These quick tips to find eligible books come handy if you want to join Kindle Unlimited or make the most of it.
Many Amazon customers have tried Kindle Unlimited already. Some of them are satisfied with a service and continue using it.
Other users developed a pattern to join the platform for a limited time, read the best books, and cancel the subscription – until the next chance to get it via the deal.
Finally, there is a large group of customers who tested Kindle Unlimited and canceled it for they didn’t find enough interesting books to read or realized they didn’t use the service often enough to justify the monthly price they were paying.
Amazon’s popular digital subscription gives unlimited access to over a million Kindle ebooks, as well as thousands of Audible audiobooks, comic books, and magazines. However, what you have to keep in mind is that some – usually most interesting – titles, due to various reasons, may disappear from the service.
In other words, the fact the book was available three years ago doesn’t mean you can get it via Kindle Unlimited today. I suggest you should assume that the service works similarly to Netflix: books originally published for Kindle Unlimited usually stay there forever, but books that enter the catalog through agreements with other publishers may be removed from the catalog one day.
This list is intended to help you quickly find out which books are available in Kindle Unlimited today, so that you can make a deliberate decision whether to join Kindle Unlimited or get the subscription again.
Although Amazon are trying their best to let users find Kindle Unlimited books, it’s confusing which ebooks are a part of the subscription and which are not. It’s because Amazon offers several subscription-based services that need to be marked one way or another – and they compete with each other.
Plus, many customers still confuse Kindle Unlimited with Amazon Prime Reading, FreeTime Unlimited, or Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (with the last service being discontinued).
5 ways to find Kindle Unlimited ebooks
1. Browse Kindle Unlimited catalog
Best for: Users who are not Kindle Unlimited members
This is the best option for anyone who is not an active Kindle Unlimited subscriber. What’s more, you can see which books are available via the service even if you are not logged in to Amazon.
Go to Kindle Unlimited eligible books page in your browser, and you are ready to browse the catalog of currently available titles.
Entering the catalog of Kindle Unlimited eligible books is the best option if you want to find the most interesting titles in your favorite genres. For that, you can use all the standard tools the left-hand sidebar gives:
- Browse the titles by category – when you click on a genre, let’s say “Literature & Fiction,” the list expands to sub-categories.
- Narrow down the list of results to new titles only – in the “New Releases” section.
- Find Kindle Unlimited books that come with audiobook companions – currently there are several thousands of Kindle Unlimited books you can enjoy by both reading and listening. Choose an option called “Audible Narration” to see them.
- Show only the best-rated titles – select how many stars the book should have to be displayed. This option, under the title “Avg. Customer Review,” can be seen when you scroll down the page a bit.
Search tools are useful if you plan to spend some time on exploring Kindle Unlimited. If you prefer taking a quick look at what’s currently available, just look at the list of highlights which appear right under “Browse Kindle Unlimited Books” headline:
- Popular in Kindle Unlimited
- Popular Romance
- Popular Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense
- Popular Books with Narration
If you are logged in to Amazon, the list may be adjusted to show you the categories you are particularly interested in, which is based on your browsing and purchasing history.
The highlighted books are a way for Amazon to suggest you the books they think you will love. I prefer another way to find the most popular titles, which is based on an actual number of downloaded copies.
To reveal the most downloaded Kindle Unlimited books, scroll down the page to see the list like this:
Some time ago, Amazon changed the way they display the number of results. For a long time, search result pages were showing the total number of matching items. Right now, they are less informative (and even misleading), saying “over 70,000 results” or “over 80,000 results.”
Don’t get the wrong impression – there are over a million Kindle Unlimited books, not just 70 or 80 thousand. But right now, the correct number is known only to Amazon.
What I like about this simple list is that it displays all the signals that I need to judge whether it’s worth downloading the book:
- Number of reviews.
- Date of release.
- The regular price – single information that justifies paying a monthly Kindle Unlimited fee.
When I change the sort option (in the top-right corner) to “Publication Date,” I will see the newly released Kindle Unlimited books.
2. Visit Kindle Unlimited welcome page
Best for: Active Kindle Unlimited subscribers
If you are a registered Kindle Unlimited member, a much more convenient option than the one listed above is to go to a front page dedicated exclusively for the members of the program.
Enter amazon.com/kindleunlimited to see Kindle Unlimited at a glance.
Tip: If you are not logged in to Amazon, after clicking a link above you will be asked to log in. If you have multiple Amazon accounts, make sure to log in with the one that holds your active Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Why is this solution better than exploring the entire Kindle Unlimited catalog? Here are the reasons:
- You see new and notable books right away – there is no need to sort books by publication date; you see all the best new books first.
- You see the books you are most likely to read next – Amazon is analyzing your browsing history and displays most relevant books. What’s even better, these books are grouped by category, browsing history, and shopping history.
- Get instant access to top features and deals – the top banner displays what’s currently hot, including new books and deals that are available only for active members. You don’t want to miss the chance to save 40% on Kindle Unlimited extend plan, do you?
If you are a heavy Kindle Unlimited user, make sure to bookmark the front page in your browser for quick access any time you want.
3. Look for Kindle Unlimited signals on list and search pages
You can browse the entire Amazon site and still be able to locate Kindle Unlimited books.
The way Amazon marks eligible books is constantly evolving. It may be even different for different users. However, there are two main ways to spot Kindle Unlimited books on the list and search result pages.
Kindle Unlimited strip on the top of a book cover
One clear you are looking at a Kindle Unlimited eligible book is a strip at the top of a Kindle book cover, like in the example below.
The rules are confusing, as the Kindle Unlimited logo sometimes competes with “Look Inside” layer. From what I’ve found, Kindle Unlimited is placed on hand-picked pages, such as:
- Editor’s picks
- Kindle deals (daily and monthly)
- Special selections.
You won’t find it on all search pages, or category pages.
$0,00 price tag with Kindle Unlimited label
On other Amazon pages, especially on search results lists, you will find another way of marking Kindle Unlimited eligible books.
In the list view, next to the title, you will see the $0,00 price tag followed by Kindle Unlimited logo. Depending on whether you are a member or not, this message will be displayed with either “Read for Free” or “Buy Now” button.
4. Check out the info on a single Kindle book page
Best for: Current Kindle Unlimited users
When you are searching on Amazon for the specific Kindle book you with to read, you will in the end land on each title’s product detail page.
It’s where you can also find hints whether the book is Kindle Unlimited eligible. However, displayed messages strongly depend on your current status: whether you are logged in to Amazon, from which country you visit the site, and whether you are an active Kindle Unlimited subscriber.
Therefore, the single Kindle book page is a reliable source of Kindle Unlimited eligibility only for registered members. This is what you will see.
There are two places which inform you that the book is included in your Kindle Unlimited subscription:
- Formats section – under the title of the book, there are several boxes that represent different formats of the book. On the left, where usually Kindle edition’s price is displayed, you will see a price tag $0.00 followed by the Kindle Unlimited logo.
- “Add to cart” widget – on the right side, there is a box that enables you to buy the product. The usual “Buy” button is replaced by “Read for Free.” Above it, you will find the Kindle Unlimited logo and the message “Included with your membership.”
In a drop-down list, select the desired device and then click the “Read for Free” to get the book instantly delivered.
5. Explore Kindle Unlimited recommendations in your Kindle app
Good for: Kindle Unlimited members and non-members
The best thing about Kindle Unlimited is that you don’t have to visit the Amazon website to explore eligible books.
Amazon is constantly improving their ecosystem to make subscription-based services as widely available as possible. That’s why, you can see recommended Kindle Unlimited books not only on your Kindle or Amazon Fire, but also in Kindle apps for iOS (iPhone), iPadOS, or Android.
All you have to do is tap “Discover” tab on the bottom navigation bar, and then tap the text saying “Kindle Unlimited.”
Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime recommendations are shown in Kindle apps, no matter whether you are an active member or not.
Plus, if you are currently subscribed and own an Apple device, you can get the book instantly – there is no need to visit the Amazon website to buy the book.
Conclusions
One of the reasons users cancel Kindle Unlimited is that they can’t find books they would like to read. It’s true that the service doesn’t include many bestsellers from big publishers, but on the other side, there are hundreds of interesting books that are worth reading.
Having in mind the fact that most Top 100 Kindle bestsellers are included in the subscription, it’s just a matter of spending enough time on exploring the catalog of eligible books or finding the most efficient way of discovering next Kindle Unlimited books to read.
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