Reading with Intention: Why I Swapped Kindle Unlimited for Libby

I cancelled my Kindle Unlimited subscription this week, and the interesting part isn’t the monthly saving but the shift in how I want to read.

For a long time, unlimited access felt efficient and sensible, especially as someone who reads constantly, yet when I looked at what I was actually choosing, I realised convenience had started to shape my taste, nudging me towards whatever was instantly available rather than towards books I had actively decided were worth my time.

Out of curiosity, I downloaded Libby and linked it to my UK library card, expecting a compromise and finding the opposite, with a strong catalogue of literary fiction, thoughtful non-fiction, current bestsellers, audiobooks and magazines, all available through my local public library without another subscription renewing in the background.

Yes, popular titles sometimes come with a waiting list, but that pause has made my reading more intentional, because placing a hold feels like a commitment rather than an impulse, and that shift alone has changed the quality of what I’m consuming.

Public libraries in the UK are far more digitally capable than many of us assume, and using them feels less like a downgrade and more like a conscious choice about where I direct my money and attention.

I’m curious whether anyone else has reassessed a long-standing subscription recently, because are we sometimes paying for convenience when what we really need is a bit more intention?

#Reading #DigitalMinimalism #SubscriptionEconomy #Productivity #LibbyApp #KindleUnlimited #UKLibraries #TourismTranslations #English #German