Reading eBooks – How Do I Read ePubs and Mobis

Recently, I released the first of my Field Notes books, Field Notes – Virginia 2020. It was a super exciting day for me, and I eagerly gave out a few copies of the ebook to some of my friends who I thought would enjoy it, and then sat down to wait for their congratulations to roll in. However, the first comments weren’t the rave reviews I was hoping for, but instead a single question: How do I read this ebook?

So, How do I Read an eBook?

The big retailers want to make this process as seamless as possible so you’ll keep coming back to them for books. If you want something that just works it’s best to buy a book from the store inside your preferred reader app. That means buying from the store in your Kindle app or device if you want Kindle books, or from inside Play Books or iBooks if you prefer them.

But sometimes you get an ebook file from outside your preferred store, whether it’s from a different store, a library website, or as a reward from a Patreon campaign, like mine.

What then?

It Depends on the Device

The device you want to use to read an ebook changes the process a bit, so knowing what device or devices you want to use makes a difference.

For instance, if you have a Kindle Paperwhite for reading, as I do, you won’t be able to open an .epub file. Instead, you will have to use either a .mobi file or one of Amazon’s own proprietary formats.

If you have a more general use device, like a phone or computer, the world is your oyster, but you still have to open the oyster to get that pearl.

My preferred apps for reading:

The general steps for opening an ebook anywhere are simple. Take a compatible file, put it in the place that your program goes to look for books, and then open the program.

My preference: Calibre + Kindle Paperwhite

Calibre is the program I use to organize and manage my offline ebook collection. It’s a super simple library program that makes sending books to my Kindle Paperwhite easy.

It can convert other book formats into .mobi for reading on Kindle, so I keep all my non-Amazon books in Calibre so I can easily get them onto my Paperwhite.

All it takes is putting the book into Calibre’s library, converting it to a Kindle-friendly format (if necessary), plugging in the Kindle, and hitting send to device.

There’s a lot more that Calibre can do, of course, but it really nails the basics.

Ok, but how can I make this work for me?

Let’s get you set up to read! Choose your preferred file type and platform to learn how to start reading ebooks!

Choose your own adventure!

Opening an epub on PC

I personally don’t often read epubs on my PC, because I like holding my book in my hand. But when I do, I prefer using Calibre. Mostly that’s because it is the tool I already have and use for library management, and it makes reading easy.

Here’s how you use it.

1. Add book to library – You can either drag and drop your .epub into the library or use the Add Book button at the top left of the program.
2. Open the book – Double click on the book. It should open in its very own window.
3. That’s it!

The other program I have used is Adobe Digital Editions. It differs from Calibre in two main respects.

• It doesn’t have all the extra bells and whistles that Calibre does. Which is fine if you don’t need or want them.
• It is a necessary program for dealing with Adobe DRM (Digital Rights Management). If your .epub uses DRM to control who can open the file, this will be the program you need to use. This is often the case with library books to avoid piracy.

Here’s how you use it.

1. Add book to library – You can either drag and drop your .epub into the library or go to File -> Add Book and select your .epub.
2. Open the book – Double click on the book. It should open in its very own window.
3. That’s it!

Opening an epub on Android

The first step Is to download an app that can read epubs. My preferred app is Moon+ Reader. There is a free version, but it has ads that appear whenever you close a book, and there are fewer customization options. If that doesn’t bother you, go with the free version. I used it for years without a problem.

Here’s how you do it.

1. Move the file to your phone – The simplest way to do this is with your computer’s file explorer.
   1. Connect your Android phone and your computer with the proper cable.
   2. Enable USB file transfers on the Android phone.
   3. Open the phone’s main memory in File Explorer on your computer.
   4. Drag and drop the epub into your preferred books folder on your phone. For me, that is a folder called Books in my Internal Shared Storage directory.
      
2. Add the epub to Moon Reader’s Library –
   1. Open Moon Reader. You should start at the My Shelf screen. If you are not there, navigate to My Shelf from the hamburger menu at the top left of the screen.
   2. Open the menu at the top right of the screen. Choose Import Books.
   3. Choose the folder where your book is located. Press ok.
   4. Make sure the book you want is listed and checked in the menu. Press import. Press ok.
   5. Choose your book from the books shown! (If you can’t see it listed, make sure .epub is checked in the filter)
      
3. That’s it!

Open an epub on a Kindle Reader

You can’t. This is the biggest drawback of the Kindle Paperwhite, in my opinion. However, if you have an epub that you want on a Kindle reader, you do have a couple of options.

Convert it using Calibre – You can easily convert epub files to mobi files using Calibre. Here’s how:

1. Add your epub to Calibre – Open Calibre, then drag and drop the file into the main window. It is now in your library.
2. Convert to mobi – Click on your book in the library to select it, then click on convert book on the short cuts bar above the library. There are a lot of options here, but all you need is to make sure the Output option at the top right says mobi.
3. Move to Kindle Reader – Connect your reader using its USB charging and data cable. Calibre will ask if you want it to manage your device. Say yes. Click on your book in the library view to select it, and finally click on send to device. Wait for it to finish, then disconnect your Kindle. Your book should be on your device.
4. Enjoy!

Send it using “Send Epub to Kindle” – The website Send Epub to Kindle will convert an epub for you, and send it to your Kindle account, with some setup. I’ve not used it before, but it’s a fairly straight forward site, and only needs three things.

1. Your Send to Kindle Email address – You can find this on Amazon’s Manage My Content and Devices page. Click on Preferences, then scroll down to Personal Document Settings. From there you can view or edit the email address for each of your devices.
2. Your Approved Personal Document E-mail address – This is located in almost the same place. Scroll down a touch to view or edit your approved email addresses. Send Epub to Kindle will use this email address as the sending address.
3. Your epub file – Send Epub to Kindle allows epub files up to 10Mb for their free tier. Upload it, and hit send. Your file should arrive on your Kindle soon!

I personally feel like using online services like this aren’t worth the hassle, but it’s an option!

Open an epub on a different e-ink device (Kobo, etc.)

Different devices often have different steps, so it’s often best to look for a tutorial for your specific device if you have a problem, but these are the general steps for getting epubs onto your dedicated epub reader.

Using File Explorer

1. Connect your device to your computer – Plug your device into your computer using the charging/data cable that came with it.
2. Add the book – Drag and drop your epub into the books directory of your device. Sometimes that is the main directory, and sometimes it’s a subfolder. Look in the folders to see where your other books are placed and do likewise.
3. That’s it! – Enjoy!

Using Calibre

1. Add your book to Calibre – Drag and drop your .epub onto Calibre’s library window.
2. Connect your device to your computer – Plug your device into your computer using the charging/data cable that came with it.
3. Accept device management in Calibre – Calibre will ask if you want to let it manage your device. Say yes.
4. Send the book – Click on the book you want to send to select it. Then click on send to device. Wait for it to finish sending, then eject your device.
5. That’s it! – Enjoy!

Opening a mobi on PC

I personally don’t often read ebooks on my PC, because I like holding my book in my hand. But when I do, I prefer using Calibre. Mostly that’s because it is the tool I already have and use for library management, and it makes reading easy.

Here’s how you use it.

1. Add book to library – You can either drag and drop your mobi into the library or use the Add Book button at the top left of the program.
2. Open the book – Double click on the book. It should open in its very own window.
3. That’s it!

The other program I use for mobi files on PC is Amazon Kindle. Kindle is mostly designed to work with books purchased from Amazon, and for that, it works great. But I’m not a fan of how it deals with ‘not from Amazon’ books. Still, if you want to read all of your books in one place, and you already have an Amazon library, it does work for that.

Here’s how you use it.

1. Add book to library – Using File Explorer, move your mobi file into your My Kindle Content folder. By default, this is located in your My Documents folder.
2. Open the Kindle program – If it was already open, close and reopen it. Your mobi should be in your library.
3. Open the book – Double click on the book.
4. That’s it!

Enjoy.

Opening a mobi on Android

The first step Is to download an app that can read mobi files. My preferred app is Moon+ Reader. There is a free version of Moon Reader, but it has ads that appear whenever you close a book, and there are fewer customization options. If that doesn’t bother you, go with the free version. I used it for years without a problem.

Here’s how you do it.

1. Move the file to your phone – The simplest way to do this is with your computer’s file explorer.
   1. Connect your Android phone and your computer with the proper cable.
   2. Enable USB file transfers on the Android phone.
   3. Open the phone’s main memory in File Explorer on your computer.
   4. Drag and drop the .mobi into your preferred books folder on your phone. For me, that is a folder called Books in my Internal Shared Storage directory.

Add the mobi to Moon Reader’s Library –

1. Open Moon Reader. You should start at the My Shelf screen. If you are not there, navigate to My Shelf from the hamburger menu at the top left of the screen.
2. Open the menu at the top right of the screen. Choose Import Books.
3. Choose the folder where your book is located. Press ok.
4. Make sure the book you want is listed and checked in the menu. Press import. Press ok.
5. Choose your book from the books shown! (If you can’t see it listed, make sure .mobi is checked in the filter)
6. That’s it!

Open a Mobi on a Kindle Reader

Send it using Calibre – You can easily send mobi files to your Kindle using Calibre. Here’s how.

1. Add your book to Calibre – Open Calibre, then drag and drop the file into the main window. It is now in your library.
2. Move to Kindle Reader – Connect your reader using its USB charging and data cable. Calibre will ask if you want it to manage your device. Say yes. Click on your book in the library view to select it, and finally click on send to device. Wait for it to finish, then disconnect your Kindle. Your book should be on your device.
3. Enjoy!

Send it via Email– Amazon allows you to send documents to your kindle via email, including ebooks in the .mobi format. To do this, you only need three things.

1. Your Send to Kindle Email address – You can find this on Amazon’s Manage My Content and Devices page. Click on Preferences, then scroll down to Personal Document Settings. From there you can view or edit the email address for each of your devices.
2. Your Approved Personal Document E-mail address – This is located in almost the same place. Scroll down a touch to view or edit your approved email addresses. This is the email address you will be sending the file from.
3. Your mobi file – Simply attach the .mobi to an email addressed to your Send to Kindle email address and hit send. Your file should arrive on your Kindle soon!

Open a Mobi File on a Different e-Ink Device (Kobo, etc.)

Different devices often have different steps, so it’s often best to look for a tutorial for your specific device if you have a problem, but these are the general steps for getting mobi files onto your dedicated eReader.

Using File Explorer

1. Connect your device to your computer – Plug your device into your computer using the charging/data cable that came with it.
2. Add the book – Drag and drop your .mobi into the books directory of your device. Sometimes that is the main directory, and sometimes it’s a subfolder. Look in the folders to see where your other books are placed and do likewise.
3. That’s it! – Enjoy!

Using Calibre

1. Add your book to Calibre – Drag and drop your .epub onto Calibre’s library window.
2. Connect your device to your computer – Plug your device into your computer using the charging/data cable that came with it.
3. Accept device management in Calibre – Calibre will ask if you want to let it manage your device. Say yes.
4. Send the book – Click on the book you want to send to select it. Then click on send to device. Wait for it to finish sending, then eject your device.
5. That’s it! – Enjoy!