Google shares FREE books for the holidays
Some of the best holidays are almost upon us, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Sadly, due to the recession and inflation, many people are finding it hard to celebrate this year. The economic downturn has decimated the bank accounts of many, meaning fewer gifts might be a possibility in some homes.
Thankfully, reading a book can be a free way to escape reality -- just head to your local library. If you don't have a library card or are unable to go to such a place, do not worry -- Google has you covered. No, the search giant is not giving away books, but it has curated a list of digital holiday books in the public domain that are freely available to read.
"Google Books wants to help you find your holiday spirit (with no need for ghostly visitations) with a list of public domain holiday stories you can download and read -- free of charge! Copyright law gives authors and their descendants a lifetime and more of exclusive rights to sell their works. When copyright expires, works enter the public domain, so that anyone can read, build on, and enjoy our shared cultural heritage," explains Eben Carle,
Keyword Contributor, Google.
Carle further says, "Among the 40 million books, magazines and newspapers that Google Books has collected with the help of libraries and publishers are some of the season’s classic treasures. You can sit down with 'Friends (A story for Hanukkah),' or read the text that inspired the Tchaikovsky ballet, 'Nutcracker and Mouseking' -- or gather up the kids on December 24th for a reading of the original, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.'"
The full list of free books curated by Google can be found here. There are titles related to the holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Additionally, there are some books merely categorized as "winter fun."
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