Exciting news: Amazon Prime Day is finally upon us once again. Prime Day is a great day of the year for consumers, since there are plenty of awesome deals to snatch up. And just because there’s more than one Prime Day per year is because there’s more than one Prime Day each year doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get the best bargains when they do come knocking.
Books kickstarted Amazon’s rise to worldwide domination and remain, aside from games, of course, the best way to immerse yourself in a great story. Let’s help you find the best-priced literary masterpieces you can get today.
1984 (George Orwell)
George Orwell’s most famous novel talks about a broken world where the government has complete control even while a rebellion stirs, and there’s a reason this remains the most popular dystopian tale in existence. It’s a prescient novel that remains an essential read even at nearly 80 years old.
Also, 1984 is just five bucks right now, which likely makes it the most inexpensive dystopia you can experience today.
Night Watch (Jayne Anne Phillips)
What’s better than getting to buy one of the year’s hottest books for half its price less than a year after it came out? Getting it for 60% off, but of course.
For a little over $10, you can get Night Watch, 2024’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel. It tells the story of a mother and a daughter’s struggles as they set out to heal from the physical and psychological wounds left by the Civil War. It’s a tough read, but one completely worthy of your time.
Three Classic Novels by Stephen King
Getting one book for a great price is great, but those of us who have a longer history with Prime Day always get more satisfaction from a collection of great works.
If you want a good introduction to King’s work, this is a great pick. It’s not just three Stephen King novels picked at random — though even that would be pretty great — but Carrie, The Shining, and the recently-adapted Salem’s Lot, are three of his best-ever works. For $28 at 51% off, this is quite the deal.
American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis)
The American Psycho movie adaptation was fantastic and helped cement Christian Bale as a top-tier Hollywood talent, but the book is better even without his star power. If you’re looking for great satire of the vile class that unfairly inherited the world and tries to justify it by spouting well-meaning but useless performative quotes, then this is the one for you.
At 60% off, you can get American Psycho at just a little over $6, a deal that the story’s narcissistic main character would never ever approve of.
Beowulf (translation by Seamus Heaney)
The story of the hero who slays the monster Grendel and his mother is one of the most mysterious and influential in history, and today is the best day to acquire it.
Beowulf is the oldest story in the history of the English language, and this is its most recent and arguably easiest way to read it. Getting this one at 52% off for a little over $7 is a fine way to add another essential classic to your collection.
Dune, books 1-6 (Frank Herbert)
This quintessential space opera has recently spawned two critically and commercially successful movie adaptations, and more is to come. The best way to stay one step ahead of all the spoilers is to spoil yourself by buying the first six entries in the saga in book form.
At $52, Dune Saga remains the priciest pick on this list, but that’s still a great deal in comparison to the original $100 price tag.
Foundation (Isaac Asimov)
I hold the opinion that Foundation remains one of the best pieces of Sci-Fi you can enjoy, even in modern times. It paved the way for most other Science-Fiction stories touching upon the inevitable politics of space expansion and still remains an interesting read.
This box set contains the original Foundation trilogy, a more than generous introduction to the series, and for a fantastic price. At 62% off, getting the “Foundations” of Foundation at below $20 is quite the catch.
The Song Of Ice and Fire pack (so far) (George RR Martin)
If you’re unhappy with the ending of the final season of Game Of Thrones, then you can try to forget it all by immersing yourself in the original form of the story. Though the series was great for most of its run, this tale of medieval mischief is still at its best when in book form. The only downside is that this collection doesn’t feature the completed Ice and Fire series, but that’s only because the final books are yet to materialize.
$25 at 49% off is just too good of a deal to pass on for such an untainted collection of gut-wrenching books.
The Odyssey (Homer)
And if even Beowulf isn’t classic enough for you, then it’s time to bring out the even-bigger guns. Homer’s Odyssey follows Odysseus as he uses his wits to overcome the myriad of perils waiting for him while he sails back to his home after the conquest of Troy.
Though it’s a few centuries older than Christ, The Odyssey remains thrilling, frightening, and a great source of inspiration, should you be interested in writing the next great epic. At just $8, this is quite the steal.
Houseplants for Beginners (Rebecca De La Paz)
Spoilers: this one does not feature the most riveting plot, but in its pages you will find incredibly useful knowledge. Keeping plants alive and healthy is quite the challenge for many, surprisingly, and Houseplants for Beginners will not only help you turn into a hero to your plants, but also pique your curiosity to learn even more about these beautiful green — and sometimes not green, that’s newfound knowledge right there — things.
You can get it for $5.59 at 63% off.
Bridgerton Boxed Set (Julia Quinn)
If you’re less about Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or plants, and more about period romance written with modern tastes in mind, then you should perhaps give the Bridgerton Boxed set a shot.
It contains the first four books of Julia Quinn’s series, meaning you’ll get to see a lot of stuff that the Netflix series is yet to cover. You can get it for $34 at 55% off right here.
Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets (Chelsea Ichaso)
If you’re looking for a riveting dark mystery, then Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets might be the book for you.
For a mere $5.60 at 53% off, you can see the unraveling of a mystery that involves family drama, mountain hiking, and a bunch of characters who may be friendly or are all involved in some serious foul play.
The Lord Of The Rings + The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien)
If I didn’t own it already and could only get one thing on Prime Day, it would be this box. Lord Of The Rings remains the best piece of modern fantasy you can read, or the gift that will immediately turn you into the coolest uncle in the eyes of any kid looking to get into serious literature.
At 54% off for just $16 you get not only the entire LOTR trilogy, but also The Hobbit, just to ensure that you get a mind-blowing amount of value. You can do no wrong with this one.
I’m not sure if you know this, but these books are quite girthy!
