Just started going thru my online library & deleting everything that's part of a paid series. Going down to books that have an ending & no more books to buy to discover the true ending.....

Yah, $12.99 is a lot. I wanted to download all the Sidney Sheldon books, but each one is expensive.

Your right though, most of the follow up books in the series I've found to be $3.99 or $4.99 per book. I know that's not much money, but since I'll only read the book once I hate to pay it.

I'm also a huge Kindle fan, have been for years. I don't mean to complain.

I think I'm venting because years ago it wasn't like this - re: getting book 1 for free but have to buy the next 3 or 4 in the set. It's more $$ oriented. Which I said in my original post, I just have to be more aware.

But I do love my free books. That was never my complaint. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Can't you "borrow" books from a library? Not sure how that works, I like the physical feel of a book. I do have a kindle and bring it on vacation so I don't have to carry books.

I don't mind reading that free book that ultimately is part of a series (same protagonist, but differing plots). I read it as a stand-alone book and then move on. My biggest problem is downloaded classics and then just not getting around to reading "Crime and Punishment" and others. My intentions were good, my follow-through is weak.

If you have a library card you can download from many libraries for free, there is a time limit on ebooks just like regular library books. Just use overdrive.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200747550

I use our library's Library 2 Go system and borrow ebooks and audio books all the time. (I've only ever purchased one book since I got an ereader.) There is a 2 week limit with the library system and only 5 can be checked out at any given time. It's easy to use and you can do it at home or at a place with wifi, but sometimes they require you to hook up to the computer to get a Kindle book. I don't use Kindle, I get ePub format. Our library offers a huge selection.

We never *bought* DVD's or books. We've gotten so many things from our library, often before it was available elsewhere. That has only changed since we did *buy* Amazon Prime -- and stream things. I rarely want to read or see anything more than once.

Being tricked is never alright and, frankly, it's rather old. Thanks for the heads up.

If the book is part of a series, just wait for it to come around for free or a low cost. I have no problem paying for a $2 book, much cheaper than some regular priced books. Authors need to eat too, so a royalty is only fair. After all, I only eat a meal once and have to pay for it.

Have you checked bookbud.com? Low cost or free. Also you can "borrow" some books for a month to read.

As for being tricked, all you have to do is check Amazon by author. If it is a series of books, they list it.

Snookums, how do you figure it as "being tricked"? When you're on the Amazon site looking at Kindle books, you click on the title of a book to read the description to see if it is something that you'd be interested in reading. On that page, other books by the same author, especially if the books is in a series, will be shown. Whether they are free or there's a cost, that is clearly shown. So you know what you're getting into before you download that first free book. No trickery there.

Also, when there is a series of books, it's not always the first in the series that is offered for free. Not too long ago, I downloaded a free Kindle book that was #10 in a series. Although some aspects of the plots of this series build upon things that have happened in a previous book, the author does a great job of giving a synopsis of those things, when necessary, so each book in the series can be enjoyed on it's own, whether or not you have ever read, or intend to read, the rest of the series.

If I get the first book for free I don't mind paying for the rest of the series provided I enjoyed the first one. In fact I think it's a deal when the first book is free.

I think if you've been able to read that many books at no cost to you, it's your turn to pay if forward and pay the authors for their time and effort. I agree it's not trickery.

It's trickery if not disclosed at the outset. He said he got to the end and then they said he needed to buy the remainder if he wanted to finish reading it. Those kind of stinky business practices turn up all the time, creating distrust due to the fine print. It's called BS.

I don't have a kindle but did download something to read on a free reader I was presented with recently. I wonder if I will find the same thing ... if you want to finish this, pay $###

It really isn't Snookums, like Lindsey said, the series is disclosed on the page where you buy the book and it shows there will be a cost for the remainder of the series. I think it's pretty generous to get the first of however many "free" but in reality nothing is ever really free is it?

Pawprint, could you share the book, author and where you got it from? it might just solve your problem.

If it was clearly disclosed up front, then of course they weren't pulling anything lukki. That's not what he had said though. I have certainly been pulled into things where they make terms convoluted or there's fine print so they can pull one over on people ... making it look like something it isn't.

I appreciate the heads up. What I downloaded, I am not aware of the 'free' terms changing if I want to finish reading it. I have never been involved with kindle anything. Just thought I'd see what it was about. I don't even remember what it was I downloaded, lol.

I believe in full and clear disclosure, not the glossing over of things .... that later unfold.

I get bookbub and bookgorilla newsletters in my email daily with lists of free books and very discounted books. I go through the lists and download the ones that I think fit my husband's criteria for the type of books he enjoys. I always know if it is a part of a series because it tells that on amazon when I click on the link to the book. It lists the other books in the series and which number this book is in that series. I tell my husband that information, if he likes the book and author I send him a link to the other books by the author for him to decide if he finds them interesting enough to get more. The reviews that are available for each book relay much good information about the book and author I pay attention to those and the ratings. It might be a good idea for you to read those reviews and ratings they often mention the other books in the series. I and my husband have our favorite authors and are willing to pay the price for their latest release if it sounds good. Also at times an author releases a teaser for their upcoming book these are usually free and provided as a kind of trailer like movies do. It's just a glimpse of the coming new book they are usually labeled as such.

Snookums the book would have an ending.

I read a 5 book series. The first book was free and stood on its own. It was so good that I was more than happy to spend roughly $10 for the rest of the series.

As others have said, the public library is the best source for "free" books. Whether in physical or digital form, libraries use tax money to pay for the books and digital services they offer. Then those materials can be provided to the public without further charge as a governmental service.

Few of you would be willing to work for nothing, but why would you think authors and people at publishing companies should do so to provide free books to you? When not offered as part of a marketing/sales program, free books are often those no one will pay for. If so, there's a reason. Why would getting books like that be of any value?

I actually like that they offer the first book of a series for free. I normally wouldn't buy one not knowing if I would enjoy the series, but I've had several instances where I really liked the first book and happily paid a few bucks for the rest.

If you like books in paper form, you may be able to get them from your public library without having to leave your home. Some public libraries have a service for those who are housebound where they deliver and pick up books. If your local PL offers this service to their patrons, they likely would have details on their web site.

In the OP, Pawprint wrote, "But lately, everyone I download seems to be part of a series. I read 2 excellent books this weekend. And when I got to the end, it says, 'visit this website to purchase book 2)."

Then Snookums said, "Being tricked is never alright and, frankly, it's rather old. Thanks for the heads up."

I asked how Snookums determined that it is trickery, and s/he responded with, "He said he got to the end and then they said he needed to buy the remainder if he wanted to finish reading it."

No, that's not what Pawprint said. What he did say was that if he wanted to read the next book in the series, he would have to purchase it.

Huuuge difference. And no trickery involved.

^^^^ Quibbling over semantics is so petty --- MOO (my opinion only).

I see what they are doing now. For the 100% free Kindle books on Amazon they are breaking them down into book 1, 2 & 3. Usually book 1 is free.

If you pay $9.99 a month you'll get the books labeled "kindle unlimited" available at no cost.

To set the record straight. I never meant trickery was involved, just a new way to make money. Yes, the authors have to eat, so it's all fair in love & war.

I'll try some of the other free book sites recommended above. Thanks for all the suggestions!!

For the quibbler, regarding other people's reading comprehension and interpretation of the OP's 'vent'. What he really said was:

'But lately, everyone I download seems to be part of a series. I read 2 excellent books this weekend. And when I got to the end, it says, "visit this website to purchase book 2).'

Directly followed by his 2nd post in the thread:

'Just started going thru my online library & deleting everything that's part of a paid series. Going down to books that have an ending & no more books to buy to discover the true ending.....'

That's what I responded to. You also conveniently ignored my followup statements.

'It's trickery if not disclosed at the outset. '

'If it was clearly disclosed up front, then of course they weren't pulling anything'

This situation aside, if you think for one minute that many companies do not attempt to suck people into things in sneaky, veiled ways, you live in a fantasy world.

Well, Snooks, it seems that you and I have differing interpretations as to the meaning of "ending,"

To me, a "series of books" means that there are anywhere from 2-50 (or more!) books, written by the same author, with the same main character, and some secondary characters that appear in more than one of the books. HOWEVER, the main storyline/plot of each book in the series can stand on its own. If you read more books in the series, you may find out that the main character finally marries, gets a dog, has kids, etc., but those details do not hold hostage the main storyline/plot of any single book in the series. Michael Connolly's Harry Bosch books are a good example. Harry Bosch is a homicide detective in Los Angeles. Each book is about one murder that gets solved. Through the series of books (which, by the way, are excellent and some of my favorite books), Harry has different partners, different girlfriends, etc., but each murder mystery stands on its own. Yes, when you're done reading one you want/hope there's another because they're so damn good, but if there's not another one, it doesn't detract from the story of the one you've just read and you aren't missing anything by not reading the next book if there is one. The Lincoln Lawyer, also by Michael Connolly (and made into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey), and its subsequent books tie in from time to time because Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch are half brothers. But when one character appears in a book that is part of the other character's series, there is enough explanation of "back story" that you don't need to have read the other book(s).

A serial, on the other hand, is different. For those, you do need to keep going to the next, then the next, then the next, etc., until the main storyline/plot comes to a conclusion. Television shows (soap operas, Survivor, and Murder in the First - especially the first season of MITF) are like that, and comics are like that, but I personally am not aware of books that are like that. I'm not saying there aren't any, but I am not aware of them, and they certainly aren't the norm. I read close to 350 books a year, so if serial books were common, I'd be more aware of them.

Then, of course, there are books that were originally written with the author not having any particular intention to write a follow-up. Oh, the author may certainly be thinking that s/he would like to become a serious, wealthy author of many books, but when writing his/her first book, there was no thought to a sequel to that particular story. Or maybe the author is planning another book, but doesn't mention it publicly. (When you read a synopsis of the storyline to determine whether or not you might be interested, there is no mention of the book being the first in a series.) The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan is an example. I bought this book in Kindle format in July 2011 (it had been published in May 2011) for $0.99. Great book. Even after I was done reading it, there was no mention of a second book. Then, in August 2014, Ms. Chan published a follow-up book entitled The Mill River Redemption. Did I have to buy it to find out the ending to the first book? No, of course not -- the first book was done, and the second book has a totally different storyline. But, I did buy the second book (for $5.99) because I had so enjoyed the first. A year later, another Mill River book was published -- The Promise of Home: A Mill River Novel, also $5.99 in Kindle format. I bought it because I had thoroughly enjoyed the first two and knew I'd also enjoy the third.

But, let's take the Mill River books as example of what Pawprint is talking about. Let's say that in July of 2011 when I got the original book, The Mill River Recluse, I downloaded it to my Kindle, but didn't get around to reading it for quite a while because, like Pawprint, I have more than 2,000 Kindle books. So, I finally decide it's time to read The Mill River Recluse -- and it's January of 2015. When I get done reading the book, I discover that there is a second book, entitled The Mill River Redemption. Was there trickery involved? Of course not. But you would say that there was.

I very much prefer to be me.

Good choice to be you, lindsey! And Michael Connolly is one of my favorites too.