Omnivorous Surfer

I received an ereader for Christmas. I had been wanting one but couldn't justify buying one since I could read ebooks on my iPod Touch, so, though it isn't the one for which I had techno-lusted, I do have one and I do like using it. I have learned that many of the books for which I would have to pay from its online bookstore, true also for Amazon and I suspect Barnes and Noble, can be downloaded free from some other source. Of course, sometimes it's a matter of saving $0.89, but I DO enjoy getting things for FREE. Well, also, since I do read a lot, including copyright-free classics, the cost would add up over time. In case anyone is in the same boat, I thought I would share my findings.

 First, you need to know what format(s) your reader accepts and how to transfer to it ebooks that you download to your computer. You may find the same ebook in different formats on different sites, so don't give up easily.

I will mention later a few different sites, but sometimes simply doing a Google search will give you want you want. Let me give you an example. After searching unsuccessfully on a few ebook sites for Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather in epub format and free, I tried this search: "Death Comes for the Archbishop free epub." The result listed first was exactly what I wanted. I really would recommend this method. (You might use the same process to compare prices on newer books still under copyright, though you might have a more difficult time finding the book in a compatible format for your reader.)

There are many sites offering ebooks in different formats as free downloads. These sites are not created equal, as some offer mostly self-published writings, and others offer illegal copies of copyrighted books; I am not interested in these types, so there are no links to them here. I would definitely discourage you from stealing from authors by downloading pirated copies!

Three sites I have used in the past and found useful are:
Project Gutenberg
Feedbooks
Google eBookstore

If you are looking for copyrighted books, you may still be able to compare prices to find a better deal. You could use the same Google search process described above, but here are three digital bookstore sites you might check as well:
eBooks
Kobo
Google eBookstore