Where can I get free ebooks for downloading?

Where do you get your ebooks from?

• I want lots of different sources, my mother just got one of those Bookeen portable ebook reader things. She was thrilled until we realised how difficult it would be to find books she wanted. The biggest problem is formats, thanks to DRM's @rse-raping limitations on what you do with YOUR property after you've PAID FOR IT, makes it very difficult and the codes, and programs and procedures required to actually get a book once you've paid for it is too much for the technically illiterate and I have to be with my Mum every time she wants to get a book so I can help her. I've been directed to the Gutenberg collection because it is public domain and large, and unfettered formats with no bullsh!t like the others but the problem is this is for my Mum and she really only reads the one type of book most of the time which is somewhat trashy romance novels. Getting access to these means having to go through commercial websites with restricted content and so far it seems of the DRM afflicted variety of formats the only one we've been able to get to work is the mobipocket format. The search gets harder because when looking for 'chicklit' novels which is the name of her particularly favoured form of romance fiction is unheard on U.S. websites which make up pretty much ALL the websites I've been able to find and the romance section of them don't really have what we want because my Mum can't really get into American romance novels since they are quite distinctly American and don't really travel. So, after that long-winded prologue, I need websites with mobipocket formats or preferably one of the old school ones with no DRM like .txt or .html, preferably not American or if it is American than with a VERY large romance section to choose from. Also, do you guys know any websites selling ebooks that let you know what format you're downloading in BEFORE you pay for it because we've been screwed on this many times over now and had to ask for refunds because it's a lucky dip situation what format you'll get. Also, does anyone know how to remove DRM protection on any of the current popular formats? I have a few tricks up my sleeve for video but ebooks are something I haven't looked into much and I can't really seem to find any circumvention software or many torrents of books either.

• Answer:

  I buy all me eBooks from Fictionwise. They do list the formats they are sold in. And they do list if it is a 'secured' eBook (ie. DRM). Even when buying a secure eBook it will warn you that they cannot refund/exchange for another format. They have several eBooks in 'multiformat' (non-DRM) as well. I don't know about the 'romance' section. I mostly buy Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels. HTH.