Bargain Book Roundup

Just a quick follow-up on The Dead Man series by Lee Goldberg and and William Rabkin: I've finished the first title (Face Of Evil) and definitely recommend this series, from what I've read so far. The length reminds me of novels of years ago - you know, the ones you could stash in your back pocket, not the ones that required a forklift to carry around. The prose is quite descriptive; in fact, almost too much so, in some scenes, as Matt starts to experience his new "powers" after his miraculous recovery. In some ways, the first title is a setup for the series (which will not only definitely include 12 titles to start, but may end up with 12 more, if Amazon continues to pick up their contract -- that's what happens, it seems, when you let a Hollywood TV writer direct a book series), but it is also self-contained; there is no cliff-hanger ending, as happens with so many series, but you can see that there are story line areas to be explored that makes me want to read the next one. With any luck, the rest of the series will be one sale at some point, but even at the $2.99 most of Mr. Goldberg's titles sell for, the series will be a good value for the money. Read the sample, definitely, and consider ordering the first six while you can get the entire bunch for less than the cost of most single novels. So far, I'd classify this series as more Paranormal Thriller or even Urban Fantasy, rather than Horror, despite the rather graphic descriptions of Matt's visions.

He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not ($0.99), by Lena Diaz, is another of the books that were mistakenly free for Australians to pre-order. It's now been released and those of us in the US can get it at a bargain price. It's a full-length novel, too, at 368 pages in print.

Book Description
Four years ago, Amanda Stockton was forced to play a serial killer’s twisted game of chance. Since then, she has retreated from the world, bearing the scar from her ordeal and the burden of a terrible secret. But when another woman is found dead, clutching a long-stemmed red rose, Amanda knows she can hide no longer.

If there were any other way, Chief Logan Richards would never ask the only surviving victimfor help. But it’s clear this killer will not be stopped and Amanda is the only link. Torn between catching a madman and winning the trust of thew oman he’s come to love, Logan is caught in a dangerous game with Amanda. And there’s no guarantee they’ll come out on top.

Warriors 3-Book Collection with Bonus Material: Warriors #1: Into the Wild; Warriors #2: Fire and Ice; Warriors #3: Forest of Secrets ($12.99 US, $1.04 Australia), by Erin Hunter, is a super deal for readers in Australia.

Book Description
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But now the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying—and some deaths are more mysterious than others. Into the midst of this turmoil comes an ordinary house cat named Rusty . . . who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

Enter the world of Warriors with this great introduction to Erin Hunter’s best-selling series: Warriors #1: Into the Wild, Warriors #2: Fire and Ice, and Warriors #3: Forest of Secrets. In addition, this bundle includes bonus materials like trivia, territory maps, sneak peeks at other Warriors books, and a new short story from Erin Hunter.

There are ten titles in the Collins Know Your World Series now available to pre-order, each at $1.99. Several of these were also on the list that were mistakenly free for Australians to pre-order, a while back.

Book Description
Packed full of statistical information on topics such as history, people, government, economy, geography, communications and transportation. Graphics are included to support the statistics, and historical and present day mapping of each country is presented alongside the in-depth data.All information included in the eBooks has been carefully researched and sourced from the latest available authoritative sources. The China factfile opens with a snapshot overview of the country from which the user can drill down to the more detailed information outlined within each chapter.The easy-to-read format allows the reader to explore China, its identity and how it has changed over time. Divided into five chapters, it focuses on the main geographical, demographic, economic and environmental aspects of the country and its people.Features include:

• Easy navigation from page to page or topic to topic
• Searchable content
• Tap on images for greater detail
• Alterable type/background style to suit personal preference
• Navigation from table of contents to specific topics of interest
• Bookmarking

Decision at Sea : Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History ($1.99), by Craig L. Symonds, a leading Civil War and naval historian who was Professor of History at the United States Naval Academy for three decades.

Book Description
From thunderous broadsides traded between wooden sailing ships on Lake Erie, to the carrier battles of World War II, to the devastating high-tech action in the Persian Gulf, here is a gripping history of five key battles that defined the evolution of naval warfare--and the course of the American nation. Acclaimed military historian Craig Symonds offers spellbinding narratives of crucial engagements, showing how each battle reveals the transformation of technology and weaponry from one war to the next; how these in turn transformed naval combat; and how each event marked a milestone in American history.

• Oliver Hazard Perry's heroic victory at Lake Erie, one of the last great battles of the Age of Sail, which secured the Northwestern frontier for the United States
• The brutal Civil War duel between the ironclads Monitor and Virginia, which sounded the death knell for wooden-hulled warships and doomed the Confederacy's hope of besting the Union navy
• Commodore Dewey's stunning triumph at Manila Bay in 1898, where the U.S. displayed its "new navy" of steel-hulled ships firing explosive shells and wrested an empire from a fading European power
• The hairsbreadth American victory at Midway, where aircraft carriers launched planes against enemies 200 miles away--and where the tide of World War II turned in the space of a few furious minutes
• Operation Praying Mantis in the Persian Gulf, where computers, ship-fired missiles, and "smart bombs" not only changed the nature of warfare at sea, but also marked a new era, and a new responsibility, for the United States.

Symonds records these encounters in detail so vivid that readers can hear the wind in the rigging and feel the pounding of the guns. Yet he places every battle in a wide perspective, revealing their significance to America's development as it grew from a new Republic on the edge of a threatening frontier to a global superpower. Decision at Sea is a powerful and illuminating look at pivotal moments in the history of the Navy and of the United States. It is also a compelling study of the unchanging demands of leadership at sea, where commanders must make rapid decisions in the heat of battle with lives--and the fate of nations--hanging in the balance.

Can God Be Trusted?: Faith and the Challenge of Evil ($1.90), by John G. Stackhouse Jr.

Book Description
In a world riddled with disappointment, malice, and tragedy, what rationale do we have for believing in a benevolent God? If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why is there so much evil in the world? John Stackhouse takes a historically informed approach to this dilemma, examining what philosophers and theologians have said on the subject and offering reassuring answers for thoughtful readers.

Stackhouse explores how great thinkers have grappled with the problem of evil--from the Buddha, Confucius, Augustine, and David Hume to Martin Luther, C. S. Lewis, and Alvin Plantinga. Without brushing aside the serious contradictions posed by a God who allows incurable diseases, natural disasters, and senseless crimes to bring misery into our lives, Stackhouse asks if a world completely without evil is what we truly want. Would a life without suffering be a meaningful life? Could free will exist if we were able to choose only good? Stackhouse examines what the best minds have had to say on these questions and boldly affirms that the benefits of evil, in fact, outweigh the costs. Finally, he points to Christian revelation--which promises the transformation of suffering into joy--as the best guide to God's dealings with the world.

Copperheads : The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North ($1.99), by James M. McPherson and Jennifer L. Weber

Book Description
If Civil War battlefields saw vast carnage, the Northern home-front was itself far from tranquil. Fierce political debates set communities on edge, spurred secret plots against the Union, and triggered widespread violence, such as the New York City draft riots. And at the heart of all this turmoil stood Northern anti-war Democrats, nicknamed "Copperheads."

Now, Jennifer L. Weber offers the first full-length portrait of this powerful faction to appear in almost half a century. Weber reveals how the Copperheads came perilously close to defeating Lincoln and ending the war in the South's favor. Indeed, by the summer of 1864, they had grown so strong that Lincoln himself thought his defeat was "exceedingly likely." Passionate defenders of civil liberties and states' rights--and often virulent racists--the Copperheads deplored Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus, his liberal interpretation of the Constitution, and, most vehemently, his moves toward emancipation. Weber reveals how the battle over these issues grew so heated, particularly in the Midwest, that Northerners feared their neighbors would destroy their livestock, burn their homes, even kill them. Indeed, some Copperheads went so far as to conspire with Confederate forces and plan armed insurrections, including an attempt to launch an uprising during the Democratic convention in Chicago. Finally, Weber illuminates the role of Union soldiers, who, furious at Copperhead attacks on the war effort, moved firmly behind Lincoln. The soldiers' support for the embattled president kept him alive politically in his darkest times, and their victories on the battlefield secured his re-election.

Disgraced after the war, the Copperheads melted into the shadows of history. Here, Jennifer L. Weber illuminates their dramatic story. Packed with sharp observation and fresh interpretations, Copperheads is a gripping account of the fierce dissent that Lincoln called "the fire in the rear."

Breast Cancer (Facts) ($1.71), by Christobel Saunders and Sunil Jassal

Book Description
Breast Cancer: The Facts is a concise and accessible guide to breast cancer for patients and their families, general health practitioners, nurses and medical and allied health students.

For those newly diagnosed with breast cancer, this book will provide essential background information on the disease and will assist them in negotiating the often convoluted and obscure path through treatment. With this knowledge, people affected by breast cancer, and their families, will be able to ask health care teams the questions in order to make informed decisions about treatment.

This publication covers all aspects of the diagnosis and management of breast cancer, focusing on the patient journey, but also includes information on women at high risk, menopause and fertility after treatment, breast cancer associated with pregnancy, the role of clinical research, and the psychosocial aspects of diagnosis and survivorship.
The clear layout of the book enables readers to focus on chapters or topic areas relevant to their specific concerns. The authors have also provided the details of additional resources which can further inform the reader.

Although written by two specialists in breast cancer, the focus on the whole patient, their family and social networks, and the role of other professionals such as the general practitioner, transforms the book from a textbook on breast cancer to a holistic guide to better health at and after diagnosis with the disease.

Seven Against Thebes (Greek Tragedy in New Translations) ($1.42), by Aeschylus, Helen H. Bacon and Anthony Hecht (Translators), and The Karamazov Brothers ($0.99), by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Ignat Avsey (Translator), are just two of the many classics that the Oxford University Press has released in the Kindle store, many with new translations. If you are looking for a little bit nicer version of a classic, a better translation (read the comments for Avsey vs. Garnett, for example) or need an ebook where the pages correspond to the print edition, be sure to check these out. Many seem to be heavily discounted at Amazon, currently (I saw several digital list prices over $10 on these). Keep in mind when looking at the comments, they apply to all editions of a book, so a Kindle specific comment may apply to any of several editions for many of these.

Seven Against Thebes
The formidable talents of Anthony Hecht, one of the most gifted of contemporary American poets, and Helen Bacon, a classical scholar, are here brought to bear on this vibrant translation of Aeschylus' much underrated tragedy The Seven Against Thebes. The third and only remaining play in a trilogy dealing with related events, The Seven Against Thebes tells the story of the Argive attempt to claim the Kingdom of Thebes, and of the deaths of the brothers Eteocles and Polyneices, each by the others hand. Long dismissed by critics as ritualistic and lacking in dramatic tension, Seven Against Thebes is revealed by Hecht and Bacon as a work of great unity and drama, one exceptionally rich in symbolism and imagery.

The Karamazov Brothers
Dostoevsky's last and greatest novel, The Karamazov Brothers (1880) is both a brilliantly told crime story and a passionate philosophical debate. The dissolute landowner Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov is murdered; his sons--the atheist intellectual Ivan, the hot-blooded Dmitry, and the saintly novice Alyosha--are all involved at some level. Brilliantly bound up with this psychological drama is Dostoevsky's intense and disturbing exploration of many deeply felt ideas about the existence of God, freedom of will, the collective nature of guilt, and the disastrous consequences of rationalism. Filled with eloquent voices, this new translation fully realizes the power and dramatic virtuosity of Dostoevsky's most brilliant work.

In the Heat of the Night (A Virgil Tibbs Mystery) ($4.49), by John Ball

Book Description
Winner of an Edgar Award and recently named one of the top one hundred mystery novels of the century, John Dudley Ball's classic In the Heat of the Night tells the story of Virgil Tibbs, a black detective tracking a murderer in a small Southern town. The novel inspired both the 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger and the television series starring Carroll O'Connor and continues to delight readers with its gripping narrative and honest look at race relations during the Civil Rights Era.

Plain Fear: Forsaken ($2.99), by Leanna Ellis, is an Amish Vampire story. I don't know how good or bad it is, but it was supposed to be on the Halloween table at our local bookstore -- they double checked the list and yes, that Amish lady belonged with the other spooky covers -- but, they had complaints (presumably from locals of the Amish faith) and had to hide it back over on the shelves (I wonder it went to religion or fantasy?). In any case, you can check out what caused the controversy at a discount price on Kindle.

Book Description
"Not Death, But Love."
Pain choked off anymore words. She grabbed the cold stone marker for support, splayed her hands across its front as a sob wrenched free from her chest.
Although she knows that the Amish way is to move on from grief, on to a new season, Hannah cannot move on from Jacob, who was taken too soon.
Jacob's brother Levi also cannot move on-his love for Hannah burns just as strong as ever. But he knows how much Hannah loved his brother, and the event that took Jacob from them.
And it's a secret he must take to his grave.
So when a mysterious stranger comes to their community, he too carries a secret; one that will force Hannah to choose between light and dark, between the one she wants to love and a new yearning she fears to embrace.

The Irish Americans: A History ($3.99), by Jay P Dolan

Book Description
Jay Dolan of Notre Dame University is one of America's most acclaimed scholars of immigration and ethnic history. In THE IRISH AMERICANS, he caps his decades of writing and teaching with this magisterial history of the Irish experience in the United States. Although more than 30 million Americans claim Irish ancestry, no other general account of Irish American history has been published since the 1960s. Dolan draws on his own original research and much other recent scholarship to weave an insightful, colorful narrative. He follows the Irish from their first arrival in the American colonies through the bleak days of the potato famine that brought millions of starving immigrants; the trials of ethnic prejudice and "No Irish Need Apply;" the rise of Irish political power and the heyday of Tammany politics; to the election of John F. Kennedy as president, a moment of triumph when an Irish American ascended to the highest office in the land.

Dolan evokes the ghastly ships crowded with men and women fleeing the potato blight; the vibrant life of Catholic parishes in cities like New York and Chicago; the world of machine politics, where ward bosses often held court in the local saloon. Rich in colorful detail, balanced in judgment, and the most comprehensive work of its kind yet published, THE AMERICAN IRISH is a lasting achievement by a master historian that will become a must-have volume for any American with an interest in the Irish-American heritage.

Russell Blake's self-published Zero Sum series seems to be racking up the good reviews. You can get the first title, Kotov Syndrome, for free and the Book 2 & Book 3 bundle for $3.99. For the writers out there, you might also want to peruse his (unrelated) parody How To Sell A Gazillion eBooks In No Time (Even if Drunk, High or Incarcerated).

Book Description
Kotov Syndrome is the first book in the Zero Sum serial trilogy of Wall Street thrillers.
- - -
Present Day Wall Street. Where intelligence agencies and the financial industry are strange bedfellows, and the two worlds are often intertwined in disturbing ways.

In this chillingly plausible scenario of a military/industrial/financial complex run amok, Zero Sum pits Dr. Steven Archer against powerful financier Nicholas Griffen in a conflict that raises troubling questions about our markets and our government.

Racing against the clock in a chase that spans continents, one man's battle to expose the Machiavellian machinations of a ruthless Wall Street marauder forces him into a financial jungle populated by every variety of unscrupulous sociopath – rogue intelligence agencies, Russian mafia oligarchs, drug cartels, and terrorist networks.

As a white-collar game of chess transitions into a lethal real world cage-fight, Steven finds himself in a deadly showdown, where hunters can quickly become the hunted, and blood is the ultimate currency.

Dead Witch Walking ($7.99 US; £0.99/$1.61 UK), the first title in the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison, is definitely on my recommended list. Unfortunately, this great price is only for those in the UK; for those that can take advantage of it, I'd snap it up. You may also want to grab A Fistful of Charms (US/UK)and For A Few Demons More (US/UK), while they are £3.99.

Book Description
From New York Times bestselling author, Kim Harrison, comes the first book in an exciting urban fantasy series; packed with the perfect balance of wry humour and thrilling action, which will delight fans of thrillers and fantasy alike.Rachel Morgan is a white witch and runner working for Inderland Security, in an alternate world where a bioengineered virus wiped out a great deal of the world's human population – exposing the existence of the supernatural communities that had long lived alongside humanity.For the last five years Rachel has been tracking down law-breaking Inderlanders in modern-day Cincinnati, but now she wants to leave and start her own agency. Her only problem is that no one quits the I.S.Marked for death, Rachel will have to fend off fairy assassins and homicidal weres armed with an assortment of nasty curses. She's a dead witch walking unless she can appease her former employers by exposing the city's most prominent citizen as a drug lord. But making an enemy of the ambiguous Trent Kalamack is just as deadly as leaving the I.S.

You Don't Have to Learn the Hard Way: Making It in the Real World: A Guide for Graduates ($1.79), by J. R. Parrish

Book Description
Chock-full of practical advice for teen and college-age readers on everything, including:

• Nailing that first big job interview
• Avoiding dangerous relationship mistakes
• Mastering the art of managing your finances
• Circumventing the typical pitfalls of adjusting to the adult world
• Making friends and forging career alliances
• Choosing the right mentors

This valuable guidebook synthesizes a life’s worth of wisdom into one engaging volume. The author, a self-made multimillionaire who did learn the hard way, offers what he wishes someone would have given him when he was starting out—a no-nonsense blueprint for personal and professional success. Written with self-deprecating humor and grace, this book is never preachy and features irresistible self-discovery quizzes that guide young readers to deeper self-understanding.

Family Meals: Coming Together to Care for an Aging Parent ($5.07), by Michael Tucker

Book Description
Michael Tucker and his wife, Jill Eikenberry, are enjoying the early years of retirement in their dream house, a beautiful 350-year-old stone farmhouse in the central Italian province of Umbria, when life rears its ugly head on their summer plans. Jill’s mother’s second husband, Ralph, has passed away, and Michael and Jill must leave the respite of the Italian countryside and travel westward to console Lora, Jill’s mother, and help her plan her future. Thus begins Family Meals, a beautifully told memoir that explores the meaning of family and examines the sacrifices we make for those we love. After Ralph’s death, Lora begins a rapid decline into dementia, and Jill wrestles with the decision to move her from Santa Barbara to New York City. The Tuckers initially attempt to place Lora in a senior residence in New York, but when an apartment becomes vacant right across the hall from them, they grab it for Lora. Michael and Jill’s children, Alison and Max—much to their parents’ happiness—decide not only to relocate to Manhattan but also move in together. Their family, which had been a loose network of individual strands, has become, remarkably, a unit. It’s all very Italian.