The iBookstore comes to iTunes

Apple has added the iBookstore to iTunes. The way it looks and works will be immediately familiar to anyone who's made an iTunes purchase. Featured books appear at the top along with a list of New and Notable releases and charts.

Several pre-orders are also available, as well as a large number of titles currently discounted to US$2.99.

I clicked to download a sample of Feathers by Thor Hanson and iTunes gave me the message, "Sample has been sent." I launched iBooks on my iPhone and presto! There it was. Next I grabbed the free Lonely Planet travel guide, which iTunes downloaded and added to Books; it also magically appeared in iBooks on my iPad or iPhone.

I've wondered if the iBookstore would ever be a part of iTunes. Now we know.