Several personal friends have bought Kindle Fires lately. I’ve made no secret that I absolutely love my Fire; I still believe it is the smartest technology purchase my husband and I have ever made. For all-around media consumption, portability, and ease-of-use, it can’t be beat.
And now, I have a new addiction: downloading free Kindle books. I try to grab a few every day. And since I don’t read an entire book every day, my collection is really growing. But I don’t care. My Kindle collection is stored on the Amazon cloud, meaning I can access the books any time, anywhere, from any web-enabled device. Even the highlights and notes I make in these books will be available any way I access the book; paperbacks aren’t half so convenient.
I am asked nearly every day “How do you get these free books?” Well, it is hit-and-miss for good literature, but below are some of my favorite ways to browse. First off, though, a few pointers for Kindle newbies:
- If you have a Fire, bookmark these sites in your web browser. That is the button clear at the bottom of your screen that actually looks like a bookmark. Hit it while you are on the web page, name the page, and hit “enter.” Now it is easier to find.
- If you don’t have a Fire, I pity you. Maybe someone who loves you will buy it for you for Christmas. Until then, you can bookmark the sites on your computer, purchase on your desktop, and have them sent to your device. You can read Kindle books on a previous-generation Kindle, your phones Kindle app, or even by using the Kindle app on an iPad or computer. Find out about the free Kindle apps here.
- Just because a book was free at one time, even earlier that day, doesn’t mean it is free now. Check the price carefully before purchasing (especially if you have one-click shopping on Amazon!). Often (but not always) Amazon Prime members have a lower price then the general public if it is no longer free. Buyer beware.
- Kindle books are often available for free for less than 24 hours. Sometimes much less. So get ’em while you can. This is why I say it is an addiction; so afraid I’ll miss a goodie, I simply MUST check my favorite sites daily.
Here are some sites to help you find each day’s freebies:
Free Kindle Books and Tips offers, um, free Kindle books, apps, and even kindle tips for a variety of Kindle types each day. I read this one on my Fire from the free app every day.
Pixel of Ink is probably one of the best known free Kindle sites around. It gives a synopsis and genre for several books several times a day. I scan it daily on the web, but you can subscribe to emails, too. Pixel of Ink has become so popular they have branched out into several, more genre-specific free Kindle sites, several of which I follow, as well. They include …
Pixel of Ink, Young Edition. I rarely find anything to download from here, to tell you the truth. If you’ve ever browsed the YA section of your local bookstore, you know why. Once in a while I find an illustrated classic or ABC book, though.
Inspired Reads offers Christian fiction and non-fiction. If you crave Amish Zombies: The Heart-Warming Tale of Inspiration, Romance, Devotion this is your go-to site. Personally, I scan it for the non-fiction titles. I’ve got 3 Keven Lemon books in the last couple weeks, and that is so worth the price.
Dining Downloads is your source for cookies and brownies for your daughter to bake for you every afternoon while you slave tirelessly for your family. ‘Nuff said. Also, you’ll find gluten-free, vegetarian, ethnic, and home-style cooking.
Power Reads is, in all honesty, my favorite compilation, simply because it is a non-fiction site and your’s truly is not an amish-zombies-with-heartwarming-tales aficionado. I get books on business, health, homemaking, and social media here.
Now, if, after browsing all those sites, I still haven’t downloaded several books today, I may decide to go looking on Amazon itself. Imagine going straight to the source! Shocking!
One can actually search for free kindle books by searching deciding on the category and searching for that within the Kindle store on the Amazon site. If you prepend your selection with the word FREE [ex: free cookbook, free homeschool, free reference] you will come up with a long list of books that are either free or include a free gift.
BUT, the editor at Free Kindle Books and Tips has done the heavy lifting for us and listed the Amazon urls for the most popular Kindle Free Book searches. I’ve found his links do a much better job than my searches and always are fun to browse (translation: don’t start unless you have hours). Scroll down this page to get started.
What is your favorite source for free Kindle books?
My favorite source for freebie Kindle books is Inspired Reads. I admit it, I’m a fiction junkie! I figure I have enough real life stuff happening that I want to relax with something that maybe (for me, at least) unrealistic. I do, of course, read quite a bit of non-fiction, too, but not for pure pleasure.
I still have the old-fashioned Kindle 3. I love it! I love the e-ink technology and the fact that I just read on it. I keep looking at the Kindle Fires and the iPads, though . . .
Thank you for the mention, I appreciate it!
Michael