Skip to main content

Deal sweetener: Amazon adds Prime Reading perk to its Prime service

prime reading amazon uk
Business Wire
Amazon has launched Prime Reading, its latest attempt to add value to the Prime subscription service. The new benefit gives subscribers unlimited access to a rotating selection of books, comics, and magazines, at no extra cost to the existing $99 annual price tag.

Prime Reading is distinct from the Kindle Lending Library, which allows subscribers to choose one book from a selection every month to read on their Kindle and Fire devices. The content available via Prime Reading is accessible on both Amazon’s proprietary hardware, and via the Kindle app for iOS and Android.

The Prime Reading library will change on a regular basis, but the initial offering is a promising sign of things to come. There’s a good amount of filler, but there are also titles you’ll recognize, like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Man in the High Castle, and The Hobbit.

The comics and graphic novels category is particularly well stocked. Collected editions of Calvin and Hobbes and Scott Pilgrim are included, as well as Jeffrey Brown’s Darth Vader and Son and its sequel, Vader’s Little Princess.

However, it’s perhaps the selection of magazines on offer that adds the most value to the Prime Reading service in its current form. From Sports Illustrated to Popular Mechanics, from GQ to Vogue, and from Entertainment Weekly to National Geographic Traveler, there are a broad range of periodicals sure to offer something to most audiences.

This isn’t the first bonus that Amazon has added to its Prime service in recent weeks. The company added several perks relating to its gaming subsidiary Twitch earlier this month, and threw in some Audible audiobook content back in September.

The company’s ongoing commitment to Prime makes one thing very clear — as Walmart preps its own assault on the online marketplace, Amazon sees the subscription model as an effective method of retaining customers.

Editors' Recommendations

Brad Jones
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
Why you should opt for slow shipping this Prime Day
Amazon worker packaging products.

It's hard to not get sucked into the capitalist vortex on Prime Day. Just look at those deals and try to keep your credit card in your wallet. But if you can't resist the urge to buy something, you should at least consider opting for slower shipping. it might sound silly, since Amazon offers free two-day shipping for Prime members, and foregoing this perk could seem like a waste of your monthly subscription fee. But hear me out -- just because you can get your items delivered in two days doesn't necessarily mean you should. Here are a few good reasons to consider opting for slower delivery:

The first and perhaps most urgent reason is the environmental benefits. Transportation remains America's top source of emissions, clocking in at 27%. Roughly a quarter of that comes from freight trucks like those used by Amazon, and 8% from planes. In the air, Amazon makes about 160 flights a day with its fleet. Once those flights have made their deliveries, Amazon's trucks will often take smaller, less efficient loads in order to meet two-day delivery times. After all, trucks can't wait around for more shipments to come in so they can make more stops.

Read more
Prime Day mattress deals live blog: the lowest prices today
This is an image of a family snuggled together on a Dream Cloud bed.

The Prime Day deals have, and while synonymous with discounts on tech like TVs and laptops, it's actually not a bad time to buy a mattress if you're in need of an upgrade. Sure, the Fourth of July would have been the time to buy if you missed out on Memorial Day, but we won't look this gift horse in the mouth. Here are all the best Prime Day mattress deals, as they happen live.

LiveLast updated July 16, 2022 1:19 AM

Read more
Which Amazon Kindle should you buy on Prime Day 2022?
A young man reads a book in his car on the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.

Prime Day 2022 is right around the corner, and the shopping event is sure to offer plenty of great Prime Day deals on the latest e-readers. And because they're made by Amazon, Kindles are going to see some especially great Prime Day Kindle deals. So if you're looking to pick one up or upgrade from an older model, now would be the time to do it. Since last year's Prime Day, there hasn't exactly been a huge surge in new Kindle offerings, but knowing what to expect and what's new when looking at the incoming sale can help make a much more informed choice.

Here's our guide on choosing the right Kindle for you on Prime Day 2022 when they'll be cheaper than ever.
Which Amazon Kindle should you buy on Prime Day 2022?
Kindle Paperwhite (2021)

Read more