The Complete Guide to Top eBook and Literature Apps for Voracious Readers

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Book lovers no longer lack choices regarding quality e-book and audiobook apps. Here are some of the best book reading apps for Android and iOS devices.

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Best Free Book Reading App: Media365 Book Reader

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What We Like

• Massive library of popular and niche e-books.
• Import your own e-book files for reading in the app.

What We Don’t Like

• Offline reading requires a Premium subscription.
• Only for Android.

Media365 is a free reading app for Android that lets you read any of the books in its library in exchange for the occasional fullscreen advertisement. Authors can self-publish on the Media 365 platform, which is why so many niche and indie titles are available. Many mainstream books are also available, like the entire_Harry Potter_ book series.

The Media 365 library stores e-books in 15 languages, while font size can be adjusted simply by doing a two-finger pinch on the screen. There’s also a text-to-speech function, which lets the app read books to you. You can also upload your ebooks with supported EPUB, PDF, AZW3, CBC, CBR, CBZ, CHM, FB2, LIT, MOBI, TCR, AI, and PUB formats.

02

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Best E-Book Reader App for Amazon Prime Members: Kindle

What We Like

• Massive library of e-books to choose from.
• Apps are updated on a very regular basis.

What We Don’t Like

• Windows version is more for computers than touchscreens.
• Can’t buy ebooks within the iOS or Android Kindle app.

Our Review of the Amazon Kindle App

The official Kindle apps on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows are Amazon’s way of letting its customers consume their Kindle e-books without having to buy a Kindle.

Users can read any Kindle-branded e-book on the Amazon website within the Kindle app. A variety of features set this app experience apart from its rivals, including the built-in dictionary, the ability to skip ahead without losing your place, and Amazon’s X-Ray tech, which reveals extra information on a book’s characters and world while you’re reading.

The Amazon Kindle apps aren’t perfect, though. The Windows Kindle app is designed more for traditional desktop computers than modern devices with touchscreens, and the iOS and Android versions don’t support e-book purchases. However, you can still purchase Kindle e-books on the Amazon website, and titles will sync to the Kindle app almost immediately.

03

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Most-Available Reading App: Rakuten Kobo

What We Like

• Many options to customize reading experience.
• Official Kobo app for most phones.

What We Don’t Like

• Audiobooks only in iOS and Android apps.
• Facebook login buggy.

Rakuten’s Kobo is a major competitor to Amazon, with millions of e-books and a growing number of audiobooks on its platform. While there’s no dedicated Windows or macOS version, users can download the separate desktop version of the app for use on PCs and laptops.

The iOS and Android Kobo apps are clearly where the company puts most of its attention, with each app offering an impressive variety of font sizes, styles, and color options to make the reading experience more personal and comfortable for individual users.

04

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Best Reading App For Kids: Epic!

What We Like

• Lots of in-app gamification encourages reading.
• Great classic and modern children’s books.

What We Don’t Like

• Requires monthly subscription after 30-day free trial.
• Changing settings is a bit of a convoluted process.

Epic! is like a Netflix for kids, but instead of TV shows and movies, it supplies the user with a massive library of e-books and audiobooks . Parents can make unique profiles for each of their children, who can customize their profiles based on their tastes.

While many classic children’s books are available to download, there are also many modern releases, such as one series of books covering famous pop culture icons. Children can also choose from family-friendly comic books like_Snoopy_ and_The Smurfs_ , and view numerous short video clips.

05

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Best iPhone E-Book Reader App: Yomu EBook Reader

What We Like

• Supports numerous file types.
• Save e-books from any iOS web browser.

What We Don’t Like

• Settings menu is very hard to find after adding books.
• Download links in the tutorial, not in the main menu.

The Yomu EBook Reader is a fantastic app for iPhone and iPad users who download their ebooks in various file formats, and want to bring them all together for a cohesive reading experience.

Yomu, Japanese for “to read,” supports all of the popular e-book file formats and those supported by Amazon Kindle. Users can import files to the app via a cloud service like iCloud , Dropbox, Google Drive , or OneDrive . Once you install the app, Yomu will appear as a source when saving e-book files from any iOS web browser app.

06

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PDF E-Book Reading App: Foxit PDF Reader

What We Like

• Share PDF files directly to the app on iOS.
• Reflow options allow small screen readability.

What We Don’t Like

• New PDF file creation requires monthly subscription.
• Lack of back button makes app navigation confusing.

Foxit PDF Reader Mobile is one of the better PDF apps, and is an ideal solution for those who prefer to consume e-books in the PDF file format . Unlike many similar apps that display a PDF as is and require you to pinch and zoom to read its content, Foxit features a reflow setting that resizes and reorganizes the text on a page to fit perfectly on a mobile phone’s screen.

PDF files can be transferred to the Foxit app via Wi-Fi , iCloud, or Foxit’s own Foxit Drive service. Those using an iOS device can import downloaded files directly from the share feature while using other apps.

You’ll need a monthly subscription is to take advantage of many advanced settings, but those looking for an app to simply read their PDF e-books will be fine with the free functionality.

07

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Best Reading App on Nintendo Switch: Inky Pen

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What We Like

• Many free comics from popular franchises.
• Comics look great on the Nintendo Switch.

What We Don’t Like

• Monthly cost a bit expensive.
• No Marvel or DC Comics series.

Most would think the Nintendo Switch is just for playing games, but its library of non-game apps has been slowly growing since its launch. One of these apps, Inky Pen, is a full-fledged comic book reading app that lets anyone read full digital issues from popular comic book series on their Switch.

Inky Pen does charge a monthly fee for unlimited access to its entire library, but there are an impressive amount of free issues available that will keep most comic fans entertained during long car trips or lazy weekends. What’s cool is the app works when the Nintendo Switch is docked so that a group can read comics on a TV.

08

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Best Reading App For Google Users: Google Play Books

What We Like

• Very smooth reading experience.
• Page turn animation looks fantastic.
• Runs really well on cheap, low-end Android tablets.

What We Don’t Like

• Switches to Google Play app every time for more book info.
• Has a much smaller selection than Amazon.

Google Play Books, as its title suggests, is Google’s first-party app for reading e-books and listening to audiobooks bought within the Google Play Store . The book selection isn’t as extensive as Amazon’s, but it’s still large enough to please the casual reader. Those who enjoy reading at least one book a day may want more.

The good thing is that Google Play Books isn’t a subscription service. You can use it to enjoy a purchased e-book or audiobook one weekend, then ignore it without feeling financial guilt for not taking advantage of some monthly fee.

Google Play Books is an excellent reading app, especially for those immersed in the Google ecosystem. It’s a very solid reading experience overall, is stable and easy to use, and has some of the best page-turn animations out of all the book-reading apps.

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