Books are wonderful things, and e-books are even better in some ways. Since they don’t weigh anything, you can carry as many as you like in your pocket, making them perfect for long trips and the daily commute.

But there are some ways a physical book wins out over its digital sibling, and being able to share books with friends and family is one of those. Since your e-books are tied to your device, you might be less happy to handyour Kindleover to someone else while they read the latest bestseller.

Difficulty

What You Need

Kindle Paperwhite, Oasis, or other audiobook device

Amazon account

Kindle app

Thankfully, you don’t need to do that, because Kindle e-books actually have a lending feature built into them. It’s called the Family Library, and a lot of Kindle users might not be aware of it because, well, it’s not easy to find. However, it’s well worth figuring out because it’s a convenient way of sharing your Kindle book collection with other Kindle users. Here’s how to use it.

If you’re looking to capitalize on your bookworm tendencies, we’ve also rounded up thebest free Kindle booksand thebest websites for downloading free audiobooks.

How to share a Kindle book with family

One of the easiest ways to share e-books is through Amazon’sFamily Libraryfeature, which allows you to share books with your immediate family members. Family Library lets up to two adults and four children share all or some of their Kindle books, apps, and audiobooks with one another. Don’t be worried about interrupting another reader’s progress, as each member of the family can progress separately and at their own pace regardless of whether they’re using aKindle Paperwhite,Kindle Oasis, or anAmazon Fire. Plus, they can borrow books for as long as they like.

Sharing titles can be a bit of a long process, though. Before you’re able to begin sharing Kindle books with family, you need to grant other family members access to your Family Library. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1:Head to theManage Your Content and Devicessection of your Amazon account.

Step 2:Under thePreferencestab, click theHouseholds and Family Librarysection.

Step 3:ClickManage Your Household.

Step 4:From there, hit theAdd Adult/Add a Child/Add a Teenbutton.

Step 5:Have the other adult/child enter their Amazon email and password (if they have one), or create a new account.

Step 6:ClickYesto allow both your account and the other adult or child’s account to share payment methods.

Step 7:Choose which books you’d like to share with the other adult/child, and have the other adult/child choose which books they’d like to share with you.

Step 8:ClickFinish.

How to lend new Kindle books

Now that you’ve added adults and kids to your Family Library and shared your previous purchases, you’re ready to begin lending new Kindle books. Here’s how:

Step 3:Select the book(s) you’d like to share with a family member, and then clickAdd to Library.

Step 4:Choose a family member, and then clickOK.

How to download a Kindle book from Family Library

Thankfully, once you’ve set up Family Sharing, actually accessing your books and downloading them is very easy. Here’s how to do it:

Step 2:Choose the books you’d like to send to your device or app, and clickDeliver.

Step 3:Select where the books should be sent from the pop-up menu, and then clickDeliveronce more.

How to share a Kindle book from the product detail page

One of the easiest ways to share a Kindle book is by heading to its product page in the Kindle Store. Here’s what you need to do to get there:

Step 1:Navigate to the Kindle Store on your computer, and type in the name of the title you’d like to loan.

Step 2:Click on the book you’d like to loan from the resulting list.

Step 3:ClickLoan this bookon the product page.

Step 4:Once done, you’ll be sent to theLoan this bookpage, where you’re able to enter the recipient’s email address and an optional message.

Step 5:ClickSend now.

How to share a Kindle book from the Manage Your Content and Devices page

You can also share books on a Kindle without having to head to the Kindle store. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1:Log into yourAmazon accountas you normally would, and head to theManage Your Content and Devicespage.

Step 2:Click the Actions button next to the book or magazine title you want to loan. SelectLoan this title.

Step 3:Enter the recipient’s email address and an optional message.

Step 4:ClickSend now.

How to request a Kindle book from a friend

You can request a Kindle title from a friend if you don’t have a library card or the budget for new books. You’ll get an email notification when your friend loans the book directing you to download it to your Fire tablet, Kindle e-book reader, or the Kindle app.

Downloading it is easy:

Step 1:Open the email message with the subject line, “A Loaned Book for You.”

Step 2:Click theGet your loaned book nowbutton. A link will open in your web browser.

Step 3:Sign in to your Amazon account as usual.

Step 4:If you have a Fire tablet, Kindle e-book reader, or the Kindle app, select the device you’d like the book to be delivered to, and then clickAccept loaned book.

If you don’t have a Fire tablet, Kindle e-reader, or the Kindle app, clickAccept loaned bookand follow the on-screen instructions to download the Kindle app.

How to return a loaned Kindle book

Book loans automatically expire when the 14-day lending period is up, so you never have to worry about turning it in on time if you’re on the receiving end of a book loan. If you happen to finish it early, you can return it early. Here’s how:

Step 1:Log in to your Amazon account as you would normally.

Step 2:Go to theManage Your Content and Devicespage.

Step 3:Click theActionsbutton next to the borrowed book.

Step 4:SelectDeletefrom the resulting list of options.

Step 5:ClickYesto confirm your return.

Things to know before lending or borrowing a Kindle book

You can still share books with someone not in your family group, but the process is a little different. Here’s what you need to know before you share a Kindle book with a friend: