13 of the Best Reading Apps to Jumpstart Your Summer Reading List
What would we do without our mobile apps? These digital sources filled with loads of information, make life so much easier
Photo: Unsplash/@chasingafterdear
What would we do without our mobile apps? These digital sources filled with loads of information, make life so much easier. With summer in full swing, you probably have a long list of books you’re waiting to read. Instead of carrying around heavy books, it’s time to finally get acquainted with the easier, more portable way to get some reading in – of course, we mean e-books and mobile apps! There are some great reading apps out there, be it for reading books, magazines, or listening to audiobooks. We’re here to share the best 13 apps that deserve to take up real space on your phone.
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Amazon Kindle
First up: the Amazon Kindle app. In a world where we order so much from Amazon, it’s an added bonus that you can also get access to a ton of free books, magazines, and audiobooks. If you are a Prime member, you get access to over 1,000 titles. If you sign up for Kindle Unlimited, you get access to over 1 million.
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Apple News +
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzvSYAPFhea/
Apple News + gives you access to hundreds of magazines and newspapers, guaranteeing you’ll be caught up on all the news you want to read.
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SQUID
The SQUID app (available on iPhones) gives you the news you actually want to read. You can select among 100 categories, get both regional and global news, and switch between news from 12 different countries. You can even write notes on the articles themselves for yourself or before you share them on social media.
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Google Play Books
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz8ovkZFaa4/
Downloaded by over 1.5million people, Google Play Books provides a library for all the books, audiobooks, textbooks, and comics you want. It also offers recommendations for new ones to buy (among its millions of offerings). This allows you to listen to audiobooks, hands-free, on all your devices, and control your audiobooks with your voice.
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Audiobooks from Audible
Sitting down to read a physical book isn’t in the stars for everyone, so for all you multitaskers out there, start downloading some audiobooks. They’re perfect for when you’re traveling on a plane, laying on the beach, cooking dinner, and so much more. Audiobooks from Audible is the “largest producer of audiobooks in the world,” so there’s a good chance you’ll find something awesome you’ll want to listen to.
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Issuu
Whether you want to read a bunch of cool indie magazines, newspapers, catalogs, and more (or publish your own), Issuu is the site – and app – for you. According to the company, “each day, more than 20,000 newly uploaded publications become instantly available to active readers around the world who use Issuu’s site and mobile apps,” which means a whole lot of reading material.
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Scribd
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzLfvvUAo3A/
Scribd describes itself as the “world’s largest digital library,” so you know they will have some dope options when it comes to audiobooks, books, magazines, and more. You can subscribe for $8.99 a month, which gives you access to an unlimited number of audiobooks and books.
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Wattpad
Wattpad is a storyteller’s dream come true. The site and app allow you to read stories and share the ones you write as part of a community of over 65 million people. Whatcha’ waiting for? Download it!
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Nook by Barnes and Noble
The Nook Reading App and Nook Audiobooks App – both by Barnes and Noble – gives you access to millions of published works. They are available on Google Play and iTunes, and the Reading App is also available in the Windows Store. You’ve got plenty of options for your summer reading list to choose from.
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Goodreads
So much goes into choosing which book(s) to read that we sometimes don’t even get to the reading! This is why Goodreads is the perfect app to fix all of that. The “world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations” is like a Yelp for libros, with over 90 million members and over 90 million reviews. Goodreads also allows you to create a to-read book list and get personalized recommendations.
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Libby by OverDrive
The library has evolved and is keeping up with the times. You no longer have to drive to a branch, find parking, and then look around for a physical book — although you totally can! With the Libby by OverDrive app, you can check out an eBook or audiobook from a selection of thousands across multiple libraries from anywhere.
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hoopla
Another rad app that allows you to check out library books without having to go to the library itself is hoopla. The app lets you check out movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, or phone – and even your TV.
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Serial Box
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmlU-o8lVtO/
The cleverly named Serial Box is an app that understands how the modern consumer operates. The company understands that we often don’t have the time to read or listen to chapter after chapter of a story, but still want the experience and entertainment. Serial Box combines the best features of TV and books, releasing “a new episode of our serials every week. Serials typically run for seasons of 10-16 weeks. Easy to pick up, episodes are enjoyable on their own but build over the course of the season to tell a bigger story. Each episode is available in ebook and audio and takes about 40 minutes to enjoy.” You can buy each chapter or buy the whole season at once for a binge-reading or binge-listen sesh of released episodes.
