Read Kindle books without a Kindle

I love the idea of e-books, but I haven't always been so thrilled.  I was definitely a feel-the-pages-and-hold-the-book kinda girl until I was forced to make the switch.  My graduate program studies made use of electronic textbooks for our classes, so I had to either read electronically or pay double for print textbooks.  I decided it was time for me to make the ecologically and financially responsible choice, and it was tough...at first.  It took longer to read, and I fumbled through several different methods for taking notes, but that's another post.  Eventually, I came around!  It was like training myself in how to play a new sport or complete a new kind of a puzzle.  After some initial practice, I was ready for more!

For today, let's talk about personal, non-textbook reading.  I still enjoy reading print books, but I also like the portability of having a book with me at all times, as long as I have my phone.  That's right!  I don't need a Kindle device to read a Kindle book.

Amazon has developed several free apps that allow readers of Kindle e-books to read, even if they don't have a Kindle. There's a version for the PC, Mac, iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Blackberry, and more!

What's more, Amazon and others offer free books, mostly classics but a few are current, so that you can take the e-book reader for a free trial.  Download a reader app for your device, grab a classic novel for free, and you're set!  If you love the Kindle look and feel, you can purchase new releases for about $10.

One final great feature: if you are using two or more readers (like iPhone and iPad) among all of your devices, your books and page locations will all be synced automatically.

If you were thinking about trying out e-books but didn't want to invest in a Kindle, there's a way, and it's free!