Kindle Unlimited Subscription: Is it worth it or not?

Being a book lover, I always believed owning a copy of every book that I read is a must. It felt like a mandatory thing to do if you're a book lover irrespective of whether you read and liked it or not. Once, I started working, I spent a lot of money on books. Going to book exhibitions and buying a bunch gave me an adrenaline rush that no other activity gave me.

Of all the books I purchased, a few books ended up just lying on the shelf collecting dust, others half-read and a few I never liked.

It is only in 2021 that I started thinking about the amount of money I kept spending. Yet, I couldn't stop as I couldn't bring myself to read digital books over physical ones. In mid-2022, I decided to take a step back and analyse everything.

I was checking for better options to read effectively. Everything changed in October 2022 when I finally decided to go ahead and try out KU. It was indeed a big step and a good one.

KU is like a digital library. In the normal, physical library you would be paying for a membership and would be frequently borrowing books and returning them when done. It is just like that and the only difference is it is a digital library.

Here are my thoughts.

• KU is a great thing for all those readers who aren't bothered about having a physical copy and for those who read just for the pure joy of reading.
• KU subscription in India is Rs. 169 per month. They have monthly, half-yearly and yearly subscription plans. I chose a monthly subscription and an average book costs between Rs.150-200/-, and I could read a couple of books at the cost of one book.
• Most of us buy books based on recommendations and reviews of others (celebrities, booktoks, bookstagrammers, friends etc). We overlook the fact that our choices are different and we may not enjoy the books suggested by others. Imagine, a good Rs.500 on a book that I absolutely hate. You will end up regretting it. Now, in KU, if don't like a book you could just return it and borrow a new one.
• Currently, I have borrowed 20 books and to borrow more I need to return one that I have already borrowed. 20 books seem like a good number to me.
• I don't need any fancy devices for reading books. All I need is my smartphone and I can read books anywhere anytime without physically carrying any book whatsoever. I do have a Kindle device but I prefer the Kindle app over the device.
• A disappointment for me is that not all titles are available on KU. I have searched for a bunch of books but couldn't find them under KU, though Kindle versions of the same were available. Having said this, a good collection of books are available under KU. Certain books that I found under KU were actually expensive in paperback or hardcover format.
• KU can be considered an advantage or disadvantage depending on the reader. If you're a reader who gulps down books then this would be a great option. But if you're a person who doesn't read much or finds it hard to accommodate reading then this might not be a good option.
• Another disadvantage is I spend a lot more time on my phone than I need to as I love reading and I could spend hours together reading a book. I end up preferring reading over sleeping which isn't good either.

So, yes now I prefer digital books over paperbacks, hardcovers and audiobooks.