Tag Archives: ebooks

Is Kindle Unlimited worth it?

Posted on by — Leave a reply

YES.

See, you didn’t even have to read through a long ad-studded listicle to find out. In my opinion and experience, Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited is absolutely definitely worth it.

I read a lot, and I also happen to own a Kindle Fire. These days I find that my phone’s Kindle app is my primary reading device, but the tablet is what got me on the platform.

Amazon recently took the purchasing functionality out of their iOS apps, due to Apple moving to take a percentage of in-app transactions. One may still purchase from a mobile browser.

With KU, I am able to select and download books to read for free directly from the Kindle app, because it is not a paid transaction. As an iOS user who is far too lazy to switch apps just to purchase a book, this is very convenient for me.

Not to mention how many awesome books are available.  Many of the authors I’ve read and loved and have yet to review here have whole series available through the service.

I read about three to six books a month, depending on my schedule and the book length. For $9.99 USD per month, this is more than reasonable. I don’t have checkout dates to worry about as I would when using the library, nor are there a finite number of copies available. In addition, I can reread a book whenever I want (although who has time to do that?! There are so many books to be read!)

Your mileage may vary, but if you’re an avid reader who has been on the fence about the service, and wanted an unsolicited opinion, you’ve just read mine.

And if you don’t trust me, Groupon is offering at free 60 day subscription so you can see if it’s worth the price!

https://www.groupon.com/deals/kindle-unlimited-national-2

**BTW nobody paid me to advertise this, I just like the service and found the Groupon this morning (but if you work for Amazon and want to throw money at me, feel free).

How I read ebooks for free part II

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Read part I

Method 2: BookBub

Bookbub.com is a subscription email service that sends you a daily email listing free or discounted ebooks. It’s a free service that helps millions of readers discover limited-time deals. Members receive a personalized daily email.

homepagescreen

Join for free by choosing your favorite ebook genres and retailers at BookBub.com. Once signed up, you get BookBub’s daily email with limited-time discounts on ebooks matching your preferences. When you see a deal you like, click through to the ebook retailer of your choice and download the book from there.

Pros:

It’s super easy to set up your preferred genres. The emails you get will be tailored just for your preferences.

Occasionally you’ll get author suggestions. Once you follow them, you’ll get notified when their books are free or discounted.

FREE! WE LOVE FREEEE. You’re going to discover a lot of new books by authors you might have not checked out if you had to pay for their books.

Cons:thedailyemail

It’s a daily email. If you, like me, are constantly drowning in a sea of unread emails (and books) this might be a bit much for you.

Some books are in the public domain (so you don’t need to pay for the format, it’s already available online) or self published, so I would definitely recommend looking into reviews and checking to see if they are quality worth reading before you begin.

Not all of the books in your list will be free. Some days you’ll get emails that are all books from 1.99-0.99. Which is fine. But we want freeeeeee.

Happy reading! Check out Part I!

 

p.s. This is not an ad. BookBub did not pay me to tell you about them, I actually use this service and I love it.

How I read ebooks for free part I

Posted on by — Leave a reply

I bet that got your attention. I’m only addressing legal/questionably legal methods,here. As someone who one day hopes to make a living from the sale of books, I can’t, in good conscience, endorse illegally downloading ebooks. Don’t worry, with this handy guide you won’t need to!

Method 1: My public library! (I <3 U LAPL)

Okay, get this, some libraries have ebook collections! WHAAAT.

It’s easy, you just obtain a library card, go to the library website, and find their resources. The Los Angeles Public Library’s collection is called “OverDrive.” While you’re in there, check out the other collections. There are some cool resources in there, such as scanned historical documents, newspapers, and music.

lapl

Pros:

You can read new releases!
The ebooks usually come in a couple of different formats, such as DRM and non-DRM epubs, or in Kindle format. (Selecting Kindle format takes you to Amazon’s Kindle content manager).

You can download to your computer, or straight to any tablet, e-reader with an internet browser, or even your phone, and open them using an ebook reading app if the format isn’t compatible with your device. (I use Moon+ Reader and Aldiko, the latter of which is great for DRM protected material).

IT’S FREE AND LEGAL!!!! and INSTANT!

Cons:

Your library’s collection may not have EVERYTHING. (However if you’re patient you can always request they acquire the titles you’d like to read. Just make sure that title is available in ebook format from the publisher)

The library’s collection has a finite number of copies. (Usually 2). This often annoys me because I don’t really understand how an easily copied file can logically be called unavailable, but the publisher and the author have to make dollars somehow. My library has a hold system just like they do for physical copies. I am too impatient to use it but if you are willing to wait a couple weeks the world is your oyster.

Like any library material you check out, you have a certain amount of time in which to read it, after which the file becomes inaccessible on your device. The Kindle files are neat because you get an email warning you that your library loan is ending. (I guess some of the non DRM epub files might not be subject to this but don’t quote me)