Websites and apps to read ebooks for free during self-isolation

The Coronavirus outbreak has almost brought the whole world to a standstill. As we observe a 21-days complete lockdown in India, in order to prevent the disease from spreading further, it's time to sit in a corner, relax and enjoy the company of books. Afterall, in such uncertain times we need writers and their stories all the more-- not just to keep us occupied but to give us a ray of hope of surviving and coping with the worst.
To help you read more on a budget, here we list down some websites, apps and publishers who are giving free access to a wide range of e-books (especially during the coronavirus lockdown). Read on!

The National Book Trust (NBT) recently announced that they are offering their select and bestselling books for free download to encourage reading during coronavirus lockdown. Readers can choose from over a hundred books to download from NBT's website. This initiative is a pat of NBT's #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks initiative.

In order to support people to stay home during the coronavirus lockdown, Juggernaut Books is also giving free access to their e-books on the app. Telecom operator Bharti Airtel, which acquired Juggernaut in 2017, announced in a statement, "As India stays at home to support the government’s efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19, readers can now access thousands of top books and novels on Juggernaut Books (formerly known as Airtel Books) for free by simply downloading the app (Android/iOS) on their smartphones."

Oxford University Press (OUP) has granted free access to their resources on COVID-19 and related topics across the world to help fight against the pandemic. "As part of our response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic across the world, Oxford University Press has made content from online resources and leading journals freely accessible to assist researchers, medical professionals, policy makers, and others who are working to address this health crisis," reads a statement on their website. Though these resources are a bit technical, it would interest readers who would like to research and know more about this deadly disease.

Classic Indian comics ‘Amar Chitra Katha’ and ‘Tinkle Comics' are a part of most people's childhood. And so, you'll be happy to know that ACK Media, which publishes ‘Amar Chitra Katha’ and ‘Tinkle Comics', is offering a free subscription to the entire archive of the popular comics till March 31. You can now revisit your childhood memoirs and read comics including Chanakya, Akbar, Ashoka, and Babasaheb Ambedkar among others for free while in self-isolation.

International Children’s Digital Library's website offers a wide range of children's books to read from across the world for free. The digital library has a rich collection of historical and contemporary books of different languages and cultures which will interest young readers of all age groups.

From March 30- April 14, publisher Penguin and Momspesso are launching #OnceUponABookWithPenguin wherein one author will be live every evening to tell an interesting story from their books to kids, reports PTI. Popular children’s authors including Ruskin Bond and Paro Anand among others are expected to engage with readers and children on Momspesso's Facebook page. "The intent is to make playtime fun for kids even if they are indoors and hence the focus will be on animated storytelling and reading and also to leave kids to do an activity once the story is over," a Penguin statement said, according to PTI.

Novel Free Read Online, as the name suggests, is a website which provides ebooks of contemporary authors for free to read. Some of the popular writers whose books you can read on this site include Sylvia Day, Stephanie Meyer, Dean Koontz among others.