Free eBooks
Where to Find Free eBooks
When we first launched this site, I received a lot of emails from people expressing their disappointment with the eReaders. They were budget consumers, who did most of their reading at the library, and they felt with their Kindle that they were trapped. In the recent months, Amazon has done a lot to appease these consumers and there are now tons of ways to enjoy free books on your Kindle. Here's a collection of ideas I have, feel free to let me know any other methods and I will add them to our list!
The Library
The first method that surprised me when I heard about it was that the library actually has free ebooks available. This isn't common across the United States yet, and the selection isn't huge, but it offers a taste. Check your local library and ask them about their selection. I've also seen some that never seem to expire on your Kindle, so this might even allow you to get free books for keeps.
Borrow from friends
Back in the day, when you would read a good book, you would always pass it around amongst your friends. At release, you couldn't do this with the Kindle but they've since added the feature. From the web site, you can now pick one of your books and share it with a friend. The sharing is limited as you can only share it once and they only can hold onto it for a week or two, but it's still a good way to save money.
Amazon Prime
With Amazon Prime, you're able to borrow some books directly from Amazon. A major example in recent months has been The Hunger Games. Using Amazon Prime, you are able to borrow the books for free and enjoy them at your leisure. It's worth noting though that this method has some major limitations, as you can only borrow one book a month. With something like The Hunger Games, this can be frustrating as you finish the first book and then need to wait several more weeks to push on.
Classics
If you're a fan of the classics, you can find all of these for free on Amazon's site. Options in this area include Pride and Prejudice, the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Alice in Wonderland, and Treasure Island, amongst a wide variety of others. Sure the books are old, but if you're looking to broaden your horizons and save a few dollars, this can be a great way to do it.
Free Releases
If you're willing to go exploring into the world of unpredictable quality, there are a lot of books that get released for free on Amazon. Most of these books are self-published as aspiring authors seek to build some kind of an audience. You never know what you might find in this market as the quality ranges, but if you stick with the top picks and go by reviews, you can find some great deals. And at worst, you'll get to explore a whole new realm of fiction.
Overall, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your Kindle without having to break the bank. Early on, these options were severely limited and it was one of the major detractions from these devices. But with the influx of new options, you can enjoy the Kindle without ever even buying a book. Let us know if you have your own strategies for reading on a budget!
