• karpintero@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    In addition to self-hosting, I’ll throw out a few other alternatives:

    Free:

    Paid:

    • For a user experience closer to Audible, I went with libro.fm. You can pick a local, independent bookstore that gets a portion of the sales. Their catalog is pretty extensive as well, have been able to find most books I’m interested in. Books are DRM-free and you can pause your membership.
    • Downpour - DRM-free as well

    DRM-free is important IMO because otherwise you’re at the mercy of the platform and if the company ever changes its Terms of Use or wipes your account, you lose your purchases. Amazon have remotely deleted books from users’ libraries in the past or replaced them with modified copies (e.g. Roald Dahl books). Kindle announced last month they won’t let you download your eBooks via USB so it’s possible Audible could see changes for the worse in the future as well.

    • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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      23 hours ago

      I always mention whenever I see libro.fm brought up: if you don’t have a local store you want to support for whatever reasons, Firestorm in Asheville, North Carolina is a fantastic refuge for the local queer community, it’s a worker cooperative, and they’re struggling to survive. Please consider them if there isn’t another local place in your own community. With the big book stores and then Amazon, a lot of communities don’t have a physical local shop anymore, so if someone has a plug for their local, I think it’s worth making on these kinds of threads.

    • Ulrich@feddit.org
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      20 hours ago

      Unfortunately my local library only keeps like 3 copies of each book and they’re already rented for eternity.

      • couch1potato@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        39 minutes ago

        If you search around there are several libraries you can join from afar without proving local residency. I had like 5 libraries from around the US on libby while the free downloading was still viable.

      • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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        14 hours ago

        The etiquette is to check it out, download it, and then return it within an hour.

        What jerks are members at your library?