Breaking Up with Amazon (kinda)

It all started when I noticed I was buying too many ebooks on Kindle. While browsing for solutions to improve my reading experience, I stumbled upon an excellent video series about KOReader by Stefan Svartling. This versatile reader software is supported by most e-readers, including Kindle devices.

What had always annoyed me about the Kindle reading experience were those non-customizable margins. Sure, there are three options, but they still waste too much screen space. KOReader, on the other hand, gives you numerous customization options that make reading more enjoyable.

Deciding that having a backup of my purchased ebooks was the sensible thing to do, I investigated how to download my Kindle library. What I discovered was nothing short of disappointing and pushed me toward getting out of the Amazon ecosystem as quickly as possible.

Amazon gives you two frustrating options:

1. Use the download button on their website to download your ebooks one by one
2. Get the Kindle app on your computer (only supported on Windows and macOS—Linux users are out of luck)

Even with collections in the Kindle app, you face download thresholds that prevent bulk downloading. And to add insult to injury, most of the ebooks still had DRM protection.

Fortunately, there are solutions for managing your own ebook library:

• Calibre is excellent software for managing your ebook collection, and it has plugins available to remove DRM
• Calibre-web offers a great web interface, which I use alongside Calibre (which I reserve for detailed database management)

For downloading your entire Kindle library, I recommend an amazing project by a Chinese developer: Kindle_download_helper.

Disclaimer: On February 26, 2025, Amazon removed the download option for purchased ebooks and displayed a disclaimer stating that you only purchase a license. I'm posting this blog out of principle. Richard Stallman was right all along.

There's growing criticism about Amazon's monopolistic practices, exclusive deals, and efforts to build a protected ecosystem accessible only through Kindle devices. This makes purchased ebooks excessively expensive considering the risks:

• Your Amazon account could be suspended, causing you to lose access to all your books
• Books might be altered or removed without notice
• You essentially own nothing under this policy (It's just a licence, bro)
• Amazon will make whatever they want and push you slowly into a subscription service.

For Audible audiobooks, the escape route is somewhat easier. Applications like OpenAudible ($22 for a year or $70 for a lifetime) offer reasonable solutions when you want independence from your audiobook library.

For managing my audiobook collection, I use Audiobookshelf, which even supports archiving podcasts. There's also a project called Libation available as a Docker container that only needs Audible cookies to download your collection.

While I still believe in supporting creators and writers, I also believe in owning what I pay for. Breaking up with Amazon's digital ecosystem has been liberating, and I encourage you to consider how much control you want over your own digital library.