March 2025
The Eight Best Services to Rent, Buy, and Download E-Books
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While there is something special about a physical book, e-books are a great alternative for reading on the go (and building a library that doesn’t take up any space). If you want to read on your phone, tablet, or e-reader, there are a number of options for finding millions of titles to borrow or buy.
Your e-reader choice doesn’t necessarily limit where you can get e-books, as some of the best e-readers (Kindle and non-Kindle) support a wide range of document formats, which you can convert back and forth using a service like Calibre and Adobe Acrobat, with some limitations. (If you’re in need of an e-reader, we’ve broken down the pros and cons of some of the most popular options on the market, though you can also access content via various apps for your iOS or Android device.)
On the flip side, where you buy e-books may limit where can you read them. For example, Amazon has eliminated the option to download your Kindle e-books to a computer to convert them from the company’s proprietary .AZW3 format. That means you can read content only on your Kindle or through the Kindle mobile or web app.
In addition to compatibility with your reading device, you should also consider factors like book selection and catalog size, whether you want to pay per book or have a subscription, and whether you want to borrow books or own them long-term.
Here are some of the best e-book services to consider.
Kindle Books
While you might be trying to get away from Amazon’s services, especially if you’re not already a Kindle user, Kindle Books is still one of the top e-book shops out there, with more than 6 million titles to choose from.
You can buy individual books a la carte or subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, which allows you to borrow up to 20 eligible e-book or audiobook titles at a time (plus magazine subscriptions) with no due date, for $12 per month after a 30-day trial. Your books and reading progress sync across devices, so you don’t lose your place.
The downside, as outlined above, is that you can only read books on a Kindle device or in the Kindle app, so you won’t be able to transfer content to another e-reader. And while Kindle Unlimited has a huge selection, including popular titles, you may not find everything you want to read is eligible, so you’ll have to purchase some books separately.
OverDrive
OverDrive is the library service that loans titles to anyone with a library card at a participating library system. More than 90% of libraries in North American support OverDrive, and you can check out and read e-books through the Libby app on iOS, Android, and Amazon devices as well as via web. OverDrive is free to use as long as you have a library card, and the Libby app is easy to navigate for browsing, requesting, reading, and returning e-books with features like device syncing and offline access.
However, the selection is dependent on your local library’s catalog, and you may have to wait for popular titles. Plus, like physical books from the library, you have a limited checkout period before your e-book is returned to circulation—and if other users have requested the title, you may not be able to renew it.
If you want to expand your options for library borrowing, you can also use Hoopla, which is similar to OverDrive and allows you to check out e-books to read on your mobile device.
Rakuten Kobo
Kobo is a great alternative to Kindle for both e-readers and e-books. The catalog has more than 5 million titles to choose from, which you can read on any Kobo device or with the Kobo app on iOS, Android, or desktop. You can also download Kobo books in EPUB or PDF format to export to other reading devices, and Kobo integrates with OverDrive/Libby for library borrowing.
Kobo offers a la carte purchases as well as a subscription borrowing service called Kobo Plus, which costs $8 per month for e-books only or $10 a month for both e-books and audiobooks after a 30-day trial. Kobo Plus doesn’t come with access to the full Kobo catalog, though there are 1.5 million e-books and 150,000 audiobooks available to choose from.
Google Play Books
Google has a catalog of more than 4 million books available to buy or rent through Google Play. You can read books on almost any device (except Kindle) using either the Google Play app or by downloading as an EPUB or PDF file and transferring to an e-reader. The Google interface offers helpful recommendations, and the app syncs across devices with the option to read offline. Google doesn’t have its own e-reader, but that makes reading more flexible than content purchased for Kindle.
Bookshop.org
If you want to support your local bookseller with your e-book buys, Bookshop.org is a great alternative to Kindle and Kobo. A portion of all purchases (whether e-book or hard copy) goes to an indie bookstore of your choosing, and you can read e-books through the Bookshop.org app on your iOS or Android device or in a web browser.
The selection from Bookshop.org isn’t as large as some other catalogs, and you’ll pay full price for most titles, as there’s also no subscription option for borrowing. Again, though, you are supporting local businesses with each purchase.
Everand
Everand is the audiobook and e-book arm of Scribd, and a monthly subscription includes access to both content types and a catalog of more than 1.5 million titles. The $12-per-month standard plan unlocks one title per month, or you can pay $17 per month for three unlocks (after a 30-day trial). Both plans include access to community-uploaded documents on Scribd. Everand e-books can be read through the service’s iOS or Android app or on Everand.com.
eBooks.com
eBooks.com is a platform-agnostic shop with more than 2.6 million titles to choose from, making it a good option if you’re not locked into a single device. You can download your books in one of several formats depending on your reading device (note that eBooks.com is not compatible with Kindle except for Kindle Fire). You do have to purchase e-books outright—there’s no subscription option.
Project Gutenberg
If you’re looking for literary classics, Project Gutenberg is one place to find them for free. First launched in 1971, the (now) online library has digitized over 75,000 books in dozens of languages, with a focus on content with expired U.S. copyrights. File formats are compatible with most e-readers and mobile devices, so you can download and transfer books anywhere you want to read them. You won’t find popular titles or current bestsellers here, but it is a great option for books from your English class reading list.
Other e-book services
Of course, there are plenty of other places to get e-books. Those in the Apple ecosystem can purchase individual titles from Apple Books, which you can read on any device with the Apple Books app and share with up to five family members. Barnes & Noble is good choice for Nook users, with more than 4 million titles that can also be accessed in iOS or Android. Or look at platforms that offer discounted or free e-books.
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Pirates ace Paul Skenes is working on 2 new pitches. Does he really need them?
Skenes thrives, more than many other arms, on creating a sense of total discomfort for the hitter. More pitches mean more decisions, and more decisions mean more discomfort.
The Easiest Ways to Spot an Unpaid Tolls Scam Text
I’ve recently rented a car in two different states. Both times I was asked if I wanted to pay an extra fee per day to avoid worrying about paying tolls—a crucial issue in some states, like Florida, that no longer accept cash on the road and sometimes won’t even allow you to pay online. Both times I declined, and set my Google Maps to “avoid tolls.”
I was reasonably confident Google would keep me safe from an unpaid toll ticket, but my heart still skipped a beat when, a few weeks ago, I got a text message letting me know I had unpaid I-Pass tolls from Illinois. But then I took a closer look at the text.
Missed toll texts are the latest scam
It turns out that texts purporting to be from a tolling administration telling you you have unpaid tolls and you have to pay up, or else face fines or even lose your driver’s license, are the latest in an unending stream of text-based phishing scams trying to get you to give up your personal info (and your money).
Transportation authorities in multiple states have issued warnings about these texts, which seem fairly legit at a glance. Typically they will purport to come from one of the major tolling programs—the E-ZPass in the northeast, FasTrak in California, I-Pass in Illinois. The text will inform you that you have an unpaid toll, provide a looming due date, and outline dire consequences for failing to pay up. Also included will be a handy, official-looking URL where you can make your payment.
Accessing that link will take you to a site that invites you to enter your credit card or banking information to settle your fine. And I’m sure you can imagine what happens from there, because you’ve just given your credit card number to a scammer.
How to spot a scam missed toll text
As scams go, this one isn’t very sophisticated. The scammers aren’t doing anything special to target you—they just have your phone number somehow and are including you in a mass spamming attempt in the hopes you’ll be too distracted to notice the obvious signs the message isn’t legit. So here are a few things to watch out for:
Do you even use this particular tolling service? In the last week, I’ve received half a dozen of these texts. Some of them are for services I’ve used and could conceivably owe money (like I-Pass, which operates in Illinois, one of the states I recently visited). Others, not so much: I didn’t even know California used something called “FasTrak” until I googled it. So take a beat to think: Is there a legitimate reason this tolling agency is asking me for money? I might have a missed E-ZPass toll, but I definitely don’t have a missed FasTrak toll.
Check the sender. One of the most obvious tells is the source of the text. Official automated texts will usually come from a 5-digit number. The texts I get telling me my E-ZPass has topped up, for example, come from “39769.” Scam texts will more likely come from a full phone number, likely an international one, with an unfamiliar country code at the start (I recently got one from a number that began with “+44,” indicating a number based in the U.K.). Another tell: If the sender is an email—especially if it’s from a free email service like Gmail or Outlook (I’ve even gotten a few from Hotmail, which hasn’t existed for years).
Non-hyperlinked URLs. When a message comes from a legitimate sender, any URLs included will likely be clickable. Scam texts will almost always have non-clickable URLs, with weird instructions either telling you to copy and paste the address into your browser, or to respond to the text with a Y, and then close and reopen it. This is an attempt to get around an iPhone security feature. Conveniently (for the scammer), once you’ve responded to a text and then reopened it, the link they sent you before will become clickable, taking you right to the site that will steal your payment info.
Look for other signs of an online scam. Chances are good the payment sites these URLs lead you to will also carry telltale signs of a phishing scam, like poor grammar, misspellings, or weird formatting. Luckily, all the ones I’ve been directed to visit via my most recent scam texts don’t actually work, suggesting that the sites are being taken down as fast as the scammers can put them up. But I keep getting more of them, so they probably aren’t going to stop trying.
17 Movies About Real Women Who Changed History
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International Women’s Day, in one form or another, has existed since around 1909—placing the holiday’s inception roughly in line with the early days of film. It seems fitting, then, to take a look at movies that examine and celebrate the accomplishments (and trials) of real women in history. This isn’t an exhaustive list of movies about women who’ve changed the world (or at least changed their worlds), and there are plenty of very important women whose lives have never been touched by filmmakers (and others, sadly, with movies that aren’t streaming—I’m looking at you Hypatia of Alexandria and Agora). But, like International Women’s Day itself: It’s a start.
Colette (2018)
Rural village girl Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (played by Keira Knightley) begins an affair with Henry Gauthier-Villars, the author known only, absurdly, as “Willy.” He supplements his income by hiring ghostwriters to produce works to be released under his more bankable name and, when he realizes that Colette isn’t without storytelling talent of her own, he comes to see her as a source of free material for the Willy brand. As her works become increasingly successful, Colette finds herself unwilling to be locked in a closet toiling for her husband, instead coming to assert her own artistic (and sexual) agency as one of the most important French writers of the last couple of centuries. Her ultimate independence and popularity among women readers helped to change the ways in which books are marketed while also broadening the range of topics (including a lot more sex, and not all of it straight) about which women could be seen to discuss in print. You can stream Colette on Prime Video.
Hidden Figures (2016)
There’s nothing easy about orbital mechanics (I’m told—I count on my fingers), and Hidden Figures tells a story of math involving three women: Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). Long neglected by history books, Hidden Figures dramatizes the stories of the Black women who performed complex calculations in an era before computers, and then became expert programmers once machines were introduced. Their calculations put John Glenn into space. You can rent Hidden Figures from Prime Video.
Norma Rae (1979)
Sally Field (who won an Oscar) plays the title’s Norma Rae Webster, based pretty squarely on real-life union organizer Crystal Lee Sutton. A factory worker in North Carolina is fired for running off a union sign on the company printer, leading to the climactic, indelible moment when she brings the factory to a complete standstill. One of the most memorable moments in American movie history—when Norma Rae stops the factory with her hand-scribbled “union” sign—is straight from history, and it made Sutton a labor icon. You can stream Norma Rae on Watch TCM.
Live Nude Girls Unite! (2000)
Sex work is work, and workers in the industry face challenges both universal and unique in fighting for wages or improved conditions. In the late 1990s, the staff at the Lusty Lady, a San Francisco peep show, were faced with arbitrary wage policies, racism, and lacked even the most basic job perks while dealing with problem customers without management support. When the staff threatened a strike, management wouldn’t even concede that what the women did was a real job; as though they were doing it for fun. So they got organized, resulting in a truly groundbreaking moment in labor history, even if sex workers still struggle for recognition. Filmmaker Julia Query actually worked at the club and brings a sharp insider’s perspective to this documentary. You can stream Live Nude Girls Unite! on Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video.
On the Basis of Sex (2018)
Felicity Jones stars as a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who, later in life, became the Supreme Court Justice most likely to appear on a T-shirt. The consequences of the end of Ginsburg’s career are very much present, but the movie takes us back to the very beginning, with the Harvard law-school student caring for her ailing husband and young daughter while studying. Despite graduating at the top of her class, she’s unable to find work until she’s introduced to case involving a man who was denied a tax deduction for nursing care of his aging mother because the law was limited to either a woman or a husband. Ginsburg came to believe that a precedent in a case involving a man facing sex discrimination could be used in later cases involving women; while it didn’t have quite that impact as precedent, it did lead to changes in law and Ginsburg’s success paved the way for other women in American law. You can stream On the Basis of Sex on Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.
Harriet (2019)
A woman aided by the Underground Railroad system, Harriet Tubman (played here by Cynthia Erivo) quickly became one of its most effective conductors, and is now remembered as the most important single name in the entire operation, an unquestioned leader who approached the quest for freedom with a religious (literally) zeal. Later, she lead soldiers in battle during the Civil War before becoming a leader in the suffragist movement. A $20 bill with her face on it seems like the least we can do, but in the meantime, Kasi Lemmons’ thrilling and heartfelt, if occasionally formulaic, biopic will have to do. You can stream Harriet on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Carl Theodor Dreyer’s essential historical drama makes as clear a case as any film does for the distinct power of silent cinema, with Renée Jeanne Falconetti offering one of the medium’s most profound performances. Interrogated by the French clerical court relentlessly about her belief in her own mission from God, Joan remains steadfast even as it seems that the very architecture around her is closing in to damn her. In the end, whether she’s right or wrong, it feels as though Joan’s defiant face is the only authentic thing in her increasingly confined world, and her status as a martyr to women in western religion is made secure. You can stream The Passion of Joan of Arc on Max, Tubi, and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.
Suffragette (2015)
Blending real-life figures like Emmaline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) and Emily Davison (Natalie Press) with leads more loosely based on actual suffragettes, the film explores the voting rights movement in Britain of the early 20th century through the eyes of 24-year-old laundry worker Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan). Though only reluctantly caught up in the struggle, Maud gradually becomes radicalized when she witnesses the cost that other women are paying for their activism. Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, and Ben Whishaw make up some of the rest of the impressive cast. You can stream Suffragette on Peacock or rent it from Prime Video.
Madame Curie (1943)
Though there are elements of melodrama here, at least on the surface, this classic Hollywood biopic from director Mervyn LeRoy has a deep appreciation for the hard mental and physical labor involved in scientific breakthroughs. Greer Garson stars as Marie Curie, working alongside her husband, Pierre (Walter Pidgeon) as she begins a study of pitchblende rock that leads her to the discovery of uranium, and that begins a long and intensive process of refining the substance such that its properties can be fully studied. You can rent Madame Curie from Prime Video.
Little Women (2019)
While decidedly not a biography, this specific adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel does a better job than many biopics at capturing something of the spirit of the author. Played here by Saoirse Ronan, Jo March has always been a bit of a stand-in for the similarly unconventional Alcott, a parallel that director Greta Gerwig takes a step further in the movie’s climax. She deliberately blends the novel’s reality with Alcott’s life story, reminding the viewer that Little Women, while groundbreaking, wasn’t entirely the book that Alcott set out to write. There’s a great biopic about Alcott yet to be made, but, in the meantime, this 2019 adaptation of her most influential work pays tribute to the writer in smart ways. You can rent Little Women from Prime Video.
Barbie (2023)
Sticking with Greta Gerwig for a moment, and on the subject of movies that come at their subjects sideways, Barbie pays tremendous tribute to the doll’s creator Ruth Handler (played here Rhea Perlman), even as the inventor and magnate only gets limited screen time. Set in matriarchal Barbieland, the film finds Margot Robbie’s Barbie doll escaping into the real world to discover both her own worth as an icon and the limitations placed on her that she’s never understood. After a couple of cameos, Ruth shows up in the final act to put a button on her creation’s journey, both in the movie and in the real world. A full-length biopic about the creation of Mattel (and Handler’s IRS issues) could doubtless be fascinating, but couldn’t possibly do a better job of relaying her cultural impact. You can stream Barbie on Netflix and Max or rent it from Prime Video.
The Death and Life of Martha P. Johnson (2017)
Using a belated investigation into Johnson’ mysterious death as a framing device, the film follows activist Victoria Cruz’s exploration of the lives of Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and other key figures in the early days of the gay liberation and trans rights movements. While death is the starting point, the movie focuses on the messy and strident vibrancy of Johnson’s life and work, and speaks to the challenges and sacrifices for the progress that’s been made (and sometimes un-made) in LGBTQIA+ equality. You can stream The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson on Netflix.
Queen of Katwe (2016)
A kid from one of Kampala, Uganda’s biggest slums, forced to drop out of school at age nine, Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) had the good fortune to meet chess coach Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) at a young age. This smart, feel-good movie charts her real-life progress to the top of the chess rankings first in Uganda, before she competes globally. It might be a bit early to suggest that Mutesi has changed history (her first Candidate title came in 2012), but she’s certainly providing inspiration for Ugandan women across a number of fields. You can stream Queen of Katwe on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Frida (2002)
Stepping from the shadow of her, at one time, more famous husband Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), Frida Kahlo became one of Mexico’s most important artists, blending intimate themes with revolutionary ideas and blurring gender lines—as she did in her own life—and chronicling her own disabilities in ways unheard of at the time. She and her art gave voice to a budding Mexican nationalist movement, and her life serves as a reminder that art can move nations at least as powerfully as traditional politics. Salma Hayek stars in this ultra-stylish adaptation from director Julie Taymor, one that earned multiple Academy Award nominations. You can stream Frida on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Elizabeth (1998)
Cate Blanchett plays Queen Elizabeth I, a woman of whom you might have heard, a wildly unlikely heir to the throne of England who became the modern British monarchy, securing her country militarily in a fraught time while solidifying a religious framework that’s with us to this day. In many ways, it’s a film about choices: We meet Elizabeth first as a young woman with no expectation of rule, but see that, as she gains power, her options contract rather than expand. Given the enormous pressure to select a husband, and the limitations placed on her choice, she ultimately opts for public celibacy as the “Virgin Queen,” reflecting, in a way, the impossible divide modern women must often navigate between career and family. Women in history are often seen working behind the scenes to change the world but, in Elizabeth, we have someone who very much took center stage. You can stream Elizabeth on Starz or rent it from Prime Video.
The Lady (2011)
Aung San Suu Kyi’s legacy has been complicated by failures of leadership (to say the least) during her later role as State Counsellor of Myanmar, but there’s no question that her impact on the history of that country and its halting moves away from military rule has been immense. The daughter of an independence leader, the movie sees her living a comfortable life in England before being drawn into the politics of her homeland, becoming a leader and figurehead for independence and democracy. Michelle Yeoh gives a thoroughly impressive performance as the complex Nobel laureate. You can stream The Lady on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video.
Battle of the Sexes (2017)
Emma Stone and Steve Carell star here as Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in the lead-up to the titular “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973. King is a top women’s tennis player, frustrated that the payouts for matches are dramatically lower than anything men would be expected to play for. Riggs, meanwhile, is struggling in his marriage and finances because of a gambling addiction. He hits upon the idea of a flashy, money-making exhibition match with a very reluctant King, reasoning that, even well past his prime, he’s perfectly capable of beating even the best woman player. She’s eventually convinced to join in and the rest is sports (and queer) history. You can rent Battle of the Sexes from Prime Video.
Giants pitcher Logan Webb’s throwback style could be a useful lesson for baseball’s future
Webb has led the NL in innings pitched the past two seasons while putting up strong numbers. For starting pitchers who want to return to the days when durability and innings mattered most, Webb is the guiding light.
Giants pitcher Logan Webb’s throwback style could be a useful lesson for baseball’s future
Webb has led the NL in innings pitched the past two seasons while putting up strong numbers. For starting pitchers who want to return to the days when durability and innings mattered most, Webb is the guiding light.