EARLY ACCESS.

EDITORS' PICKS.

EXCLUSIVE PRICES.

HOW IT WORKS

Get early access to editors' picks

Choose two Kindle books this month for $1.99 each

Shop select print editions for $9.99 or less in participating months

Prime members enjoy two Kindle books for FREE this month. Already a Prime member? Sign in now

Suspense

(8921)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

After the brilliantly twisty and nuanced Last Day published a year ago, I wondered how Luanne Rice could top herself. But she has done just that, proving she is the maestro of family drama that builds and builds and builds with suspense.

Set in Luanne’s beloved Connecticut coast, The Shadow Box centers on Claire Chase, an artist who creates intricate shadow boxes using natural elements like shells, stones, carapaces, and bones. When we first meet her, she is fighting for her life in the garage of her oceanfront home. Left for dead, Claire escapes with her life but has no idea who to turn to. She finds shelter in the land surrounding her—since it is really what she knows best.

It will take everything she’s got left to find out who wanted her dead, all the while fearing that her politico husband and his powerful entourage of supporters are behind it.

To the very end of this book, I was blown away by the seamless twists and turns. It’s no exaggeration to say Luanne is in her prime with The Shadow Box, and once you start reading, I dare you to try to set this book down.

— Liz Pearsons, Editor

(3360)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

As embarrassing as it is for me to admit, I have never actually seen Thelma & Louise. But having read Suzanne Redfearn’s latest novel, a riveting family drama that is loosely inspired by the classic film, I’m now convinced more than ever that I’ve been missing out.

Hadley and Grace is a romp of a ride, following two uniquely authentic, equally lovable protagonists as they seek fresh starts for their fractured families. Taking these resilient women (and their endearing children) on a road trip of epic proportions, this action-packed tale has a little of all my favorite genres, wrapped into one page-turning saga.

Both women are fleeing their old lives for different reasons but are inextricably linked by the same dangerous man and an overwhelming need to protect their children. What begins as a reluctant partnership of necessity slowly morphs into a story of true friendship and the meaning of family along the way.

With this novel, the bestselling author of In an Instant delivers a heart-pounding yet uplifting novel sure to touch the hearts of readers around the world. So, buckle up and get ready for one wild journey of self-discovery and second chances.

— Alicia Clancy, Editor

(4056)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

What if you could actually see when someone is lying? In Not One of Us, Jori Trahan can. She has a rare form of synesthesia—she can “hear” colors. Her ability gives her a unique edge on the nuances of people’s voices. She’s basically a human lie detector.

Years ago, Jori’s boyfriend disappeared from her southern hometown, and now she’s back, reliving all her worst moments. Though she returned to take care of her family, she can’t let go of the mystery surrounding her old boyfriend. But the more she digs, the more she puts not only herself at risk, but her family. Jori has always put her family first and the truth last, but this time she can’t let the truth stay hidden.

USA Today bestselling author Debbie Herbert is a master of southern suspense. I’ve always loved the way she blends suspense with family drama, and Not One of Us does just that.

— Megha Parekh, Editor

(4431)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

Once in a great while, a book hits my desk that is so full of memorable characters and scenes that I can’t wait to see it publish! Such was the case with West with Giraffes, the historical novel based on the incredible true story of an unlikely pair transporting two giraffes across the country during the Depression. The author was inspired by the event, which she discovered while working on a nonfiction piece about the San Diego Zoo, and this book contains so many charming details, I felt like I was along for the ride.

I’ll never forget Woody, the young Dust Bowl survivor, and his curmudgeonly older boss. The challenges they endure on the trip end up teaching young Woody indelible life lessons about fate, love, and life. From truck breakdowns to circus con artists, from meeting the woman of your dreams to visions of life in California, this is the kind of laugh, cry, tell-a-friend read that you long for. Grab a blanket and a cup of tea, and enjoy this wild road trip.

— Danielle Marshall, Editor

(1591)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

FREIGHTER CRUISES. THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE. GET OUTSIDE THE BOX! This is the advertisement that grabs Aubrey Sentro’s attention after she’s been put on leave at work. A forced “vacation.” A cruise aboard a cargo ship sounds more like an adventure and less like a vacation, which has never really been Aubrey’s thing. She’d experience the seafarer’s life on the trip from Baltimore to South America, alongside captain and crew and a handful of fellow tourists / international misfits.

Just days into the journey, an unexpected, but not unwelcome, attraction grows between Aubrey and another guest. She’s just beginning to relax and enjoy the ride when pirates attempt to capture the ship. Aubrey is immediately thrown right back into her day job. What no one knows—including her children—is that she’s a very seasoned covert operative who is an expert in a crisis.

In the capable hands of acclaimed screenwriter and television showrunner Daniel Pyne, Water Memory is a highly nuanced and cinematic thriller with a wholly original main character who’s trying her best to have it all as a woman, a mother, and a spy.

— Liz Pearsons, Editor

(1000)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

Suffering may find us, and history may tear us apart, but the human spirit is strong enough to heal. Kateřina Tučková breathes life into a tragic historic event and proves we have within us the hope and resilience to rise above our circumstances.

When Gerta’s parents married across ethnicities, they had no way to predict that their family would later straddle enemy lines, or that their innocent daughter would go on to carry the weight of the war. Gerta is forced to leave her hometown on foot along with thousands of others in the march from Brno, Czech Republic, in the wake of World War II—one of many examples in history where the women, children, and elderly relatives are punished simply for having survived a war their husbands, fathers, and sons lost on the battlefield.

Gerta’s persistence, patience, and vision of a better world make her a powerful role model. We are not so easily divided, and we have the tools we need to reunite should the events of history create rifts. When I turned the final page, I saw hope for us yet: we can come together to reconcile with even the saddest moments in our shared past as we build a more beautiful future.

— Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

(1607)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

How does one find hope and joy after a tragic loss? Well, it’s complicated-ish. But this amazing true story reassures me that finding peace and happiness is possible.

Melissa Gould’s heartbreaking memoir, Widowish, is a modern and brave account of what it’s like to be a widow at the young age of forty-three. It’s also about expectations that others have for those who are grieving. In the depths of her anguish, Melissa finds herself wondering, When is it appropriate to laugh at a joke or even think about dating? Can she find other men attractive?

The story of what happened to her beloved husband, Joel, is tragic. But the life that Melissa built in the wake of his loss is nothing short of remarkable—and with a few surprising twists and turns that I don’t want to give away here. She had to learn how to be a single parent, raise her young daughter on her own, and find meaning in her life without her soul mate. And now, years later, not a single day passes that she doesn’t think of Joel.

I was expecting to be uncontrollably crying reading this book (like I did the first time I read Carole Radziwill’s What Remains or Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking), but I found myself smiling from ear to ear as Melissa takes us on her incredible life journey.

— Carmen Johnson, Editor

(821)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

I find bees endlessly fascinating. Each hive has an intricate infrastructure that depends entirely on social cohesion to function, which is essential not only to the survival of the hive but also to a healthy ecosystem overall. What is most striking to me about it is that in acting exclusively for the good of their queen, the bees are acting for the good of future generations—and each individual will unfailingly sacrifice itself to fulfill that mission. A disturbance in the kingdom of bees is in many ways a perfect metaphor for a country and populace in crisis.

Yamen Manai—one of Tunisia’s most celebrated contemporary voices—is a scientist as well as an author, and he is always looking for parallels between the natural world and the world people create for themselves. His latest book, The Ardent Swarm, is set ten years ago, on the eve of the first democratic election after the revolution that ousted the country’s autocratic president. Political machinations by foreign powers seeking to influence the election trigger a strange turn of events that no one could have foreseen. For tucked away in a box of supplies gifted to the newly democratic country is a murderous Asian hornet queen.

Not long after, Sidi, a simple village beekeeper in rural Tunisia, discovers that hundreds of his beloved honeybees are being systematically decapitated by a mysterious, evil-looking hornet, and he is determined to save them. His journey to find their salvation draws him out far beyond his village, ultimately beyond his continent. Along the way, he notices strange changes in the behavior of many of his compatriots. And the bees are absolutely fascinating as characters themselves! Everything you will learn about how they behave is absolutely true—even the magical dance of the “ardent swarm.”

Written with such a light touch and so accessibly that no prior knowledge about Tunisia or the Arab Spring is necessary, The Ardent Swarm will speak to anyone who has ever wondered what it takes for just one person to make a difference.

— Liza Darnton, Editor

Children's Picture Book

(825)

SHOP NOW

$1.99 (Save $3.00)

I’ve always admired people who have that instinctive ability to envision the future. Sadie Sprocket, our hero in this cheerful book, is one of those people. She loves space, and she sets her sights on Mars because no human has ever gone there. With some hard work and determination, Sadie gets there—along with a crew of her stuffed animals, who have come to life as the perfect interstellar assistants. There are some bumps along the way, of course, but together Sadie and her crew make history.

In the real world, we’re getting closer to sending manned missions to Mars. One day Sadie’s story could be a reality (OK, minus the inanimate objects coming to life). But Sadie wouldn’t be surprised a bit.

— Marilyn Brigham, Editor

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Check out previous Amazon First Reads editors' picks

Please note: Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow these books when they are officially released next month.

Not a Kindle Unlimited member? Join now.

English United States

Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Interest-Based Ads

Suspense

Contemporary Fiction

Thriller

Historical Fiction

Espionage Thriller

Literary Fiction

Memoir

Global Fiction

Children's Picture Book