Kindle Unlimited: Is It Worth It? {+ Christian Fiction & Clean Reads Available on KU}

 

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Let's talk Kindle Unlimited... are you a subscriber? 

For those unfamiliar, Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service that could be likened to a Netflix-type service for e-books. For $9.99 a month, you are given access to a HUGE selection of Kindle books to borrow. Full magazine subscriptions are available as part of the service as well. 

If you shop Amazon for books, chances are you've seen many books marked as Kindle Unlimited, and perhaps you have found yourself asking if it truly is worth it.  Today, I'm going to break it down and share my personal thoughts on the subject. 

A large variety of books across all genres. 

With over a million titles available on Kindle Unlimited, I think it is safe to say that there is something available for everyone regardless of their reading preferences. I am personally fairly particular about the types of books I read... while I like a wide variety of stories, I prefer primarily Christian fiction. Within Christian fiction reader communities, I have seen the question asked a lot: Are there CF reads available on Kindle Unlimited? 

Yes! 

I'll share some options later on in this post, but the simple answer is yes, there is a large variety of Christian fiction available including titles from many of my personal favorites. 

Available across a wide variety of devices.

Why choose to PAY for Kindle Unlimited, when there are services through most libraries that will let you borrow e-books for free. There are several reasons that will be addressed as we continue, but for me, it comes down to availability. 

Personally, I use a Kindle Paperwhite. While I love it for many reasons, Paperwhites are only for reading and do not allow you to add apps. These library programs require app downloads, and as such are not available for all Kindles. Kindle Unlimited can be used on ALL Kindles, plus any device that has a Kindle app--- so you can read from your phone, your tablet, your phone, or even a computer! 

Authors make money. 

When you read books on Kindle Unlimited, the authors actually earn money for the books you read! They are paid not by downloads but per page read. This generally is going to mean that they will make less than they would with a purchased copy, but a better comparison would be to consider it more like a library. When you check out a book from a library, the author has been paid for the one-time purchase of the book. E-books through the library generally do require libraries to repurchase after a certain time period or the number of times borrowed, but they're still not going to be paid per read.  

It's a good deal for avid readers.

A commonly asked question about Kindle Unlimited is simply: is it worth it?

Honestly, the answer to that isn't quite so simple. It depends on a variety of factors:  Are the books you want to read included? How much do you typically spend on books/e-books? How many books do you read per month? Are you financially able to pay the extra $10 a month? 

The good news is, you can see which books are available on KU before you sign up, as it tells you right on their Amazon product page. I suggest looking for some of your favorite authors to get an idea of what they have available. This is how I started out. Amazon will also offer recommendations based on your previous reading. I have personally found many new-to-me authors this way... some who have become favorites!

If you're spending a ton of money on books already, this can be a great way to read all the books you want, without buying each one individually. Still, whereas when you are buying books you own them forever, KU only makes sense if you are actively reading them each month. If you're buying 10 books, but only reading 2, it may not be your best option. You'll definitely want to look at your personal reading habits and book preferences to determine if it warrants the cost for you personally. 

As someone who often reads 20 or so books a month, I think even at its full price of $9.99 it can be a good value! Still, this brings me to the next point to consider...

There are often deals available.

While I think that at $9.99, it may still very well be worth the price... that doesn't mean that I always want to or can spend the extra. Personally, because I'm on a limited budget and have many other avenues of getting books (plus a TBR already on my Kindle a mile long), I don't keep my subscription going at all times. Though I love when I'm able to get it, I find for me it makes the most sense to take breaks from it! I typically wait until a good deal comes along, then resubscribe again... and believe me, they come around quite often! I find at most I only go about a month or so without coming across another one. There are generally always deals around Prime Day, Black Friday, etc. For example, my most recent re-subscription was a Black Friday deal that allowed me to get 3-months for just 99 cents. That's certainly more budget-friendly and easier to justify for me.

If you don't want to wait for a better deal to come around, but you also don't want to pay full price, you can gift yourself a subscription instead. While you can only do month-to-month when subscribing on your own, gift subscriptions allow you to purchase longer-term membership (6,12, or 24 months) at a discounted rate. You can purchase a gift subscription here: https://amzn.to/3Rqi6e1



Now that you know a little more about what Kindle Unlimited is, the next question is:

What Christian Fiction authors/books are available on Kindle Unlimited?

Again if there are specific authors that you enjoy, I would definitely recommend searching for them to see if any come up. New books and authors are constantly being added and changed, so while I will not link to any specifics, here are a few of my favorites that offer a good variety of titles to choose from:

• Susan May Warren
• Irene Hannon
  
• Courtney Walsh
• Jenny B. Jones
• Becky Wade 
• Jen Turano
• Lisa Harris
• Lisa Phillips
• Melissa Tagg
• Nicole Deese
• Tammy L Gray
• Jaime Jo Wright
• Ashley Clark
• Elizabeth Camden

While I primarily read Christian fiction, I also enjoy some clean romance as well. I have found that there is also a GREAT variety of these as well. While all of these books are clean/closed-door romance, spice levels may vary (nothing graphic, but certainly steamier than your typical CF novel). These also have very little to no language as well. 

• Emma St. Clair
• Jenny Proctor 
• Melanie Jacobson 
• Julie Christianson 

Have you tried Kindle Unlimited? What did you think? Who are some of your favorite Christian fiction and/or clean-read authors on KU? Share your thoughts in the comments.