Reading can be a form of escapism into a fictional world, or it can teach readers certain topics useful in this lifetime.
But reading has taken a digital take. Yes, some of us out here still prefer the traditional route of reading hardcover or paperback books as opposed to swiping left and right to the next page. Portable, lightweight and convenience are some of the reasons why eBooks are highly preferred these days. If you want to start diverting to digital reading, Indonesia Expat presents the top seven reading apps downloadable in your phone and/or tablet.
ADULTS
Comixology
Are you a comic enthusiast? Comixology, one of the oldest and most popular services for digital comic books. It features thousands of new and classic comic books from major publishers like Marvel, DC Comics, and Image Comics, and other smaller brands. With your iOS, Android or Kinde Fire device, you can read comics in full screen. The new animated panel-by-panel style called Cinematic Guided View is another reading option, which is suitable for smaller screens as it focuses on each panel to ease script reading.
Media365
Available on iOS and Android, Media365 is a free reading app. You can read any of the books in its library, but of course, the occasional advertisement will pop up. You can find eBooks in 15 different languages. Mainstream books, as well as many niche and indie ones are provided. Uniquely, self-publishing authors can make use of this app. Users can adjust the font size can by simply doing a two-finger pinch on the screen. There’s also a text-to-speech function, which lets the app read books to you.
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is another free book reading app with a broad collection of eBooks, textbooks, and comics in English and multiple other languages on iOS and Android. Browse through the notable releases, best reads and top sellers of all genres. When you find an intriguing book, read its sample to get a glimpse of the book before fully diving in. You can also track your reading progress and identify the percentage of how much you’ve read.
Read Era
Read Era is another free platform to read books digitally. The best part is, no ads will cutoff your reading session. This is dubbed as one of the most proficient book reading apps out there as users can read reviews about the books before choosing and vast formats like PDF, EPUB, WORD (DOC, DOCX, RTF), MOBI, etc are provided. No registration is required, so is internet connection always required when you want to read. The app automatically detects the downloaded documents and eBooks from the internet, then becomes available to read through the app. This means your device won’t store more memory for any files downloaded.
Nook
Nook stands out amongst other free book reading apps as a one-stop destination with four million eBooks, magazines, comics, and graphic novels integrated with promotions, best sellers and top releases you can choose from. You can get newspapers or magazines on 14-day free trial as well. Uniquely, this app has the “Read and Record” function which allows users to record what they read and never miss out on storytimes again. Get this app now on iOS and Android.
CHILDREN
Epic!
For children, Epic! supplies users with a vast library of eBooks and audiobooks on iOS, Android and Windows. Classic children’s books, modern releases, family-friendly comic books as well as short video clips created by DreamWorksTV are just on the tip of the fingers. You can customise profiles thus catering to personal tastes.
7. Rivet
Does your child have a daily reading goal? Rivet can help achieve this. This app has a collection of 3,500+ children books in eight different reading levels. Children can access all books for free with an engaging kids’ friendly interface by choosing from eight different avatars and by tapping on any tricky word for help. This way, your child can achieve reading milestones and receive badges. Rivet is available on iOS and Android.