5 ebook reader apps for Android worth downloading

The digital revolution has made real a lot of things that were unimaginable just a few short decades ago. Millions of books in your pocket, on a device you can make calls and play Angry Birds on — this is the future, and it's going to save your back a considerable amount of strain from carting around the hardback version of War and Peace.

An e-reader (the most famous of which is probably the Amazon Kindle) allows you to download ebooks from online stores (or upload copies you already own, as long as they're in the correct format). These e-readers tend to have special E Ink screens, which are not backlit like phone screens and computer monitors and thus are easier to read for long periods of time without eyestrain. However, if you don't own a specialized e-reader or can't bring one along with you for some reason, you can still enjoy your books on the go on your Android device. Here are five of the best e-readers on the Android Market for your phone or tablet.

1. Aldiko Book Reader
Download: Aldiko Book Reader for Android
Price: $2.99

The developers of this app celebrated 5 million downloads of the free version of Aldiko Book Reader in January, and with the features they've managed to pack into this e-reading software, it's easy to see why. Aldiko Book Reader has two really neat features that aren't that common among its competitors: first, the ability to remember and search custom catalogs such as the free Project Gutenburg library, and second, a huge number of display configurations that might be useful if you have poor vision or sight impairments. Aldiko Book Reader gives you full control over the font, size of the text, spacing between the lines, text color, and background color. You're not limited to black on white, white on black, or sepia here; if your eyes prefer a pale green background with dark blue text, then you can have that.

2. Amazon Kindle
Download: Amazon Kindle for Android
Price: Free

Just because you don't have a Kindle device doesn't mean that you can't have access to some of the best features from Amazon's e-reader software. The Kindle app for Android lets you browse the Amazon Market, buy books, and download them instantly to your phone or tablet. Kindle for Android works as a standalone e-reader on a single device, giving you access to a huge quantity of books to browse. Its slick UI is designed for touch. Where the Kindle app really shines is in its syncing features, letting you manage your bookmarks, progress, and notes in the books you're reading across multiple devices.

3. Google Books
Download: Google Books for Android
Price: Free

You may already be familiar with the vast, searchable web catalog known as Google Books. Google Books lets you search for books online and read either snippets, excerpts, or the full text of the book, depending on its copyright status and the publisher's wishes. With Google Books for Android, Google has created an app that takes advantage of this huge online library, letting you search the catalog (or buy books from them or independent partners) and store all of your downloads in the cloud, synced across as many devices as you like. The app itself doesn't have as many customization options as some of the others featured here; Google's selling point is the huge selection of books you can browse through and the ease with which you can find exactly what you're looking for. Boasting 3 million free books, Google Books should keep you busy without putting a dent in your wallet.

4. Moon Reader+
Download: Moon Reader+ for Android (free version)
Price: $4.86

Moon Reader+ is something of a sleeper app on the Android Market that has quietly picked up a loyal customer base and plaudits from tech websites for its slick, full-featured software. The app can cope with the following file formats: .txt, .html, .epub, .umd, .fb2, .chm, .zip, or OPDS, making it one of the most comprehensive e-readers on the Android Market. The developers have also given users multiple options to assign gestures and hardware buttons to different actions, which should allow a seamless reading experience. In addition to that, Moon Reader+ comes with 10 themes such as the one you can see in the screenshot, an unusual feature that some may find brings their text to life.

5. Nook for Android
Download: Nook for Android
Price: Free

The Nook Color from Barnes & Noble is one of the best-selling e-reader devices in the United States, placing 2 million books, newspapers, and magazines at your disposal. The Nook app lets you browse B&N's catalog and download books directly to your Android device. (It will also sync them with your Nook e-reader, if you have one.) You can also read PDF files on the Nook app, handy if you're sent documents from work and need to read them on the go or you're a student doing research and want to squeeze in a journal article on the bus ride home. The Nook app comes with in-app sharing, allowing you to lend a book (once only) to a friend.

Between the (electronic) pages
We think all five of these apps will help you dive right into the world of ebooks and have you engrossed in no time! If you use any of these apps (or any others that you think are awesome and worth a mention,) be sure to let us know in the comments!

[Image credit: Shutterhacks]

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