# Where can you read good books online for free, and legally?

Free ebook sites are often pirated copies, buried in pop-ups, or nothing but very old books in ugly formatting. Library apps have waiting lists. And you’d like the author to be all right with you reading it.

## A free sample of every ebook, no account needed

Every ebook on LocalBooks opens with a free sample: its first chapters, in a reader set like a printed book. No sign-up, no email, no app to install.

## Whole books free with a free account

Many authors share their whole book with signed-in readers. Signing in takes your email address and one click on the link we send: no password.

In full books, a short trailer for another book plays from time to time: 10 seconds, about every 15 minutes of reading. That’s how reading stays free and how local authors get found. See [why trailers appear](https://localbooks.app/guides/readers/trailers-in-the-reader).

## Classics, too

The [LocalBooks Classics](https://localbooks.app/classics) are more than 200 public-domain books, from Jane Austen to Japanese and Russian classics, in 14 languages. A few are public domain only in some countries, so they can be read only where that’s allowed.

## Legal, and fair to authors

Authors upload their own books and confirm they own the rights. The classics are in the public domain. Nothing here is a pirated copy.

## How to read a book free on LocalBooks

1. **Find a book**: Browse by genre, by place or on the [map](https://localbooks.app/map), or search.
2. **Read the sample**: On the book’s page, click “Read a sample”. No account needed.
3. **Keep reading free**: Where the author shares the whole book, sign in with your email at the end of the sample and carry on.
4. **Pick up anywhere**: Your place is saved, so you can continue on any device.

## What it costs

Free. Samples need no account; a free account opens the books authors share in full.

## Questions

### Do I need an account?

Not for samples. A free account opens whole books where the author shares them, and keeps your place and your bookshelf.

### Is it really free?

Yes. In full books you see a short trailer for another book from time to time. That’s the deal.

### Can I read on my phone?

Yes, in your phone’s browser. You can also add LocalBooks to your home screen. See [offline reading](https://localbooks.app/guides/readers/offline-reading).

### Why can’t I read a classic in my country?

Copyright lasts different lengths in different countries. A few classics are public domain only in some countries, so their text is shown only there.

### Why does a book stop after the sample?

Its author chose sample only. Their where-to-buy links show where to get the whole book.

Canonical: https://localbooks.app/guides/readers/read-free