Paging Poets And People Interested In Ideas Of Identity

Go on over to Shelf Check and contribute to the discussion. Please. Don't leave me out in the cold.

Free Read Roundup

Looking for something to read?

Tor is offering a free weekly e-book with subscription to its online newsletter.

The Internet Archive is another source for hard to find, scanned books. Gaslight is a site sponsored by Mount Royal College that does the same, along withLiterature.org and EServer's Fiction Collection offers both text, criticism, and links to other sites publishing fiction.

Five Chapters offers 1 short story per week, doled out in installments delivered by email or read on the web Monday-Friday. A great way to check out new writers.

More Links To Online Reading

I had a reference desk emergency a few weeks ago. We had a patron ask about O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief," and while we own several collections of O. Henry stories, none contain that work. Thanks to the beauty of free literature on the internet, I was able to print a copy for the patron and satisfy her request.

Read Print offers a short list of classic books and biographical information on the authors. Easy to navigate, no downloading, but the print and format are easy on the eyes.

Classic Short Stories is a website devoted to the short story. Lots of favorite classic authors. Online reading or printing only, and the format on the page is hard on my eyes. Thisis the site I got the O. Henry from.

The Literature Network offers over 6,000 classic works out of copyright from 260 authors and discussion forums. Online reading only, with its attendant issues--format is not as readable as Read Print, but not too bad.

I Read Of The Book Electronic

Okay, so ever since I discovered that my Cleveland Public Library card allows me access to e-books and other electronic media, I have been very happy. It's good for finding something to read when the library is closed, or if you are perhaps a little embarassed by your reading tastes, and has lots of newer materials available.

Looking for ways to read using your computer? I've compiled some resources.

Daily Lit serves those pinched for time and looking to catch up on the classics by sending excerpts of classic literature and nonfiction via email or RSS. You pick how often you receive the sections, and read at your own pace. Fairly small selection, but it is searchable.

Full Books has a variety of out of copyright material, ranging from reference to classic to schlock. Online reading only, no searching, and it's all arranged alphabetically by title. But it has P.G. Wodehouse. You'll find some gems within.

World Wide School is set up for those who want to broaden their education and offers a variety of older children's materials, classic texts, and fiction. Again, online reading only, but it has a searchable index.

Munsey's is the place if you've got a love for old genre fiction. Tons of pulp and classic materials. You can download to a mobile reader or Adobe Acrobat or read online in HTML. Searchable by keywords, some books are tagged.

Baen Free Library offers the first books of several science fiction series for reading, along with discussion of whether this is good for writers and publishers or not.

And of course, Project Gutenberg the original e-publisher of free copyright material.

ENJOY!