There are many options on where to find free Kindle books. Amazon has dedicated a page to list all of the options. The only catch is that you really have to be diligent about tracking the special promotions. They disappear quickly.
First off, the Kindle Store has limited time promotions on different books. I’ve found some good ones through the Top 100 Free Kindle books list. This list is updated hourly, so if you see one you like, grab it immediately. the list includes popular free games such as Pixel Perfect Holiday Puzzles.
The free books offered by the Kindle Store are mostly romantic or religious themed. But, if you take some time to look through the list, you can find some books with a good storyline. It is a great opportunity to explore new authors who don’t get the recognition from the big name publishers.
Pre 1923 classics can be found in a variety of places. Project Gutenberg is one of the original sources for free e-books. It currently has a collection that includes roughly 30,000 titles. You can download the books to your Kindle via USB.
Amazon’s free book page provides links to Project Gutenberg, as well as other internet based e-books. Open Library, ManyBooks.net, and Internet Archive offer up to millions of titles. For web based e-books and limited previews, check out Google books.
Some great programs were launched this Fall: Kindle Library Lending and Kindle Owner’s Library Lending. Kindle Library Lending is available in 11,000 and counting libraries across the US. Most libraries have a widget somewhere on their website that directs you to their Kindle books available through OverDrive. My local public library just added Kindle Library Lending, and it offers a mix up new and old books. There is already a waiting list on many of them.
Amazon Prime members can access the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library. It is a Netflix for books type deal. You can only check out one book a month, but it doesn’t have a due date. The library includes over 5000 books. Lots of bestsellers in the collection. One thing to note is that you have to download the book directly from your Kindle direction instead of on Amazon’s website.
So, to sum it up, there are tons of free e-book options available for all of the Kindles. The great thing about the free classics is that you can use them for school. The physical books are not that expensive, but with a lot of them it can add up. Free is always good!
I’m hoping that if I wait long enough, the Steve Jobs biography and other major bestsellers will be available for lending. But, that will probably be awhile.