across devices
- Built in dictionary
Cons:
- Newest items are not immediately available
- No highlighting, or note taking ability
Audible
This audiobook listening app is easy to use, offers a free 30 day trial, and currently boasts +180,000 different audiobooks.Pros:
- Great selection
- Available on multiple devices
- Saves your place in your audiobook
- Whispersync capable
- First month free
Cons:
- Not free - Costs $10 a month
- Can download a limited number of audiobooks at a time
- Must download on website and then listen in app
Goodreads
This app is full of book reviews and recommendations. You can connect with authors and friends, see what new or old books they are reading or writing! I enjoy this app for a quick checkout of reviews of books to see if it's worth reading or not. Pros:
- Free
- Connect with your friends and favorite authors
- Read reviews written by readers
- Occasional free book giveaways
Cons:
- No actual access to books!
- Limited "if you liked this then you will like that" feature
Runners Up
Freebooks
- This app pleasantly surprised me, it's chock full of classics! Sure, they might be free downloads on many websites, but on this app books are neatly organized by Author or genre. For example, just tap on the mystery tab to find every Sherlock book ready for download. Also, the poetry section has a nice selection of classics waiting to be added to your to read list.
Bookbub
- This app is full of books for you to download, sometimes free or $1 or more. Though, I haven't bought anything here yet, I actually really enjoy cruising through their book recommendations based off other books you've enjoyed, I usually find something to further investigate.
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