I once made a video (no longer available) and wrote a post about getting free books but I will admit that I haven't used any of those sites for quite some time. For example, I stopped using Project Gutenberg some years ago because I find that I am no longer attracted to the idea of reading classic literature. It's much too stuffy for me.
Another thing that happened is that my enthusiasm about NetGalley kind of faded away, too. I know that it's one of the greatest options that readers have when it comes to borrowing newly released books or ARCs, but I've lost my interest in it.
I have to admit, I do not like being told to upload a review by a certain date. I have my own pace when it comes to reading, and what that means is that I will usually burn through an erotica novel in one night and will take my sweet time with a Jeffrey Eugenides novel (even a month). That happens because one genre is so different from the other. Erotica is fast food whereas quality contemporary lit can only be compared to gourmet cuisine.
One thing I haven't tried yet is reading on my iPhone or MacBook. I have both of these gadgets but I do not own an iPad, but I've heard that it's great for reading. However, I somehow doubt that it's better than my Kindle, at least when it comes to the display. There are plenty of free Kindle and Apple books out there today, though, and that's what appeals most to me.
Besides, when it comes to erotica, most books are series. It figures that I don't want to spend my money on the first novel from a series and then realize that I don't like the author's style or I can't relate to the characters.
If I pay for the first book, I will have effectively wasted my money if I don't like it. Some sites offer links to free Kindle books by genre, which is something rather unique. Back in the day, I used to use Instafreebie (now Prolific Works) to check out their weekly featured giveaways, but there aren't any particular categories when it comes to the downloads. For example, as I am writing this, you can get free books in interracial romance, contemporary romance, mystery & thriller, and clean science fiction. But where's the rest? Where's the historical fiction? Where's the non-fiction? Surely you see what I mean.
While some might think that I'm cheap because I love free Kindle books, the truth is that not all people have the money to pay for them, and using piracy instead is plain wrong and never an option I could ever support. In my older article, I talked about how you can be a little creative when it comes to getting free books, and if you're a convincing 'stalker' of an author, you can get in touch with them via Twitter (or some other social media network) and ask them for a review copy in return for your undying support and appreciation. This works best if you have a book blog, of course, since you can provide them with a link, too.
I'd like to end by saying that it's not impossible to get free ebooks, especially nowadays. It's a wonderful way of making sure that what you're going to get hooked on actually deserves your interest. Surely a series like A Game of Thrones would get you hooked right from the beginning, but one like Fifty Shades of Gray?... I think not.
By the way, did you hear that E.L. James is about to publish a new book? I hope this time around, her main female character doesn't talk to 'her inner goddess' as much as Anastasia Steele used to (because that... that made me go absolutely crazy!).
