Cheap/Free/Borrowed Ebooks?

[Absidey]

I got an email this morning that the library I borrow ebooks from will no longer lend digital content to non-residents. The city I live in doesn't have their own library.

Are there any good sources for current, non-terribad ebooks you know of? I supplement my habit with public domain stuff and Barnes and Noble bargains (cringe), but for new and recent releases, the library was the only way without blowing the budget.

I have a Nook, so I can't take advantage of Amazon's Prime library. (Unless there's some way to get Kindle books in pdf or epub format?)

[shoobie]

Here in Brazil we don't have those libraries at all. It is just sad... yes... but have you thought about converting the format to epub/pdf?

[Eurydice]

Do you have anything electronic besides the Nook? There are Kindle reader apps for both computers and phones. If the Nook takes apps, you could probably side-load it onto there like I side-loaded the Nook reader onto my Kindle.

[Absidey]

Here in Brazil we don't have those libraries at all. It is just sad... yes... but have you thought about converting the format to epub/pdf?

I think getting around the DRM licensing is the real roadblock on file conversions for books with active copyright.

Do you have anything electronic besides the Nook? There are Kindle reader apps for both computers and phones. If the Nook takes apps, you could probably side-load it onto there like I side-loaded the Nook reader onto my Kindle.

I think the tablet-like nook takes apps, but I have the simple reader, which doesn't.

I'll explore the Kindle app on my phone. It's not entirely comfortable for long books, but better than nothing!

[Laney]

I have a Nook and I can share with you? Just PM me your email address, I might not have anything you want to read but it can't hurt to offer

[Absidey]

I have a Nook and I can share with you? Just PM me your email address, I might not have anything you want to read but it can't hurt to offer

Thanks for the offer! I'm happy to exchange books, too. Just don't laugh at our motley collection! I share with my mom, so if you think something is weird.. she bought it. =)

[shoobie]

I think getting around the DRM licensing is the real roadblock on file conversions for books with active copyright.

There is that!

It's quite hard to get new books and such here... You either have to pay a ton of money for a kindle/tablet and then get them on amazon or some other source, or stick with free ebooks or regular books (that are also very expensive - 70 brazilian reais (thats about 40 US dollars) for a regular sized book -- that's if it is on sale )

My thought was more on the side: if you have the book already, having it converted so you can read it. Good luck with finding a suitable app!

[Laney]

Thanks for the offer! I'm happy to exchange books, too. Just don't laugh at our motley collection! I share with my mom, so if you think something is weird.. she bought it. =)

XD well I'm sure I have some weird crap too. I haven't quite figured out how to post my library publicly yet... Hmm.

@Shoobie: I've had a nook since they first came out, and let me tell you, DL'ing books was IMPOSSIBLE then. When I tried to read a pirated book it asked for the credit card I used to buy the book, grr. I know it's a lot easier now but it's not exactly legal. eBooks were a lot cheaper then too, I've paid over $15 a few times and that always irritates me, but I'm supporting the publishers I suppose

[shoobie]

@Laney: I hear you. I am a big supporter of buying books (both ebooks and paper books). I have an ipad and i get my ebooks from the apple store thingy. Only when you convert the currency, it is a big chunk of the budget for most brazilians, thats all. (i'm just being whiny about how much i spend really)

[Laney]

No I totally understand, I don't think I'd be down for spending as much on eBooks as you're forced to

[Blaidd]

Hey guys, calibre will convert your books for you. I use it for all of my books - bought, shared and pirated. For the bought books it "attaches" the license to it. My boss and i often share books and he has a kindle where i have a sony e-reader. Just convert the books he gives me on calibre.

Also if you want to share you can DM me your email address and i'd be happy to share with you. Just let me know what you'd like and if i have it i will send it to you.

[AngelaTheGeek]

Hey guys, calibre will convert your books for you. I use it for all of my books - bought, shared and pirated. For the bought books it "attaches" the license to it. My boss and i often share books and he has a kindle where i have a sony e-reader. Just convert the books he gives me on calibre.

Also if you want to share you can DM me your email address and i'd be happy to share with you. Just let me know what you'd like and if i have it i will send it to you.

I was going to suggest calibre. I have several thousand ebooks for my kindle, but I have absolutely no idea how to share them with people short of giving them a thumb drive. I *gasp* stole them about a year ago, so their aren't any new titles. I've seen the errors of my ways (really, just don't want to dl any more viruses), so now I buy my ebooks from amazon. I would be highly interested in sharing my library if someone could tell me how. And, I'd totally be interested in others libraries.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

My library is pretty small, but I have a few books that plenty of people on here might be interested in. My current kindle library is:

-Good Calories, Bad Calories

-Starting Strength

-The Paleo Solution

-Why We Get Fat: and What to do About it

-Dark Tower 2&3 (4 soon once I finished GCBC)

-All books from A Song of Ice and Fire

-The Hunger Games Trilogy

I don't have a kindle, I just use my phone. I'm happy to lend any of the above out, except for GCBC which I am currently reading.

[StarCaptainAllen]

If you like SF or Fantasy, Baen books has a free library that supports almost all ereader formats. Also, they don;t charge you hardcover prices for new releases. When the last Honor Harrington book came out, I got it for six dollars and finished it before it hit store shelves.

http://www.baenebooks.com/

Also, a huge collection of SF/Fantasy books that have been released on CD's in hardcover books have been collected at a Baen fan site. It had entire series by authors David Weber, David Drake, Eric Flint, John Ringo, Mercedes Lackey, and more. All DRM free and legal.

http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/

[Timmy M]

dunno how well this'd work for you but it's something my cousin sent me http://www.planetebook.com/

[Ryan Sannar]

You can actually use the SD card port to load a new OS on the Nook (not permanently, but like a boot drive). This doesn't violate their ToS so you don't need to worry about the warranty. You can basically run ICS or another Android OS off the card and use both the Kindle and Nook apps available in Google Play.