Your own personal library is now closer to being attainable thanks to Amazon, as the Kindle creator opens its collection to “unlimited” subscriptions.
It’s 2016 and we have practically unlimited music through Spotify and Apple, practically unlimited media through Netflix and Stan, and practically unlimited image storage from the likes of Google Photos.
You know what else we need? Practically unlimited books.
Amazon is this week making that a reality, delivering over one million electronic books through Kindle eReaders and the Kindle app for iOS and Android for a monthly fee of $13.99.
“For less than the cost of a best-selling paperback, readers now have unlimited access to over one million titles, allowing them to discover new authors and books, including top sellers and tens of thousands of inspiring stories from local authors,” said David Naggar, Vice President of Kindle at Amazon.
The service is offered by way of a 30 day trial before charges are made to a credit card, and as you can imagine, the whole concept is to get you reading as much as possible.
Sadly, Kindle Unlimited doesn’t apply to all books, and only titles with the Kindle Unlimited icon and “Read for $0.00” will qualify, leaving quite a few books out of the picture, and not applying to other electronic releases that work on Kindle, such as newspapers.
Amazon has said that while the service is technically “unlimited” (provided you’re reading the books that qualify), you can only keep up to ten books at the same time under the $13.99 subscription plan.
On the plus side, the books will work on Kindle eReaders, iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, and Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets, but you can’t share them with family or friends.
Think of its as a personally unlimited subscription that isn’t valid for all books, but is valid for quite a few.
“Readers around the world have shown how much they love using Kindle Unlimited and they are finding more books inside and outside the service as a result,” said Naggar.
“We are delighted to now offer Australian customers access to this vast selection of titles, ranging from modern fiction, to timeless classics all for just $13.99 a month.”
While the price is good, we’re a little surprised you can’t gift the service, as the $13.99 monthly would offer a decent option for people starved for gift ideas.
Outside of this, however, the 30 day trial makes Amazon’s not-quite-unlimited option compelling enough. Now all that’s left is to find out whether any books you want to read are part of the program.
