Is there anything better than lounging in the sun, reading a fantastic book? I think not. Now is an excellent time to stock up on books for the summer, because Amazon has a huge book sale running through May 20. Ebook prices start at $1, while print books are going for as low as $5. Every genre you can think of is covered in the sale, from classics to children’s books to BookTok faves. We’ll list our favorites below, but you should check the whole thing out for yourself. Maybe you can finally put a dent in that massive “to be read” pile and start rebuilding.
Be sure to check out our related guides, including the Best Kindles, the Best E-Readers, and the Best Ebook Subscription Services. Don’t forget that you can also frequently find discounts on Bookshop.org, or browse our coupons for Books-A-Million, if you’d rather not shop through Amazon.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
Amazon Book Sale Deals
Photograph: Jaina Grey
We’ve seen this deal before, but it still matches the best price we’ve tracked. The Kindle Scribe (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is expensive. This deal makes it a bit more accessible. It’s the Best Kindle for note-taking and annotation. It’s also the only Kindle that’s on sale right now.
Usually Kindle Unlimited trials are a month long, but right now new subscribers can try the service out for two months longer. Keep in mind that the service will automatically renew at $12 per month once the trial is up, so set a reminder to cancel if you don’t want those subsequent charges. Kindle Unlimited is one of our favorite ebook subscription services. It helped me get back into reading as an adult.
Neal Stephenson named the Metaverse. How much more WIRED can you get? This classic cyberpunk tale is worth every penny.
Photograph: Amazon
People have a lot of strong opinions about this author, but if you’re curious, you can save on one of her most popular titles. This tender romance novel is being made into a movie that’ll be released in August.
This novel is arguably the perfect beach read. It’s romantic and glamorous, with a well-rounded cast of characters and the right level of intrigue to keep you turning the pages.
I devoured this book in two days. I couldn’t put it down. If the thought of a badass heroine, talking dragons, a bully romance trope, and a quest to save the world gets your blood pumping, this one lives up to the hype.
Photograph: Amazon
Books are almost always better than their movie adaptations. No shade to the wonderful Kathy Bates, but Misery is definitely one of those cases. I probably shouldn’t have read it when I was 13, but I did, and I still think about it. I think it’s one of King’s best works. If you’ve already read it, Fairy Tale—a newer King novel—is also on sale for $13 ($8 off).
This memoir comes highly recommended by WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano. She said it “shattered her heart into a million pieces.” I’ll be buying a copy based on that recommendation alone, but if you need more convincing, just check out the thousands of 5-star reviews on Amazon.
This memoir has been a New York Times bestseller for 80 weeks and counting. It explores McCurdy’s life as a child actor, complete with an overbearing mother, addiction, eating disorders, and more—but it ends on a good note, with themes of resilience and self-discovery. (I’ll be buying this one too.)
Photograph: Amazon
It’s a Dr. Seuss board book and it’s $3 and I guarantee the kids in your life will get a kick out of it (pun very much intended). They can lift the flaps and discover opposites. You can read the rhymes. It’s a win-win situation.
I, for one, am fully here for Snoop Dogg’s culinary career. This cookbook was made in collaboration with E-40, who should need no further introduction. It contains more than 60 recipes that share a common theme—getting together with your loved ones and eating good food.
Reviewer Scott Gilberton jokingly called this “light reading,” but despite its heaviness, it’s still worth reading. This novel sits with you long after you put it down. It’s gritty, it’s poignant, and despite its heady narrative, it isn’t too difficult to read. Most of all, though, it’ll stick with you—I recommend having a highlighter handy.