Skip to main content

Going Online for Print: Top Online Booksellers

Despite the fact that so much readable content is online and people carry around their vast CD collections as music files in iPods, we as a society are still obsessed with the printed word. We buy books – fiction and nonfiction alike – by the truckload each and every day to read on the bus or plane, at home or away, and about everywhere in between. Since physical bookstores like Borders only have so much space to carry your favorite titles, many shoppers have turned to online bookstores to satisfy their reader cravings. We took a peak at the online bookshop scene so we could present you with some solid ideas for places to find your next great read.

Powell's BooksPowell’s (www.powells.com)
Powell’s is the online arm of Powell’s Books, one of the world’s largest independent bookstores based in Portland, Oregon. As the bookstore itself is huge, so is the Powells.com inventory, which draws not only from the bookstore’s various retail locations, but also from a dedicated warehouse. The online inventory of Powell’s is as eclectic as that of what you find when you browse their physical shelves – a large mix of new and used books. Given that Powell’s does a ton of business with used books, you are more likely to find obscure titles through their website than almost anywhere else online. They, like Amazon, offer many new titles at below list price.

Abe's BooksAbeBooks (www.abebooks.com)
AbeBooks, like Powell’s, deals in the realm of independent bookstores. AbeBooks however, is a virtual community of over 13,500 independent booksellers who have pooled over 100 million new, used, rare, and out-of-print books into a vast database one can order from. Like Powell’s, AbeBooks is also another great place to search for more obscure titles. Unlike Powell’s and Amazon, which mostly handle inventory shipments directly to consumers, AbeBooks acts as a go-between for booksellers and customers so that the company itself maintains no inventory of its own. Prices for books will obviously vary somewhat depending upon which bookseller you purchase from.

Alibris BooksAlibris (www.alibris.com)
Alibris, another longtime online bookseller, deals in new, used, and rare books much in the same way AbeBooks does: through a network of independent booksellers. Alibris has more of a hands-on approach though, since books are shipped either from the smaller bookseller or from warehouses. The selection is somewhat smaller – an estimated 60 million books – but we have to imagine you’ll still have some luck in finding those hard-to-dig-up titles. One cool feature on their website also lets you donate books to libraries and non-profits.

Barnes & NobleBarnes & Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com)
As far as traditional bookstores making their way online has gone, Barnes & Noble seems to have “gotten it” the most at this point (Borders, which most would consider Barnes & Noble’s chief competition, currently has their site maintained by Amazon). They have an inventory of over one million titles available via what the bookseller says is immediate delivery. Being able to leverage the Barnes & Noble brand name has helped out the online operation significantly in terms of offering deals on new books. Additionally, eligible orders of over $25 are delivered in three or so business days, at no additional cost to the shopper.

AmazonAmazon (www.amazon.com)
It goes without saying that no list of top online booksellers is complete without a reference to the largest one of them all. Amazon, which first debuted in 1995, is a long-time Web stalwart which nowadays offers millions of products across a Wal-Mart-sized listing of categories. The book section, being the oldest part of Amazon’s varied offerings, has a huge number of books available in new and used formats in about every book category you can possibly think of. Many of the books they sell, including bestsellers, sell at below list price, and the company also offers a special shipping program in which you prepay $79 for a year of free two-day shipping.

Editors' Recommendations

The best Mac apps for 2024: top software for your Mac
macos mojave hands on review app store

One of the best parts about owning an Apple computer is the massive ecosystem of superb Mac apps it gives you access to. There are apps available to Mac users no matter what you are looking for, whether that's productivity, photo and video editors, security suites, and more. You can get them from Apple's own App Store or from third-party developer websites, and many of the best Mac apps are even free.

Whether you just bought your first Mac or you're a longtime Apple customer, here's a look at some of the best Mac apps you can get.
Mac apps to change your interface

Read more
How to print from a Chromebook
Man using Chromebook touchscreen.

Though Chromebooks use a different operating system, that doesn't mean printing from them will be more complicated than other operating systems. You can usually start printing from a Chromebook in a few simple steps, regardless of how you choose to connect your printer to your Chromebook.

Generally speaking, the process is about the same as it is with any other computer. If you have any trouble, it's also possible to fall back on the Android subsystem built into modern Chromebooks. Android enjoys better support from printer manufacturers than ChromeOS.

Read more
The best tablets in 2024: top 11 tablets you can buy now
Disney+ app on the iPad Air 5.

As much as we love having the best smartphones in our pockets, there are times when those small screens don't cut it and we just need a larger display. That's when you turn to a tablet, which is great for being productive on the go and can be a awesome way to unwind and relax too. While the tablet market really took off after the iPad, it has grown to be quite diverse with a huge variety of products — from great budget options to powerhouses for professionals.

We've tried out a lot of tablets here at Digital Trends, from the workhorses for pros to tablets that are made for kids and even seniors -- there's a tablet for every person and every budget. For most people, though, we think Apple's iPad Air is the best overall tablet — especially if you're already invested in the Apple ecosystem. But if you're not an Apple user, that's fine too; there are plenty of other great options that you'll find in this roundup.

Read more