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I don’t know about you, but I am a huge Amazon fanatic. I’m also a huge book fanatic. Well, it’s pretty great that the two can go hand-in-hand!
Let’s start with Amazon Prime (Try it free for 30 days!). I’ve been an Amazon Prime member for a few years now, and while I don’t necessarily order a lot from Amazon (like many people who take advantage of their free 2-day shipping and order pretty much everything, all the way down to soap and toilet paper, from Amazon), I do enjoy other perks that come with Prime, like Prime Reading! Each month, Prime members can select from a number of Kindle eBooks that are chosen by Amazon to read for free or at a discount! I’ve found some of my favorites through Prime Reading like The Best of Friends, or my current read, Every Last Secret. If you don’t own a Kindle, no problem! Download the Amazon Kindle app for your Android or iPhone/iPad.
Now that I’ve mentioned the Kindle, let’s talk about it! I’ve been very back and forth about eReaders for over a decade. I remember my first eReader was the original Nook from Barnes & Noble. I LOVED IT! I thought I was so cool carrying it around and bringing it everywhere I went, reading wherever and whenever I wanted to. After awhile, I missed reading physical books and growing my bookshelves, so I went back to hard copies until I was eventually gifted a newer Nook a few years later, known as the Nook Color. The screen was black and white, but it had a colored touch screen across the bottom where you could access your library, the app store, etc. Again, I thought I was super cool. Now, this was around the time I was getting into my late teen years/early 20’s and reading for longer periods of time (and for those wondering how old I am considering I just said “early 20’s” like it was forever ago, well, I’m closer to 30 than you think LOL). If there’s one definite pro to reading a hard copy of a book, the hard copy doesn’t have a battery life. That was my last e-reader for many many years… Throughout my 20’s, I have grown my physical book collection exponentially. Now, I don’t have an amazing wall-to-wall bookshelf like some of my favorite BookTubers/Bookstagrammers out there (shoutout A Clockwork Reader, Hailey in Bookland, and Brittany the Bibliophile), but to be fair, I haven’t lived in a space (ever) that would accommodate one. SOMEDAY!! A few months ago, my fiancé and I moved from Massachusetts to Florida and are currently living with my family (temporarily) until we buy a home of our own. With that being said, all of my precious books are up in a storage unit in Massachusetts and my bibliophile heart is weeping everyday over it. Since I can’t make a collection right now, I had to settle for an eReader once again and I was given the new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for my birthday this year. Ok… I’M OBSESSED. First of all, it’s so lightweight, I can’t even feel it in my bag. Second of all, it’s nice and small, fits in one hand, and even fits in my fanny pack when I decide to go for a walk and maybe stop in the shade and read for a bit. Third, the battery life is… absolutely incredible. I read pretty much a few hours a day or listen to an audiobook for a while and I can actually go over a week without charging. If I happen to go a few days without reading for some reason, the battery does not dwindle. It maintains its power. Lastly, it’s water resistant! Call me crazy, but yes, I bring it in the bathtub (don’t have to worry about getting pages wet or keeping my hands dry!), in the shower when I really can’t put the book down, and to the pool and beach! While I know I will someday be buying physical books again, I know for a fact I will never let my Kindle collect dust. Did I mention it’s water resistant?!
So, I’ve fallen in love with Amazon Prime and the Kindle Paperwhite. Am I done being hooked on Amazon yet? NOPE! Let’s talk Audible, shall we? So not only am I a Prime member, but I’m also an Audible member. For under $15 a month, you are given credits to use towards any audiobook on the market. If you think about it, it’s a steal! Audiobooks can be pricey, some up to over $50! One Audible credit is good for any audiobook available through Audible. If you don’t use your credit this month, no problem! It will still be there next month, in addition to your new credit. Credits do not expire and will continue to roll over. Have you racked up 9 credits and there’s a nine-book series you want to listen to? Go listen to the whole thing for free! My favorite audiobooks I’ve listened to through Audible are pretty much anything by Debbie Macomber and the Sweet Magnolias series by Sherryl Woods. You can also access your Audible library on your Kindle Paperwhite. I love being able to connect my Bluetooth headphones to my Kindle and listen to my audiobook to save battery on my phone if I’m out and about. Try Audible now FREE for 30 days!
There’s one more membership on Amazon I am considering joining now that I do own my Kindle and that’s Kindle Unlimited. Now, I don’t know too much about it, so if you are a member, please enlighten me! As far as I know, Kindle Unlimited is a membership for avid readers like myself and you can read an unlimited amount of eBooks! From what I see on the Kindle Store, though, it seems like only certain books are eligible for Kindle Unlimited. So, I’m not sure if it’s something I want to do – I want to hear more about it from others!
Who else is an Amazon junkie?! I can’t be the only one.
Comment below and let me know how you relate! If you decide to try any of these products/memberships after reading my post, please come back and tell me what you think!