
From Melville to Rowling to Kaling — you’ve read it all. Your home is filled with book-inspired decor, your wedding was totally book lover-approved and you find yourself daydreaming of the perfect indie bookstore roadtrip. If this sounds like you, odds are you are proud to call yourself a book nerd. It’s not always easy being bookish in an on-the-go world (how many times have you spilled coffee on your current read because of a transit catastrophe?) but you make it look flawless nonetheless. For anyone who’s bold, bookish and busy, here are 11 apps to make reading in the 21st century a little easier.
1. Companion: Reading while walking is a hazard. Fortunately for the friends and family of a book-walking enthusiast, this new app allows you to periodically check in with your book walker to make sure that he or she is safe while walking home. Just set your route and select your emergency contacts and the app will check in with you throughout your walk home and contact your emergency contacts if you don’t respond.
DL it: Free on Android and iOS
2. Slice: Get a handle on your late-night book ordering purchases with this automatically syncing package tracking app. Just connect your email and Slice will identify tracking numbers and product orders. They’ll even notify you of a price drop so you can return your order and get it for a lower price.
DL it: Free on Android and iOS
3. Goodreads: After this popular reading hub went mobile in late 2013, readers all over the world have been connecting with each other on the go. With so many features packed into one app (you can write book reviews, browse for new reads with personalized suggestions, track all the books you’ve read this year and add new books to your to-read list with their barcode scanner), it’s a modern-day book lover’s lifeline.
DL it: Free on Android and iOS
4. Blinkist: How many times have you gotten on a 15-minute bus ride just to arrive at your stop in the middle of the best part? With more than 1,000 non-fiction book summaries to peruse in 15 minutes or less, this app is a must-download for transit and will always give you something to talk about with your coworkers.
DL it: Free on Android and iOS
5. Bookling: Is your New Year’s Resolution to read more? Although this is a paid app, the dollar price tag is totally worth it. Set up yearly reading goals and track your progress using their built-in tracking functions like bookmarking and reading speed measuring tools. Turn on your notifications for periodic reminders to reach your 2016 reading goal.
DL it: $0.99 on iOS
6. Wattpad: This popular reading app has been named a Top 5 Book App for three years running. Search thousands of free stories and books from published authors and connect with other readers through the commenting and private message function. Feel like writing the next Great American Novel? Jot it down and share it with the Wattpad community for free!
DL it: Free on Android and iOS
7. Audiobooks from Audible: True book nerds aren’t dissuaded by places where reading a physical book is impractical. With Audiobooks from Audible, you have access to over 180,000 titles in the palm of your hand, from bestsellers to classics. In their most recent update, Audible added a cool new feature, Whispersync for Voice, where you can switch between reading and listening to an audiobook easily with a compatible Kindle device or app.
DL it: Free on Android and iOS
8. Scribd: There are tons of sources for audiobooks and ebooks. What makes this subscription reading service different is that it offers comic books and sheet music downloads too. With reading material in 80 languages and across nearly every country, you’re sure to find your next great reading romance here.
Epic! Unlimited Books For Kids
DL it: Free trial on Android and iOS
10. Oxford Dictionaries Quick Search: Every true book lover knows that a good dictionary is a must. Find everything you’d ever want to know about a word on this free app. You can even switch between British English and American English with a simple swipe.
The List App
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.