For my fellow avid readers — how are you finding your next read? Especially for us e-reader users, we have the freedom of getting basically any book on our device without having to lug around a physical copy. That also means e-reader and Kindle users can add to their collection without worrying about finding bookshelf space. So if you like to read — especially for free — you need to know about Stuff Your Kindle Day.
What was a once-a-year event has spun off into dozens of iterations, and puts free books in your lap while still supporting indie authors. So if you've maxed out your Libby holds and need another way to read for free, here is everything to know about Stuff Your Kindle Day.
What is Stuff Your Kindle Day?
If you're worried that these free e-book events don't support authors, don't fear. Stuff Your Kindle Days started as an author-driven event launched by author Zoe York in 2014. Through the platform Romance Bookworms, authors discounted their books to be on sale for just a few dollars, but most are totally free.
While Stuff Your Kindle Day was first hosted by Zoe York, other groups have spawned off to celebrate other genres beyond romance. You can now find events that specialize in cozy mysteries, thrillers, LGBTQ, and YA books. Even Amazon has its own storefront for Stuff Your Kindle books.
What books are offered during Stuff Your Kindle Day?
Stuff Your Kindle Day is not necessarily going to be the best time to find the time to find new releases or bestsellers. If that's what you've got your eye on, we recommend borrowing through Libby or hunting for Kindle deals.
What Stuff Your Kindle Day events are particularly good for are genre readers. The event started as an event to celebrate indie romance authors, and you'll find that most of the events still center around different variations or tropes of the genre, like romantasy or "cinnamon roll boyfriends." Other genre writers have joined in, though, so if romance isn't up your alley, then there will be another Stuff Your Kindle event to join in on.
But regardless of genre, the main focus across all of the Stuff Your Kindle events is on indie books and indie authors, letting you discover and support lesser-known names.
Do you need a Kindle or e-reader to participate?
While Kindle is in the name of the event, it's far more expansive than that. Most books are available across platforms, including Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, and Barnes & Noble Nook, so no matter which e-reader you have, there's a way to stuff your device full of cheap or free books. Technically, you don't need to have an e-reader at all, and with the Kindle app, Apple Books, and Google Play platforms, you can read books on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
However, if you are looking to join the e-reader club, it's totally worth it. We've rounded up our favorite e-readers and Kindles so you can find the right device. And if you're ready to join the Kindle ecosystem, we've tested nearly every model, including the basic Kindle, Paperwhite, Paperwhite Signature Edition, and Scribe. If you're not down to go with Amazon's e-readers, we like the Kobo e-readers, including the Libra Colour or Clara Colour — in fact, we like the Clara more than the Kindle Paperwhite.
When is the next Stuff Your Kindle Day?
With so many events to keep track of, you could miss when the next Stuff Your Kindle day will take place. The best way to monitor the event is to browse through all of the events on the Stuff Your Kindle website. Each event typically has an email list that will send out a blast leading up to the next event. We're also on top of all the latest events as deal hunters here at Mashable, so check back for our coverage during the next Stuff Your Kindle event.
But in between events, Amazon's Stuff Your Kindle storefront is the hub for free and discounted books you can get anytime.
