There are a few different things to talk about in the Kindleverse right now, none of which are particularly interesting enough to warrant their own posts, so let’s bundle them together into one article.
First off, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can get two free ebooks this month through Amazon First Reads. Every month Prime members get to pick one free ebook from “First Reads”, but this month Amazon is offering two books for free. If you don’t have Prime these same books will be available through Kindle Unlimited starting next month.
Secondly, I got an email from Amazon today about the New Year Kindle Challenge for 2025. Like usual, you can only view the challenge on the Kindle app for Android and iOS for some reason, but you can unlock achievement by reading on a Kindle ereader, or by using Kindle for Web and Kindle apps.
Amazon has been doing these Kindle Challenges since 2021. Back in the early days you could earn a $5 credit for completing a certain number of achievements, but now you don’t get anything and it’s surprising people are still interested in the same thing after 4 years of unending Kindle Challenges that just keep rolling into “new” Kindle Challenges every three months, with no real rewards or benefits whatsoever—you’d think they could at least tie it into the Kindle Rewards program to earn points.
At the bottom of the reading challenge email, Amazon also talks about setting reading goals for 2025, but the the linked Reading Insights page doesn’t actually have anything about setting reading goals. I guess you’re supposed to internalize your reading goals, but the page is useful if you want to view your reading statistics from previous years and months. It shows how many books you’ve read by year, how many days you read per month, along with daily and weekly reading streaks. I still don’t understand why Amazon doesn’t have the option to show this information directly on Kindle devices.
Lastly, the previous generation Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is available on Woot again for $109. Like last time it’s listed as Amazon Refurbished. That same refurbished model is selling for $169 on Amazon right now.
I enjoy the challenges. It keeps me motivated. I have now read 1520 straight days and 247 straight weeks. I have averaged 2 books a week read. I do take advantage of Kindle Unlimited and the books of the month, and I have a huge library in my calibre database. I hated reading when I was in school and in my late teens and early twenties. It was my Navy service as an electronics tech that taught me to read and research. And now a 77 I can’t get enough of the information I desire. Not much is outside my interest.
I don’t even understand WHY they have challenges. I like seeing my reading insights (337 weeks in a row, 2352 days, including two hand surgeries and two knee replacements).
Amazon doesn’t do it to be helpful or kind, it does it because it makes Amazon money. I hated reading as a kid. I now know why, my vision was bad. But as a young adult I started reading because it was how I kept up with my education and kept my bosses happy. Now retired I read because I want to. I also still do my own research and make my own decisions. But my eyes are such that I can see to read on a Kindle where I can’t read most paper books unless I can find giant print.
For the life of me I can’t understand why people watch the garbage that is called TV nowadays.
It is obvious it is a way to incentivize people to read more, which can translate to more book sales. But nothing wrong with that. We all agree that reading is a good thing in general. I agree with Nathan that it would be great if they connected it to their point system. Not that the point system is really useful, but at least you feel like you are getting something for reading as a loyal kindle user.
For mebit is a challenge and I have always loved challenges. In fact I love to prove anyone wrong when they say I can’t do something. But my reading habits are pretty much what I want to read. So I am not reading a lot of Amazon books other than Kindle Unlimited