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Kindle Unlimited; Is It Worth The Hype?

Mikenna McFadden Student Contributor, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Is a subscription to Kindle Unlimited worth it? The short answer: yes. The long answer: absolutely.

Even if you don’t own a Kindle, although I highly recommend considering that they can fit into small bags for easy travel and access, the Kindle app can be downloaded on a variety of devices. In the Kindle app, there are limitless possibilities for the different books you can find and read. When you create an account, it is typically connected to either your Amazon (prime/books/music, etc) or Apple (books/music, etc) account. For me, it is connected to my Amazon Prime account! Also, I use the Kindle app on my iPad, as well as my iPhone, due to my Kindle unfortunately breaking :( Butttt I love that my iPad gives me a bigger screen, I just don’t have the advantage of transporting a smaller device.

Once you have created an account, the books are endless! If you want to purchase a book on Kindle and forever have it, this is when you would purchase the ebook, using the same process you would to buy a physical copy. Now, I don’t do this (as I tend to be an over-consumer and need the physical copy), instead, I have a monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited! For $11.99 a month (plus tax), I have the opportunity to borrow, read, and return books instead of buying them. How this works is that you are paying for the subscription, so you don’t pay for the book. Instead, they use a system very similar to the library; browse a wide variety of books, select up to 20 books to borrow at any time, and simply return after reading!

Although Kindle Unlimited doesn’t give you access to every book, new books are constantly being added to its library (every Tuesday). Sometimes a brand new book will immediately be available, while others you may have to wait a few weeks/months, and it could be there! There is also a variety of these books that offer the audio, so you can read and listen, or simply listen! I like this feature because I’m not a huge audiobook user, but I like how I have the opportunity and don’t have to pay for a different subscription from a different app.

If you are interested in seeing if Kindle Unlimited is for you, they do offer a 30-day free trial. Another perk is that you pay by the month, so if you want to cancel your subscription, you can easily do so! This also makes it easy if you want to add it again in the future.

As I said, there is a free trial to see if this is a subscription you would like, but it is so helpful! The prices of books (along with everything else) are constantly increasing, and having an expensive hobby isn’t always fun. Another perk, if you are a physical copy girl like me, is that if you read a book on Kindle Unlimited and absolutely hate it, you can simply return it. Or, if you fall in love with it, you can go buy that special edition you’ve been eyeing up!

Here is just a quick list of new ebook additions to Kindle Unlimited in the past few weeks;

Dear Debbie – Freida McFadden

His & Hers: A Novel – Alice Feeney

The Wedding People: A Novel – Alison Espach

Brimstone (Fae & Alchemy) – Callie Hart

The Briar Club – Kate Quinn

Just For The Cameras – Meghan Quinn

Caraval (full trilogy) – Stephanie Garber

An Academic Affair – Jodi McAlister

And here is a quick list of some Kindle Unlimited Audiobooks that are really popular right now;

Winter Garden – Kristin Hannah

Night Road – Kristin Hannah

Reminders Of Him – Colleen Hoover

What She Saw – Mary Burton

In The Likely Event – Rebecca Yarros

Wuthering Heights (Amazon Classics Edition) – Emily BrontĂ«

Death Row – Freida McFadden

Mikenna McFadden is the secretary of the HerCampus IUP chapter, and her writing varies across the entertainment/pop culture aspect of news. Mikenna is also apart of the social media team, where she helps posts content on the club's Instagram account and is the Social Media Content Manager!

At IUP, Mikenna is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2027. She is majoring in Psychology with minors in Neurobiology, as well as Child Development & Family Science.

In Mikenna's free time she enjoy reading books, watching movies, and listening to music. Some of her favorite singers include Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Renee Rapp, Olivia Rodrigo, and Noah Kahan! Mikenna is a huge fan of all of these things, and they spark a lot of her inspiration for her articles!