Best apps for bookworms
Charge up your summer reading with a tablet or smartphone.
If you love reading on screen then there are some brilliant apps to help you find and read new books this summer. First, three from the big technology companies behind phones, tablets and ebook readers. Amazon’s Kindle app, Google Play Books and Apple Books all let you read ebooks on your device, as well as browse their online stores for books to buy and read.
Not all of these apps are available on all devices: you can’t buy ebooks on Apple Books and read them on an Android phone, for example but you’ll be able to get the Kindle app.
Another app, called Libby, lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. If your library works with it, you (or your parent or guardian) sign in using your normal library card, browse the virtual shelves and then download your next book at any time or any day.
There are also apps that help you track the books that you’ve read and the ones you’d like to read next. Bookmory and Goodreads are both available for Apple and Android devices but Reading List is Apple-only. Just add in what you’re reading right now, make a book wishlist, and even get stats on your reading habits.
Finally, there’s an app that encourages you not just to read stories, but to read them out loud. It’s called Tell: Record + Share Stories, and is available for Apple and Android. The app comes with a collection of animated stories, which you and your family can read out, record and share with one another. Although it’s free to try out, the full app will charge users a monthly subscription, so check with an adult before you download.