If so, how do you do it? Do you use Google Play books or use apps like PDF file readers? I'm only 19 and I'm interested to start my reading hobby. Though I can also grab some books on a close bookstore nearby, I am also interested to do it digitally.

Get a Kobo. They're awesome for reading. They feel like paper, like you're reading a real book. And it's pretty simple to sideload books. Plus you only have to charge them every few weeks, up to a month sometimes.

No, I read books on paper.

If you're looking for free, I would suggest OpenLibrary, which has an android app: https://openlibrary.org/
I will say that the app/site is not fun to use. It's not intuitive and very poor in it's "rental" process.

Since I have an Amazon Prime account, I most often read books available for free that are included with Prime.

My wife does, she went through like 15 of them in 2025.

She just uses the Kindle app on her phone.

I use Cantook on my phone and skip the account setup. I convert Kobo books and other ebooks using Calibre to Epub. I like Cantook because there's a setting to use the volume buttons to turn pages.

I prefer an e-reader, but I used my phone before I got one. It is nice to always have my books on me with the phone, but the e-reader is much more comfortable for long sessions.

Paper. It’s unwieldy but there’s something about screens that doesn’t work for me.

I usually download an epub of the book and put it on my Kavita server, then read from my phone.

I've read on my phone quite a bit. On Google Books but also with an app such as ReadEra (on Android) in order to make use of https://gutenberg.org/ and https://standardebooks.org/. You can also get library books digitally.

That said, I would recommend a Kobo if you can afford it.

I dont read books on my phone but I do listen to audio books off my phone.

My wife uses a Kindle. She also had the Barnes and Noble version of that. I think it was called a paper white.

I've read some, I get tired quite fast though, too much scrolling. An ebook is much more comfortable and then there's regular books for the full tactile experience.

Kobo? I did a google search and it looked interesting. Thanks for the info. I think I might try that app.

For me audiobooks are key. I pour through them when doing mundane tasks, traveling, or just sitting to “read”. They aren’t for everyone, but also don’t let anyone tell you they don’t register the same way as regular reading. They do.

Downsides include resell (you can’t) and people around you not realizing you’re into a book the same as if you had one open. Also, if you zone out it keeps going without you.

I love ‘em though. I was never an avid reader until I got into the audio versions.

Thanks for the suggestion but I think that's gonna make my phkne bloated? I think audio books' file sizes are big?

Normally I use a Kobo e-reader, but on my phone I use Readera for ebooks

Kavita? Is that an app?

Thanks. I think I'll try that app(Readera?). I think I seen that app before.

Maybe it's like Google Play Books alternative? I also think that's popular. Thanks for the suggestion.

I used to read books on a Kindle but I am trying to spend less times looking at screens, so I started buying physical books again.

Yeah they will but you can pull them off once you are done listenning to them

I find reading on my phone to be far easier than on paper due to dyslexia.

I use Libera FD, it's a combination eBook, PDF, document viewer that can scan your docs and form fit them to your desired font, size, and density.

As for getting books, annas-archive is my new best friend. I grab every weird fiction and horror I can get my hands on.

A kindle shouldn't be much different than a book since it doesn't really emit light
(If we don't talk of tactile feeling, of course)

Moon+ reader as an app for reading on your phone. I've had it on every device since my Galaxy S. And the app is still maintained, receiving regular updates. Nice to be able to read a couple of pages when standing in line somewhere instead of mindlessly scrolling.

https://www.kavitareader.com/

since you're on lemmy, I'm gonna assume you're techy. Audiobookshelf can be self hosted, and can manage audiobooks and serve them.

i used to be a voracious reader, but as i grew up i slowed down. getting books and then lugging them around was less feasible with Stuff To Do, and this is gonna sound super stupid but i have a hard time getting comfortable reading a physical book. for whatever reason I hold it wildly different depending on if i'm reading the right or left page so i'm constantly moving around

i've started using libby and now i'm reading multiple books a month again. you need a physical library card but once you have it you havd access to all of your library's digital stuff. in the US you can also get a state library card in some states online, giving you access to even more books. you can also find lots of classics online for free through project gutenberg, and the internet archive has a mix of free and rental books. the latter needs a special app to open them, though, and the only one i could seem to get to work was in italian

I have a kindle, but I do occasionally read on my phone through the Kindle app.
That being said, I get the EPUB version of books from https://annas-archive.li/

Yes, works great especially at night with red letters on black.

Librera FD is your friend to read epubs.

PDF sucks on phones.

The link Axolotl replied with is it. Its a selfhosted server software that you host on one machine and access from others. You access it via its webui on your browser, and it gives you a browser based reader for all your ebook and manga files. The benefit to that is its device independent. You can pick up and keep reading from anything with a browser.

I prefer Epubs, I use Eboox on Android. I personally like digital because there are times I have to stand on a bus and I can just read it with one hand as I use the other to hold on to the handgrips. Btw it can turn pages using volume keys. Also, they are inconspicuous if you're a person like me who might read books that some conservative people may raise eyebrows on.

FBreader on Android phone and Calibre on Linux to manage my library.

Haven't found a pdf reader I really like yet (haven't looked too hard), but most of them work fine in landscape mode. Currently using one called Orion Viewer I got from FDroid. It does remember my place when I reopen a PDF, key feature.

I know, I really like that about Kindles, but I recently decided I need less screen time and a Kindle is technically a screen. ( I am aware of the irony of posting this comment on the Internet)

Had no idea they had an app. After peeking at that page, I still don't. Do you just mean it's a PWA, or is there a native one?

But yeah, agree that their UI/UX does not make it much fun. Still a great resource.

I have occasionally. I've got Google Play on my phone and I used to use a small tablet to do some reading.

Ultimately I find much better success rates reading a paper book. Having a single purpose item laying around helps motivate me, and the low-tech approach reduces distraction.

I think they meant the physical device

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en

They can be a bit pricy if you're young and on a budget.

If you're trying to read on your phone only, I'd recommend these apps:

• Readest: The app is on both mobile and desktop, it's a nice experience, and it's free/ open source. I found it to be stable but I've seen comments about bugs: https://github.com/readest/readest
• Moon Reader: It's paid / proprietary, but well known and customizable: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Moon%2B&hl=en-US

As for sourcing the files

• see if your library does any digital lending
• check out free sources like Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive

Some comments brought up a home server, but you don't really need that if you're starting out with the hobby and it's just for yourself. That's more for managing large libraries of books and access by many users.

Sorry, I should have linked it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.loomishouse.ol_reader_app

I think the 3.5 rating is generous but its technically usable.

I’ve been using the pro version, Moon+ Reader Pro, for years. It’s great for reading EPUBs, which I either buy DRM-free or, if that’s not possible, in any format and then download a “liberated” copy from Anna’s Archive.

The books I tend to consume on my phone are in the form of audiobooks via Libby from the libraries I have access to. My local library also has Hoopla, but the app feels more clunky and overwhelming and it costs the library more so I try all other options before turning to Hoopla. I do most of my book and manga reading an e-ink android device.

I prefer how text flows on my device's stock reader more (Neoreader for Onyx/Boox devices), but KOREADER is a very cool project and the community for plugins is phenomenal. It's available on tons of devices from the big name eink devices (Kindle via modding, Kobo, Pocketbook) to arm linux based gaming handhelds via portmaster. It's like the rockbox of reading software lol

I also want to bring up the Queer Liberation Library. I don't know if this is a useful resource for you specifically but it is there. Wait times tend to be longer compared to my more local libraries, but I find it to be a great curation and it's an invaluble resource for those who need it!

Komikku is my tachiyomi/mihon fork of choice for manga that's scanlated (or if I can't bother torrenting), but if I need image dithering I swap to neoreader after downloading.

Congrats on wanting to get into reading more btw! /genuine

Get a used kobo. An aura or h2o can be had for $50 or less on eBay and will do all that you need, has a battery you can actually replace, and has an active 3rd party software community if you find the default (perfectly good) software lacking.

Thanks!

But yeah, it is rough. No wonder they keep it a secret, lol.

+1 for Kobo. I love being able to read in the dark without bothering my partner with the light

I did indeed mean a physical kobo. they're great little devices, and pretty much completely repairable.

I enjoy reading on my phone when other people are around, for instance during lunch at work or at a park or something. If I read a normal dead tree book, I get people asking me what it is I'm reading, what it's about, WHY I'm reading, and so on. If I read on my phone, I'm just another Standard Phone Zombie and can be ignored.

Yep, internet archive

Phone, no. Second hand Kobo + calibre, yes.

Much as I love physical books, I've now reached an age where having the ability to increase font size, adjust margins, kerning and leading is invaluable.

I do almost all of my reading on my phone and have for more than a decade. There are many excellent book reading apps, but your source for material will probably limit those options. I prefer books in the ePub format when possible. PDF files also work fairly well, although they are not as convenient to read because they have built-in page breaks that don't correspond match up with phone screens. Standard ePub and PDF files do not include any DRM (copy protection), although there are variants which do.

If you buy books from Amazon you have to use their Kindle app (unless you use tools to strip the DRM). Borrowing books from your library is a great option, but that will also limit your reader options. Many use OverDrive, which has its own reader. Fortunately Kindle and OverDrive both work pretty well.

Personally, I use various tools to remove the DRM from the eBooks that I buy, then I convert them to ePub. I do believe in authors getting paid for their work, so I don't share them.

Free Moon+ Reader haven't shown me any ads, maybe it's regional or something. I use it for years.

It depends on how long the book is and how were audio files compressed. I'd put an average of 450MBs per book as I inspect my non-app direct downloads, with 6 Dune books being 2,5GB, more individual ones been from 250MBs to 1GB. If you reconvert them yourself, you can set the target bitrate => size to barely tolerable levels if you will, and keep in mind that's still hours upon hours of joy, they worth it, and for tough books you can download them in parts. Idk how tight your space budget is, but I found it's pretty nice that the whole Dark Tower cycle by Stephen King, being cleverly shrinked by the uploader, took only 6,5GBs while giving me a month-long ride.

Compared to most PDFs and EPUBs, audio is obviously a very bloated data source, but at the same time it provides a lot of advantages pure text can't.

Yep, and I do this both on my noname e-ink reader and my phone (fb2reader or moon reader apps there). Downloaded audiobooks, whole another beast, are great in Voice app from F-Droid, if you choose this path.

I didn't find it inconvinient to read on smaller button phones before and the difference between a dedicated healthier device and a modern smartphone mostly escapes me. This obviously excludes PDFs and manga/comics not adapting to your screen size like a basic e-book in epub/fb2 formats, so if you stick to one of those formats - you'd want an A5-paper sized device or more.

Worse problem with some book for me is not a medium or an interface to consume it, but a lack of concentration, interest and/or habit. Life finds a way, and if you got captured by a book, you'd stop to see or care how you eat through it. But for a regular reading routine it'd be great to think of when and where you'd dedicate some time to enjoy literature, so it'd gain a momentum with you.