Amazon just released a new subscription service, Kindle Unlimited, which gives Amazon Kindle customers all-you-can-read access to 600,000 e-books and a few thousand audiobooks for $9.99 per month. My wife and I share a single Amazon account, so we are taking advantage of the free for 30-days offer in order to see if the selection is good enough to warrant the monthly cost. She is an avid reader and buys several books each month, while I may only purchase a handful per year. I have discovered one feature that has already grabbed my attention. The section of books that are offered “with narration”.
These books combine the print version with the audiobook version, keeping your place synchronized via the Whispersync for Voice technology. Admittedly, I am not a strong reader (mild dyslexia issues) but I greatly enjoy listening to audiobooks while driving and performing household chores. The “with narration” books give me the opportunity to easily listen to the audiobook but also switch to the Kindle app on my iPad and read along with the audio when I have time to sit and do some reading.
If the selection is good enough, this may be another Amazon service – along with Amazon Prime – that provides great value at a price we are willing to pay. We have 29 more days to explore and decide before making a monetary commitment.