Listening to audio books while getting ready in the morning, exercising, or riding in the car can be an easy way to get your “reading” done while on the go. Unfortunately, many audio book rental stores require a hefty fee.

Thanks to some generous webmasters, a growing number of audio books are now available to download at no cost. These books generally have an expired copyright and are in the public domain (sorry, no contemporary bestsellers here). They are either read by volunteers or paid actors.

If you want to find your audio books for free, check out one of these websites:

Project Gutenberg – Offers a directory of downloadable audio books available from various organizations. Some of the books are narrated by humans and some are computer generated (you can guess which has the superior quality). mp3 format.

Librivox – Provides over a hundred public domain books, short works, and poetry collections narrated by volunteers. They also offer volunteers a simple way to help out and record books on their own. mp3 and ogg formats.

Literal Systems - The best part about these audio books is that they are narrated by professional actors instead of volunteers or computers. The selection is limited, but the recordings are of the highest quality. mp3 format.

LoudLit - Offers audio books with coordinating ebooks as well as mp3 files with embedded text. The aim of this site is to help readers develop their skills by reading and listening at the same time. mp3 format.

NetLibrary - This site is a little different. They offer a variety of downloadable audio ebooks that you “checkout” by using a password obtained at your local library. The download expires in three weeks when the audio file corrupts. Because the audio books are only on loan, they are able to offer more recent titles. Call your local library to see if they are involved with this program.