The Amazon e-commerce site offers “Prime Reading“, a program that brings you lots of free ebooks to download every month.
Prime Reading is a service reserved exclusively for Amazon Prime subscribers: see Prime Reading on Amazon.com.
How does Prime Reading work?
So, if you’re like us, you can already access this new selection of books directly from your Kindle e-reader, Fire tablet or Kindle reading app.
Then there’s a new section featuring a selection of books you can borrow for free.
The selection isn’t necessarily great, but there are plenty of bestsellers and books:
- Unlimited access to a rotating catalog of ebooks and audiobooks
- 1 free pre-release ebook every month from editors’ picks
- Magazines and comic books also included
For my part, I’ve already spotted a couple of things to read. I think that if you have a Prime subscription ($14.99/month), it’s worth looking to see if there’s anything that might interest you.
How do I download a Prime Reading ebook onto my e-reader?
Downloading an eligible ebook is very simple.
Simply go to the relevant category on your e-reader (tested on a latest-generation Kindle Paperwhite e-reader) and then press “Borrow”.
The book is then automatically downloaded free of charge and appears in your e-reader’s library.
When you’ve finished reading the book, you’ll need to return it to Prime Reading. To do this, press the book cover for a few seconds to display the menu. Then select “Return to Prime Reading”.
You can then download a new book (but you can borrow more than one book at a time).
How to read Prime Reading ebooks
You can also read Prime Reading ebooks on iPhone and iPad.
If you prefer to read your Prime Reading ebooks on a Kindle e-reader, you can also use the following software:
- Kindle Android application
- Kindle iOS application (for iPhone and iPad)
- Kindle PC and Mac application
After installing the software and logging in to your Amazon account, you’ll be able to find the book you’ve borrowed in the application’s library.
Which e-readers are compatible with Prime Reading?
All Kindle e-readers are compatible with Amazon Prime Reading: Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis and Kindle Scribe.
Older Kindle readers purchased a few years ago are also compatible. So you don’t need to buy a new e-reader to take advantage of this service.
Conclusion: a great deal for Amazon customers!
There are thousands of digital books available. So Prime Reading is a great way to read for less.
However, it in no way replaces Amazon’s $9.99-a-month unlimited reading subscription, which offers a much wider selection of books.
This Prime Reading is therefore a welcome addition to Amazon’s offer, and above all a further argument for subscribing to Prime to take advantage of the many associated services (Video on Demand, photo storage, free delivery, etc.).