Readers stuck at home need books — and community. Here’s how to access them. - The Washington Post

"If there’s a silver lining to the sudden need to hunker down as the novel coronavirus upends normal life, it’s that maybe — finally — you’ll have time to read. Provided you have enough books. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to access new reading material without leaving the house, and to stay engaged with the bookish community even as libraries and bookstores shutter their doors. Here’s a guide....

Click over to websites that provide free books.

For decades, Project Gutenberg has made copyright-free e-books available on the Internet. Don’t expect to find any current bestsellers, but there’s a rich selection of more than 60,000 older titles that you can download to your device or read in your web browser. The site’s “top 100” list includes “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The Library of Congress also offers a selection of free classics you can read online. Many of the choices are kid- and adventure-oriented, like “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Treasure Island.” After Cambridge University Press made more than 700 textbooks free through the end of May, demand was too high for their website to withstand. There may still be a chance to cozy up with a copy of “Psychopathology” or “Nietzsche,” however. The press is working to “reinstate free access as soon as possible.”...."