While there are dozens of different services available on the world wide web… Amazon is a massive presence which makes it difficult to avoid.
It really comes down to the following:
What is your reading style? Do you prefer to borrow or own?
What genres do you normally read? If you prefer main stream then you won’t find as many titles as you would prefer. However if you like self published, a little left of centre books then Kindle is definitely worth trying.
How many books do you read in a month? Some people only read one or two, some read a book every few days. Balance the value to how much you read. It might be better value to buy a book a month (if that is all you read) then it is to sign up to monthly service.
Either way, Kindle Unlimited do have a 30 day trial which you can cancel anytime, so it really doesn’t hurt to sign up and have a look for yourself at the titles they have on offer. It is a subscription not a contract, so feel free to cancel once you’ve read your fill!
It is easy to forget that Amazon started as a book seller, it is still a big part of what they offer online (which is a lot!) so there is no reason not to give them a try at what they do best.
Hi Gigi, I have read a few ebooks before just off the PC but I think I personally prefer the physical book. You have however made some very good points I think there is a real convenience aspect having all your books in one place. The subscription I think is worth it if you spend that much on books already I suppose but then you can buy books to read on here which you own as well. Great post many thanks Alex
Hi Alex, it is a tricky one. When it comes to books I do prefer to own physical books, as there can be sentimental value and you can write over them. Just seeing them on a shelf can remind you of the story and what you felt reading it… eBooks on the other hand are about convergence, and signing up to a subscription service gives you the flexibility to cancel without losing ‘books’ that you have purchased. There are positives and negatives to both really. Cheers, Gigi
I am glad to hear of this as an option in my reading activities. I like the convenience of this but I don’t read a regular amount or an average amount that would make it worth the monthly costs. It would not rule it out though because I was thinking of stepping up my reading and I have a very long wish list. I am going to do the trial run because I need to know if my wishes are available in this program and just get a general idea of what is there. Thanks for the review.
Hi, if you are looking at increasing your reading (and the current requirement to self isolate is a great reason to do so) then signing up to a subscription is a good option. The main thing to remember is that it is not a lock in contract, you can cancel it anytime very easily. I hope you do give it a try. Cheers, Gigi
It kind of improves efficiency in terms of accessing books from anywhere and at any time. And when you feel like accessing a book to read. The easy accessibility from mobile devices and any other gadget that you can simply use to connect to the Internet makes it ready available even in confined places.
Kindle and other eReaders do help improve efficiency, as well as reducing ecological impacts (no paper, printing, trees being cut down, fuel for transport). The fact that you can read ebooks across multiple devices, and not just eReaders is a bonus. I’ve definitely found it easier to read from an eReader on a crowded train then a book – turning pages can be hard in confined spaces!
I have not used any other platform except for Kindle, they are the extremely good as a device on its own as it is easy to read from, and to use when reading from my phone or tablet.
I am looking at buying one as a gift, what version would you recommend for a teenage girl?…..thanks a lot for sharing.
Hi David, I’m glad you find Kindle easy to use and enjoy. With regards to which one to buy as a gift for a teenage girl, I would be more likely to go mid range with the Kindle Paperwhite. But that does depend on how much she likes to read! Kids and teenagers do tend to spend a lot of time on devices, so it is worth considering the little extras that come with the Kindle Paperwhite such as wi-fi and extra storage. Hope that helps!
this is a well designed and written article. i sincerely applaud the writer creating time to write on such a great topic. i always download ebooks on my PC but i find the physical more useful to me. but i really don’t read a regular amount or an average amount that would make it worth the monthly costs. thanks for sharing this amazing article once more.
Hi Perry, the physical copies are always better in my view! It is interesting to hear that while you do purchase ebooks you don’t read enough to justify a subscription. It would not surprise me if a lot of people felt the same. Thank you for taking the time to comment!