Most ebooks on the market today come with DRM: a lock that ties the file to one app. That is why your Kindle books will not open in MnemoRead, or in any other reader. However, plenty of good books are sold without it. This is where to find them, language by language.
Will my file open?
Before you go looking, check what you already have. As a rule, if a shop or format is not in the “Opens” rows, assume it won’t.
| Where the book came from | Result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Kindle purchases | Won’t open | Locked to Kindle apps and devices. |
| Apple Books purchases | Won’t open | Locked to Apple devices. |
| Library loans (Libby, OverDrive) | Won’t open | Time-limited DRM. |
| Any file ending in .acsm | Won’t open | That is an Adobe DRM licence, not a book. |
| Books marked "LCP" or "Readium LCP" | Won’t open | A newer DRM used by some French and German shops. |
| Kobo | Depends | Look for "DRM-free" under eBook details on the product page. Many titles have it; many do not. |
| Google Play Books | Depends | Some publishers allow an EPUB download without DRM; most do not. |
| Books marked "watermark", "Wasserzeichen" or "tatouage" | Opens | A watermark is not DRM. The file opens anywhere. |
| Harry Potter (Pottermore Publishing) | Opens | Sold DRM-free in French, Spanish, German, Japanese and more, through Kobo and Google Play. |
| Fan fiction from Archive of Our Own | Opens | Every work has a Download button with EPUB. |
| Standard Ebooks, Project Gutenberg, Wikisource | Opens | Public domain, no DRM, free. |
| Humble Bundle book bundles | Opens | Always DRM-free. |
Three sources that work in every language
MODERN
Harry Potter, from its publisher
Pottermore Publishing sells the series DRM-free in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and more. It is the most-uploaded book on MnemoRead, and it makes sense: the level is around B1 and you already know the plot.
ENDLESS
Fan fiction on Archive of Our Own
Every work has a Download button with an EPUB. Filter by language and sort by kudos. Modern, spoken-style prose about characters you already care about.
FREE
Wikisource, Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks
The public domain in every language, as EPUB. Wikisource has an EPUB button on every text. The MnemoRead library already has the best of these, sorted by level.
French
France has a real DRM-free scene, especially in science fiction and fantasy, and many shops sell with a watermark (tatouage numérique) instead of DRM. Check the product page: "sans DRM" or "tatouage" opens; "Adobe DRM" or "LCP" does not.
Harry Potter in French
PaidPottermore Publishing sells the whole series DRM-free. Search Kobo or Google Play and check the DRM-free note.
Bragelonne / Milady
PaidThe biggest French fantasy and SF publisher; DRM-free since 2011. Their own shop and most retailers.
Le Bélial'
PaidScience fiction, DRM-free EPUBs from the publisher.
ActuSF
PaidFantasy and SF, DRM-free.
Mnémos
PaidFantasy, DRM-free.
leslibraires.fr
PaidIndependent bookshops. Filter or check each title for "sans DRM" / "tatouage".
Bibebook
ClassicsHundreds of French classics as clean EPUBs.
Ebooks libres et gratuits
ClassicsVolunteer-made EPUBs of public-domain French books, well formatted.
Wikisource (fr)
ClassicsAny text has a "Télécharger en EPUB" option in the sidebar.
Archive of Our Own
Fan fictionFilter by language: Français. Modern French, endless supply.
Spanish
Spanish has one dedicated DRM-free store, a good public-domain library, and graded readers sold directly by their authors as EPUB.
Harry Potter in Spanish
PaidPottermore Publishing, DRM-free. Search Kobo or Google Play and check the note.
Lektu
PaidA Spanish store that sells everything without DRM, mostly SF, fantasy and independents.
Graded readers (Paco Ardit and others)
GradedNovels written for A1 to C1 learners, sold as EPUB bundles straight from the author.
elejandría
ClassicsPublic-domain Spanish and translated classics, EPUB and PDF.
Wikisource (es)
Classics"Descargar como EPUB" on any text.
Project Gutenberg
ClassicsA few hundred Spanish titles.
Archive of Our Own
Fan fictionFilter by language: Español. Big Latin American and Spanish communities.
German
Good news: most big German publishers dropped hard DRM years ago and use a watermark ("Wasserzeichen") instead. A large share of German ebooks from normal shops simply open. Check the product page for "Wasserzeichen" (opens) versus "Adobe DRM" or "LCP" (does not).
Harry Potter in German
PaidPottermore Publishing, DRM-free.
beam-shop
PaidA German store that sells only DRM-free ebooks.
Any shop, watermark titles
PaidThalia, Hugendubel, Kobo, Google Play: look for "Wasserzeichen" in the format details.
Projekt Gutenberg-DE
ClassicsThe German classics archive. Read online; EPUBs for many titles.
Project Gutenberg
ClassicsWell over a thousand German titles as EPUB.
Zeno.org
ClassicsHuge public-domain text library; copy into MnemoRead as text.
Archive of Our Own
Fan fictionFilter by language: Deutsch.
English
English has the most DRM-free publishers of any language, and the best-formatted free classics.
Standard Ebooks
ClassicsPublic-domain books, carefully typeset. The best free EPUBs on the internet.
Project Gutenberg
ClassicsSeventy thousand titles.
Tor Publishing Group
PaidScience fiction and fantasy, DRM-free at every retailer since 2012.
Baen
PaidSF and fantasy, DRM-free from the publisher, with a free library.
Humble Bundle
PaidPay-what-you-want book bundles, always DRM-free.
ebooks.com DRM-free filter
PaidA general store with a filter for DRM-free titles.
Smashwords
PaidIndependent authors, always DRM-free, many free titles.
Archive of Our Own
Fan fictionMillions of works, EPUB download on each.
Russian
Commercial Russian ebooks are mostly locked, but the free libraries are enormous and fan fiction is huge.
Lib.ru (Библиотека Мошкова)
ClassicsThe oldest Russian online library. Classics and permitted modern texts; copy as text or find EPUB mirrors.
Wikisource (ru)
Classics"Скачать как EPUB" on any text.
Project Gutenberg
ClassicsA small Russian collection as EPUB.
Ficbook
Fan fictionThe main Russian fan-fiction site; works download as EPUB or FB2 when signed in.
Archive of Our Own
Fan fictionFilter by language: Русский.
Japanese
Almost every commercial Japanese ebook is locked. The public-domain library is superb, and Harry Potter is the exception among modern titles.
Aozora Bunko (青空文庫)
ClassicsSixteen thousand public-domain works. Many are already in the MnemoRead library; the site also links EPUB versions.
Harry Potter in Japanese
PaidPottermore Publishing, DRM-free; check the product page.
Wikisource (ja)
ClassicsEPUB export on any text.
Archive of Our Own
Fan fictionFilter by language: 日本語. Smaller than pixiv, but downloadable.
Latin and Polish
Two smaller languages with excellent free libraries.
Wolne Lektury
ClassicsThe Polish free library: thousands of titles as EPUB, with audiobooks for many.
Wikisource (pl)
ClassicsEPUB export on any text.
Wikisource (la)
ClassicsLatin texts with EPUB export.
Project Gutenberg (Latin)
ClassicsCaesar, Cicero, Ovid and the readers (Fabulae Faciles, Ora Maritima) as EPUB.
Getting the file into MnemoRead
- Download the EPUB on the device you read on. On a phone, the file lands in Files (iPhone) or Downloads (Android). Downloading straight on the phone avoids the transfer step entirely.
- Open mnemoread.com and drop it in. Tap “Choose a file” on the home page. No account needed; the file stays on your device.
- On iPhone, add MnemoRead to your home screen (Share, then Add to Home Screen). Otherwise Safari deletes site storage after a week without a visit, and your book with it.
- Already have a Calibre library? Calibre’s “Save to disk” or a cloud folder gets the EPUB onto the phone. Kindle files in Calibre are still Kindle files; the DRM comes with them.
What we will not do
We do not remove DRM, explain how to, or link to sites that share books without permission. Everything on this page is sold or given away by the people who own it. If the book you want is only available with DRM, tell the publisher. It works more often than you’d expect.
Questions
I already bought the book on Kindle. Can you help me remove the DRM?
No. We do not remove DRM, explain how to, or link to sites that do. If a book you want is only sold with DRM, the most useful thing you can do is tell the publisher; several French and German publishers dropped DRM because readers asked.
What is the difference between DRM and a watermark?
DRM locks the file to an app or device and stops it opening elsewhere. A watermark leaves the file open and only embeds your name or order number inside it. Watermarked books open in MnemoRead; DRM books do not.
Is fan fiction any good for learning?
It is modern, conversational, and about characters you already care about, which helps it stick. Quality varies, so pick works with plenty of kudos in your language.
Does MnemoRead keep the books I upload?
Free readers keep their files in the browser on their own device; nothing is uploaded. Paid members get a private copy for sync between phone and laptop. Nothing is ever listed or shared.
How do I get an EPUB from my laptop onto my phone?
Open mnemoread.com on the phone and pick the file from Files (iPhone) or the Downloads folder (Android). To move it there: AirDrop, a cloud drive, or download it directly on the phone in the first place.
Got a file? Read it now
Open the EPUB in MnemoRead and start reading with tap-to-translate. Free, no account needed, works on your phone. Or pick a classic from the library while you look.
Sources checked September 2026. Know a DRM-free publisher we missed? Tell us and we will add it.