If you read e-books, then you are probably familiar with the FB2 format. Unfortunately, not all popular programs support this file type. Lifehacker has plunged into the world of electronic literature and is ready to tell you what is the best way to read FictionBook format books on a computer.

FB2 Reader for Chrome

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.

Price: free software.

FB2 Reader is a Chrome extension that allows you to download FB2 books to your browser library. There is no library of its own, the extension is designed to import downloaded FB2 files.

Unfortunately, the extension does not have text display settings and does not support pagination.

FB2 Reader for Firefox

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.

License: free software.

FB2 Reader for Firefox allows you to open FB2 books in a browser tab and does a great job of displaying text and images. Like the Chrome extension, the add-on lacks text display settings (apart from paragraph display options) and pagination.

Caliber

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.

License: free software.

Caliber is a multifunctional processor for working with e-books. The program supports converting files of numerous formats, which allows you to remove the issue of searching for an FB2 reader in principle.

Caliber interacts with popular libraries (Litres, Google Books, Amazon, and many others) and also supports importing FB2 files from a computer.

FBReader

STDU Viewer

Platforms: Windows.

License: non-commercial use of the program is completely free.

STDU Viewer boasts a large list of supported formats (PDF, FB2, ePub, CBR and CBZ, as well as image files), as well as a portable version that does not require installation.

The program loses to the hegemons of electronic literature in terms of speed, but is perfect for those who need a simple and functional program for reading FB2 files.

Recently, the fb2 format has been developing at a rapid pace. Almost every computer user has heard of it. But not everyone knows what fb2 is. Any book lover will know him. Now many of them are read not in paper editions, but in electronic form. So it is in this format that most books for computers and . The main advantage of fb2 is its ability to clearly convey the structure of the text on the screen electronic device. It is able to preserve the correct formatting of any text.

If you open the fb2 format with a special program, you can see that headings, inscriptions, poems and epigraphs are saved. Using this e-book format, all text effects will be output without any changes.

If we talk about the type of texts for which this format is intended, then one feature should be noted. Although fb2 is able to store any electronic in the best possible way and quality, but it was created to work with fiction. Minor difficulties occur with scientific and technical texts. Any e-book lover should know how to open fb2.

I am sure that many of the visitors to this resource love to read (Actually, on the Internet, this is still the main way to get information 🙂), but many stumble when the right book is there, but how to open it... In general, it is not clear.

Of course, books in the .fb2 and .epub formats are the most popular for electronic readers and tablets on the same Android (Personally, I read from it), but again, sometimes you need to scroll through something under Windows / Mac.

How to open fb2 format: Application Overview

Name	Supported formats
	EPUB, TCR, HTML, FB2, TXT, RTF, LBook(Jinke) V8/V3 WOL
	CBZ, CBR, CBC, CHM, DJVU, DOCX, EPUB, FB2, HTML, HTMLZ, LIT, LRF, MOBI, ODT, PDF, PRC, PDB, PML, RB, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT, TXTZ
	EPUB, EPUB3+ (*) , FB2, HTML, TXT, MOBI (*) , RTF, DOC, PLUCKER (*) ,CHM (*)
	PDF, DJVU, CBR, CBZ, FB2, EPUB, XPS, TCR, TIFF, TXT, PALMDOC, EMF, WMF, BMP, GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, PSD, PCX, DCX, MOBI, AZW
	(*) - partial support

Download)

I would call it not so much a reader as a real combine for collecting, editing, converting and organizing your electronic library with an additional reading function (It's like today's phones: they can do a hundred things, but they also call!) 🙂

The program allows you to edit covers, descriptions, "distill" books from fb2 to other formats, can synchronize with the iTunes library, send files to mobile devices (via a wired connection), provides the ability to choose the design of your library, including the famous cover-flow, which, I think , will especially please those who were looking for a reader on MacOS.

In addition, there is support for downloading books from several online stores (Mostly English-speaking), some of which share a percentage of books sold through Caliber with developers - this a good option expressions of gratitude for the work that is beneficial to everyone 🙂

The advantage is cross-platform, although the Android version is not much favored, besides, this reader is paid for mobile OS.

However, speaking in the context of programs for desktop OS, Caliber is an excellent choice for editing, but for reading books on a computer... not for everyone 🙂 -version (I'm lately trying to use solutions that don't require installation).

Separately, I would like to note the work on editing the covers. The fact is that here you can not only upload one image instead of another, but we can also remove the indents along the edges of the image. Here's what I mean:

2) Cool Reader (Download)

This is a free domestic program. Yes, yes, if someone here likes to read on Android, then this name will probably be familiar to him. Developer Cool Reader made sure that there was a version for Windows, for which many thanks to him 🙂

The program is elementary in its functionality and does not even require installation, which for many will be just another plus. It is enough to unpack the folder from the archive, place it wherever you want and that's it - you can use it!

By the way, I also liked this program for the reason that it allows you to read not only books in the fb2 format, but also others (all formats are listed in the table above).

The interface is again without any frills, only the necessary. In general, someone correctly described it: "Simple & Quick".

Download)

Under Windows, this program, in essence, has almost no interface - just a window and a couple of buttons responsible for importing and opening books. Actually, the current version (0.12.x) was released back in 2010, so everything is understandable.
However, apparently, everything can remain in this form, because the official website still has an announcement that on January 20 13 year "will" release a beta version (0.99). And still no progress current at the time of writing this review, 17/03/14).

But Mac users are more fortunate: version 0.99 is available for MacOS, so as a result, users of Apple's operating systems became owners of a more recent version. Although, I repeat, even now under Windows FBReader works fine: maybe there are no additional functions, but there is the ability to read. And then, if something is so lacking, then there are always competing programs, which we will talk about later 🙂

Under Android, the situation with updates and improvements is more fun - historically, FBReader has earned a name for itself on mobile platforms, becoming an integral part of many devices.
One of the nice features of the mobile version of this reader is the ability to read books directly from the archives: this is convenient if you not only read, but also download books via your phone / tablet, because. no need to spend extra time unpacking. If you choose from free mobile applications, then how to open fb2 on Android - for me the issue is resolved, here it is definitely FBReader. I think it is still incorrect to compare it with paid analogues.

Like CoolReader, in terms of the number of formats it understands, it is inferior to the other two competitors, but the vast majority of people still use only 2-3 book formats from the entire list, so I see no reason to find fault with something here.
Besides, this program is positioned as free and free for all supported platforms, so I definitely recommend it to lovers of minimalism!

Download)

The program is free for non-commercial use and is intended only for Windows users. In general, a minimum of design frills and a standard set of viewing functions for a fairly wide range of files, plus there is support for selecting and copying a text layer (if the document has one). To put it simply, you can select and copy text from some files (including, of course, fb2, and other "book" formats) (For me, this is a plus, because I often save my favorite quotes or important fragments of books in an Evernote notebook ).

Special thanks to the developers for the already prepared portable version of the program.

Outcome: How to open fb2 and other books?

To be honest, when I wrote this review, after a superficial acquaintance, I preferred Caliber: the beauty of the library and the ability to edit books captivated me. Of course, all this has not gone away and still remains a significant plus of this program, but only the main part - directly, reading, is noticeably inferior in convenience to competitors.
Which program for reading books on a computer is now number 1 for me? STDU Viewer.
Against the background of the other programs reviewed, it was in the context of readability that I liked STDU the most.
To be more specific, the following points were bribed:

1) Convenient table of contents of the book.

Here it is located in a separate window, which does not interfere with reading (i.e. there is enough space on the screen for a full page of text), plus it has convenient navigation in the form of a drop-down and collapsible list.
Oddly enough, but in the same Caliber they completely forgot about such an important thing, leaving the table of contents only on the first pages of books, which means that it can look like anything. For example, like this:

There is no comparison with the content in STDU.

2) System of bookmarks.

Here it is implemented in two versions: the first is adding the entire page to bookmarks, and the second is highlighting a specific piece of text, a la yellow marker. With the help of the first bookmark, you will always remember where you left off, and with the help of a marker, you can save individual quotes.
By the way, the text here can be immediately saved to a notepad, but for me personally this option is useless, because. all quotes have long been stored in online notebooks (Evernote, for example). But still, it's worth noting.
In general, the table of contents, which in STDU turned out to be the most convenient (in my opinion) and informative, plus neatly designed - this is exactly the moment that became decisive for me when choosing. So I highly recommend this reader. For MacOS X users, however, it is not suitable, and here, apparently, you will have to stop at Caliber or FBReader.

For those who are familiar with e-books and often download them on the Internet, this format is already familiar. But for those who accidentally downloaded a file of this format, this will be a slight surprise. Especially if for the first time they encountered it and just like that it turned out not to be opened. What if there is some important information? That's exactly why I wrote this article, to dot all i and find out what kind of fb2 file (and there is also fb3), how to open it and how to edit it.

To begin with, let's figure it out
What is the fb2 format file?

FB2 (FictionBook) is a format for representing electronic versions of books in the form of XML documents, where each element of the book is described by its own tags. The standard is designed to ensure compatibility with any device and format. XML makes it easy to create documents that are ready for direct use and program processing (conversion, storage, management) in any environment.
Documents, usually with the .fb2 extension, may contain structural markup of the main text elements, some information about the book, and may also contain attachments with binary files that may contain illustrations or a cover.

To put it simply, this is one of the most convenient formats for reading e-books (which is gaining popularity), especially since software for opening it also exists not only for Windows computer, but also for other distributions ( operating systems) and for smartphones (also different OSes).

Also, there is also fb3 format. Dry characteristic with office. site what is the difference between fb3 and fb2 hidden under a spoiler
Main differences from fb2 are not in the field of ideology, but in the field of technological solutions.

The Fb3 file is now essentially a zip archive, in which meta-information, pictures and text are packed in separate files.
- Zip file format requirements and file naming conventions, placement and organization are described in ECMA-376 Part 2
- Meta-information is placed in a separate file, the body of the book and footnotes - in another file
- All pictures are taken out of XML and are, ultimately, files in the archive
- Document links to files are not made through xlink, but in accordance with the Relationships mechanism described in OPF
- In addition to a number of minor innovations in formatting (spacing, underlining), a fundamentally new “block” object is added, which falls out of the general flow of the document and forms an arbitrary fragment of the book in the form of a quadrangle, which can have a border, be embedded in the text with wrapping and have some other placement features .
- Some tags that have semantic counterparts in HTML will be renamed, for example, emphasis will turn into em.

Well, for me, it's like everything new - the same, only better.

How (how) to open a fb2 file?

There are several programs to open. this format. Although they are not intended specifically for him, they simply support the opening of the same format. These programs can be used as a convenient "reader" for reading books (taftology turned out). I will consider only the most popular and worthy of attention.

FBReader- the main program for opening and reading fb2 and fb3 files.

HaaliReader- FB2 reader for regular Windows and Windows CE.

AlReader- Reads and edits texts in FB2 format on computers running Windows 2000, Windows XP and higher
which does not work and is NOT well Russian and working.

Cool Reader- Convenient for reading large files. But basically the same as everyone else.

STDU Viewer- small handy program for reading e-books, including fb2.

ICE Book Reader Professional- is also worthy of attention and consideration.

FB2(FictionBook) is an e-book presentation format.

How the text of the .fb2 format will be displayed depends on the settings of the reader program, since the document in fb2 contains information about the edition and author, but does not contain information about appearance document.

AlReader is free program for reading fb2 books.

Supported formats: CHM, HTML, TXT, DOC, RTF, ODT, ABW, SXW, ZABW (text only), DOCX, EPUB, PDB/PRC. Reading from ZIP and GZ archives.

Alreader has a nice interface and many settings to make the reading process as comfortable as possible.

Installing the fb2 reader.

• Download the program, it weighs 1.1 megabytes in a zip archive.
• Run the Alreader2.exe file.
• The program is ready to use.

Basic Alreader settings.

The program settings are called up by pressing the right mouse button, either from the top "drop-down menu", as well as from the menu that is available in the usual, not full screen mode(right mouse button, then "actions" and uncheck the "full screen" inscription)

Item "Settings".

• "Main" - you can set the number of available program profiles (up to 8), what encoding to save files in, start the program in full screen mode, etc.
• "Screen" - setting the thickness of characters, enabling hyphenation and alignment.
• "Buttons" - set hot keys.
• "Taps" - setting the scrolling of text with the mouse, for example, you can set line-by-line scrolling with the mouse wheel or set up flipping a book with one click.
• "Status bar" setting the display of various indicators in the program status bar, for example: the amount of text read in percent, the display of the clock, profile number, battery indicator (when reading on a laptop), etc.
• “Read line” - setting the display of the “read line” in the status bar, you can turn it off, display thin, medium or thick, display the read line in the status bar or at the bottom, immediately below the text, or to the right.
• "Header" - settings for displaying the header. You can customize what is displayed in the header: author, chapter, title or file name.
• "Text Styles" - setting text styles. There is a standard one and several custom ones.
• "Autoscroll" - setting the type of autoscroll, time and other characteristics.
• "Graphic menu" - enable the top "drop-down menu", if you check the always display box, this menu will not be a drop-down menu, but permanently displayed at the top of the screen.

Item "Profile".

• « Colors » set the colors of the text, footer, background, etc.
• "Font" - setting the font and its parameters, such as size, width (relative value, 0-normal, -1 - narrower, +1 - wider), etc.
• "Indents and background" - setting the indents and background, in total there are 6 types of background by default. You can also turn off the background.
• "Advanced" - setting the display in a spread or page by page ("two columns" checkbox), anti-aliasing correction, PNG transparency, minimum paragraph indent height.
• "Save as..." - save the created profile.
• "Download" - download the profile.

Action item"

• "Full screen" - the choice of displaying the book: full screen or "window".
• "Next profile" - select the next book display profile.
• "Screen rotation" - change the orientation of the book.
• Auto Scroll - Activate the auto scroll mode.
• "Font" - font setting: increase, decrease size, increase or decrease spacing, bold, italic.
• "Screen" - displaying headers and footers, hyphenation, setting the type of book (one or two columns).
• "Control" - go to the next (previous) line (title, bookmark).
• "Forward" and "Back" - go to one page.
• Item "File" - file format, saving the file in TXT, PDB or HTML format.
• Item "Text" - editing the text of the book.
• Item "Bookmarks" - creating and editing bookmarks.
• Item "Transition" - transitions: to the page, to the content, search in the text.

Free download Alreader fb2 reader