16 Apps You're Likely To Find On A Book Nerd's Smartphone

How book-nerdy are you? If you have 8 or more of these apps on your smartphone or tablet, you are officially a book nerd. Welcome to the club!

1. New York Times Crosswords

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: Book nerds are generally word nerds, too. They love words and crossword puzzles. The New York Times has an app for users to enjoy their daily puzzles, puzzle packs, and archived puzzles. What's a 7-letter word for "cool" that starts with "A-W-E"?

2. OverDrive

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: OverDrive partners with thousands of libraries for users to read ebooks, listen to audiobooks, and stream video from their databases. Here’s a major perk: Titles are automatically returned when they’re due.

3. Spritz

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: Spritz is a speed-reading app that shows you one word at a time at a speed between 250 and 1,000 words per minute, allowing you to read twice as fast. That means more time for more books!

4. Merriam-Webster

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: Looking up definitions is super-easy with this classic dictionary app. It also has cool features like voice search and word pronunciation. It's great for improving your writing and settling bar bets.

5. Oyster Books

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: Oyster Books has been called “The Netflix of Books.” An Oyster app subscription gives you access to more than 500,000 books, with new ones added every week. It also gives you personalized recommendations and spotlights books chosen by their editorial team.

6. Scrabble

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: We know that book nerds love word games. With the Scrabble app, you can play rounds of this classic board game against the "computer," with friends, or with strangers. Score!

7. Rooster

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: Rooster sends its subscribers two books every month—one classic and one contemporary–that can be read in 15-minute intervals each day. Perfect for a busy book lover's commute!

8. New York Public Library

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: The NYPL app allows members to access information about their accounts, find titles in the library's collection (including availability), and look up branch information. (You must register your account with the NYPL catalog and be a library cardholder to get the app.)

9. PopWords!

Via itunes.apple.com!/id472853634?mt=8

Why: For those who grew up playing Boggle and doing word-search puzzles with family and friends, PopWords! provides short bursts of adrenaline and lots of positive reinforcement. Warning: It's addictive.

10. Duolingo

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: Duolingo makes learning a new language fun. They've gamified the process. Brush up on your Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and English while you travel!

11. NPR

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: The NPR app keeps you up-to-date on news, arts & life, and music while you're away from your computer. You can read stories, listen live (and play segments from their archive), and bookmark your fave programs and podcasts.

12. Dictionary.com

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: In addition to being a dictionary and thesaurus app, Dictionary.com provides an awesome word of the day feature that includes definitions and pronunciations. It's never too late to improve your vocabulary!

13. 3M Cloud Library

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: Library patrons can "browse, borrow and read" ebooks from many library systems, with the 3M Cloud Library. And organizing your reads is simple, as is the check-out process.

14. PBS

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: The PBS app lets you watch videos from its archive and programs. Get your nerd on with all of your cultural, educational, and high-brow programming!

15. Goodreads

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: The Goodreads app is a way to keep track of what you’ve read, what you're currently reading, and what you want to read. It also allows you to browse through recommendations based on your preferences, see what your friends are reading, join groups, and rate and review books you've read.

16. Mad Libs

Via itunes.apple.com

Why: Mad Libs allows book nerds to create their own stories following similar zany templates as found in the Mad Libs books. Perfect for a long wait at the doctor’s office or while on line at the bookstore...