Key Takeaways
- Kindle Paperwhite offers portability and instant book purchases, but lacks the tangible feel of physical books.
- Kindle Unlimited provides access to millions of e-books and audiobooks for $12 a month, with a vast library of options.
- While Kindle Unlimited is great for avid readers and audiobook lovers, those who read infrequently may not benefit as much.
After a lengthy protest against using e-readers, I recently succumbed to peer pressure and began using a Kindle.
Using myKindle Paperwhite has been life-changing, not to be dramatic. The e-reader is lightweight, portable, and makes it way too easy to buy books in an instant. There are definitely some differences between the Kindle Paperwhite and a real physical book. For starters, with a physical book, you can easily write in the margins and embrace more of the reading aesthetic. However, after reading both e-readers and physical books, the biggest difference I’ve come to find is the price.
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E-books and physical books are relatively similar in price, but there’s one major difference. A physical book doesn’t try to sell you anything aside from maybe a sequel or an ad for other books by the author. On a Kindle, readers have tons of options to upgrade their membership. Amazon already makes it easy for regular customers to download books directly from the Kindle store; however, those looking for more can opt to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.
Kindle Unlimited acts as a library for Kindle users, where they can borrow e-books and audiobooks . In a time when you’re paying hundreds of dollars for subscriptions you may not even know you have, it’s important to narrow down what’s worth your money and what isn’t.
Amazon Kindle Unlimited
- Access to millions of e-books
- Includes audiobooks at no extra cost
- Affordable for avid readers and listeners
- Not all titles are available
- You don’t own the books
- Limited selection of popular new releases
Kindle Unlimited gives you access to 4 million titles
Monthly e-book and audiobook subscription
Kindle Unlimited is a monthly subscription that gives members access to over 4 million titles. Unlimited members can borrow e-books, digital magazines, and audiobooks from the Amazon library just as they would from a normal library.
Subscribers won’t be able to own any of the books or other items they download, but they can easily get another book to replace the one they borrowed. The library boasts millions of e-books and thousands of audiobooks. Subscribers can read on their e-reader, tablet, phone, or laptop.
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Kindle Unlimited is not included with Prime membership
It costs $12 monthly
Amazon
In the US, a Kindle Unlimited subscription costs $11.99 a month plus taxes. Kindle Unlimited memberships are available in the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Brazil, Japan, India, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia.
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The perks you get with Kindle Unlimited
Millions of books at your fingertips
The subscription service has a lot of perks for those who read a lot or subscribe to a variety of magazines. Magazine subscriptions can easily run you around $6 per month; I know my Condé Nast Traveler subscription costs around $5 per month, making $11.99 per month a small price to pay for unlimited access to books and magazines.
Another obvious benefit of the subscription is the never-ending library Amazon offers. It definitely has a lot more options than my public library. I always hate buying a book that I end up not liking, so having the option to borrow a book without spending $15 on it is a definite perk. Faster readers will definitely benefit from the easy access to the Kindle library.
Those who are avid audiobook fans may also love the Kindle Unlimited subscription. Kindle Unlimited offers subscribers access to thousands of audiobooks, adding significant value to the price.
Another obvious benefit of the subscription is the never-ending library Amazon offers. It definitely has a lot more options than my public library. I always hate buying a book that I end up not liking, so having the option to borrow a book without spending $15 on it is a definite perk. Faster readers will definitely benefit from the easy access to the Kindle library.
It definitely has a lot more options than my public library.
Those who are avid audiobook fans may also love the Kindle Unlimited subscription. Kindle Unlimited offers subscribers access to thousands of audiobooks, adding significant value to the price.
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Is Kindle Unlimited worth it?
For some, but not all
It is definitely worth it for some, but not all. I prefer using the Libby app, a free e-book app that enables you to use your library card to check out e-books or audiobooks. The app acts as a normal library, putting you on a waitlist for books you want to borrow that may not be in stock. Anyone with a library card can access the app. The only caveat is that your local library needs to be a participating member, so this may not be an option for everyone.
As far as audiobooks go, I prefer to use the free audiobook I get with my Spotify Premium subscription. If you’re a big audiobook fan though, that’s where I think Kindle Unlimited takes the cake. Libby only offers the catalog your local library does, and I know my library has limited audiobooks available.
As far as audiobooks go, I prefer to use the free audiobook I get with my Spotify Premium subscription.
Another thing to think about is how much you actually read. I know myself, and I either read a book in one week or one year. Plus, I only subscribe to one magazine, and truthfully, my favorite part of my subscription is making collages with some of the pages. Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to do that with a magazine on an e-reader. Paying $11.99 per month for a subscription service I wouldn’t take full advantage of is not worth the investment.
Amazon Kindle Unlimited
Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited subscription is worth it for avid readers, but those who won’t be reading more than three books a month should think twice.
That’s not to say that the Kindle Unlimited subscription is worthless. Avid readers, audiobook listeners, and magazine subscribers should definitely look into subscribing to the service. If you don’t have a library participating in Libby, then Kindle Unlimited is the next best option.
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