Skip to main content

All the Apps a Reader NEEDS


Today I bring you the 5 apps that every reader needs! Are you super attached to your paperbacks? Do you love books, but feel like you're spending too much money on your favorite reads? Did you know that you can check out ebooks and audiobooks for FREE from your library and have them available on your eReader AND phone?! Do you wish someone knew your taste in books well enough to give you AWESOME recommendations?

What you need to begin: a smart phone, an eReader/ tablet (my favorite is the Kindle), and a library card! Seriously, if you don't have a library card, you need to stop reading right now and GO GET ONE!!!



The Kindle App

 Whether or not you have a Kindle, you should be able to download the Kindle app. It stores all of your ebooks. It allows you to change the reading settings, size of font, color of font, etc. My favorite part, though, is that I can read an eBook on my Kindle, and then later if I pick up my phone and open my Kindle App, it goes to the exact page that I left off on when I stopped reading on my Kindle, and vice versa! How cool is that?!


The Overdrive App

 This is usually the app that your library will use to check out eBooks to you. Download the app, then search for your library. If your library is there, select it, and then it will prompt you to sign in with your library card number and pin. You should already have a pin set up with your library card, if not, call or go in to your local library and they will take care of it for you. Then, once you log in, all of the available eBooks and audiobooks will come up. You can search by category, title, author, just like a normal library catalog. If it is available, you will be able to borrow it for 2-3 weeks depending on your library. If it's unavailable, you can put yourself on the waitlist. You can either download it straight to your Kindle, or, if you don't have a Kindle, you can read it through the Overdrive App.


The Libby App

 This app is connected to the Overdrive App, but is specifically for your phone. I like that it is so user friendly. You can still check out books and send them straight to your Kindle/Kindle App. I will say, there have been times when I couldn't find a particular book on the Libby app, but then later find it on the Overdrive App. I'm not sure if it's a glitch or user error, but either way, it is a must for your smart phone.

The Hoopla App

This is very similar to the Overdrive App! The only difference is the books do not download straight to your Kindle, so you will read the books in the app. Also, there are audiobooks available here as well as MOVIES! (Whaaaat?!) Again, it depends on if your library uses these particular apps or not.


The Goodreads App

 This app is SO fun! So, this is an app that you can use to track your reading. At the beginning of the year, you can set a challenge for yourself and decide how many books you want to try and read for the year. Then, you mark books that you are currently reading, books that you have read, and books that you want to read. As the app keeps track of books that you've read and rated (you can rate and review books as well), it will come up with custom book recommendations for you. This has brought me a lot of awesome recommendations of books that I hadn't heard of before. You can also find your friends and connect with them, so you can see what they are reading and recommending as well.










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Review of "Educated" by Tara Westover

Educated  by Tara Westover is a memoir about the author's childhood growing up in a survivalist family in rural Idaho. Her father, being anti-establishment, never sent her to school and her homeschooling consisted of finding books to read to herself around the house. At 17, she studies for and takes the ACT, is accepted to Brigham Young University, and from there goes on to earn a doctorate at Cambridge. It is a story of overcoming one's trials and pushing through to achieve what shouldn't have been possible. Reviewing a memoir is difficult, because while there are parts of the story you may dislike, you can't fault them for being what happened to the best of the author's memory. This book was extremely well written. It is clear that the author is well read and well educated in the way she presents the story. There were times, though, where she was quoting her mother or sister from emails that were written and she changed their verbiage completely to match her...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thriller #6 - The Girl on the Train

When I decided to do a countdown of some of my favorite thriller/suspense novels, The Girl on the Train  by Paula Hawkins, was one that immediately jumped into my mind! This is going to be more of a recommendation, rather than a review, because I don't want to give a single thing away. So, you may like this book if: ✔ you like a good page turner ✔ you are or you sympathize with super nosy people ✔ you like when the plot is unpredictable ✔ you like a good twist (or two) ✔ you are willing to stay up late to finish the book, because you won't be able to sleep otherwise If the above list sounds like a fun romp, you're going to need to get your hands on a copy of this book! Disclaimer: apparently there is a movie, and no, I have not seen it. If you have, comment below! What was better? The book or the movie? I read this book a couple years ago, so I don't remember many of the details, but what I do remember was the SUSPENSE I felt reading it and vaguely remember ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who Am I?

"Who am I?" Oh, hang on, I need to let my mind finish singing Jean Valjean's famous reprise from Les Miserables in my head.... and.... we're good. My name is Diane J. Owen. I am a woman, a friend, a wife, a mother, a musician, a cook, a quilter, sometimes a baker, but most importantly, for this blog, I am a reader. Once upon a time, I received an English degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Go Rebels!). During those three years, my mind was opened to many different facets of literature and even more confusing... ways to analyze that literature. By the time I walked across the commencement stage in 2009, I could write a five page essay without blinking an eye and theorize with you over Melville. However, what they didn't teach me was how to get a job with a degree in English. So, I came crashing down to reality, was offered a Graduate Assistantship in Recreation and, consequently, in 2011 was the proud owner of a Master's degree in Sport and ...
1 comment
Read more