As an avid bookworm, you may be wondering if it’s possible to read books for free. The good news is that there are many places where you can find free fiction reading material.
In this blog post, we will explore 20 fantastic places to check out for free books online:
- Local libraries
- Goodreads
- Student Handouts
- ManyBooks
- ReadAcrossAmerica
- Reedsy
- BookBub
- BookRiot
- Reader’s Digest
- CommonLit
- Smashwords
- Feedbooks
- Free-eBooks
- Project Gutenberg
- Librivox
- BookSirens
- BookSprout
- Wattpad
- Fanfiction.net
- Fictionpress
While many of these sites are places to find complete books, there’s also a lot of free reading material in the form of short stories, novellas and classic novels you’ve might have read in high school. I’ve included sources for those as well.
Local Libraries: A Treasure Trove of Books
Local libraries are an excellent resource for accessing a vast collection of books, including fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, children’s literature, and more. They provide a welcoming environment for readers of all ages and backgrounds to explore, discover, and borrow books. Here’s how you can make the most of your local library to find great books:
Get a Library Card
The first step in accessing the wealth of resources available at your local library is obtaining a library card.
A library card enables you to borrow books and other materials, as well as access digital resources, such as e-books and audiobooks. To get a library card, visit your local library and provide proof of residence or identification.
Many libraries also offer online registration for a library card.
Access Digital Resources
In addition to physical books, many libraries offer access to digital resources, such as e-books and audiobooks, through platforms like OverDrive, Libby, and Hoopla.
With a library card, you can download these materials to your computer, tablet, or smartphone, and enjoy reading or listening to them at your convenience.
Interlibrary Loan
If your local library does not have the book you’re looking for, you can request it through an interlibrary loan service. This service allows libraries to borrow books from other libraries within their network, expanding the range of materials available to patrons.
Free Complete Books
Goodreads
Goodreads is a social media platform for book lovers, so if you’re looking for a place to discuss your favorite novels and get recommendations from other readers, this is it.
The site also has an extensive section for free online fiction books that includes links to external websites where you can download eBooks in various formats.
Student Handouts
Student Handouts is a great resource for classic literature. The site has over 10,000 free works of fiction, poetry and drama available to download in PDF format. You can also search their database by author or title if you’re looking for something specific (like Charles Dickens).
If you want to print out your favorite book but don’t have access to a printer at home, this website will come in handy!
ManyBooks
ManyBooks offers a wide range of free e-books in multiple formats, including HTML and PDF. The site also provides links to other sites where you can find more free books.
ManyBooks has a huge selection of titles covering a wide range of genres, including fantasy and science fiction.
Read Across America
Read Across America is an initiative by the National Education Association to promote reading among children. It has a section on its website where you can find free materials, including eBooks, audiobooks, and activities related to reading.
Reedsy
Reedsy is a website that helps authors find editors, designers and marketing professionals. It also has a free library of books that you can read online. There are over 1,000 titles available in the Reedsy Book Club library – and they’re all written by indie authors!
If you want more options for reading free fiction online, check out Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org). This site has over 50,000 ebooks available in multiple languages including English as well as Spanish, French and German among others.
If there are any books missing from their collection that interest you then consider contributing some of your own work!
BookBub
BookBub is a website that offers free and discounted eBooks. If you’re looking for something new to read, this can be a great place to start!
The site has its own section dedicated to free books. In addition, BookBub also sends out newsletters that alert users when new titles are added (including those available at no cost).
Sign up here if you want alerts about what’s happening in the world of literature without having to do any searching yourself.
Book Riot
Book Riot is a website that offers book-related news, recommendations, and reviews. It has a section on its website where you can find free books online. You can also sign up for its newsletter to receive alerts about free eBooks.
Reader’s Digest
Reader’s Digest is a website that offers a list of websites where you can read books for free online. It includes links to websites such as Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks, and Librivox, among others.
CommonLit
CommonLit is a website that offers free reading material for students in grades 3-12.
It has a wide range of genres, including fantasy, and you can browse through its collection to find something that interests you.
Smashwords
Smashwords is a great place to find free and discounted eBooks. The site has over 1 million titles, so you’re sure to find something that interests you.
- You can browse through their collection here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/newest
- Or sign up for their newsletter here: https://www.smashwords.com/about/newsletter
Feedbooks
Feedbooks is a website that offers free and discounted eBooks. It has a wide range of genres, including fantasy, and you can browse through its collection to find something that interests you. You can also sign up for its newsletter to receive alerts about free and discounted eBooks.
Free-eBooks.net
Free-eBooks.net is a great site for finding free books in multiple formats. With over 50,000 titles available in their database, you’re sure to find something that interests you.
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a website that offers over 60,000 free eBooks in multiple formats such as EPUB, MOBI, and PDF. It has a wide range of genres, including fantasy, and you can browse through its collection to find something that interests you.
Librivox
Librivox is a site that offers free public domain audiobooks. The audio files can be downloaded or streamed, and there are over 50,000 titles to choose from.
Librivox has a wide range of genres including fantasy, science fiction and horror as well as classics like Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (both available in multiple languages).
Advance Reader Copy (ARC) Books
BookSprout
BookSprout is an innovative platform designed for authors and book enthusiasts alike, helping readers discover new books while supporting authors in promoting their work.
Established in 2017, BookSprout focuses on creating a community where authors can connect with readers and gain honest reviews, while readers can access advanced reader copies (ARCs) and stay updated on their favorite authors’ latest releases.
Book lovers can also benefit from using BookSprout, as it offers opportunities to receive Advance Reader Copies (ARC). By becoming a “Sproutling,” readers can access ARCs of upcoming books in exchange for providing honest reviews.
This allows readers to discover new books before their official release and support authors by sharing their thoughts.
BookSirens
BookSirens is a site that also offers free Advance Reader Copy (ARC) books in exchange for a book review to help the book on the day of its launch. They encourage readers to read books from their ARC book catalog.
You can find books in a variety of genres, including romance, fantasy, sci-fi and more. BookSirens offers both fiction and nonfiction books. You can also sign up for their newsletter to receive updates on new releases from your favorite authors.
Free In-Progress Fiction Books
Wattpad
Wattpad is a social network for writers, and it’s also home to a huge library of free fiction. The site’s community is comprised of both amateur and professional authors who post their stories on the site.
You can browse through the different genres – including fantasy, romance, sci-fi and more – and read as much or as little as you want in one sitting.
Wattpad allows readers to interact with writers by leaving comments on their work; this feature makes it feel like you’re part of an online book club where everyone has something valuable to contribute.
Fanfiction.net
Fanfiction.net (often shortened as FF.net or FFN) is an automated fanfiction archive site that was founded on October 15, 1998, by Los Angeles computer programmer Xing Li.
As of 2023, it has over 12 million registered users and hosts stories in over 40 languages. It is the world’s largest fanfiction archive and forum where fanfic writers and readers around the globe gather to share their passion.
Fictionpress.com
Fictionpress.com is an online writing community that is a sister site to Fanfiction.net. It is a platform where writers can share their original stories and poetry that they create and own themselves.
It is the largest online writing community in the world, with over 6 million members. The site is often confused with Fanfiction.net, which hosts fanfiction and was founded by Xing Li, but Fictionpress began as a separate entity before being acquired by Xing Li in 2003.
Conclusion
There are many places where you can find free fiction reading material. The 20 websites we’ve listed in this blog post are just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you prefer eBooks, printable texts, or audiobooks, there’s something for everyone. So, start exploring and enjoy reading for free!
