The Library at Your Finger Tips: E-book Apps

If you're like me, you want free books. Or at the very least a virtual shelf-full of one that isn't expensive. Here are a few download-worthy E-books you can fit in your iPad.

Classics2Go, FREE, $0.99

Classics2Go Collection

Not to be confused with another Classics to go app (they have different developers), this one has 60 classic books right at your fingertips. I love the antique parchment effect of the books. And like any other e-book apps, this one can bookmark your books as well. It is the first e-book app I have downloaded. If you're a classics kind of person, this one is just perfect for you.

It comes in different languages but you have to buy the apps separately. The one I have is free, but you can buy the app as well. Unlike some e-book apps, this one doesn't have its built-in settings for font size or brightness control.


Some books in the app: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Alice in Wonderland [Illustrated], Christmas Carol [Illustrated], Gulliver's Travels, Romeo and Juliet, Treasure Island, Wuthering Heights, etc.

My Favorite Writing/Note-taking Apps

I have scavenged for the perfect writing app for my iPad2. And after seemingly endless iTunes store clicks, contrasting review-reads, and a buck or more, what have I learned? 1. There is no perfect writing app, only a few that would work for you, 2. Price doesn't guarantee app satisfaction. Anyway, here are a few of my top picks:

Manuscript, $6.99

Manuscript

Before I discovered Manuscript, I have been working on my novel on DocsToGo which is really like working on Word. Manuscript is every writers dream app. It is visually appealing: it presents your novel in book form. It is easy to use and very functional with menus for pitch, synopsis, and index cards for ideas and organization. 

I use the index card section to organize my character bio, and scene details.I love that I can edit my work according to chapters. Plus, it conveniently exports to my Dropbox account. The only thing that irks me is how I can't get a preview of my novel according to the chapter I am working on. It always has to start on chapter 1. Aside from that, overall, Manuscript is awesome and definitely worth the $ I plunked down for it!

Notability, $2.99

Notability

A Note-taking app that threw my Nebulous and Notes straight to the abyss that is iPad's last page. Notability lets you type or hand-write notes. With Notability it is possible to insert web clips, images, and figures, and make audio recordings. 

I just wish they can auto detect lines and clean up my handwritten lines and shapes so that they don't look like pitiful doodles. I like organizing my notes and it is a huge plus that with Notability, I can arrange my notes according to category and subjects. It is a versatile app. It even exports to Dropbox (which I am a big fan of) and other cloud services.It is by far the most visually pleasing and media-rich note-taking app I have tried.