Kindle unlimited... opinions?

Decafflatteplease · 2024-04-03T18:14:06+00:00

I'm looking into getting Kindle unlimited there's a 2 month free trial. Is there a way to see what books are on kindle unlimited? I've heard something about you can only have 10 books at a time? Has anyone got any positives or negatives to share? I read my kindle every day but usually hold out for 99p deals!

fridgegrazer · 03/04/2024 19:16

It's gone up to 20 books now - which is much better. As long as you don't expect best selling authors it's certainly worth it if you read a lot - like I do now I'm retired. You can get magazines too - I got my Christmas TV times for free last year.

Original poster

Decafflatteplease · 03/04/2024 19:22

fridgegrazer · 03/04/2024 19:16

It's gone up to 20 books now - which is much better. As long as you don't expect best selling authors it's certainly worth it if you read a lot - like I do now I'm retired. You can get magazines too - I got my Christmas TV times for free last year.

Thanks @fridgegrazer is there a way to see which books are on unlimited?

OP posts:

TeaAndStrumpets · 03/04/2024 19:32

Isn't there a filter? If you look on an author's page you can filter by kindle unlimited and only see those.

ComputerInitiateJump · 03/04/2024 19:35

If you sign up for the trial you can cancel straightaway if you're worried you'll forget and get charged.

I tend to dip in and out of kindle unlimited. I've paid for a month at the moment as loads of Frieda Mcfaddon books are on there.

If you pay for Prime you can get a free book per monthAmazon First Reads

https://www.amazon.co.uk/firstreads?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=2d06e798-b026-4f83-80ac-8566a9914ee4&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-what-were-reading-5042474-kindle-unlimited-opinions

Labraradabrador · 03/04/2024 19:42

You can have 10 books downloaded at a time, but as soon as you return one you can get another (no limit to how often you do this per month afaik). I can’t imagine a situation where I would need more (extended trip to a place without Wi-Fi maybe?).

I tend to use it for slightly brainless reads - the kind of stuff you have forgotten as soon as you finish. Every now and then I have discovered a new author that I really like, but most of what is in the unlimited catalogue is a bit middling. Some of it is pretty awful, but there tend to be lots of reviews which help me avoid the really unreadable stuff. The algorithm for recommendations annoys me greatly as it seems to mostly be based on the last couple of books you read (as in nearly identical subject matter and genre) or content they are looking to promote and digging through the whole catalogue when you have a vague sense of what you are looking for (other than something differentfrom the last book) can be overwhelming.

For obvious reasons you aren’t going to find this year’s best sellers or much in the way of really great recent literature, so whether it is worth it for you will depend on your reading habits. I am at a place in life at the moment where I tend to favour a bit of light escapism for the most part, and can read several books a week, so it is worth it for me.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 03/04/2024 19:44

If you pick 'Kindle Store' to the left of the search box and type 'Kindle Unlimited' in the box it brings up loads of books. You can also search for anything in Kindle store like 'cook books' or an author's name and when the list comes up there is a tick box on the left for Kindle Unlimited.

It's also well worth registering with BookBub.com if you read a lot. You select the genres that you like and the retailer that you want to use (Amazon in your case) and you get a daily email with offers.

fridgegrazer · 03/04/2024 20:25

Labraradabrador · 03/04/2024 19:42

You can have 10 books downloaded at a time, but as soon as you return one you can get another (no limit to how often you do this per month afaik). I can’t imagine a situation where I would need more (extended trip to a place without Wi-Fi maybe?).

I tend to use it for slightly brainless reads - the kind of stuff you have forgotten as soon as you finish. Every now and then I have discovered a new author that I really like, but most of what is in the unlimited catalogue is a bit middling. Some of it is pretty awful, but there tend to be lots of reviews which help me avoid the really unreadable stuff. The algorithm for recommendations annoys me greatly as it seems to mostly be based on the last couple of books you read (as in nearly identical subject matter and genre) or content they are looking to promote and digging through the whole catalogue when you have a vague sense of what you are looking for (other than something differentfrom the last book) can be overwhelming.

For obvious reasons you aren’t going to find this year’s best sellers or much in the way of really great recent literature, so whether it is worth it for you will depend on your reading habits. I am at a place in life at the moment where I tend to favour a bit of light escapism for the most part, and can read several books a week, so it is worth it for me.

I have got 20 KU books on my device at the moment - I assume this was true for everyone (maybe I'm special). I am in the UK in case that is significant.

OP I just went onto Amazon and searched Kindle Unlimited Books and a list came up, or, as pp have suggested, just search for a book you would like and see if it is available on KU.

Funderthighs · 03/04/2024 20:33

You can also subscribe to a selection of magazines for free. There’s a very decent selection at the moment.

Frutiloopy · 03/04/2024 20:43

Why don't you use the library instead ? Use it or lose it . You can download books and magazines from the library now .

Labraradabrador · 03/04/2024 20:55

@fridgegrazer you might be right - it used to be 10, and I’ve never needed more than that

JediKnightingale · 03/04/2024 20:59

It’s definitely 20 now. Even though I have a very active e-library account I still find myself using Kindle Unlimited quite a bit. Always something I find to read a the magazine feature is great as well. Definitely worth giving the trial a go and seeing if it’s for you.

mondaytosunday · 03/04/2024 21:12

I have it - it's great. I can 'borrow' books (and really if the limit was still at ten, how many books do you read at the same time)? Good books too. I also pay for some. But I love my kindle!

FindingMeno · 03/04/2024 21:17

I've had it quite a while and find plenty to read.

Tezza1 · 03/04/2024 21:46

Just a tip: I had the free trial ages ago, and then recently rejoined, intending it to be only one month as I wanted some specific books. When I went to cancel, Amazon offered me three months for the price of one.

Nn9011 · 03/04/2024 21:48

I love it, saves me so much money. Yes there can be some questionable ones but those are getting fewer as more authors are self publishing. I've read some brilliant books through it.

Chasingsquirrels · 03/04/2024 21:49

I'd second Bookbub, there are actually loads of free books on Amazon Kindle without subscribing to unlimited. I probably download 3-7 a week.