eBooks: Getting Them For Free

Before the iPad came out, I was considering a Kindle.  I like to read...especially during the lazy days of summer and when I travel.  But I was hesitant because of pricing.  I rarely buy hardcover new releases (the exceptions were the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series).  I like to wait for mass market paperback releases that I can get at a discount (thank you, Borders!).  Plus, I have yet to find a promotion code that is applicable to eBooks...so on average, eBooks are pricier than mass market paperback books (discounted, of course).

However, there are a lot of free eBooks to be had!  Here are the ways:

• Classics:  A good many popular classics are available because they're out-of-copyright.  I recently read Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" for free from Amazon.com!  I may read Jane Austen's collection of works next.
• You can find free classics on Amazon.com, BarneAndNobles.com and Borders.com.  Look for:
• the "Free Book Collections" link on the "Kindle Books" page of Amazon.com.
• the "Free eBooks" link on the "eBooks" page of BarnesAndNobles.com and Borders.com.
• You can find them in the iBook App in the "Charts" page.
• Promotional Free eBooks:  Certain copyrighted eBooks (new-er releases) can be found free for downloading during limited promotional periods.  You can find them through the same links that you find the Classics.  A good number of these free eBooks are available from all four of the Fab Four (Amazon.com, BN.com, Borders.com and iBooks App), but some will only be available from one or two of the Fab Four.
• When only or two of the Fab Four offer a certain eBook for free, this where the iPad comes in super handy.  In addition to the iBooks App you can download various eReader Apps on the iPad (Kindle App, Nook App, Borders eReader App, etc).  This means you are able to take full advantage of all of the promotional free eBooks that are being offered (and of interest to you, of course).  I will admit that it's a slight pain to have my free eBooks spread though 3 different apps (iBooks, Kindle, and Borders).  But hey, they're free!
• I recently nabbed Julia Child's "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking" for free from Borders.com.
• Local Library:  Most local libraries now loan eBooks off of their websites.  Yes...I'm pretty sure you haven't been to your local library in years (if ever), but one trip to obtain a library card couldn't really hurt, could it?  The New York Public Library has a great selection of eBooks.
• There is, however, a catch:  these loanable eBooks require either Adobe Digital Editions software or  MobiPocket Reader software and their compatibility is limited:
• Adobe Digital Editions software works with PC, Mac, and Sony Reader. (Note:  The Adobe Digital Editions website insinuates that only the Sony Reader works with loanable eBooks, but I've read that it works with Nook and Kobo as well.  In my attempt to be tech savvy, I tried to see if Adobe Digital Editions would work with the Kobo App on my iPad.  It doesn't.)
• MobiPocket Reader software works with PC, Blackberry, WinMo, Symbian, Palm and certain dedicated eReaders (and this does not include Kindle or Nook).
• Since loanable eBooks currently don't work with a Kindle or an iPad, a good chunck of us are stuck with reading them on a monitor/laptop....which, is not a terrible thing.  Because, hey, they're free!
• The ease of checking out and returning eBooks from a library website is amazing!  I prefer Adobe Digital Editions because you can "return" books early, unlike MobiPocket Reader.
• Like a regular book, only so many copies are available for any one particular eBook.  You may have to put yourself of a waiting list.  They'll send you an e-mail once you're book is available for checkout.

I hope this has inspired you (just a little?) to read a new book?  Maybe a classic you've always wanted to read but didn't want to buy?  Personally, I am inspired by Julia's Kitchen Wisdom to cook some new dishes.