So, you've read my other posts on reading (and Tannaz's ) and you've self-identified as a Reader. You want to read. But books are expensive. And big. And bulky. But you still want to read. In fact, you're dying to find just a few more words to pass your eyes over, more ideas to process, more characters to get to know.
Once again, the Internet can be your rescue, your solace, your fulfillment. Or, well, maybe not. But it can provide you with enough reading material to keep your eyes and your mind satisfied for many, many years. And the best part? All of the sites below offer at least some of their library for free.
Books Online
The sites in this category offer at least some books that anyone can read, without special knowledge, software, or hardware. Most of the books are classics, so pick your favorite dead author and dive in!
Bartleby-Named after one of Melville's saddest characters (though I'm not sure why), Bartleby specializes in classic texts.
Bibliomania-Great not only for books, but for study guides and research resources as well. You know, in case you're not reading just for fun.
Internet Public Library-They not only offer books, but articles and other resources as well.
Project Gutenberg-The grandaddy of them all, Gutenberg still has a selection that can't be beat.
Specialty Books
These sites offer free books in some special areas.
The Library of Economics and Liberty
Explorion-Travel
Apress-Techncal and coding books
Proprietary or otherwise "special" books
These sites offer books that require some special hardware and/or software (like a Palm, or a PDF reader)
University of Georgia-Requiers DjVu plugin, in Firefox. I'm not sure how it works in another browser.
Software for book reading
This site will (soon!) offer software that makes the above proprietary methods obsolete. Here's hoping...
Open Reader-The program isn't out yet, but it promises to banish proprietary formatting on ebooks.
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