I love reading and I have a vast collection of books both in print and in ebook format. As much as I love ebooks as they are easier to store and can be cheaper to buy I still love owning some books in print. I usually choose the cheapest option unless the book is part of a series I already own and then I will always buy the print version. For those of you like me who have yet to buy an ebook reader you are restricted to books that can be read on a computer. I currently buy ebooks in PDF format which can be read on Adobe Reader and LIT format which can be read on Microsoft Reader both of these programmes can be downloaded for free on their websites

Adobe reader – download

Microsoft reader - download

My favourite online bookstores

Books In Print

• Amazon.co.uk

  This is the first place i go to search for books as they have the largest selection I’ve found with many books from American publishers and some of the cheapest prices. With an easy to use navigation and an excellent search bar it also offers a great way to discover new books that you might be interested in as there is a recommended for you page which is tailored to things you like and dislike by using your wish-list, items you already own and your ratings that can all be edited once you have an account with them. They offer free delivery on nearly all items although you may have to wait 2-3 days for dispatch and 3-5 days for delivery its very often faster than that and if you need guaranteed delivery before that then there are other delivery options with varying costs. You can even buy second hand books here but be careful as they are sold by third party’s so check users feedback before purchasing.

• Abe Books

  I’ve used this site a couple of times for books I have not been able to find elsewhere. They sell both new and used books and offer searches by author, title, keyword or ISBN as well as a more advanced search to narrow your choices down. All books are sold by third party’s but your payments and refunds are handled through abe books.

• Ebay.co.uk

  I only usually use this site if I know what book I want as I find it a little too long winded to navigate otherwise. With so many books being listed here I suggest you use the advanced search. I also only buy from sellers with over a 97% feedback and I check their returns policy. Using paypal as your payment method also gives you extra buyer protection.

E-Books

• Diesel ebooks

  A good collection of books with many new releases. They regularly run offers and have a rewards programme. You can also download the ebook readers i mentioned above as well as Mobipocket and Palm Ereader directly from their site. Books you buy are saved in your library and you can download them as many times as you like. Theu also have a very fast and helpful email support which is always good for an online store. The only problems I can think of is books are priced in $ as it is an american site and books don’t appear in your library for 24 hours so you can only download them via email at first.

• Fictionwise.com

  Another american site and is also very similar to diesel ebooks except it has daily special offers and discounts. You can pay via credit card, paypal or buy site credits called micropay which you can then use to purchase books. The one thing I prefer on this site is the option to download your ebook in more than 1 format which will come in handy for those of you who want a copy on your ebook reader as well as your computer. I also like the option to purchase books in your libarary for friends at a 10% discount. The one issue with this site is that the search bar doesn’t always find anything when searching for book titles so make sure to search for author as well.