Stanza eBook Reader was the first application I downloaded when I got my iPhone, and it is probably my most-used app.  I love reading, and since I don’t have a dedicated eBook reader like the Kindle I needed another way to have my library with me at all times. Since getting my iPhone in August 2008 I have probably read upwards of 50 books on it!

I’ve been really impressed with Stanza–not only does it provide a great reading experience on the iPhone, but the team behind Stanza really pays attention to the details that set their application apart from the others.  They have integrated eBook stores like Fictionwise and the ability to import previous eReader purchases, which was a huge bonus for me.  I also really like the Cover Flow-esque view of the book covers when you turn the iPhone on its side, and that it will search the web for your book cover based on the title and author.  Those little touches make Stanza the best reader app for me.

Yesterday the Stanza app for iPhone was updated with some great new features that make it even easier and more enjoyable to use.

One thing I love is the new “night mode” and easily adjustable screen brightness.  I almost always read eBooks with white text on a black background; it really reduces the eyestrain headaches I experience if I read a digital screen for too long.  Now, Stanza has that built-in–you can switch from your normal reading settings to night mode with a flick of a button.  The brightness of the white text on the dark background is also adjustable with a simple vertical swipe of your finger on the screen.

Like uBook, my favorite reader on the Windows Mobile platform, Stanza now features different themes that let you customize the way your book looks.  They include different text colors and fonts, background images, opacity, and layouts.  I find themes to be a little distracting and have always kept mine as simple as possible, but I know some people really like them.  You can also easily swap from night mode to your normal theme by tapping on the screen and then tapping the ying-yang icon to switch back and forth without having to go to the settings page.

Something that I think is kind of handy is the tool tip that can be set to come up every time Stanza is loaded.  I normally ignore tool tips, but for an app that is as feature-rich as Stanza I like knowing everything that I can do with it.  You can turn the tool tips on and off, or cycle through different tool tips when they load at startup.  They clued me in right away to the new features included in this version of Stanza.

There is also a new dictionary lookup feature, enhanced search capability, position control and progress bar, a nice new animation for loading the book covers in your list of books, and a customizable toolbar that lets you easily access all your favorite settings.

Stanza version 1.8 is a free download available via the iTunes App Store.