New Android App Lets Users Buy E-Books From Independent Bookstores

As more independent bookstores partner with Google to sell e-books, the American Booksellers Association is releasing a free app that streamlines the buying and reading process.

The app, called the IndieBound Reader, lets users search for their local independent bookstore that sells Google e-books, log in through their Google account and buy and read books directly from the store. That’s how it works on Android, anyway, which supports in-app purchases. The app is only available for Android now, but when the iOS version is launched—soon, the ABA says—it won’t include a purchase option, making it of more limited use to iPhone users, who will not be able to purchase from within the app.