It’s not unusual to run out of things to do when you’re stuck at home. Between movies, games, and idle chit-chat, there comes a time when you need something new to keep you entertained. The Books app on both Mac and iOS offers up a terrific selection of books. And the nice thing is, many great ones are available for free!
To help you through this difficult time, we’ve assembled a list of the top free books you can read in the Books app, in a variety of categories, for both adults and kids. Download a few, even if you don’t read them right away, and immerse yourself in something other than boredom.
The top free Books app novels, stories, and books
Here are the categories of free books and the top five in each. Keep in mind that all of these books were free at the time of this writing, but that is subject to change.
Biographies and Memoirs
We’ll start off our list with the top free books in the Biographies and Memoirs section for those who love to read about others:
- Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, 1790
- Anne of Avonlea, L. M. Montgomery, 1942
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass, 1895
- The Confessions of St. Augustine, Saint Augustine, 2002
- Up from Slavery: an autobiography, Booker T. Washington, 1914
Business and Finance
For tips, help, and learning more about business and personal finance, check out this collection of top free books:
- Investing for Beginners, David Cohne, 2015
- Think and Grow Rich, Greg Habstritt & Napoleon Hill, 2010
- Body Language, Matthew Harvey, 2018
- Stock Market Investing for Beginners, David Morales, 2020
- Get More Done in Less Time: Productivity & Motivation 101, Beau Norton, 2015
Comics and Graphic Novels
If you enjoy comic books and graphic novels, then here are your top five free books in this category:
- The Avengers, Vol. 1, Brian Michael Bendis & John Romita Jr., 2012
- The Walking Dead #1, Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore, 2003
- FCBD 2015 – Teen Titans Go!, Merril Hagan & others, 2015
- The New Avengers #1, Brian Michael Bendis & David Finch, 2012
- Harley Quinn Batman Day Special Edition, Amanda Conner & others, 2017
Computers and Internet
Apple’s user guides and manuals are the tops for Computers and Internet, but here are some other books to check out in this category:
- Make Your First App with Xcode, Roelf Sluman, 2016
- Dimensional Modeling: In a Business Intelligence Environment, IBM Redbooks, 2006
- Web Design 101, John Moore Williams, 2016
- C Programming Language, A Step By Step Beginner’s Guide To Learn C Programming In 7 Days, Darrel L. Graham, 2016
Cookbooks, Food, and Wine
Whether you’re new to cooking or just want something different in the kitchen, take a look at these tasty books:
- Snackable, Alisa Marie Fleming, 2015
- Keto Cookbook: Keto Cookbook for Beginners 2020, Jimmy Houck, 2020
- Easy Doughnut Cookbook, BookSumo Press, 2018
- Seduction of Taste, Emma Calin, 2018
- Instant Pot Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide Plus 101 Delicious Recipes, Monet Chapin, 2017
Fiction and Literature
Sometimes nothing beats a great novel. And you’ll find some of the best at the top of this category of Apple Books Classics:
- Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 1813
- Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte, 1847
- Dracula, Bram Stoker, 1897
- Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, 1817
- Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, 1868
Health, Mind, and Body
For your well-being, self-improvement goals, or mental health, there is a nice mix at the top of the Health, Mind, and Body category:
- Become A Better Version of Yourself, Ben Leighton, 2015
- Emotional Intelligence Mastery: A Practical Guide to Improving Your EQ, Eric Jordan, 2016
- Dream Psychology, Sigmund Freud, 1899
- The Art Of Letting Go, Thought Catalog, 2016
History
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy an interesting book about past events. Take a look at these terrific History books:
- The Art of War, Sun Tzu, 2010
- Greek Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Ancient Olympians and Titans, Ross Tanner, 2017
- American History in 50 Events, Henry Freeman, 2015
- Egyptian Mythology A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, and Mortals, Matt Clayton, 2017
- World War 2 History: True Stories of the Wehrmacht War Crimes and Atrocities, Cyrus J. Zachary, 2018
Kids
Entertain your child by encouraging their reading habits or read stories to them for some quality time:
- Pete the Cat’s Train Trip, James Dean, 2015, Grades P – 3
- Judy Moody (Book #1), Megan McDonald, 2000, Grades 1 – 4
- The Monster at the End of This Book (Sesame Street), John Stone & Michael Smolin, 2013, No grades listed
- Biscuit in the Garden, Alyssa Satin Capucilli, 2013, Grades P – 3
- The ABCs of Cookies (Sesame Street), P.J. Shaw & Tom Leigh, 2013, No grades listed
Mysteries and Thrillers
If your favorite book genres include mysteries and thrillers, then check out these enthralling reads:
- Where The Truth Lies, Book 1, M. J. Lee, 2018
- Murder Tres Gauche, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, 2018
- Ice Blue, Book 1, Emma Jameson, 2015
- Murder by the Book, Book 1, Lauren Elliott, 2018
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, 1892
Nonfiction
Ready for a little nonfiction? Here’s what you’ll find at the top of the Books app in this category:
- The Art of Logical Thinking, William Walker Atkinson, 2013
- Meditations, Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius, 2008
- The Republic, Plato, 2008
- The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D. Wattles, 2013
- The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli, 2010
Politics and Current Events
There’s no getting away from Politics and Current Events; take a look at what tops the charts in this category:
- The United States Constitution, Unites States, 1975
- The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx, 1848
- United States Bill of Rights, United States, 2012
- Common Sense, Thomas Paine, 1776
- Public Opinion, Walter Lippman, 1922
Religion and Spirituality
If you enjoy reading about Religion and Spirituality, you might like to spend some time with one of these free books:
- You Can Trust God to Write Your Story, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth & Robert D Wolgemuth, 2019
- Holy Bible, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2013
- The Holy Bible – King James Version, King James, 2012
- Mornings with Tozer, A. W. Tozer, 2015
- Spirit Wars, Kris Vallotton, 2012
Romance
Need a little more romance in your life? Grab a glass of wine and one of these love-filled books:
- Ride Baby Ride, Book 1, Vivian Arend, 2016
- Hearts on Fire, Book 2, Julia Gabriel, 2017
- Her Sanctuary, Book 1, Toni Anderson, 2013
- Unbroken, Book 2, Melody Grace, 2013
Sci-Fi and Fantasy
If you’re in the mood for a bit of science fiction or fantasy, then pick up one of these top books:
- Diving into the Wreck: A Diving Novel, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, 2016
- Bessie Bell and the Goblin King, Charlotte E. English, 2016
- The Magic Factory (Oliver Blue and the School for Seers – Book One), Morgan Rice, 2018
- Eyes To See, Book 1, Joseph Nassise, 2020
Sports and Outdoors
Maybe you can’t spend a lot of time with sports or in the outdoors, but you can still read about it:
- Yoga: 40 Exercises for Beginners, Sophie Godard, 2012
- Basketball (Greatest of all Time), Jan Eline Junio Jandy Poot, 2018
- Golf: 21 Tips and Tricks to Enhance Your Game of Golf And Play Like The Pros, Kevin Anderson, 2016
- Mixed Martial Arts The Basics of Jujitsu & MMA, Nishant Baxi, 2020
- All About Football, Nick Hoyt & Martin Hoyt, 2012
Travel and Adventure
While travel may be off the table for a bit, you can check out these top Travel and Adventure books in the meantime:
- The Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain, 1911
- Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain, 1911
- Do You Speak English? – Spanish Version, Wayne Perry, 2012
- One Lousy Pirate, Doug Walsh, 2014
- Insider’s Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Savino Bellini, 2012
Young Adult
Young adults have a category all their own in Apple Books. Take a look at these great reads:
- The Awakening of Ren Crown, Book 1, Anne Zoelle, 2013
- Anne of Green Gables, L. M. Montgomery, 1908
- The Tail of Emily Windsnap, Liz Kessler & Sarah Gibb, 2004
- Untamed, #1, Madeline Dyer, 2017
- The Agency 1: A Spy In the House, Y. S. Lee, 2010
Apple device guides
For a quick reference, don’t forget that Apple Books has guides for your devices. Here are several common ones, and you can check out the Apple collections for other devices and OS versions:
- iPhone User Guide
- iPad User Guide
- Apple Watch User Guide
- Apple TV User Guide
- MacBook Air Essentials
- MacBook Pro Essentials
More often than not, there’s nothing better than sitting down and relaxing with a good book. And right now, when we are all stuck in the house, these books might be just the tickets to “get away” for a bit. Best of all, remember, they’re free!
If there’s a book in the Apple Books app that you’d like to recommend and it’s available for free, please do leave us a comment below!