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You likely know about Amazon’s electronic reading devices, Kindles, but have you heard about Amazon First Reads? It’s a program that grants Prime members early access to new books, as well as complimentary monthly reads. Yup, you heard that right. Free books. Every Month. For Prime members.
How can you get in on these perks? If you’re an Amazon Prime member and have a Kindle device or the free Kindle reading app, you can access Amazon First Reads e-books and they’ll become part of your permanent libraries. Joining Amazon First Reads costs no extra money if you’re a Prime member and it also comes with a monthly newsletter e-mail that notifies you about the newest program reads.
What is Amazon First Reads?
Amazon First Reads is a program that offers early access to new books. Each month, customers can pick one of the Kindle books selected by Amazon First Reads editors for $1.99 or free for Prime members.
What’s the Amazon First Reads deal?
In April 2024, customers can also receive a bonus short read for $1.99 or free for Prime members. That’s two books for just under $4 if you’re not a Prime member and two free books for Prime members.
Who can access Amazon First Reads?
Any Amazon customer can join Amazon First Reads, but it’s best to sign up for a Prime membership to get a book free of charge each month (two this month). Just know that Amazon First Reads is only available to customers in the United States. Also, note that Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow Amazon First Reads books for free when they are released.
How much does Amazon Prime cost?
Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. However, there’s currently a promo that lets you try one week of Prime for $1.99 and then it auto-renews monthly.
What is Kindle Unlimited?
Kindle Unlimited gives you unlimited access to over 4,000,000 digital titles, unlimited access to thousands of audiobooks, magazine subscriptions, and more. Right now, you can sign up for a Kindle Unlimited 30-day free trial that renews at $11.99 per month after the trial ends. However, there’s a current deal that lets you pay only $4.99 for the first two months (instead of $23.98) and then you’ll be charged the regular $11.99 per month rate.
What are the April 2024 Amazon First Reads free books?
Now, for the fun part: the April 2024 Amazon First Reads free book offerings. To start, this month’s bonus short read is Cut & Thirst by Margaret Atwood, the best-selling author of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Cut & Thirst by Margaret Atwood
- Genre: Mystery
- Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (1,488 reviews)
Amazon Synopsis: “Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy meet every Thursday to sample fine cheeses, to reminisce about their former lives as professors, and lately, to muse about murder. Decades ago, a vicious cabal of male poets contrived—quite publicly and successfully—to undermine the writing career, confidence, and health of their dear friend Fern. Now, after Fern has taken a turn for the worse, her three old friends decide that it’s finally time to strike back—in secret, of course, since Fern is far too gentle to approve of a vendetta. All they need is a plan with suitably Shakespearean drama. But as sweet and satisfying as revenge can be, it’s not always so cut and dried.”
Amazon First Reads Editor Review: “Knives out, everyone—cheese knives, that is. Pull up a patio chair and imagine Only Murders in the Building if the Golden Girls moved in.
Out in the back garden, three old friends are meeting up for drinks—and revenge. Chrissy (in lavender), Myrna (in earth tones), and Leonie (in hibiscus print) are plotting on behalf of their friend Fern, a fellow retired professor. Many years ago now, Fern inadvertently stepped on the toes of a critics’-darling male novelist, and he and his writer friends made it their mission to bring her down. Her career—and her health—suffered for it, and now she’s taken a turn for the worse. It’s time for some poetic justice.
Margaret Atwood, with her delightfully wicked sense of humor, reminds us that friendship is about showing up for each other—even when nothing goes as planned.”
—Kjersti Egerdahl, Amazon First Reads Editor
The Alone Time by Elle Marr
- Genre: Psychological Thriller
- Rating: 3.8 out of 5 (519 reviews)
Amazon Synopsis: “Fiona and Violet Seng were just children when their family’s Cessna crash-landed in the Washington wilderness, claiming the lives of their parents. For twelve harrowing weeks, the girls fended for themselves before being rescued.
Twenty-five years later, they’re still trying to move on from the trauma. Fiona repurposes it into controversial works of art. Violet has battled addiction and failed relationships to finally progress toward normalcy as a writer. The estranged sisters never speak about what they call their Alone Time in the wild. They wouldn’t dare—until they become the subject of a documentary that renews public fascination with the “girl survivors” and questions their version of the events.
When disturbing details about the Seng family are exposed, a strange woman claims to know the crash was deliberate. Fiona and Violet must come together to face the horrifying truth of what happened out there and what they learned about their parents and themselves. Before any other secrets emerge from the woods.”
Amazon First Reads Editor Review: “Elle Marr’s storytelling is always chilling and evocative, but with The Alone Time, she explores a unique tragedy between two sisters that comes back to haunt them in ways they never imagined.
Decades ago, Fiona and Violet Seng took a plane ride that claimed the lives of their parents. Crash-landing in the Washington wilderness, the sisters spent months trying to survive. Twenty-five years later, they have no interest in reliving their alone time and are unwilling to speak about the harrowing experience. Fiona uses her art as a soothing balm for her pain, and Violet has battled with her own vices. But now a documentary film crew has renewed public interest in the girls who survived…and whether or not their version of events is true.
The Alone Time is a thriller that not only delivers twist after twist but also explores the bonds of family. As the sisters are forced to relive the secrets and psychological wounds of their pasts, I couldn’t look away. It was a thought-provoking story that stuck with me long after the last page.”
—Megha Parekh, Amazon First Reads Editor
The Letters We Keep by Nisha Sharma
- Genre: Coming of Age Romance
- Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (153 reviews)
Amazon Synopsis: “It doesn’t take long for ambitious freshman and aspiring engineer Jessie Ahuja to learn about two university legends. One is the haunted history of Davidson Tower, where more than fifty years ago, two ill-fated lovers disappeared in a devastating fire. The other is Ravi Kumar, a privileged billionaire nepo baby who’s aggravatingly charming and occupying more brain space than Jessie has room for. Things change when a campus prank locks them both in the old tower’s ghostly library.”
There, Jessie finds letters from the fabled lost lovers, forgotten in a hollowed-out copy of Persuasion. One by one, the letters suck Jessie and Ravi into a beguiling mystery and an achingly beautiful long-ago romance destined to go up in flames. It’s also drawing Jessie and Ravi—every bit as star-crossed—closer together. Can they overcome whatever fate has in store for them? Or are they just as doomed as the young lovers whose tragic end has become legend?
Amazon First Reads Editor Review: “For bookish people out there, what’s more romantic than falling in love in the stacks of an old college library?
Nisha Sharma, author of Dating Dr. Dil and The Karma Map, has written a romance about a decades-old mystery that brings two people from different worlds together. Jessie is a freshman at Hartceller University’s engineering program who has, like everyone else, heard about the campus legend about two star-crossed lovers who died in a fire in a university building years ago.
Jessie is on a scholarship, and she is especially annoyed ever since she ran into Ravi Kumar, the son of a very wealthy family. Feelings grow after Jessie and Ravi discover old love letters in the library, and they are sucked into a mystery that could lead them to uncover what really happened.
I was completely charmed by this sweet story that asks whether class and money can stand in the way of two people who have fallen in love.”
—Carmen Johnson, Amazon First Reads Editor
The Vacation Rental by Katie Sise
- Genre: Domestic Suspense
- Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (526 reviews)
Amazon Synopsis: “When Georgia rents her country home for the month of August, it’s off to the relaxing Connecticut shore for her; her husband, Tom; and their young daughter. It’s just what they need to ease family tensions and reconnect. All that’s left to do is leave behind their house keys—to a stranger.
For Anna, Georgia and Tom’s house in the cool woodlands is a dream break from the oppressive heat of a New York City summer—and from an increasingly ill-fated relationship with her lover. A month apart and Anna can clear her head and reassess her future. She’s found the perfect place to do it.
As the weeks wear on, Georgia and Anna discover that the pleasures of escape are as difficult to trust in as the comforts of home. And neither one can shake the feeling that something is about to go terribly wrong.”
Amazon First Reads Editor Review: “I love to browse summer rental homes, inspecting the decor and personality of the house, with the hope of finding the perfect fit for my next family vacation. Katie Sise’s new novel warns us that there can be a dark side to inviting strangers inside.
In The Vacation Rental, Georgia decides to list her beautiful home so she, her husband, and her preteen daughter can escape to the beach for the month, giving them a chance to reconnect. Her house is booked quickly, but unbeknownst to Georgia, chaos and tragedy will soon ensue.
Katie’s characters are beautiful and complicated, and I loved the way their lives become dangerously intertwined. I was completely drawn into the story…but after reading the book, I may think twice before booking my next summer rental.”
—Carmen Johnson, Amazon First Reads Editor
Their Last Resort by R.S. Grey
- Genre: Romance
- Rating: 4 out of 5 (364 reviews)
Amazon Synopsis: “Paige Young and Cole Clark are polar opposites. A world traveler since birth, Paige loves to lead activities for guests at a luxury island resort in Turks and Caicos. From bingo nights to cliffside hikes, Paige is up for anything. Cole, meanwhile, prefers his number-crunching desk job. He’s the assistant director at the resort—stiff and meticulous. He’s so by the book that he keeps the book. In his desk drawer.
They’re perfectly aligned in one way, though—their ability to drive each other crazy. Every day brings a fresh battle of wits. They’re rivals, archnemeses…and they’re definitely never going to talk about that one time they kissed. Ha ha. Nope!
But when Paige finds out that Cole has been ordered to fire her on the same day a hurricane threatens their little slice of paradise, it’s clear the game is over.
At odds, in peril, and forced to shelter in place together, these two enemies might finally have to confront their true feelings. (You know, the ones hidden under all those withering looks.)”
Amazon First Reads Editor Review: “Opposites attract,” “enemies to lovers,” “forced proximity,” and “workplace romance” are only some of the delightful tropes you’ll find in this romp of a romantic comedy! Author R.S. Grey has crafted a truly hilarious story set in an idyllic location—a luxury vacation resort in Turks and Caicos. Think The Hating Game set in a tropical paradise. Yes, please. Sign me up.
The main characters’ opposing personalities—Paige Young is all sunshine, while Cole Clark is a grumpy Clark Kent—make the perfect fodder for hilarious misunderstandings and unrelenting banter. Of course, I know that humor is subjective, but if you: (a) like romance, (b) like to laugh, and (c) don’t mind a little spice with your love story, then I truly believe this book is the one for you.
However, if you’re anything like Cole Clark’s beige-loving, more-robot-than human, order-salad-at-a-steakhouse parents, then I think you might actually want to skip this one. Maybe try something with “finance” in the title. For the rest of us, Their Last Resort might just be our next vacation destination.”
—Maria Gomez, Amazon First Reads Editor
The Bootlegger’s Daughter by Nadine Nettmann
- Genre: Historial Fiction
- Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (537 reviews)
Amazon Synopsis: “It’s 1927. Letty Hart’s father is long gone, but his old winery provides a meager wage and a legal livelihood for selling sacramental wine. But when that contract goes bust, Letty stumbles upon a desperate option: her father’s hidden cellar—and enough liquor to tempt Letty to bootleg the secret stash. In an underworld dominated by merciless men, Letty is building an empire.
Officer Annabel Forman deserves to be the first female detective in the LAPD. But after two years on the force, she’s still consigned to clerical work and policing dance halls. When Annabel connects a series of unsolved murders to bootlegging, it’s a chance at a real investigation. Under the thumb of dismissive male superiors, Annabel is building her case.
As their formerly uncompromised morals erode, Letty and Annabel are on a collision course—and determined to prove they’re every bit as ruthless and strong-willed as the powers that be who want to take them down.”
Amazon First Reads Editor Review: “My favorite type of historical novel is what I like to call “women in places they shouldn’t be”–stories of women doing something groundbreaking. Set in the glamorous and dangerous world of Prohibition-era Los Angeles, against a backdrop of golden-age Hollywood, hidden speakeasys, and ruthless gangsters, The Bootlegger’s Daughter is what would happen if L.A. Confidential met Peaky Blinders…and was told from the women’s side of the story.
In the 1920s, one of the few remaining vineyards is run by Letty Hart, who had to take over the family business after her father abandoned her and her mother. She’s trying to find a way to keep the farm alive and a roof over their heads. Annabel Forman is determined to become the first female detective in the LAPD but is passed over again and again. She knows she has to do something extraordinary to get what she’s already earned. As the bootlegger builds her empire and the pioneering officer builds her case, a murder sets the two on a collision course.
I was rooting for Letty and Annabel even as they made (sometimes less-than-legal) choices and applauding as they succeeded against all odds in worlds where women so rarely find themselves. Inspired in part by the true stories of real women bootleggers (many of whom were—unsurprisingly—better at the crime than the men) and the first female police officer in the US, this page-turning mystery explores the difficult decisions necessary to survive at all—let alone in a man’s world.”
—Chantelle Aimée Osman, Amazon First Reads Editor
My Favorite Terrible Thing by Madeleine Henry
- Genre: Mystery
- Rating: 3.7 out of 5 (633 reviews)
Amazon Synopsis: “Detective Nina Travers is so good at her job that she blends in like a benevolent Tom Ripley. She can be anyone. She can be no one. Nina wants to be someone. Her new case will finally get her noticed.
Bestselling author Claire Ross has disappeared from the Hamptons on her wedding day. How tragic that the author of an epic romance that captured the heart, soul, and imagination of the world should suddenly vanish on the happiest day of her life. Claire’s distraught family and friends, her mystified fiancé, and her zealous online fans all have their theories—from the sinister to the hopeful. Nina’s job is to find the truth, and she’s pursuing an angle that no one else has explored. She’s looking for a trail of clues in Claire’s novel.
Reading between its haunting lines, Nina follows a spiraling path of secret love, obsession, and death. What Nina finds is so shocking even she never saw it coming.”
Amazon First Reads Editor Review: “I’m a fan of layered and intriguing novels like The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz or The Talented Mr. Ripley, so I wasn’t surprised that I was so taken in by Madeleine Henry’s new novel.
The novel begins when Claire Ross, a famous novelist, goes missing on the morning of her wedding day. Private detective Nina Travers, a quirky, smart, loveable oddball who caters to elites in the Hamptons, earning their trust by blending in—like a harmless version of Tom Ripley—has been hired to find out what happened to Claire. But what we discover is that Nina has plenty of her own secrets…
I found myself gasping at several points in the story, all while loving Madeleine’s crisp and elegant writing.”
—Carmen Johnson, Amazon First Reads Editor
A Light Through The Cracks: A Climber’s Story by Beth Rodden
- Genre: Memoir
- Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (68 reviews)
Amazon Synopsis: “Beth Rodden is twenty years old and already an elite rock climber when a climbing excursion in Kyrgyzstan escalates into a nightmare. Beth, her boyfriend, and two other climbers are kidnapped by militant rebels. After six harrowing days of hiding, marching, and dodging gunfire, they miraculously escape captivity. But fear follows Beth home, and pushing past it becomes a fixation.
She and her boyfriend, Tommy, train obsessively, achieving rock-climbing greatness and conquering each groundbreaking goal they set, all the while burying the terrors of Kyrgyzstan deep inside. Then comes an unexpected breaking point. For Beth, a woman at the top of her profession, the only way to overcome the anxiety that still controls her is to let go of the lifeline she’s been clinging to. Blowing up her successful and familiar life, Beth clears a path to a new one—a healthy new normal beyond the anxieties of the past and the myopic pursuit of athletic perfection.
Charting a powerful journey of ambition, hope, love, physical and emotional endurance, and the true fulfilment of being oneself, A Light through the Cracks is Beth’s story of climbing up and through life.”
Amazon First Reads Editor Review: “Beth Rodden was only twenty years old—not even old enough to order a beer—on a sponsored expedition to Kyrgyzstan when she and her fellow climbers were taken hostage. The unique terror that they experienced and harrowingly escaped from followed young Beth home. Beth went from a woman who specialized in taking measured risk to molding her entire life around control, protection, and the methodical achievement of curated greatness.
In A Light through the Cracks, Beth not only brings the reader thousands of feet above the valley floor, clinging to narrow cracks and imperceptible ridges on a rock face—she also brings that same focus and vulnerability to her personal story of coping with PTSD while outwardly living the life she’d always dreamed of.
But when that life wasn’t enough—when she finally let herself step off of the prescribed path, she found a life that was beautifully, dangerously imperfect. Beth Rodden’s story is electrifying, raw, and inspiring.”
—Laura Van der Veer, Amazon First Reads Editor
