Amazon officially reveals 'Netflix for books' subscription service

Amazon's Kindle Unlimited has been officially announced following leaks that documented the ebook subscription service. 

The new service, dubbed a "Netflix for books," was leaked through the Amazon US website briefly several days ago before being removed. However, the online retail giant has now officially announced the service, which gives users access to over 600,000 Kindle books and thousands of Audible audiobooks for $9.99 a month. 

Popular titles including The Life of Pi, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Diary of a Wimpy Kid are available to read, and if you prefer listening to audiobooks, you can access stories including The Handmaid’s Tale and Water for Elephants.

There are no "due dates" on titles, and if users sign up for Kindle Unlimited, Amazon is currently offering a complementary three-month Audible membership. Thirty-day trials, in the same manner as Amazon Prime, are also available. 

"With Kindle Unlimited, you won’t have to think twice before you try a new author or genre — you can just start reading and listening," said Russ Grandinetti, Senior Vice President of Amazon's Kindle unit. "In addition to offering over 600,000 eBooks, Kindle Unlimited is also by far the most cost-effective way to enjoy audiobooks and eBooks together. With thousands of Whispersync for Voice-enabled audiobooks to choose from, you can easily switch between reading and listening to a book, allowing the story to continue even when your eyes are busy."

Kindle Unlimited is compatible with Kindle devices and the Kindle app for iPhone, iPad, Android tablets, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, PC, Mac and Windows 8.

The subscription service expands upon Amazon's Prime Lending Library, which allows users to loan one book a month from hundreds of thousands of titles in the US and United Kingdom.