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If you’re an avid reader, you’ve landed at the right place. Choosing the right book to read can be a little confusing, you obviously want to invest in the right book to read to get some value out of it. Reading the summary of the book can help you in deciding the right one for you. As Stephen King quotes, ”Books are uniquely portable magic”, in this article we bring you the top magical book summary apps where you can read the summary of a book before deciding on which book you want to go ahead with, no matter the genre- romance, comedy, suspense, thriller, horror and so much more. So what are you waiting for? Dive right in!
Top 10 Book Summary Apps
1. Blinkist
This is the best app for book summaries in the market as Blinkist was the first to start this idea of creating a platform where readers can look for summaries. Being the oldest book summary service, it comes with many features at a reasonable price. You can read book summaries in no more than 5 minutes or even listen to them. It has more than 3000 book titles with over 27 categories. It’s a great platform for reading non-fiction books.
Features:
- Read or listen to books
- You can get book lists curated by experts and find personalized recommendations.
- Includes Shortcasts from creators across the world.
Price:
- Starts at $14.99/month.
- $89.99/year
- Has a free trial period of 7 days.
Suitable For: Readers who are mainly into non-fiction
Visit their official website here: Blinkist: Big ideas in small packages
Download the Android app here: Blinkist App
Download the iOS app here: Blinkist: 15min Book Insights on the App Store
2. ShortForm
This app is relatively new in the market and has a summary collection of over 1000+ non-fiction books. You can learn the key points of a book in less than 30 minutes. It consists of book categories like Management & Leadership, Business, Entrepreneurship, Money & Finance, etc.
Features:
- Cuts out the clutter and keeps only the main points of a book.
- It has a comprehensive interface.
- They have one-page summaries for short takeaways.
- They also have a detailed and comprehensive analysis of books.
Price:
- It comes with a 5 days free trial period.
- Starts at $24/month.
- $197/year.
Suitable For: Non-fiction readers, Startups, Entrepreneurs looking for short or detailed analysis.
Visit their official website here: https://www.shortform.com/
Download the Android app here: Shortform: The World’s Best Book Summaries – Apps on Google Play
Download the iOS app here: ShortForm App on App Store
3. getAbstract
This app is one of the best ones for book summaries out there, it has been in the game for way too long and has a different approach. They mainly have books related to enterprises and businesses. So it’s a perfect pick for you if you’re looking for books in that category. They have over 20K+ summaries and also TED talk videos.
Features:
- Includes optimized audio summaries.
- Summaries are available in E-reader formats.
- Available on Kindle, Nook, and Kobo.
Price:
- Includes a 3-day free trial.
- Starts at $29.90 per month.
- 5000 summaries priced at $99/year.
- $299/year for over 22K+ summaries.
Suitable For: Managers and Employees working in large industries
Visit their official website here: getAbstract: The world of business, summarized.
Download it from Play Store here: getAbstract: Book Summaries – Apps on Google Play
Download it from App Store here: getAbstract Book Summaries on the App Store
4. Instaread
If you’re someone who’s big on quality and not quantity then this app is for you. This app offers bestselling book summaries in 15-minutes text or audio segments. It has 1K+plus books covering categories like politics, arts, fiction, psychology, etc.
Features:
- Available in audio and text formats.
- Available on mobile, tablet and desktop.
- More than 1K+ titles.
- A wide range of categories to choose from.
Price:
- Starts at $8.99/month or $89/year.
- Forever lifetime deal of $299.
- Has a free trial of 7 days.
Suitable For: Individuals pursuing MBA and readers looking for content on the educational side.
Visit their official website here: Instaread – Key Insights from Books, In Minutes Download the android app here: Instaread: Insights from Books in Audio & Text – Apps on Google Play
Download the iOS app here: Instaread – Audio & Text on the App Store
5. Optimize.me
This is a great app if you’re looking to self-reflect or develop yourself through inspirational and motivational books. It has a lot of motivational content. It has a section called “Philosophers Notes” which has a wide range of summaries of self-help books.
Features:
- Contains self-help and leadership books.
- Has summaries in the form of MP3 files.
- Contains some free books.
Price:
- Has a free trial of 2 weeks.
- Comes with an Annual membership of $7.99/month.
Suitable For: Readers or individuals looking for a self-improvement niche.
Visit their official website here: www.optimize.me
Download the Android app here: Optimize – Apps on Google Play
Download the iOS app here: Optimize with Brian Johnson on the App Store
6. Readitfor.me
This is a platform where you can read or listen to personal development book summaries in no more than 12 minutes. It has a virtual learning platform called ‘ActionClass’ which offers leadership development programs.
Features:
- Includes 36 leadership and soft skill competencies.
- Offers classes 3 times per week around your choice of title.
- Helps businesses with ideas and coaching to grow their business.
Price:
- Book Summaries: $29/month | $299/year | $499/lifetime
- Business Coach’s Growth Network: $129/month | $1,299/year.
Suitable For: For anyone looking for leadership business training.
Visit their official website here: readitfor.me
Download this app from Play Store here: Readitfor.me Play Store
Download this app from App Store here: Readitfor.me on the App Store
7. Summaries (For iOS Only)
If you’re in a hurry to read business book summaries, then this app is for you. It has a collection of over 1K+ must-read business books. It also has an amazing collection of self-help books.
Features:
- 300+ pages books are boiled down to a summary of roughly 8 pages.
- Helps you achieve more in your business, career, and your personal life.
- Contains the audio version of summaries.
- Learn from authors with 20+ years of expertise.
Price:
- Weekly 5-minutes free plan.
- Starter Plan- 5 x 30-minutes summaries for $15.
- Monthly Plan- 4 x 30-minutes summaries for $12.
- Yearly Plan- 50 x 30-minutes summaries for $100.
Suitable For: Individuals looking for business books on a daily basis.
Visit their official website here: Summaries.Com: 1000 top business book summaries
Download the iOS app here: Summary.com on the App Store
8. ReadinGraphics
This platform is implemented in a unique way, the book summaries are converted into graphics or infographics. How cool is that? Each summary is available in 3 formats: 1-page infographic summaries, 10-15 page text summaries, 20 minutes audio summaries.
Features:
- Contains free samples.
- Summaries are in the form of graphics.
- Summaries are available in the form of short blogs.
- You can buy single summaries.
Price:
- It has a free forever plan where you can get access to 2 free summary samples.
- Pricing starts at $14.14/month.
- You can purchase a single book summary at $9.97.
Suitable For: Readers who prefer summaries point-wise and enjoy graphics.
Visit their official website here: ReadinGraphics
9. Audible
Audible is a product by Amazon, where you can listen to your favorite books in the form of a speech. It has thousands of books of all genres and categories. You can even download your favorite books on Audible to your device.
Features:
- You can listen to books offline.
- Listen to your favorite books anytime and anywhere.
- Get additional information about author events.
- Share the book that you are reading on Facebook and Twitter.
Pricing:
- Comes with a free trial period of 30 days.
- Costs $14.95/month.
Suitable For: Individuals who prefer listening to books over reading.
Visit their official website here: Audible.com | Try Audible Free Today
Download the Android app here: Audible: audiobooks, podcasts & audio stories – Apps on Google Play
Download the iOS app here: ?Audible: Audiobooks & Podcasts on the App Store
10. FourMinuteBooks
This app is for readers who are big on non-fiction books. It has a collection of over 800 book summaries for free, you can read each summary in more than 4 minutes. The summaries come out thrice a week and the users can subscribe to the newsletter. At the end of each summary, you get to learn 3 valuable lessons.
Features:
- Take away 3 major valuable lessons.
- Read the book summary in no more than 4-minutes.
- Free book summaries.
- Audiobooks as MP3 and on SoundCloud.
Price:
- Purchase library of PDFs for $99.
- Purchase 300 audiobooks for $49.
Suitable For: Users looking for podcasts of books.
Visit their official website here: https://fourminutebooks.com/lifetime/
This was about it for the top 10 websites and apps for book summaries. One interesting thing about summaries is that they not only give you an insight into a book but also let you decide on which book you want to read. It’s crazy how technology has stepped up the reading game and made it much easier for readers all around the world to access their favorite books. Let us know in the comments section about your favorite book and your favorite platform to read books.
