8 apps and devices that let you read thousands of books anywhere you go

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downloadIf you love to read, you can probably see the wisdom in going digital. You’ll save money over time, space in your apartment, and not least of all some weight in your bag.

Digital is lighter, less expensive, and gives you more options for personalization and interpretation (some apps have dictionaries built in, plus the internet is a tap away). For me, my "richest" reading experiences have happened using a digital medium.

I can understand the reluctance to going digital. There is something about marking up pages with dog-ears and pens that makes the story feel like it's yours, but trust me that once you move from one place to another and realize you are packing and moving boxes of books you probably won't ever read again, you'll reconsider. 

I still have my favorite books in a hard copy somewhere in my room, but I no longer go out and buy every beach read I want. Nor do I wait for someone to finally return it to the library. 

And instead of one book, I now have access to thousands. Since I started using Scribd, I've read at a higher rate and of more varied interests (likely because they curate them for me). I also don't have to worry about my purse being small enough for the bar and big enough for "Catch-22" to fit in it since I won't be heading home in between. 

If you think you might benefit from e-reading, you can find 8 devices and apps that will let you do just that for a pretty reasonable price point below.

The Kindle, device and app

Amazon

If you know that e-books are digital books then odds are good that you'll know what Kindles are.

Amazon's e-book device family has a few iterations, but the Paperwhite pictured here is the most popular choice. It doesn't have the $300 price tag of the Kindle Oasis and it's easy to grip and designed to make reading outdoors as easy as possible. One Insider Picks reporter thought it was easy to read on even in direct sunlight. She also said that even when the brightness was cranked all the way up, the battery lasted for months.

But if the e-reader itself isn't for you, thanks to the Kindle app, if you have an iPhone you've got a Kindle, too, essentially. The app is a jack of all trades, bringing a marketplace, reader, and library-management features together in one place. You'll have access to over a million titles. You'll be able to customize font size, brightness, and see your last read page and highlights synced across platforms. 

Kindle users can also take advantage of Kindle Unlimited, which gives them unlimited access to over a million titles. You can listen to unlimited audiobooks with Audible narration this way. After the 30-day free trial, it's $9.99 per month. 

Buy the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (WiFi included), $119.99

Download the Kindle app here

 



The Kobo, device and app

Amazon

This e-reader is likely the Kindle's biggest competitor. The Aura is water-resistant and large-screened, so you can read your favorite books on a big screen in the bath or at the beach without a worry.

You're not limited to e-books from Kobo's store, either, which is a big plus. As long as the file type is supported by Kobo, you can drag and drop the content from your computer onto the Kobo when they're connected with a USB-to-Micro-USB cable. The Aura One even has the popular library app OneDrive pre-installed, so you can easily hook up your library account on your e-reader. 

The Kobo app features over 5 million titles and lets you grab content from its online store as well as import your own. It supports numerous formats (epub, PDF, CBZ, CBR...) and has many customization settings available to users.

Buy the Kobo Aura H20, Water Resistant E-Reader, $161.74

Download the Kobo app here



The NOOK, device and app

Barnes and Noble

Barnes and Noble's NOOK is similarly water resistant and has a wide selection of books. If you're a consistent B&N shopper, this e-reader might be especially appealing. Since the Kindle arrived, the NOOK has taken a backseat for shoppers, even though the GlowLight version is a solid e-reader.

Thanks to being a bookstore in its own right, Barnes and Noble has access to millions of e-books for its readers. You can also read EPUB files, and you should be able to transfer your own files over to the Nook, though some users have reported problems doing so. You can also borrow library ebooks, thanks to Adobe DRM EPUB and PDF file support.

Buy the Barnes & Noble NOOK GlowLight Plus E-Reader, $116.95

Download the NOOK app here




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