Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in the last 30 days – just in time for Christmas.
Almost 7.8 million free ebooks were downloaded from Project Gutenberg since mid-November 2023. Apart from all-time classics, you will find on the list three picaresque novels by Tobias Smollett and a short story by Philip K. Dick.
Founded in 1971 by Michael Hart, Project Gutenberg is the longest established digital library.
Currently, the site offers free access to over 70,000 eBooks that can be read online or downloaded in a variety of formats, for all possible ebook apps and e-reading devices, including Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Rakuten Kobo.
The site provides useful stats about ebook downloads, Top 100 Ebooks in the Last 20 Days, where you can see the most popular titles based on how many times they were downloaded or read online.
Between November 15 and December 15, 2023, users downloaded from Project Gutenberg 7,776,391 ebook files.
On the list, you will find such classics as Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, or Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
For the second year in a row, three books by T. Smollett made it to the Top 20 Most Downloaded Ebooks, including The Adventures of Roderick Random. These three books alone were downloaded 108,000 times in the last 30 days.
Tobias Smollett was a Scottish poet and author living in the 18th century. He is best known for his picaresque novels – stories of an anti-hero’s adventures in a disreputable world. They usually feature a roguish protagonist who is forced to rely on his wits, charm, and cunning to survive misadventures.
You can download ebooks from Project Gutenberg to any e-reader or book-reading app. Make sure to pick up the file called EPUB3. This file format is compatible with Kobo, Apple Books, Nook, Google Play Books, and Amazon Kindle, among other platforms.
Top 20 free ebook downloads for Christmas 2023
1. Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Published in 1818, this famous classic novel follows a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein who creates a hideous sapient creature out of body parts of the dead.
The creature is rejected by society and ultimately seeks revenge on his creator.
The book combines elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement, and is considered one of the first true science-fiction stories.
Number of downloads: 83,710
2. Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
The world’s beloved novel of manners is set in rural England at the beginning of the 19th century and follows the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and her love interest Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.
We follow the five Bennet sisters as they navigate their way through their family’s financial struggles, the pressures of marriage and society, and their own personal feelings.
Through witty dialogue and character development, Austen explores themes of love, class, and pride.
Number of downloads: 58,559
3. Moby Dick; Or, The Whale
Herman Melville
A classic novel by Herman Melville tells the story of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on the giant white sperm whale that on the ship’s previous voyage bit off Ahab’s leg at the knee.
The novel is a great exploration of themes of fate, revenge, and the power of nature. It has been adapted into numerous films and television shows over the years.
D. H. Lawrence called Moby-Dick “one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world” and “the greatest book of the sea ever written.”
Number of downloads: 57,192
4. A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
First published on December 19, 1843, this novella is considered one of the most popular and beloved Christmas stories of all time.
The story follows the miser Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, who show him the error of his ways, and how to be a better man.
The tale of redemption of the human spirit has been adapted for stage, film, and television many times over the years.
Number of downloads: 56,917
5. Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
Written by Shakespeare early in his career, the tragedy follows two young star-crossed lovers whose families are engaged in a long and bitter feud.
The play is set in Verona, Italy, and it revolves around the forbidden love between Romeo Montague, a young man from the Montague family, and Juliet Capulet, a young woman from the Capulet family.
The play is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and well-loved works, and it has been adapted for stage, screen, and opera countless times. It is a story of love, loss, and the destructive power of family feuds.
Number of downloads: 53,359
6. Middlemarch
George Eliot
Middlemarch is a novel by George Eliot, set in the fictional Midlands town of Middlemarch during 1829–1832 and follows several intersecting stories with a large cast of characters.
The novel explores the social and political changes in England during the early 19th century, particularly the impact of industrialization and the reform of local government.
Middlemarch is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels in the English language.
Number of downloads: 47,070
7. A Room with a View
E. M. Forster
Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century.
The novel brought Forster recognition when it was first published and is now considered a modern classic.
The story centers on Lucy Honeychurch, a young upper-middle-class Englishwoman, and her experiences with love, independence, and travel.
Number of downloads: 46,322
8. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
This is a comprehensive collection of the writings of William Shakespeare. It includes all of his plays, sonnets, and other poems, as well as various other works attributed to him.
The book includes, among others: The Sonnets, All’s Well That Ends Well, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet. The Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are also included.
This free ebook is an invaluable resource for any student or fan of Shakespeare’s work.
Number of downloads: 43,412
9. Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
Little Women is a classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, originally published in 1868. It follows the lives of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, and their experiences growing up in Massachusetts during the Civil War.
The book has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times and has been lauded for its strong female characters and its exploration of themes of love, family, and independence.
Number of downloads: 42,078
10. The Enchanted April
Elizabeth Von Arnim
The Enchanted April is a 1922 novel by British writer Elizabeth von Arnim.
It tells the story of four very different women who rent an Italian villa for the month of April and, through the beauty of the surroundings, find contentment, joy, and transformation.
The novel was adapted into a film in 1992, starring Miranda Richardson and Joan Plowright.
Number of downloads: 39,864
11. The Blue Castle
L. M. Montgomery
A 1926 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, best known for her novel Anne of Green Gables.
The book tells the story of Valancy Stirling, a 29-year-old spinster who is stuck in a restrictive life, but finds freedom and adventure when she begins to explore the world around her.
Number of downloads: 39,252
12. Cranford
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
First published in 1851, the novel is set in the fictional town of Cranford, a small market town in the north of England.
We follow the lives of the town’s many female inhabitants, who are mostly middle-class and elderly spinsters, as they go about their everyday lives and gossip about their neighbors.
The novel is known for its humorous, gentle satire of Victorian life and its strong female characters.
Number of downloads: 37,176
13. The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom
T. Smollett
The novel, first published in 1753, follows Ferdinand Count Fathom, a handsome and charismatic con artist who is adept at convincing people to part with their wealth.
After being sent away from his home in England, Fathom continues to travel across Europe and experience numerous adventures.
Through the course of the novel, Fathom is forced to confront his own moral boundaries and ultimately selects a path of redemption.
Number of downloads: 37,088
14. The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
T. Smollett
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, first published in 1771, is widely considered to be one of the first picaresque novels in English literature.
The novel follows the adventures of its protagonist, Humphry Clinker, as he and his companions journey from London to Scotland and back again.
Along the way, they encounter a variety of characters and settings, and the novel offers a vivid picture of life in 18th century Britain.
Number of downloads: 36,499
15. The Adventures of Roderick Random
T. Smollett
Here is another novel from T. Smollett. It follows the exploits of Roderick Random, a young man from a well-to-do family who is disinherited and forced to make his own way in life.
Random goes on a series of adventures, ranging from romance and duels to a naval battle and a stint in a debtors’ prison.
The novel is noted for its realistic and humorous depiction of 18th-century life and for its exploration of themes such as social mobility, corruption, and injustice.
Number of downloads: 36,151
16. History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
Henry Fielding
This comic novel by English author Henry Fielding, first published in April 1749, follows Tom Jones, an illegitimate foundling, from infancy to adulthood.
Tom’s journey takes him through various social circles and tests of morality, eventually leading him to true love and a fulfilling, prosperous life.
The novel was well-received when it was first published, and it has since become one of the most beloved novels in the English literature.
Number of downloads: 36,151
17. My Life — Volume 1
Richard Wagner
My Life is an autobiography by German composer Richard Wagner.
First published in German in 1889, it contains a detailed account of Wagner’s life and works, as well as his personal reflections on his life and times.
Number of downloads: 34,290
18. Twenty Years After
Alexandre Dumas
Twenty Years After is a historical novel by Alexandre Dumas, first published in 1845. It is the sequel to The Three Musketeers and part of the D’Artagnan Romances series.
The novel follows the adventures of d’Artagnan’s sons as they fight to protect France from the machinations of Cardinal Mazarin, the chief minister of King Louis XIV.
The novel also follows the fortunes of the other musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and their respective families.
Number of downloads: 34,289
19. The Eyes Have It
Philip K. Dick
From one of the most important figures in 20th century science fiction comes a short story was first published in 1953. It follows a man who is utterly convinced that the world is being overrun by aliens.
Through the eyes of the protagonist, the story blurs the boundaries between imagination and actuality, presenting a thought-provoking reflection on the nature of truth and the fallibility of human perception.
Number of downloads: 33,555
20. The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlet Letter is a classic novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850.
The book tells the story of Hester Prynne, a young woman who conceives a child while living in an oppressive Puritan society.
The novel examines the effects of societal pressure on an individual, as well as themes of sin, guilt, and redemption.
Number of downloads: 31,412
Keep exploring. Here are other lists and tips:
- Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
- These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
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- Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]
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All Jane Austen’s novels are available for free from Project Gutenberg, both as ebooks and audiobooks. You can also read them online, right on your computer.
Jane Austen’s novels are beloved for their sharp wit, timeless themes, and memorable characters.
They are often seen as a perfect blend of comedy, romance, and social satire, and they offer an insightful look at the world of early 19th century England.
You don’t have to pay a penny to start the Austen adventure. Works of one of the most beloved writers in English literature are in the public domain. It means you can read them free of charge – legally.
Below, you will see a list of Jane Austen’s books available as free downloads from Project Gutenberg. The order is based on an average number of downloads in the last 30 days.
What is Project Gutenberg? It’s a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to encourage the creation and distribution of ebooks. It is the oldest digital library, with over 60,000 free ebooks.
You can add books to your e-reader or e-reading app by picking up EPUB3. This file format is compatible with Kobo, Apple Books, Nook, Google Play Books – and also Amazon Kindle (mobi is no longer supported). You can download the files with one click to Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.
If you don’t want to download the files, you can read Jane Austen’s books directly in your browser. Simply click on “Read this book online: HTML5” link on book detail pages.
Moreover, Project Gutenberg also offers audiobook versions of Jane Austen books. They can be downloaded in Speex, MP3, Apple iTunes, or Ogg Vorbis format.
Are you a Jane Austen fan? Take a look at my design collection that features Jane Austen’s original, remastered handwriting from her letter to sister Cassandra, written in April 1811. You can get it on Zazzle.
Jane Austen novels in chronological order
1. Sense and Sensibility (1811)
2. Pride and Prejudice (1813)
3. Mansfield Park (1814)
4. Emma (1815)
5. Northanger Abbey (1817) – posthumous
6. Persuasion (1818) – posthumous
7. Lady Susan (1871) – posthumous
Jane Austen books – free ebooks and audiobooks
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most famous romance novel. It follows the life and loves of the five Bennet sisters as they navigate the complexities of life in the early 19th century English countryside.
The novel looks at themes of class, marriage, and first impressions, and follows the young women as they attempt to find their place in the world.
Pride and Prejudice is widely regarded as one of the most influential novels of all time and has been adapted into numerous film and television adaptations.
The novel is considered a masterpiece of English literature and is often studied in English classes.
Emma
Emma is set in Highbury, a fictional village in England, the novel revolves around the meddlesome Emma Woodhouse, who interferes in the relationships of others but eventually comes to recognize and develop her own feelings of love.
Throughout the novel, Emma is determined to find a husband for her friend Harriet, and also to arrange her own romantic future.
The novel explores themes of love, friendship, and social class, and presents a sharp critique of early 19th-century English society.
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility was first published in 1811 and is Jane Austen’s first novel.
Set in southwestern England, the follows the lives of two sisters – Elinor and Marianne Dashwood – as they navigate the social expectations of 18th century society.
This romantic novel is widely considered to be one of Austen’s most successful works, and is typically seen as a precursor to the romantic comedy genre.
Sense and Sensibility is renowned for its vivid characterization, exploration of complex emotions, and the use of irony and satire.
Persuasion
Persuasion is Jane Austen’s novel published posthumously in 1818.
In the novel, Austen examines the effects of time on love and relationships. Anne Elliot is a 27-year-old unmarried woman whose family has fallen on hard times.
Anne is approached by an old suitor, Captain Wentworth, who she rejected eight years earlier. His return to the social scene forces her to reconsider the choices she has made in the intervening years.
The book is seen as a continuation of Jane Austen’s exploration of the themes of social class and female agency set forth in her earlier novels.
Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey is set in the late 18th century and follows Catherine, a voracious reader of Gothic novels, as she visits the city of Bath and the nearby estate of Northanger Abbey.
While in Bath, she meets the Tilneys, a wealthy family who invite her to stay at their estate, Northanger Abbey.
There, Catherine finds herself drawn into a world of horror, suspense, and romance, as she struggles to make sense of the strange and sometimes sinister events that occur around her.
Mansfield Park
Jane Austen wrote Mansfield Park at Chawton Cottage between 1811 and 1813.
The story centers on Fanny Price, who is sent to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle at their estate, Mansfield Park.
Despite her poverty-stricken upbringing, Fanny grows into an intelligent and moral young woman.
As she navigates her relationships with her family, she develops a strong sense of self-awareness and morality. The novel explores themes of love, marriage, class, and morality.
Lady Susan
Lady Susan is Jane Austen’s novella, most likely written in 1794, but published for the first time in 1871.
The main character, Lady Susan, is a beautiful and manipulative widow, who schemes to find wealthy husbands for both herself and her daughter.
The novella explores themes of love and marriage, as Lady Susan examines the different paths she can take to find a suitable partner.
It’s worth noting that Lady Susan is considered one of Austen’s most enigmatic and controversial characters.
Bonus: The Letters of Jane Austen
Letters of Jane Austen insight into the life and mind of the writer, and offer a glimpse of the world she lived in.
One of the collections of the letters was selected by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey from Austen’s nephew Lord Edward Bradbourne, and published in 1908 by Little, Brown, and Company.
The collection includes letters written between 1796 and 1817. Among them, there are several letters to her sisters, including Cassandra.
The final letter is from Cassandra Austen to her niece Miss Knight, after the death of Jane.
Book cover images: Project Gutenberg, Wikimedia Commons.
Jane Austen Collection on Zazzle
Jane – a collection featuring Jane Austen’s original, remastered handwriting from her letter to sister Cassandra, written in April 1811.
The design is available in dark and light colors on dozens of products, including t-shirts, leggings, notebooks, stickers, wireless chargers, laptop sleeves, and iPhone cases.
Keep exploring. Here are other popular lists and tips:
- Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
- These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
- In this updated overview, you’ll see gorgeous iPhone covers that will remind you of the joy of reading books anywhere, […]
- Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]
If you don’t want to miss future updates, make sure to enable email notifications in the comment box below. We are also waiting for you on WordPress Reader, Mastodon, Tumblr, and Facebook. You can also add us to your Google News channels.
If you buy an item via this post, we may get a small affiliate fee (details). We only use the cookies that are necessary to run this site properly (details).
Every year, at least a few of the books that enter the public domain are worth adding to your reading list or reading challenge.
When the book is in the public domain, you can use or reuse it without limitations. It’s because the book’s intellectual property rights have expired or are not applicable any longer.
And every year, at least a few of these publications are books are worth adding to your
Book Riot has just released a list of the books that enter the public domain in 2023 in the United States. Unfortunately, they link to paid versions of these books on Amazon – which is against the idea of the public domain.
Why should you buy a book today, if you can get it free of charge in a few months, on public domain platforms, such as Project Gutenberg or Internet Archive?
And the 2023 public domain book list is highly attractive. You can find here Franz Kafka’s Amerika, Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne, Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, Pomes Penyeach by James Joyce or Ernest Hemingway’s Men Without Women.
All you have to do is wait for these titles to be released by the public domain sites. I recommend checking out Project Gutenberg every few weeks. You can add the list of books added in the last 30 days as a bookmark to your browser. On a Mac computer, press Command+D, and on a PC press Control+D.
For your convenience, I have included the links to search term (title+author) on Project Gutenberg. Once the book is released, you will be able to find it in the search results page.
You can add books to your e-reader or e-reading app by picking up EPUB3. This file format is compatible with Kobo, Apple Books, Nook, Google Play Books – and also Amazon Kindle (mobi is no longer supported).
Project Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to encourage the creation and distribution of ebooks. It is the oldest digital library, with over 60,000 free ebooks.
Best new books in the public domain in 2023
1. To the Lighthouse
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse is considered to be one of the most significant works of modernist literature, and a feminist classic.
The book centers around the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920.
The novel explores the complex relationships between the family members and their thoughts and feelings. The novel is written in a stream-of-consciousness style and explores themes of love, loss, and grief.
2. Amerika
Franz Kafka
Also known as The Man Who Disappeared, the story takes place in the United States and is about a sixteen-year-old European immigrant named Karl Rossmann.
After an incident with a housemaid, he sent away from his home in Europe to start a new life in America.
He is taken in by two cousins, but quickly finds himself in a strange and often difficult world of constant change and challenge.
3. Men Without Women
Ernest Hemingway
Men Without Women is a collection of short stories written by Ernest Hemingway, first published in 1927.
The stories focus on the inner lives of men in post-World War I Europe and the United States, exploring themes of masculinity, isolation, and loss.
The collection includes some of Hemingway’s most famous works, such as Hills Like White Elephants and The Killers.
4. Now We Are Six
A.A. Milne
Now We Are Six is a collection of children’s poetry written by A.A. Milne, the author best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh.
The book contains thirty-five poems concerned with the world of childhood. The title poem, “Now We Are Six”, is one of the most famous of all of Milne’s poems.
Other popular poems from the book include “The King’s Breakfast”, “Cradle Song”, “Binker”, and “The Friend”.
5. Steppenwolf
Hermann Hesse
Steppenwolf is a novel by German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse. It is the story of a man named Harry Haller and his internal spiritual struggle.
The novel is set in Germany in the 1920s and examines the mental and spiritual effects of modern life on the protagonist.
The novel is considered to be one of Hesse’s most important works and is among the most famous and influential novels of the 20th century.
6. Pomes Penyeach
James Joyce
A is a collection of twelve poems written by James Joyce and published in 1927.
The poems contain a number of Joycean neologisms (“rosefrail”, “moongrey” and “sindark”, for example) created by melding two words into a new compound.
The collection covers a range of topics, including love, death, and nature.
7. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
It’s a final collection of twelve short stories, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and featuring the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.
The stories were originally published in The Strand Magazine between October 1921 and April 1927.
Among the stories in The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes are: ”The Adventure of the Three Gables,” “The Adventure of the Illustrious Client,” and “The Adventure of the Creeping Man”.
8. Mosquitoes
William Faulkner
Mosquitoes is a short story set in a wealthy family’s summer home near the Mississippi River in the Gulf Coast region of the United States.
It follows the interaction between the family, who are summer visitors, and the local working-class people who live by the river.
The story explores themes of class, social customs, and the impact of the passage of time on a small town.
9. Unnatural Death
Dorothy L. Sayers
A mystery novel by British author Dorothy L. Sayers. It’s the third novel in the Lord Peter Wimsey series.
The story follows Lord Peter’s investigation into the death of an elderly woman who had apparently died of natural causes, but whose relatives suspect foul play.
Lord Peter must use his detective skills to uncover the truth and unmask the culprit.
10. The Big Four
Agatha Christie
The Big Four is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK in January 1927.
The novel features Hercule Poirot, Arthur Hastings and Inspector Japp. The story revolves around a criminal organization known as “The Big Four”, whose members are determined to rule the world.
The structure of the novel is different from other Poirot stories, as it began from twelve short stories that had been separately published.
Keep exploring. Here are other popular lists and tips:
- Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
- These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
- In this updated overview, you’ll see gorgeous iPhone covers that will remind you of the joy of reading books anywhere, […]
- Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]
If you don’t want to miss future updates, make sure to enable email notifications in the comment box below. We are also waiting for you on WordPress Reader, Mastodon, Tumblr, and Facebook. You can also add us to your Google News channels.
If you buy an item via this post, we may get a small affiliate fee (details). We only use the cookies that are necessary to run this site properly (details).
Almost 7.5 million free ebooks were downloaded from Project Gutenberg since mid-November 2022. Apart from all-time classics, you will find on the list three picaresque novels by Tobias Smollett.
Are you making a list of books to read during Christmas, or include in the New Year’s reading challenge?
Why not checking out the titles that are free to download because they are available in the public domain?
A leading source of free public domain books is Project Gutenberg. Founded in 1971 by Michael Hart, it’s the longest established digital library.
Currently, the site offers free access to over 60,000 eBooks that can be read online or downloaded in a variety of formats, for all possible ebook apps and e-reading devices.
The site provides useful stats about ebook downloads, Top 100 Ebooks in the Last 20 Days, where you can see the most popular titles based on how many times they were downloaded or read online.
Between November 15 and December 15, 2022, users downloaded from Project Gutenberg almost 7.5 million ebook files. Books from the Top 100 ranking were downloaded over 3 million times.
You will find on the list such well-known classic books as The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, or Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
Surprisingly, these iconic classics don’t occupy the top of the list. Apparently, users are no longer interested in the books everyone knows. They are heading to Project Gutenberg to discover new books and read lesser-known authors.
Have you heard of Tobias Smollett, a Scottish poet and author living in the 18th century? He is best known for his picaresque novels.
Picaresque novels are stories of an anti-hero’s adventures in a disreputable world. They usually feature a roguish protagonist who is forced to rely on his wits, charm, and cunning to survive misadventures.
Three books by T. Smollett made it to the Top 20 Most Downloaded Ebooks, including The Adventures of Roderick Random. These three books alone were downloaded over 400,000 times in the last 30 days!
You have no other choice. You should add one of Smollett’s picaresque novels to your reading list.
You can download ebooks from Project Gutenberg to any e-reader or book-reading app. Make sure to pick up the file called EPUB3. This file format is compatible with Kobo, Apple Books, Nook, Google Play Books, and Amazon Kindle, among other platforms.
Yes, you should pick up EPUB3 for your Kindle or Kindle app. It’s because Amazon Kindle moved away from mobi format, and now it’s epub that’s officially supported.
Most downloaded free ebooks in December 2022
1. A Room with a View
E. M. Forster
Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century.
The novel brought Forster recognition when it was first published and is now considered a modern classic.
The story centers on Lucy Honeychurch, a young upper-middle-class Englishwoman, and her experiences with love, independence, and travel.
Number of downloads: 173,860
2. Middlemarch
George Eliot
Middlemarch is a novel by George Eliot, set in the fictional Midlands town of Middlemarch during 1829–1832 and follows several intersecting stories with a large cast of characters.
The novel explores the social and political changes in England during the early 19th century, particularly the impact of industrialization and the reform of local government.
Middlemarch is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels in the English language.
Number of downloads: 163,420
3. Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
Little Women is a classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, originally published in 1868. It follows the lives of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, and their experiences growing up in Massachusetts during the Civil War.
The book has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times and has been lauded for its strong female characters and its exploration of themes of love, family, and independence.
Number of downloads: 149,498
4. The Enchanted April
Elizabeth Von Arnim
The Enchanted April is a 1922 novel by British writer Elizabeth von Arnim.
It tells the story of four very different women who rent an Italian villa for the month of April and, through the beauty of the surroundings, find contentment, joy, and transformation.
The novel was adapted into a film in 1992, starring Miranda Richardson and Joan Plowright.
Number of downloads: 147,040
5. The Blue Castle
L. M. Montgomery
A 1926 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, best known for her novel Anne of Green Gables.
The book tells the story of Valancy Stirling, a 29-year-old spinster who is stuck in a restrictive life, but finds freedom and adventure when she begins to explore the world around her.
Number of downloads: 142,565
6. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
This is a comprehensive collection of the writings of William Shakespeare. It includes all of his plays, sonnets, and other poems, as well as various other works attributed to him.
The book includes, among others: The Sonnets, All’s Well That Ends Well, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet. The Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are also included.
This free ebook is an invaluable resource for any student or fan of Shakespeare’s work.
Number of downloads: 141,385
7. Moby Dick; Or, The Whale
Herman Melville
A classic novel by Herman Melville tells the story of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on the giant white sperm whale that on the ship’s previous voyage bit off Ahab’s leg at the knee.
The novel is a great exploration of themes of fate, revenge, and the power of nature. It has been adapted into numerous films and television shows over the years.
D. H. Lawrence called Moby-Dick “one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world” and “the greatest book of the sea ever written.”
Number of downloads: 141,139
8. The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete
T. Smollett
The novel, first published in 1753, follows Ferdinand Count Fathom, a handsome and charismatic con artist who is adept at convincing people to part with their wealth.
After being sent away from his home in England, Fathom continues to travel across Europe and experience numerous adventures.
Through the course of the novel, Fathom is forced to confront his own moral boundaries and ultimately selects a path of redemption.
Number of downloads: 138,321
9. Cranford
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
First published in 1851, the novel is set in the fictional town of Cranford, a small market town in the north of England.
We follow the lives of the town’s many female inhabitants, who are mostly middle-class and elderly spinsters, as they go about their everyday lives and gossip about their neighbors.
The novel is known for its humorous, gentle satire of Victorian life and its strong female characters.
Number of downloads: 138,019
10. The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
T. Smollett
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, first published in 1771, is widely considered to be one of the first picaresque novels in English literature.
The novel follows the adventures of its protagonist, Humphry Clinker, as he and his companions journey from London to Scotland and back again.
Along the way, they encounter a variety of characters and settings, and the novel offers a vivid picture of life in 18th century Britain.
Number of downloads: 134,589
11. The Adventures of Roderick Random
T. Smollett
Here is another novel from T. Smollett. It follows the exploits of Roderick Random, a young man from a well-to-do family who is disinherited and forced to make his own way in life.
Random goes on a series of adventures, ranging from romance and duels to a naval battle and a stint in a debtors’ prison.
The novel is noted for its realistic and humorous depiction of 18th-century life and for its exploration of themes such as social mobility, corruption, and injustice.
Number of downloads: 132,845
12. History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
Henry Fielding
This comic novel by English author Henry Fielding, first published in April 1749, follows Tom Jones, an illegitimate foundling, from infancy to adulthood.
Tom’s journey takes him through various social circles and tests of morality, eventually leading him to true love and a fulfilling, prosperous life.
The novel was well-received when it was first published, and it has since become one of the most beloved novels in the English literature.
Number of downloads: 125,892
13. My Life — Volume 1
Richard Wagner
My Life is an autobiography by German composer Richard Wagner.
First published in German in 1889, it contains a detailed account of Wagner’s life and works, as well as his personal reflections on his life and times.
Number of downloads: 122,418
14. Twenty Years After
Alexandre Dumas
Twenty Years After is a historical novel by Alexandre Dumas, first published in 1845. It is the sequel to The Three Musketeers and part of the D’Artagnan Romances series.
The novel follows the adventures of d’Artagnan’s sons as they fight to protect France from the machinations of Cardinal Mazarin, the chief minister of King Louis XIV.
The novel also follows the fortunes of the other musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and their respective families.
Number of downloads: 122,260
15. Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Published in 1818, this famous classic novel follows a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein who creates a hideous sapient creature out of body parts of the dead.
The creature is rejected by society and ultimately seeks revenge on his creator.
The book combines elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement, and is considered one of the first true science-fiction stories.
Number of downloads: 67,212
16. A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
First published on December 19, 1843, this novella is considered one of the most popular and beloved Christmas stories of all time.
The story follows the miser Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, who show him the error of his ways, and how to be a better man.
The tale of redemption of the human spirit has been adapted for stage, film, and television many times over the years.
Number of downloads: 61,046
17. Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
The world’s beloved novel of manners is set in rural England at the beginning of the 19th century and follows the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and her love interest Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.
We follow the five Bennet sisters as they navigate their way through their family’s financial struggles, the pressures of marriage and society, and their own personal feelings.
Through witty dialogue and character development, Austen explores themes of love, class, and pride.
Number of downloads: 55,220
18. The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlet Letter is a classic novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850.
The book tells the story of Hester Prynne, a young woman who conceives a child while living in an oppressive Puritan society.
The novel examines the effects of societal pressure on an individual, as well as themes of sin, guilt, and redemption.
Number of downloads: 29,696
19. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll
A classic novel by Lewis Carroll tells the story of a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures.
The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as children. Its narrative course and structure have been enormously influential, notably in the fantasy genre.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is considered to be one of the most characteristic examples of the genre of literary nonsense.
Number of downloads: 26,550
20. The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
Dorian Gray is a handsome young man whose life is forever changed after he has a mysterious portrait of himself made.
The portrait ages while Dorian himself stays young and beautiful, and he soon learns the hard way that the consequences of his vanity and hedonism are dire.
The novel is considered a classic of English literature, and is a cautionary tale about the power of beauty, morality, and the ability of art to influence life.
Number of downloads: 24,172
All images: Project Gutenberg, Wikipedia.
Keep exploring. Here are other lists and tips:
- Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
- These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
- In this updated overview, you’ll see gorgeous iPhone covers that will remind you of the joy of reading books anywhere, […]
- Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]
If you don’t want to miss future updates, make sure to enable email notifications in the comment box below. We are also waiting for you on WordPress Reader, Mastodon, Tumblr, and Facebook. You can also add us to your Google News channels.
If you buy an item via this post, we may get a small affiliate fee (details). We only use the cookies that are necessary to run this site properly (details).
The internet is the ultimate tool for finding answers and items we need. With a vast majority of products available from online stores, you don’t have to leave home to get anything that’s on your wishlist, including books, movies, games or audiobooks.
The best thing is that you don’t have to wait for delivery. Most books are digitized and it means you can start enjoying them in a matter of seconds. It’s just a matter of finding the most convenient – and fully legal – online source of books to read.
World’s most beloved classics are available online for free. They are the so-called public domain books. They are free because their intellectual property rights have expired, and everyone is entitled not only to download and read them but also remix and reshare.
Institutions like Project Gutenberg or Internet Archive digitize public domain books and make them available for free through their online catalogs.
Unless you are determined to create a stunningly large personal collection of ebooks, you don’t have to deal with copying and converting files. You can read books the moment you find them in one of the sites listed below.
But what “read books online” means exactly? It means you won’t need any of these:
- A dedicated device, such as a Kindle e-reader
- A tablet with a book reading app installed
- An ebook reader application on your computer
- An extension for your internet browser
All you need is a computer connected to the internet and the internet browser of your choice, such as Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.
When it comes to paid books (and it doesn’t matter whether you want to buy a print or ebook version), free book previews are a standard feature offered by many online bookstores, including Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
The free previews account for approximately 15% of the paid book. It’s long enough to make a decision whether to order a book or not.
The sites listed below are the ones where you can read books online from the first to the last page. In the detailed descriptions, we have included a choice of titles and tips how to improve the reading experience.
One big disadvantage of reading books in the web browser is that you have to be connected to the web. What if you’d like to read books offline? One way is to download web pages to your computer and open them from a downloaded file directly in a browser.
A much better way is to download an ebook file and use an e-reader, such as a Kindle, or one of many book-reading apps available for iPad, iPhone, Android tablets and smartphones, and almost any other mobile devices.
Most of the sites listed below offer an option to download files in several formats. All you have to remember is the correct format. Make sure to download:
- mobi file – if you own a Kindle or Amazon Fire tablet.
- epub file – if you own iPad, iPhone, Kobo, Nook, or Android device.
Would you like to add any site to the list? Let’s contact on social media. We are waiting for you on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you for dropping by. You’re awesome as always!
Read full books online – here are 12 best sites
1. Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a mother of all ebook sites. It started in 1971, when the world’s first ebook was created by Michael S. Hart. It was “Declaration of Independence of the United States of America,” and you can read it right away in a next tab of your internet browser.
Many sites that offer free ebooks from the public domain use the titles created and uploaded to Project Gutenberg.
Currently, there are over 60,000 public domain books in the catalog. If you’re looking for great classic books, Project Gutenberg is the best destination to explore.
To read the book in your browser, simply click “Read this book online: HTML” option on the list of available formats.
The option to read the book online displays all elements of a book. You will be able to see the original cover of the book, as well as illustrations inside. You can also navigate the book easily using the table of content or click on hyperlinks inside the file.
There is one more benefit of a html file opened in a browser. This file is searchable. You can use your browser’s find tool to search for words inside the book.
You can start exploring Project Gutenberg from the list of the most popular ebook downloads. The world’s most loved and adored books are here: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, works by Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain’sA Tale of Two Cities, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, or Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. And it’s just the beginning!
2. Internet Archive
Internet Archive, founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization offering free access to digital or digitized content: books, images, videos, or audio files.
The catalog includes over 25,000,000 fully accessible books and other text files. From here, you can also start browsing a collection of 1.3 million contemporary ebooks that you will be able to borrow for free once you register an account. The ebook section can be reached at: archive.org/details/texts.
Use the search box in the top right corner to find the book. By default, the list of results shows collection from popular libraries. You can sort the results by relevance, views, title, and the date of adding the item to the catalog.
You can use the tools on the left side to narrow down the list of results by collection, media type, availability (free or to borrow), language, or creator.
To start reading, just click on the arrows in the bottom bar of the image of the opened book. You can enter full screen by clicking on the full-screen toggle in the bottom right.
The online viewer presents the scanned pages of the book, what brings an extra flavor to reading. There are many ways to go through the content of the book, including one-page view, and zooming.
One thing to keep in mind is that the content of the book is fully searchable, let not the scan mislead you. Use the search bar in the top right corner to find a word. All found instances will be marked in the progress bar at the bottom.
One of the most amazing things on Internet Archive is the text-to-speech function. You can turn it on by clicking on the speaker icon in the bottom right corner of the book viewer.
What’s worth highlighting is that the Internet Archive hosts a vast number of foreign-language books. There are over 20 languages with the number of published text works exceeding 1,000 each.
3. Open Library
Open Library is Internet Archive’s separate project, focused on collecting library records. Its goal is to create one web page for every book ever published. On a page of a single book, you’ll find all its documented editions.
Compared to the Internet Archive, with its vast catalog and advanced search features, the Open Library website is simpler and more user-friendly, and you can find the books you need much quicker.
When you go to Classic Books section, you will find over 3 million books that are “accessible,” which means they are free to read online or download.
Once you find the book, you will immediately know whether you can read it online or not. Just look for the big blue “Read” button. When you hover open the headphones icon, you will be able to listen to the audio version.
Click on the Read icon and you will be redirected to a full-screen online reader on the Internet Archive website.
In the top right corner of the viewer, you will see an option to download the book, usually in either epub or pdf format.
Open Library is more than just a catalog of free classic books. It also shows contemporary books that are free to read if you decide to borrow them. To do that, you may need to register at Open Library or find the book in your local library using WorldCat or Library Link. Each library book is marked with a “Borrow” button instead of “Read.”
4. Google Books
A huge collection of books that Google has scanned and turned into viewable files is available on Google Books.
The homepage of Google Books at books.google.com is actually nothing more than a search box. To start exploring this vast library of digitized books, you have to type in something, for instance a name of your favorite classic author or a title of a book.
Not all books can be fully previewed online, but you can narrow search results to those that are.
To do that, in the upper bar click on “Any view.” From a drop-down list select “Free Google eBooks” to see only the books that can be read online from the very beginning to the very end.
Google Books gives also a chance to preview free samples of books that are not available in the public domain. To see a list of these books, select “Preview available” option from the “Any books” drop-down menu.
The free preview of a copyrighted title included in Google Books doesn’t have to be a first part of the book.
Let’s say a publisher sets a free preview to be 20% of a book. You can select a chapter in the middle and read 20% from now on. Or jump from page to page, if you want.
You’ll be able to preview the book until you reach the limit of free pages set by a publisher.
5. Smashwords
Smashwords is a leading online platform with ebooks from independent authors and publishers. There are currently over 500,000 from over 100,000 self-published authors.
Thousands of books are available for free download and online view. The total number is changing, but usually around 100,000 titles are available for free viewing.
Smashwords authors have an option to set up the length of a free preview. Many writers decide to let readers preview the entire book online.
To see which books are free to read in your internet browser, go to Smashwords’ catalog of free ebooks. Then, change the way entries are being displayed – from stacks to list. Do it by clicking the bullet list icon in the top right.
In the list view, look for “Online Reader” button displayed at the bottom of an entry, next to blue buttons with ebook formats.
There are several customization options to choose from. You can select a size (4 levels to choose from), and font face (Arial, Courier, Times, Verdana, Georgia). You can also personalize colors by setting up your own font and background.
Quite frankly, reading interface offered by Smashwords is not the strongest part of this great site. There is no full-screen view, for example. It would help a lot, as the book content window is very narrow.
6. ManyBooks
ManyBooks offers free books in a clean and friendly interface. The site is ad supported but these ads are displayed usually at the bottom of the browser window and are not too disturbing.
Most books are sourced from Project Gutenberg and sites that offer books with a Creative Commons license.
In total, over 50 thousand books are available, all with nicely designed covers. Plus, each book is available in several file formats, a lot more than what you can find elsewhere.
Most importantly, each title from the ManyBooks catalog can be read in your internet browser.
After you find the book you want to read, go to this book’s details page and click on a large “Read Online” button.
The reading interface is very clean and nicely designed, although it takes some time to load it, especially when it comes with a book cover.
You can change the font size (4 levels), plus the site works well on mobile devices, so you can read books also in a browser on your tablet.
7. BookRix
BookRix is a platform that offers books from self-published authors combined with free books from the public domain.
A catalog of free ebooks is an essential part of the website. On the top of a list, you will find the most popular categories, including literary fiction, fantasy, romance, thrillers, and young adult fiction.
When you enter any category, you will see books sorted by the popularity. On the top, you will see free books offered by contemporary authors.
Many classic titles from the public domain are also included in the BookRix directory of free ebooks. You will find them in the Fiction category.
When you find the book you want to read, click on its cover or title to enter the book details page. To open an online viewer, look for the “Read Book” button located next to the cover.
8. Authorama
If you are looking for a site that loads quickly even when you have a slow connection speed, you should visit Authorama.
Created and maintained by Philipp Lenssen, this dead-simple website includes several dozen popular books from Project Gutenberg. You can find here books by Mary Shelley, Francis Bacon, Charles Dickens, Jerome K. Jerome (yes, Three Men in a Boat!), or Robert Louis Stevenson.
The front page is at the same time a simple table of content, sorted by the name of an author.
Clicking on a book title link will open a simple html viewer. The content of each book is divided into several parts to let data load as quickly as possible.
This site can be viewed also in a browser on a mobile phone.
9. Bookboon
Bookboon is an online platform focused on providing free and paid textbooks for students and businesses.
The site offers textbooks written by professors from the world’s top universities. There are over 1,000 books that are free to download, but to do that, you have to sign up. When you visor the site for the first time, choose “Sign up for free eBooks.” You can use your Google, Facebook, Linkedin credentials to quickly access the catalog of books.
You can find on Bookboon several interesting books from the following categories: engineering, IT & programming, economics & finance, career & study advice, marketing, strategy & management, or languages.
Each book can be downloaded in pdf format, but you can also open an online reading interface by clicking “Start Reading” button.
If you are a free member, you will see ads in the content of the books you read. The company claims ads take no more than 15% of the content.
It’s worth highlighting that Bookboon has the nicest online reading interface. It’s clean, very well designed, and uses 100% of the web browser window without switching to full-screen mode.
10. Wattpad
Wattpad is one of the most popular e-reading websites in the world. It connects over 80 million readers-writers who spend over 23 billion minutes a month engaged in original stories published directly on the platform.
The site offers and promotes paid stories, but a vast majority of content is free to enjoy – but only for registered users, so you have to sign up to get access.
Use the “Browse” tab next to the logo on the left to find favorite genres. You can choose from adventure, fan fiction, LGBT+, new adult, romance, short stories, urban, or werewolf.
After you select the book from a list of results and click on its cover, a pop-up window will appear. Click on an orange button saying “Read” to start enjoying the story.
Please note that the site is ad supported and the reading interface also displays ads.
11. Library of Congress
Did you know you can read the world’s beloved children’s classics on the Library of Congress website?
The digital collection Classic Books includes “only” about 60 titles, but they are the ones you can’t find anywhere else.
This catalog looks like a great idea to spend some time with your kids reading together the books in their original look and feel. The books are scanned and digitized beautifully and the interface looks gorgeous!
To start reading, simply click on a link “Read This Book Now” that’s located next to the book’s cover.
What would you like to start with? How about Humpty Dumpty, with extraordinary illustrations by W. W. Denslow? Or the original edition of The Jungle Book? You can read Peter Rabbit, The Rocket Book by Peter Newell, or one of the best stories from Hans Christian Andersen – The Snow Queen. Enjoy!
12. HathiTrust Library
HathiTrust Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from academic and research libraries, aggregating millions of books and texts from Google Books, Internet Archive or Library of Congress.
HathiTrust is like Google Books but much more user friendly. The front page includes a search box with advanced options. Make sure to check “Full-text” and “Full view only” options to see only the books that are ready to be opened in an online reading interface.
A surprisingly enjoyable way of exploring available books is to use Collections (you can choose this option in the top navigation bar).
When you find the book you want to read, simply click on the “Full View” link and the viewer will open immediately. You can dismiss the left sidebar to enter the full-screen mode. If you don’t see the “Full View” link, it means the book is not available for online reading.
Keep exploring. Here are other popular lists for book lovers:
- Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
- These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
- In this updated overview, you’ll see gorgeous iPhone covers that will remind you of the joy of reading books anywhere, […]
- Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]
If you don’t want to miss future updates, make sure to enable email notifications in the comment box below. We are also waiting for you on WordPress Reader, Mastodon, Tumblr, and Facebook. You can also add us to your Google News channels.
If you buy an item via this post, we may get a small affiliate fee (details). We only use the cookies that are necessary to run this site properly (details).
You can find Kindle compatible books not only on Amazon. Thousands of these books are free of charge, and you can download them to your Kindle completely legally from other online websites.
In the post below, we will list not only the sites with public domain books that you can use to collect free Kindle books, but also tips that will let you better manage and enjoy these sideloaded docs on your Kindle e-reader or in a Kindle application.
In general, there are up to 100,000 free classic books that are available completely for free for your Kindle, and the best place to get them is actually not the Kindle Store (although you can find here some of the classics, as well).
There are a couple of things to keep in mind to make adding own books to Kindle easier and quicker, so let’s start with the tips.
Download free Kindle books – tips
Pick up the right format – epub
For a long time, to add your own book to the Kindle from another online source, you had to pick up a mobi format, while all other ebook stores use epub.
It changed in August 2022. Since that time, the compatible Kindle format is epub. The mobi format is not supported any longer.
In other words, if you want to download any book from the sites listed in the second part of this overview, please make sure to pick up epub, not mobi.
You won’t add epub files with DRM
If you were using another ebook store, such as Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, or Google Play Books, may assume that – as these sites use epub format by default – you will be able to quickly transfer these books to the Kindle.
No, you won’t be able to add epub files from other stores to Kindle. These files, even if you have downloaded the free books from these stores, are in a vast majority protected with some kind of DRM (Digital Rights Management).
An epub file with DRM won’t be added to your Kindle library, because Amazon won’t be able to open it.
Enjoy free Kindle books in the Kindle app
You can start collecting the library of Kindle books even before buying a Kindle e-reader.
There are many free Kindle apps available for computers and smartphones/tablets, including Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and BlackBerry operating systems.
The key to Kindle ecosystem is your Amazon account. All ebooks you add to your Kindle virtual library will be synced across devices and apps registered with that account.
Not only the latest read location, but also bookmarks and notes will be synced, and this is one of the most important benefits ebooks can give.
How to add own books to Kindle
There are a couple of ways you can add own books to the Kindle e-reader or tablet/smartphone app:
1. The most popular way is to send a file to the email address associated with your device. If you buy a Kindle or download a Kindle app, first thing to do is to sign in with your Amazon account. Since that time this device/app is given a special email address to which you can send the files. You can find it in the Settings section.
2. You can also use a Send to Kindle application. It’s available for Mac and Windows, but you can also get it for Chrome and Firefox browsers. While the desktop version lets you add files stored on a computer disc, the browser extension helps add web content.
3. If you use a cloud storage service like Dropbox, you can upload the file to it from your computer, and use a Dropbox application on your tablet or phone to download the file to Kindle app.
4. If you have a Kindle e-reader, connect Kindle to your computer and drag the files into Documents folder inside the Kindle disc image.
5. If you have a Kindle app installed on your smartphone or tablet, you should be also able to add the file if you tap on it. A list of applications capable of opening it should be displayed, and if the file is in mobi format, you should see a Kindle app.
How to manage own ebooks in the Kindle library
The books you have added yourself to your Kindle library are separated from the ones you have purchased and downloaded from the Kindle Store.
- Books from the Kindle Store are called “Books” – these are all the titles that you purchased or downloaded for free from the Kindle store, including free samples.
- Books from other sources are called “Docs” – these are the files that you have added to Kindle by sending them via email, using Send to Kindle extension, or sideloading from your computer.
The two sections can be seen in filter options in both Kindle e-readers and Kindle apps for iPad/iOS and Android. Your own books are displayed with a blank page until you open them and the original cover image (if it exists) is properly rendered.
The Books vs. Docs split is even deeper on Amazon Fire tablet. Native Kindle books can be managed using “Books” app. However, if you add your own books, you should look for them in the “Docs” app, not “Books.”
Please note that you won’t be able to read your sideloaded books in the online Kindle reader at read.amazon.com. Also, any highlights and notes you have made to sideloaded books will not show up here.
Download free Kindle books – online sources
1. Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is the longest-established ebook site in the world and the top place to download free classics. It’s the primary repository of free public domain ebooks.
When the title enters public domain, it means the rights to this work have expired and the book is publicly available. On Project Gutenberg the public domain books are free to download.
It’s quite possible that elsewhere you will find the same classic titles in ebook format, for which you’ll have to pay. This is what may happen in the Kindle Store, for instance. You can get Jane Austen’s book for free from Project Gutenberg, and find out that the same title costs one or two dollars in Amazon’s Kindle Store.
A good thing about books from Project Gutenberg is that if the original print edition had illustrations, you will be also able to get them in the ebook version. If you want the illustrations, make sure to download Kindle (with images) file. Please, keep in mind that ebook files with images take much more space.
Currently, there are well over 60,000 ebooks in the Project Gutenberg catalog. You can start browsing from Frequently Downloaded Ebooks section or go directly to the Latest Releases.
The site offers a very useful Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive integration. If you connect your cloud service, you will be able to download ebooks with just one click.
It’s worth noting that you can access and download Project Gutenberg ebooks on your tablet or smartphone, in a browser, as the site is mobile friendly.
2. Smashwords
Smashwords is a top online site with ebooks from independent authors and publishers. There are currently over 500,000 from over 100,000 self-published authors. You’ll be able not only to download books in mobi or pdf format, but also read them online in your browser.
Smashwords is a leading source of newly released independent ebooks. What’s more, if you are looking for free Kindle books in languages other than English, visit Smashwords, and you should find here books in your mother tongue.
To see which books are free to read in your internet browser, go to Smashwords’ catalog of free ebooks. Then, change the way entries are being displayed – from stacks to list. Do it by clicking the bullet list icon in the top right.
This way, next to each title you will see a list of available formats. Keep in mind that the format that’s compatible with Kindle is called “mobi.”
Currently, there are between 50,000 and 100,000 free ebooks on Smashwords. That number depends on how authors promote their books. Sometimes they make a book free for a limited time. It usually happens with first volumes of book series.
3. Kindle Store
Did you know that there are many free ebooks in the Kindle Store? The thing is how to find them.
The best way to get free books is to go to “Bestsellers in Kindle Store” and pick up “Top 100 Free”. You will be able to see the most popular free titles in the Kindle Store.
The list is being updated a couple of times a day, so it collects the hottest free titles that are currently available.
The other way to find free Kindle books is to search Amazon. While being in the Kindle Store, in the search box type “free kindle books.” This method gives an idea how many books are free in Amazon’s own ebook platform.
Please, keep in mind that to access free books in the Kindle Store, you have to be signed in with your Amazon account and have a Kindle or Kindle app registered with the same credentials.
Otherwise, you would not be able to get free ebooks from the Kindle Store to your device. The process of delivering an ebook is different from downloading a file to your computer’s disc. It’s performed via your personal Kindle library in the cloud.
4. Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with a mission of “universal access to all knowledge.” The website is a huge digital library of text, audio and video files.
The catalog includes over 25,000,000 fully accessible books and other text files. From here, you can also start browsing a collection of 1.3 million contemporary ebooks that you will be able to borrow for free once you register an account.
The ebook section is available at archive.org/details/texts. Sub-collections include American Libraries, Canadian Libraries, books from Project Gutenberg, titles from the Million Books Project, and books for children.
When you find an interesting book, click on its cover and a read-online panel will open right away. To find downloadable files, scroll down the page a bit. On the right side, you will see all available formats
In most cases, mobi format will be included – here it is called Kindle.
5. Open Library
Open Library is Internet Archive’s separate project, focused on collecting library records. Its goal is to create one web page for every book ever published. On a page of a single book, you’ll find all its documented editions.
Compared to the Internet Archive, with its vast catalog and advanced search features, the Open Library website is simpler and more user-friendly, and you can find the books you need much quicker.
When you go to Classic Books section, you will find over 3 million books that are “accessible,” which means they are free to read online or download.
To find a Kindle format of a book you like to read, open the page with its details. Then, in the left-side column, right under the book cover, you will see “Download Options.” Click on “mobi” and the file will start downloading immediately.
Open Library is more than just a catalog of free classic books. It also shows contemporary books that are free to read if you decide to borrow them.
To do that, you may need to register at Open Library or find the book in your local library using WorldCat or Library Link. Each library book is marked with a “Borrow” button instead of “Read.”
6. ManyBooks
ManyBooks offers free books in a clean and friendly interface. The site is ad supported but these ads are displayed usually at the bottom of the browser window and are not too disturbing.
Most books are sourced from Project Gutenberg and other sites that offer books with a Creative Commons license.
In total, over 50 thousand books are available, all with nicely designed covers. Plus, each book is available in several file formats, a lot more than what you can find elsewhere.
The major disadvantage on ManyBooks is that if you want to download the file, you will have to register an account. It’s up to you whether you want to do this or use other sites such as Project Gutenberg or Internet Archive.
To see download options, select the book you want, open the book’s product page, and click on a big button saying “Free Download.” Then, choose “mobi” from a list of available formats.
If you don’t want to sign up for ManyBooks, you can read any book for free in your internet browser. After you find the book you want to read, go to this book’s details page and click on a large “Read Online” button.
7. Goodreads
The largest book discovery site, Goodreads, offers also books in mobi/Kindle format – they are uploaded by Goodreads users and displayed in a special catalog.
Books with Free Download catalog on Goodreads is not huge – there are only 2,500 titles listed here, but they are very interesting ones.
For instance, you can download Harry Potter: The Prequel by J.K. Rowling, a short story set about three years before the birth of Harry Potter. It recounts an adventure experienced by Sirius Black and James Potter.
Books that you can download in full length from Goodreads are labeled with “Download eBook” button on the list of results.
When you open a book page, you will see a row of buttons. Click on ‘Download eBook” to see a list of available formats. Please note that not all books are offered in a format that’s compatible with Kindle.
8. BookRix
BookRix is a platform that offers books from self-published authors combined with free books from the public domain.
A catalog of free ebooks is an essential part of the website. On the top of a list, you will find the most popular categories, including literary fiction, fantasy, romance, thrillers, and young adult fiction.
When you enter any category, you will see books sorted by the popularity. On the top, you will see free books offered by contemporary authors.
Many classic titles from the public domain are also included in the BookRix directory of free ebooks. You will find them in the Fiction category.
When you find the book you want to read, click on its cover or title to enter the book details page. Find the “Download” button placed next to the book cover and click on it.
Please note that not all titles are available in mobi format., and there is no way to filter books by format, so you will have to check out Kindle compatibility once you find the book you would like to read.
9. DigiLibraries
The site is an online ebook catalog, where you can find almost 30,000 titles – all of them are free. The site is very clean and easy to explore, and this is what makes it worth exploring.
Most probably, you won’t need a search box at all. Most popular categories are featured on the left sidebar, and you can just pick up the one you are interested in to see books listed by popularity.
Plus, if a category is large enough, you can further narrow down the list of displayed books by selecting one of sub categories. There are several categories to choose from.
The most popular are Poetry, Juvenile Fiction, and Literary Collections.
It’s easy to download a Kindle compatible file. Simply, find “Download options” panel located on the right side of the book’s cover, and click on “Mobi Kindle” icon to start downloading the file.
Keep exploring. Here are other popular posts and lists:
- Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
- These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
- In this updated overview, you’ll see gorgeous iPhone covers that will remind you of the joy of reading books anywhere, […]
- Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]
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If you buy an item via this post, we may get a small affiliate fee (details). We only use the cookies that are necessary to run this site properly (details).
Do you want to load your e-reader or tablet with free ebooks or audiobooks, legally? Check out this list of sites that offer free public domain books in electronic and audio format.
Every year, new publications enter the public domain. It means their intellectual property rights have expired or are not applicable any longer.
The content of these works becomes available for public use. Anyone is free to use or reuse it. What does it mean, exactly?
You are allowed not only to legally download the ebook edition of the book. You can also publish it again, or mix with the content of other books, or freely use the characters in your merchandise.
As a result, you may see that the books that have entered the public domain are available in major ebookstores – both as free and paid products.
Why pay for an electronic version of the public domain book, if you can have it free of charge?
My advice is that if you want to get an ebook version of a classic novel, you should first check out the sites listed below.
The dates books enter the public domain vary between countries. Some rights depend on registrations on a country-by-country basis, but the most important factor is how many years have to pass after the death of the creator.
Which file format to choose?
Since mid-2022, the default file format for ebooks is epub. You will be able to add it to your e-reader or book-reading app, regardless of which platform you use: Kobo, Google Play Books, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Nook – and also Amazon Kindle. Yes, you should download epub to your Kindle or Kindle app, as mobi is no longer supported.
Best sites with free public domain ebooks and audiobooks
1. Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a top destination for free ebooks on the web. It’s a first ebook initiative in the world, established by Michael S. Hart in 1971.
Over 60 thousand publications were digitized by Project Gutenberg volunteers, so far. The books are available for download in several formats (as I said, epub is the most popular one), and you can also read the books online, in your internet browser.
What’s more, over 100,000 free ebooks are available through Project Gutenberg’s partners and affiliates.
You can quickly browse the list of most downloaded books in the last day, week, or month. Each month, between 5 and 15 million books are being downloaded by users from around the world.
An interesting way to browse available titles is through bookshelves – collections of books, based on author, genre, or topic.
2. Europeana
Europeana is a digital platform that provides access to millions of digitized items from European cultural heritage collections.
These items include books, music, artworks, archival documents, and audiovisual content from archives, libraries, and museums across Europe.
Europeana allows users to search the platform for items, explore collections, and create their own personal collections.
More than 2,000 European institutions across Europe contribute to the site, including the British Library and national libraries from many countries.
To find free public domain books, search for the author or title, and in the right-side panel narrow results by Type of Media (select “text”), and by Can I Use This (select “Yes”).
3. Digital Public Library of America
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a non-profit organization that provides access to millions of digital resources from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States.
It is an online platform that serves as a gateway to the vast and growing collections of digitized materials held by libraries, archives, and museums around the country.
Through the DPLA, users can search, browse, and discover the collections of libraries, archives, and museums, and use those collections to support their research and learning.
Well over 20 million items are classified on DPLA as “text”, with 16 million marked as ready for unlimited re-use. From a book detail page, you’ll be redirected to a relevant website, where you can further read it online or download.
4. Internet Archive
Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library that provides free public access to millions of books, movies, audio recordings, software, and more.
It was founded in 1996 and is one of the largest open-access digital libraries on the internet.
The library has an extensive collection of webpages, music, movies, images, and documents related to the history of the internet, as well as many other topics.
You will find on the Internet Archive, well over 30 million text files, in 25 thousand collections. 20 million files and books are freely downloadable.
5. Open Library
Open Library is a free online library with millions of books, movies, music, websites, and other materials that can be accessed by anyone. It is intended to create “one web page for every book ever published”.
It is managed by the non-profit organization Internet Archive and is part of the larger Open Knowledge Network.
The library provides access to an ever-growing range of public domain and out-of-copyright materials, as well as titles from major publishers, including HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Penguin Random House.
If the book is available for free in a digital format, a Read button is shown next to its catalog listing.
6. Feedbooks
Feedbooks is an online platform that provides access to a wide range of e-books, audiobooks, and other digital publications.
The platform is available on multiple devices, including smartphones and tablets. Feedbooks offers a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, cookbooks, and much more.
Users can access the platform for free, or upgrade to a premium membership for more features and access to exclusive content.
Feedbooks offers thousands of public domain ebooks in five languages. Unlike in Internet Archive, most of the free books have covers that will look good on your e-reader or e-reading application.
7. Manybooks
For a long time, Manybooks was a popular catalog of public domain ebooks, with over 50 thousand titles, sourced from Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive.
The site has evolved into an ad-supported ebook platform, but the free classic books from the public domain are still there.
The books are available in different file formats, so if you are looking for less popular ones, like Plucker or FictionBook2, Manybooks is a good destination to explore.
To find free public domain books, look on the front page for a section called “Popular Classics.”
8. DailyLit
DailyLit is an online platform that delivers serialized fiction and nonfiction in daily installments directly to readers via email or RSS.
It offers a range of titles from classic and contemporary authors, as well as original short stories.
DailyLit also gives users the option to customize their reading experience by setting their preferred reading speed, choosing the day and time for delivery of installments, and selecting their preferred genres.
Apart from DailyLit’s own serialized fiction, you can find here hundreds of classic novels. Pride and Prejudice and War of the Worlds were two first books offered on platform’s launch in 2006.
9. Library of Congress
Did you know you can read the world’s beloved children’s classics on the Library of Congress website?
The digital collection of Classic Books includes “only” about 60 titles, but they are the ones you can’t find anywhere else.
This catalog looks like a great idea to spend some time with your kids reading together the books in their original look and feel. The books are scanned and digitized beautifully, and the interface looks gorgeous!
10. Google Book Search
Google launched its own ebookstore some time ago, but the earlier book scan project, Google Book Search, is still there.
Perform any search, and you’ll see a list of results. If you see Preview or Full View link under the book’s title, it means you can read its scan in the browser.
11. Loyal Books
The site offers over 7 thousand of free public domain books, like audiobooks or text files. Titles in 30 languages can be found here.
12. The Literature Network
The site calls itself a “searchable online literature for the student, educator, or enthusiast.”
Currently, there are over 3,600 full books and over 4,400 short stories & poems from over 250 authors.
The key to exploring the site is author index, from where you can browse linked books, quotes forum threads, and quizzes.
13. Bartleby
The site offers free Harvard Classics – complete volumes of the most comprehensive and well-researched anthology of all time (read-online, no downloads offered).
14. Authorama
This simple-to-explore site lists free books from a variety of different authors.
The site’s purpose is to bring public domain books from sites like Project Gutenberg into a form easily readable in a web browser.
15. LibriVox
Founded in 2005, LibriVox is a non-profit initiative to record and catalog audio versions of public domain books.
The goal of LibriVox is to make all public domain books available, for free, in audio format on the internet. LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and release the audio files back onto the net.
Volunteers can choose from a variety of books to record, and LibriVox provides the recording tools and guidance to help them.
In August 2022, the site offered as many as 17,000 completed completed audiobooks.
16. Lit2Go
The site offers free stories and poems in an audiobook format. An abstract, citation, playing time, and word count are given for each of the passages.
Many classic books and stories are included in the Lit2Go catalog, from Lewis Carroll, to Aesop, to Anne Brontë, to Jack London.
17. Legamus
The site makes free audiobooks from texts that entered the public domain in Europe.
18. Open Culture
Open Culture is a popular blog that curates access to educational and cultural media.
Among several collections, you can find here a directory of over 800 free ebooks. Most of them are in public domain.
19. Classic Literature Library
The site offers public domain books organized into collections. You can find here the complete works of William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Charles Dickens or Mark Twain, among others.
20. The Online Books Page
The site, managed by the University of Pennsylvania, offers a clean interface to browse for over 3 million free ebooks from around the web.
21. Great Books and Classics
A repository of works of classic writers and philosophers, from Sophocles to Epicurus, to Sun-Tzu.
The books in digital format can be read here online as html files.
22. Planet Publish
A decent collection of popular works of classic literature, in pdf format.
23. Classical Chinese Literature
Chinese classics, with each character hyperlinked to its definition and etymology.
24. Wolne Lektury
It’s an extremely well-managed collection of free public domain books in the Polish language.
Currently, there are well over 2,000 titles available, either for online reading or ready for download (epub, mobi, pdf formats).
25. Projekti Lönnrot
Public domain books in Finnish and Swedish.
Keep exploring. Here are other popular lists and tips:
- Just like a year ago, we are presenting the list of ebooks that were most downloaded from Project Gutenberg in […]
- These library-themed gifts are extremely easy to personalize. All you have to do is add your own text!
- In this updated overview, you’ll see gorgeous iPhone covers that will remind you of the joy of reading books anywhere, […]
- Explore some of the best home decor items for book lovers that are handmade from metal: steel, brass, copper, bolts, […]
If you don’t want to miss future updates, make sure to enable email notifications in the comment box below. We are also waiting for you on WordPress Reader, Mastodon, Tumblr, and Facebook. You can also add us to your Google News channels.
If you buy an item via this post, we may get a small affiliate fee (details). We only use the cookies that are necessary to run this site properly (details).
Almost 8 million ebooks were downloaded from Project Gutenberg in April 2020, over twice as many as a year ago. Two books that entered Top 20 are related to plagues.
Project Gutenberg is a leading source of free ebooks from the public domain (which means you can get them legally), and it turns out that many people were spending their time during the lockdown to download and read more books than ever.
The site provides useful stats about ebook downloads, Top 100 Ebooks This Month, where you can see the most popular titles based on how many times they were downloaded or read online. We used Wayback Machine to visit archived versions of this page and learn which books were most popular during the worst month of the coronavirus pandemic.
Project Gutenberg’s catalog of free ebooks contains over 60 thousand titles. In April 2020, they were downloaded 7,914,647 times! Compare it to the average number of 3 million. For instance, in April 2019, the total number of downloads was 3,249,936.
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is all time most downloaded Project Gutenberg book. In April only, it was downloaded almost 66 thousand times. The books that are always on the list are Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories.
When you analyze the list of Top 100 most downloaded ebooks, you see that two books were placed higher than usual. One is a collection of works by Edgar Allan Poe, which includes “Masque of the Red Death,” a short story following Prince Prospero’s attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, by hiding in his abbey. The book took the 2nd place in April, with over 60 thousand downloads.
A Journal of the Plague Year is a non-fiction piece by Daniel Defoe, which is a detailed account of the Great Plague of London in 1665. With 42 thousand downloads, the book was the 6th most popular free ebooks in Project Gutenberg in April 2020.
Project Gutenberg provides interesting charts that visualize top free downloads. The graph presenting downloads by file type clearly shows that the most popular format is html, which is being chosen by as many as two-thirds of users.
In practice, choosing html means that the file is being opened in a browser. It’s worth noting that a surprisingly high number of users still read ebooks online without the help of dedicated apps and devices.
The second most popular format is epub (13.5% of downloads), followed by “other formats” (over 6%). The mobi format, dedicated for Kindle apps and e-readers, takes the fourth place, with 5.8% of downloads.
How to download free ebooks from Project Gutenberg
You can download ebooks from Project Gutenberg to any e-reader or book-reading app. Just remember a simple rule regarding which file format to select:
- Download “mobi” format – for Kindle e-readers and apps (such as Kindle for iPad & iPhone or Kindle for Android-operated tablets and smartphones).
- Download “epub” format – for any other device and app – such as Apple Books app for iPad & iPhone, Kobo e-readers and apps, Nook, Google Play Books, and all e-readers.
You can have quick access to the content of each book by clicking “html” option. In fact, the html viewer is a way to read free books from Project Gutenberg online, on a computer, tablet, and even a smartphone (as the site is optimized for mobile devices).
There is no need to download any app or buy a dedicated device to start reading a great literary classic any time you have a few spare minutes.
[ef-reco id=”140890″ title=”Read also” info=”Top article”]
Most popular free ebooks
Top 20 most downloaded free ebooks during the coronavirus pandemic
Number of downloads between April 1 and 30, 2020, based on archived Project Gutenberg page.
1. Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
Worth re-reading before you move on to Seth Grahame-Smith’s mashup Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The world’s beloved novel of manners is set in rural England at the beginning of the 19th century and follows the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and her love interest Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.
When Darcy overcomes his pride and Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice, they surrender to their love for each other.
Number of downloads: 65,755
2. The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition
Edgar Allan Poe
This 5-volume edition of Edgar Allan Poe works contains famous short stories, Masque of the Red Death, The Fall of the House of Usher, as well as the narrative poem The Raven.
Poe’s only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, is also included.
Number of downloads: 60,534
3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll
The novel is one of the most creative works of English-language fiction, loved by both children and adults. It tells a story of a young girl who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar creatures.
Characters and imagery from Alice in Wonderland have been highly influential around the world, being an inspiration for endless works of pop culture.
Number of downloads: 49,850
4. Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
Published in 1818, this famous classic novel follows a young scientist who creates a hideous sapient creature. The book combines elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement, and is considered one of the first true science-fiction stories.
Many people refer the name “Frankenstein” to the monster itself. Are you among them?
Number of downloads: 48,392
5. The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde
Wilde’s most popular play was first performed on Valentine’s Day 1895 at the St. James Theater in London.
This highly popular comedy of manners mocks Victorian traditions and social customs, the nature of marriage and the pursuit of love within the constraints of morality.
Number of downloads: 42,487
6. A Journal of the Plague Year
Daniel Defoe
Initially presented as a work of nonfiction, the book is an account of one man’s experiences of the year 1665, during the Great Plague of London, the last epidemic of plague in that city.
Defoe goes to great pains to achieve an effect of verisimilitude, identifying specific neighborhoods, streets, and even houses affected by the bubonic plague.
Number of downloads: 42,282
7. Et dukkehjem (A Doll’s House)
Henrik Ibsen
A Doll’s House is an English translation of Ibsen’s popular three-act play which takes place in a Norwegian city in the 1870s.
The play deals with the fate of a married woman, Nora Helmer, who lacked reasonable opportunities for self-fulfillment in a male-dominated world, and eventually leaves her family at the end of the play.
Number of downloads: 37,033
8. The Yellow Wallpaper
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
This short story was fist published in 1892, and is regarded an important early work of feminist literature, dealing with the attitudes towards mental and physical health of women at that time.
The story is a collection of journal entries written by a young, upper-middle-class woman, probably called Jane, whose husband has rented an old mansion for the summer. Forgoing other rooms in the house, the couple moves into the upstairs nursery.
Number of downloads: 33,767
9. The Call of the Wild
Jack London
The classic adventure novel is set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. The central character, a dog named Buck, is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog.
Buck becomes progressively feral in the harsh environment, where he is forced to fight to survive and dominate other dogs.
Number of downloads: 33,691
10. A Modest Proposal
Jonathan Swift
Swift’s satirical essay, published anonymously in 1729, suggests that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food to rich gentlemen and ladies.
In English writing, the phrase “a modest proposal” is conventionally an allusion to this style of straight-faced satire.
Number of downloads: 33,128
11. A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
First published in 1859, Dickens’ famous historical novel (and one of the best-selling novels of all time) is set in Paris and London before and during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror at the end of the 18th century.
We follow Doctor Manette during his 18-year imprisonment in the Bastille and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie.
Number of downloads: 31,839
12. Ion
Plato
In a 6,500-word dialogue (one of the shortest written by Plato), the titular Ion discusses with Socrates whether the rhapsode, a performer of poetry, gives his performance on account of his skill and knowledge or by virtue of divine possession.
Number of downloads: 31,817
13. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson
A Gothic novella set in London in late 18th century. The story follows a legal practitioner Gabriel John Utterson, who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde.
The novella is an impactful and influential work about the interplay of good and evil. Since the publication in 1886, a phrase “Jekyll and Hyde” has been referring to people with an unpredictably dual nature.
Number of downloads: 30,838
14. Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson
One of the most frequently dramatized novels, Treasure Island was first published in 1883, and is noted for its atmosphere, characters, and action.
The novel’s influence on popular perception of pirates is enormous, with such elements as treasure maps, tropical islands, and one-legged seamen bearing parrots on their shoulders.
Number of downloads: 29,102
15. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle
From Project Gutenberg you can download an original collection of short stories about the world’s most famous detective.
First published in 1892, the book includes such stories as “A Scandal in Bohemia,” “A Case of Identity,” “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,” and “The Five Orange Pips.” All stories had been published before in twelve monthly issues of The Strand Magazine, and are told in a first-person narrative from the point of view of Dr. Watson.
Number of downloads: 27,566
16. Anthem
Ayn Rand
A dystopian fiction novella by Russian-American writer Ayn Rand takes place in the future when mankind has entered another Dark Age.
Technological advancement is now carefully planned and the concept of individuality has been eliminated. A young man known as Equality 7-2521 rebels by doing secret scientific research.
Number of downloads: 27,231
17. Moby-Dick
Herman Melville
A classic novel by Herman Melville tells the story of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on the giant white sperm whale that on the ship’s previous voyage bit off Ahab’s leg at the knee.
D. H. Lawrence called Moby-Dick “one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world” and “the greatest book of the sea ever written.”
Number of downloads: 26,566
18. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain
This highly popular novel by Mark Twain is a direct sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The book starts in St. Petersburg, the fictional town in Missouri, where Huck and Tom have each come into a considerable sum of money as a result of their earlier adventures.
The book is noted for its colorful description of people and places along the Mississippi River. Set in a Southern antebellum society it is a satire on entrenched attitudes, particularly racism.
Number of downloads: 26,533
19. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mark Twain
The first book from a series of stories about Tom Sawyer and his friend Huckleberry Finn was published in 1876, and is considered to be a masterpiece of American literature.
This lively tale of adventures of boyhood, set in St. Petersburg, Missouri, talks about racism, childhood, and the importance of loyalty and courage – no matter the cost.
Number of downloads: 26,494
20. Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
Loosely based on the lives of Louisa May Alcott and her sisters, the novel follows four sisters and their mother living in a neighborhood in Massachusetts in genteel poverty. The author details their passage from childhood to womanhood.
In Little Women, Alcott created a new literary format, combining Romantic children’s fiction and with elements of sentimental novels.
Number of downloads: 25,447
All book covers: Wikimedia Commons.
Top 50 most downloaded ebooks – April 2020
Number of downloads between April 1 and 30, 2020.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (65755)
- The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe (60534)
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (49850)
- Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (48392)
- The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by Oscar Wilde (42487)
- A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe (42282)
- Et dukkehjem. English by Henrik Ibsen (37033)
- The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (33767)
- The Call of the Wild by Jack London (33691)
- A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift (33128)
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (31839)
- Ion by Plato (31817)
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (30838)
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (29102)
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (27566)
- Anthem by Ayn Rand (27231)
- Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville (26556)
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (26533)
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (26494)
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (25447)
- Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (23709)
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (21444)
- Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau (20822)
- Grimms’ Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (20086)
- Dracula by Bram Stoker (20051)
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (19723)
- Emma by Jane Austen (19381)
- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (18429)
- Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (18208)
- War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy (18050)
- Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë (18018)
- A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens (17855)
- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (17600)
- The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio by Giovanni Boccaccio (16724)
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (16687)
- The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin (16536)
- Ulysses by James Joyce (16310)
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (16149)
- Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (15428)
- Il Principe. English by Niccolò Machiavelli (15090)
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (14947)
- Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem (14526)
- Dubliners by James Joyce (14340)
- The Memoirs, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson by Jefferson (14199)
- The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe (14163)
- The Count of Monte Cristo, Illustrated by Alexandre Dumas (14016)
- Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (13853)
- Index of Project Gutenberg Works on Black History by Various (13825)
- David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (13167)
- Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw (12996)
Don’t stop exploring. Here are other popular lists and tips:
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New stories from the 20th century sci-fi magazine Worlds of If Science Fiction have entered the public domain, and here is how to download them.
As you already know, Project Gutenberg, a leading source of free public domain books, is a great destination for fans of science fiction.
You can find here many classic works, naming only the stories by Philip K. Dick (including Mr. Spaceship and Second Variety), or issues of the vintage sci-fi magazine “Astounding Stories of Super-Science.” And this is just for starters.
Since the beginning of the year, Project Gutenberg volunteers have added to the catalog almost 40 new stories from the popular American science fiction magazine published between 1952 and 1974 – Worlds of If Science Fiction.
Among the newly released stories, you will find several works by Frank Banta, Keith Laumer, or Fritz Leiber. There is a story “Young Man from Elsewhen” by Sylvia Jacobs, there is Vance Aandahl’s “1,492,633 Marlon Brandos,” or “Virgin Ground” by Rosel George Brown.
Right now, the total number of stories from If magazine that you can download for free from Project Gutenberg has crossed 250!
Each ebook is available in several formats. If you read books on a Kindle or Kindle app, download mobi file format. Epub file should work for almost any other ebook platform or app.
Before downloading the file, you can preview the text in a browser on your computer by clicking “Read this book online: HTML” on a list of available formats.
Please note that, although having a cover of the relevant issue of If magazine, each publication includes only one story from this issue.
In other words, by downloading “Seven-Day Terror” by R.A. Lafferty, published for the first time in the March 1962 issue of If magazine, you download only this story, and not the entire issue. Luckily, the stories from a single issue are published one after another, so you can find them easily on a list of search results.
The best way to find on Project Gutenberg all the stories from If magazine is to search for a phrase If Science Fiction. On a list of results, you will see a few unrelated titles, but this is by far the most accurate way to grab most of the If Magazine sci-fi stories, if you are determined to have them all.
Keep exploring:
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This is one of the most creative ways of using content from ebooks that entered public domain.
Ross Goodwin, a technologist, ghost writer, and programmer, has created Text Clock. It’s a beautifully simple webpage filled with passages from free ebooks available on Project Gutenberg.
When you visit Text Clock, you’ll see, highlighted in red, the current time in your time zone. Each part of the sentence stating the time comes from a different book.
That’s not just that. Reload the page in a browser by hitting Control+R and you’ll read a different set of paragraphs.
It’s not a first project where Ross Goodwin sourced the text from Project Gutenberg. You should also check out Sonnetizer, a program that generates 14-line rhyming sonnets from any text inset.
A book of 10,000 sonnets, generated by Sonnetizer from the sonnets of William Shakespeare is available as a free pdf download.
The projects from Ross Goodwin are extremely inspiring, and give energy to explore the exciting land of free public domain content, not only free ebooks, but also photos and illustrations, naming only Flickr Commons catalog.
What drives Ross Goodwin should be a motto for many digital artists:
What does it mean to be “literate” in today’s world? Has the current definition of “literacy” extended itself to include hypertext & other dynamic forms in which streams of information are now commonly presented/absorbed? If so, what are the implications of this shift?
Via Ross Goodwin blog.
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