Everything you need to know about Amazon First Reads and how to get a free book every month: See April’s picks

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There’s a lot to enjoy with an Amazon Prime membership: a multi-streaming service full of popular sources, same-day shipping, and Grubhub+. But that’s just a sample of the extensive member benefits. Prime members who are likely to be bookworms can increase their monthly reading with the Amazon First Reads program.
Similar to Book of the Month, every month, Amazon First Reads releases a new collection of discounted titles. However, unlike the Book of the Month, these books are completely free for Prime Members. Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon First Reads.
What is Amazon First Reads?
Amazon First Reads is a monthly program where eight selected books are given away for free to Prime members. Members are allowed to choose one book per month, and it is added to their library. Non-Prime members can still join in on the fun, but they have to pay $1.99 per book.
Amazon First Reads featured books are completely free with purchases for Prime members.
Credit: Screenshot: Amazon / Mashable composite
Some months, like Prime Day’s July and Black Friday’s November, offer two free books. And for some, you can choose a free short story with your one free e-book.
To choose your book, visit the Amazon First Reads home page to browse the options. As a Prime member, you will see a “read now for free” option when you go to purchase articles. Once selected, it will be automatically added to your Kindle library.
What books are available on Amazon First Reads?
Among the eight books selected each month, Amazon’s book editors offer a variety of genres for every reader. The books are usually new or soon-to-be-released books – many of the books are published under one of Amazon’s imprints, so they’re only available on Amazon’s shelves.
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In addition to the eight full-length books offered each month, there is often a short story available, too, which is available to read through the Kindle Store. You will find common words in the Early Learning collections. Past authors include Abby Jimenez, Rebecca Yarros, Lee Child, Fredrik Backman, Alice Hoffman, and Dean Koontz.
Kindle Unlimited members can read many of the previous First Read selections for free, so if there’s more each month you want to add to your digital bookshelf, consider a Kindle Unlimited membership.
April 2026 Amazon First Reads books

The April 2026 collection of First Reads includes the children’s book ‘Kimi the BALLerina’, illustrated by a former Pixar artist.
Credit: Amazon / Mashable
April’s First Read List includes eight novels, one children’s book, and one short read. This month’s short reading, Why lift me up?comes from Sunday Times bestselling author Milly Johnson. The workplace romance of enemies and lovers is described as “The sweetest love story for fans of Jenny Colgan, Debbie Macomber, and Katie Fforde,” by Maisie Lawrence, Amazon book editor.
This month’s titles include a children’s picture book, Kimi the BALLERinawritten by Korey Watari and illustrated by her husband Mike Wu, a former Pixar artist.
Here are all the First Scholarship options for April 2026:
Do you need a Kindle for Amazon First Reads?
All selected books are technically purchased through the Kindle Store. But does that mean you need a Kindle to read them?
No! No Kindle e-reader is required to read the books collected through First Reading. All books purchased through the Kindle Store are available in the Kindle app, which can be read on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
However, if you ask that it should get a Kindle, that’s a different question. While a Kindle isn’t required to enjoy the convenience of the Kindle Store, it’s our favorite e-reader product if you’re in the market.
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