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Friday, August 31, 2012

End of Month Reminder

Just a reminder that it's the last night for the current 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or less sale; in addition, for those that have Amazon Prime, it's the last night to rent a book this month, if you haven't done so already. I keep a list of those I might want to rent (in a wishlist) and will have to check it tonight myself, since I haven't used up my rental, either.

Today's Deals

As I suspected, yesterday's late release from The Charles River Editors was in preparation for making this month's freebies into repeats - current count is now over 100 free titles.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Boarding House ($1.99), by Sharon Sala (Bell Bridge Books). Searching in the Kindle store, quite a number of her suspense novels are on sale under $10 (the ones from Harper are more expensive). When I checked my library, I found 15 of her novels (one of them a YA fantasy), but not this one.
Book Description
Ellie Wayne doesn't just live. She survives.

New York Times bestselling author Sharon Sala brings emotional intensity to an unforgettable story of survival, empowerment and raw courage.

Ellie Wayne has grown up in frightening circumstances, damaged by a sexually abusive father and mentally fragile mother. Scarred and still threatened by a father she hates and fears, Ellie believes her future holds nothing more than danger, shame and secrets . . . until the unspeakable happens, and Ellie is forced to choose. She can claim her life or continue to hide in the shadows.

One amazing man might be the miracle worker who can help Ellie see that she has the power to move on with her life, to hope for something more. If she can trust him.

Readers will cheer for this amazing woman as she struggles to leave victimhood behind.

About the Author
Sharon Sala is a long time member of Romance Writers of America writing as Sharon Sala and Dinah McCall. She writes romantic suspense, Young Adult, and Women's Fiction. First published in 1991, she's a seven-time RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, four-time winner of the Career Achievement award from RT Magazine, five time winner of the National Reader's Choice Award and five time winner of the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence as well as the Bookseller Best Award. Her books are New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly mass market best-sellers. Writing changed her life, her world, and her fate.

Habits of the House ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), the first title in the Love & Inheritance series by Fay Weldon, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $12.99).
Book Description
Fay Weldon’s new novel takes us inside the lives of an aristocratic household in the last three months of the nineteenth century. It’s a time of riot and confusion, social upheaval, war abroad and shortage of money. Tea gowns are still laced with diamonds; there are still nine courses at dinner, but bankruptcy looms for the Dilbernes. Whilst the Earl, gambler and man about town, must seek a new post in government; his wife Lady Isobel’s solution is to marry off their son Arthur to a wealthy heiress, and without delay. But how? It’s the end of the season, and choices are few. There’s Minnie O’Brien from Chigaco - rich enough, but daughter of a stockyard baron, and with a vulgar mother and dubious past. Hardly suitable ...! Fay Weldon tells this tale of restraint and desire, manners and morals with wit and sympathy - if no small measure of mischief - as young Minnie and Arthur, thrown together by their parents, strive to determine their own destiny.

Coming Home ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Karen Kingsbury, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Coming Home is a novel about tremendous victory and unprecedented loss, a story of faith and a forever kind of love, love that will stay with you long after the last page. This stand-alone novel will serve as either a grand introduction or a beautiful conclusion in the saga of the Baxter Family.The Baxters make plans to come together for a summer lakeside reunion, a celebration like they haven’t had in years. But before the big day, the unthinkable happens. As the Baxter Family rallies together, memories come to light in the grief-stricken hours of waiting and praying, memories that bring healing and hope during a time when otherwise darkness might have the final word.In a season that changes all of them, the brilliance of family love overshadows even the valley of heartache as the Baxters draw closer to God and each other. Along the way, secrets are revealed and the truth about the Baxter Family history is finally made known. Ultimately, in this portrait of family love, the Baxters cling to each other and to God’s promise of forever.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda ($9.84 Kindle pre-order, $1.99 B&N), by Tom Angleberger, is the Nook Daily Find for Families. This is a PagePerfect NOOK Book, so it requires NOOK Color, NOOK Tablet or NOOK Study, while the Kindle edition works on the Kindle Fire, Kindle Cloud Reader, Kindle for iPad or Kindle for Android apps.
Book Description
In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.

Grade Level: 3 and up

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance ($1.99), by Keith Graves.
Book Description
Frank was a monster who wanted to dance. So he put on his hat, and his shoes made in France... and opened a jar and put ants in his pants! So begins this monstrously funny, deliciously disgusting, horrifyingly hilarious story of a monster who follows his dream. Keith Graves' wacky illustrations and laugh-out-loud text will tickle the funny bone and leave readers clamoring for an encore.

Grade Level: P and up

In Winter's Shadow ($10.09 Kindle, $3.99 B&N), by Gillian Bradshaw, is the Nook Weekend Deal; it's not yet price matched on Kindle, but that may change over the weekend (especially if the lower price gets reported enough).
Book Description
Vows broken. . .
Friendships betrayed. . .
The fate of heroes finally revealed. . .

As powerful enemies attack the throne from inside the kingdom, Arthur, his queen, and his greatest warrior Gwalchmai will be put to the ultimate test. Never faltering in her loyalty to the king, Gwynhwyfar has stood at Arthur's side through rebellion and war. But one desperate decision could cost her all they've built. With the kingdom crumbling around them, following the Queen's heart could be the greatest threat of all. ..

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Today's Deals

Be sure to check out the Free Android App and Music today - Angry Birds (ad-free) and a very good broadway musical selection (link fixed).

New coupon codes at Kobo: aug2530ij for 25% off on Bestsellers and aug2930ty for 30% off select "Amazing" titles (both exp Sep 3) and the big one: use Romance50 to get 50% off of Romance Bestsellers (exp Sep 9).

A reader spotted Beguilement, by multiple Hugo Award-winning author Lois McMaster Bujold, currently marked down to $0.99! I'd be grabbing it at this price, if it weren't one I picked up from Fictionwise (before the Agency agreements went into place). Originally conceived as a two-volume series, The Sharing Knife saga ended up spanning four volumes.
Book Description
Troubled young Fawn Bluefield seeks a life beyond her family’s farm. But en route to the city, she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers, nomadic soldier–sorcerers from the northern woodlands. Feared necromancers armed with mysterious knives made of human bone, they wage a secret, ongoing war against the scourge of the "malices," immortal entities that draw the life out of their victims, enslaving human and animal alike.

It is Dag—a Lakewalker patroller weighed down by past sorrows and onerous present responsibilities—who must come to Fawn’s aid when she is taken captive by a malice. They prevail at a devastating cost—unexpectedly binding their fates as they embark upon a remarkable journey into danger and delight, prejudice and partnership . . . and perhaps even love.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Soldier's Wife ($1.99), by Margaret Leroy.
Book Description
A novel full of grand passion and intensity, The Soldier’s Wife asks “What would you do for your family” “What should you do for a stranger” and “What would you do for love”

As World War II draws closer and closer to Guernsey, Vivienne de la Mare knows that there will be sacrifices to be made. Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law, for whom she cares while her husband is away fighting. What she does not expect is that she will fall in love with one of the enigmatic German soldiers who take up residence in the house next door to her home. As their relationship intensifies, so do the pressures on Vivienne. Food and resources grow scant, and the restrictions placed upon the residents of the island grow with each passing week. Though Vivienne knows the perils of her love affair with Gunther, she believes that she can keep their relationship—and her family—safe. But when she becomes aware of the full brutality of the Occupation, she must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.

A Carpet Ride to Khiva: Seven Years on the Silk Road ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), by Christopher Aslan Alexander, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $9.90).
Book Description
Chris Alexander originally travelled to Khiva, a remote walled city in Uzbekistan on the route of the ancient Silk Road, to write a guidebook. But he stayed, mesmerized by a world of silk and forgotten 15th-century carpet designs – discovering indigo blue, madder red, pomegranate gold and the subtle shades of life in a desert oasis. Alexander’s entrancing travelogue sees him stripped naked at a former Soviet youth camp, crawling through silkworm droppings, tackling a carpet-thieving mayor, distinguishing natural dyes from sacks of opium in Northern Afghanistan, bluffing his way through My Heart Will Go On for Uzbek TV and seeking sanctuary as an anti-Western riot consumed the Kabul carpet bazaar. The result is an unforgettable true story of a journey to the heart of the unknown.

Heroes and Monsters: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be Human ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Josh James Riebock, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Every one of us is both a hero and a monster, and the world we inhabit is both beautiful and twisted. We are shaken by changes, losses, gains, insights, desires, mistakes, and transitions. And just when we've gotten settled back down, things get shaken up again. This is the life we've been given. So how do we make sense of life's unexpected nature, find a way to embrace the tension, and live with a sense of peace despite pain?

In this stunningly honest, compelling, and ultimately hopeful book, Josh James Riebock explores issues of trust, obedience, intimacy, dreams, grief, purpose, and the unexpected stops along the journey that form us into the people we are. In a creative way, he shows readers that pain and beauty are so inextricably linked that to lose the former costs us the latter.

Those grappling with life's inconsistencies and trials will especially find a welcome resonance between their lives and Heroes and Monsters. Riebock both validates their experiences and challenges them to live beyond them in this ever-changing life.

The Brimstone Key ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), the first title in the Grey Griffins: The Clockwork Chronicle series by Derek Benz and Jon S. Lewis, is the Nook Daily Find for Families, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
A brand new adventure starring The Grey Griffins!

Max---the leader
Natalia---the brains
Ernie---the changeling
Harley---the muscle

A year ago, Max, Natalia, Ernie, and Harley were just regular kinds from Avalon, Minnesota, but that was before they learned that evil faeries, werewolves, and other unthinkable monsters existed just beyond our world. Now they are the Grey Griffins: monster hunters, celebrated heroes, and allies to the legendary Templar Knights--but even heroes have to go to school.

This year, they're attending Iron Bridge Academy, a school where students learn to fight against the forces of evil. Here, the Griffins find themselves in a whole new adventure when The Clockwork King, a Templar foe from the past, returns with a deadly plan.

Grade Level: 3 and up

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is A Certain Slant of Light ($1.99), a YA novel by Laura Whitcomb.
Book Description
Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you’re dead.

Though I could not feel paper between my fingers, smell ink, or taste the tip of a pencil, I could see and hear the world with all the clarity of the Living. They, on the other hand, did not see me as a shadow or a floating vapor. To the Quick, I was empty air.

Or so I thought.

In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: For the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen–terrified, but intrigued–is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Today's Deals

On B&N's Facebook page, you can now vote for this weekend's $3.99 deal: Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar vs. In Winter's Shadow by Gillian Bradshaw. It was an easy vote for me this week, since Afshar's book was free last May.

Audible has another sale, with all books in eight Top Series On Sale for $7.95 apiece. I'm tempted by Piers Anthony's Adept series (which I haven't read in many years).

In a price match to Kobo, Adrenaline, the first title in Jeff Abbott's Sam Capra series and one of Amazon's Best Books of the Month, July 2011, is currently marked down to $2.99. The price has already gone back up at Kobo, so this discount won't last long.
Book Description
"If you knew this was our final day together, what would you say to me?"
"Anything but good-bye. I can't ever say good-bye to you."

ADRENALINE

Sam Capra is living the life of his dreams.

He's a brilliant young CIA agent, stationed in London. His wife Lucy is seven months pregnant with their first child. They have a wonderful home, and are deeply in love.

They have everything they could hope for...until they lose it all in one horrifying moment.

On a bright, sunny day, Sam receives a call from Lucy while he's at work. She tells him to leave the building immediately. He does...just before it explodes, killing everyone inside. Lucy vanishes, and Sam wakes up in a prison cell. As the lone survivor of the attack, he is branded by the CIA as a murderer and a traitor.

Escaping from the agency, Sam launches into a desperate hunt to save his kidnapped wife and child, and to reveal the unknown enemy who has set him up and stolen his family. But the destruction of Sam's life was only step on in an extraordinary plot-and now Sam must become a new kind of hero.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Innocent Monster ($1.99), the sixth in the Moe Prager series by Reed Farrel Coleman.
Book Description
Seven years have passed since the brutal murder that tore Moe Prager’s family apart and it's been six years since Moe’s brushed the dust off his PI license. But when his estranged daughter Sarah comes to him with a request he cannot refuse, Moe takes a deep breath and plunges back into the icy, opaque waters of secrets and lies. Sashi Bluntstone, an eleven-year-old art prodigy and daughter of Sarah’s dearest childhood friend, has been abducted. Three weeks into the investigation, the cops have gotten nowhere and the parents have gotten desperate. Desperation, the door through which Moe Prager always enters, swings wide open. Just as in Sashi’s paintings, there’s much more to the case than one can see at a glance.

With the help of an ex-football star, Moe stumbles around the fringes of the New York art scene, trying to get a handle on where the art stops and the commerce begins. Much to Moe’s surprise and disgust, he discovers that Sashi is, on the one hand, revered as a cash cow and, on the other, reviled as a fraud and a joke. Suspects abound beyond the usual predators and pedophiles, for it is those closest to Sashi in life who have the most to gain from her death. Cruel ironies lurk around every corner, beneath every painting, and behind every door. Almost nothing is what it seems.

Beware the innocent monster, for it need not hide itself and it lives closely among us: sometimes as close as the mirror.

Reed Farrel Coleman's mysteries starring Moe Prager have won or been nominated for many of the crime fiction world's biggest awards, including the Edgar, the Shamus, the Barry, and the Anthony. The Moe Prager mysteries were named as part of Maureen Corrigan's Best Books of 2009.

Greyhound ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), by Steffan Piper, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $3.99/KLL Eligible).
Book Description
Ushered out from his Stockton, California home by his emotionally detached mother and her latest boyfriend, twelve-year-old Sebastien Ranes must fend for himself and travel two thousand miles across the country. He is on his way to live with his grandmother and sister in Pennsylvania. Along the way, he will learn that sometimes caring, guidance and understanding can come from some unlikely people.

Marcus, a fellow bus passenger, is a man who has been neglected more by society than his family. As a young black ex-con, he is not the epitome of the person most would pick as a chaperone for their child's cross country trip. Yet rather than be held apart by their differences, Marcus and Sebastien are drawn together by the things that make us all alike.

Along the way, he acts as both guide and protector, as Virgil was to Dante and Jim to Huck Finn. Imparting his own style of wisdom, he shows Sebastien that, despite the darker parts of the human condition, people can and do care for one another. This is a modern day journey not just from one house to another. This is a journey taken by a young boy into manhood, and by the reader into his world. Like every trip, there are many stops along the way. But this journey differs in the way young Sebastien arrives at his destination. Greyhound is the story of this journey.

The Edge of Desire ($7.99 $1.99 Kindle, B&N), the eighth title in the Bastion Club series by Stephanie Laurens, is the Nook Daily Find. This is yet another Agency priced book that is supposed to be the same price everywhere, but it's only been dropped at B&N so far. Update: Now price matched on Kindle!
Book Description
In The Edge of Desire, they proved their bravery fighting for His Majesty's Secret Service and were rewarded with brides of great beauty and breeding. But one member of the Bastion Club has remained a bachelor . . . until now.

"Christian, I need your help. There is no one else I can turn to . . . L."

When Christian Allardyce, 6th Marquess of Dearne, reads those words, his world turns upside down. Lady Letitia Randall is a woman like no other, and the day he left her behind to fight for king and country was the most difficult of his life. He never forgot the feel of her lips against his, but never expects to see her again. Yet now she seeks his help, and Christian knows he will not resist her plea.

Letitia believes that Christian abandoned her when she needed him most, and she hates to call on his aid. But to clear her brother's name, she has sworn to use every weapon at her command, even if it means seducing her ex-lover. Yet all the while, Christian is waging a war of his own—a campaign of pure pleasure and sweet revenge that will take them both beyond The Edge of Desire.

The House of Power ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), the first title in Patrick Carman's Atherton series, is the Nook Daily Find for Families, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Edgar, a gifted climber, secretly scales the treacherous walls separating the three worlds of Atherton: the humble grove that is his home...a mysterious highland realm of untold beauty and sinister secrets ...and a vast wasteland below, where a monstrous danger lurks that could destroy them all.

While searching the forbidden cliffs for a treasure lost in his faded memory, Edgar discovers the first of many startling revelations to come: the three realms are beginning to collapse, turning his entire world inside out. Atherton is not what it seems, but something far more dangerous, with a history locked inside the mind of a madman and a future beyond Edgar's wildest imagining.

Grade Level: 3 and up

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is The Hiccupotamus ($1.99), by Aaron Zenz.
Book Description
There was a hippopotamus
who hiccupped quite-a-lotamus.
And every time he got'emus . . .
he'd fall upon his bottomus!

Calamity ensues when an elephant, a centipede, and a rhinoceros try finding a cure for hippo's colossal case of hiccups. Zenz's creativity shines through with his use of colored pencil in this off-the-wall read-aloud. HIC! HIC! HIC!

Grade Level: Pre K and up

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Today's Deals

Rumors of what new Kindle models are coming are continuing to build and we now have a good guess on an announcement date: Amazon has called a press conference for Sept 6! Both models of the Kindle Touch are now out of stock with no estimated delivery date and are no doubt going to be replaced by new models soon (you can still get a Certified Refurbished Kindle Touch 3G). There is no issue with the Kindle Fire stock, so any new tablet that gets announced will probably be the anticipated larger size to compete with the iPad (I hope it also has a camera; that and and SD card are really needed on any tablet released these days, unless the intent is to capture the bottom end of the market, such as the low-end tablets you can find at Big Lots).

Over at O'Reilly, you can get 50% off books on using Regular Expressions, using coupon code WKRGEX. - Deal expires September 4, 2012.

All the picks are up for Audibles $6.95 Beachcomber Sale and prices are good thru Aug 31. The sale is limited to those with some type of "membership", not just an account. If you don't have a membership, you can sign up for a free trial, use the credit and cancel - you should be offered the opportunity to sign up for the $10/year light membership at that point. You don't get any credits with that membership, but do get access to all of their sales. If you buy more than one audiobook a year during their sales, you'll come out ahead vs. paying non-member prices.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Spitfire ($1.99), by Annette Sandoval (publisher: Thomas & Mercer).
Book Description
Twenty-eight-year-old Tomi Reyes is a documentary filmmaker who moonlights as a receptionist to pay the bills. It’s a pretty easy gig—until she receives an unexpected promotion, and her somewhat interesting life goes totally insane.

For starters, her new boss, Scott Martin, morphs from nice guy into creepy dictator in the space of, like, five seconds. Then Justin Thyme, Tomi’s occasional boyfriend, is found murdered and stuffed inside his refrigerator. Before Tomi can get over the shock, her friend Whim meets the same gruesome fate. Tomi has a sneaking suspicion that new-boss-Scott has a hand in all of this, but the evidence to both of the murders is pointing to her! She is wondering how she'll look in an orange jumper, when her childhood pal is assigned to the case. Nicholas “Nickels” Turino, is now an FBI agent, and a hot one at that. When the killer starts stalking Tomi—going as far as turning her fridge into her waiting tomb—the not-so-swift hand of justice drives Tomi to act. She sets out to unmask the killer herself or die trying. Seriously underdressed for such a cold-blooded death, Tomi is determined to live.

With its larger-than-life heroine and delightfully sarcastic tone, Spitfire offers readers a refreshing alternative to the ho-hum crime novels crowding today’s bookshelves.

Foal's Bread ($2.04 / £1.29 UK), by Australian author Gillian Mears, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).
Book Description
The long-awaited new novel from the award-winning author of The Grass Sister tells the story of two generations of the Nancarrow family and the high-jumping horse circuit prior to the Second World War. A love story of impossible beauty and sadness, it is also a chronicle of dreams 'turned inside out', and miracles that never last, framed against a world both tender and unspeakably hard.

The sound of horses' hooves turns hollow on the farms west of Wirri. If a man can still ride, if he hasn't totally lost the use of his legs, if he hasn't died to the part of his heart that understands such things, then he should go for a gallop. At the very least he should stand at the road by the river imagining that he's pushing a horse up the steep hill that leads to the house on the farm once known as One Tree.

Set in hardscrabble farming country and around the country show high-jumping circuit that prevailed in rural New South Wales prior to the Second World War, Foal's Bread tells the story of two generations of the Nancarrow family and their fortunes as dictated by the vicissitudes of the land.

It is a love story of impossible beauty and sadness, a chronicle of dreams 'turned inside out', and miracles that never last, framed against a world both tender and unspeakably hard. Written in luminous prose and with an aching affinity for the landscape the book describes, Foal's Bread is the work of a born writer at the height of her considerable powers. It is a stunning work of remarkable originality and power, one that confirms Gillian Mears' reputation as one of our most exciting and acclaimed writers.

The Rose Garden ($4.90 Kindle, B&N), by Susanna Kearsley, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Eva Ward returns to the only place she truly belongs, the old house on the Cornish coast, seeking happiness in memories of childhood summers. There she finds mysterious voices and hidden pathways that sweep her not only into the past, but also into the arms of a man who is not of her time.

But Eva must confront her own ghosts, as well as those of long ago. As she begins to question her place in the present, she comes to realize that she too must decide where she really belongs.

From Susanna Kearsley, author of the New York Times bestseller The Winter Sea and a voice acclaimed by fans of Gabaldon, du Maurier, and Niffenegger alike, The Rose Garden is a haunting exploration of love, family, the true meaning of home, and the ties that bind us together.

11 Birthdays ($5.24 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Wendy Mass, is the Nook Daily Find for Families.
Book Description
This hilarious novel from award-winning author Wendy Mass is now available in paperback!

It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited---after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven't shared together. When Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating iself. What is going on?! And how can she fix it? Only time, friendship, and a little luck will tell. . .

Grade Level: 4 and up

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is My Monster Burrufu ($1.99), by Alberto Corral and Alessandra Sorrentino (Illustrator).
Book Description
Seven-year-old Olivia has just moved to a new house—the same house where a lonely monster named Burrufu lives hidden in a secret attic. One night, unable to resist the smell of delicious cookies, Burrufu sneaks out and is discovered by Olivia. The two soon learn that you can find friendship in the most unexpected places.
'My Monster Burrufu' is a story of fear overcome, a curse, and a most unusual monster who learns from a little girl how to trust his heart.

Age Level: 9 and up

Monday, August 27, 2012

Today's Deals

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Brimstone Wedding ($1.99), by Ruth Rendell, published by Open Road.
Book Description
An elderly nursing home patient tells stories of her past that seem to mirror her caregiver’s life to a disturbing degree—and that’s before the stories take a deadly turn

Stuck in a loveless marriage and mired in a troubled affair, Genevieve Warner doesn’t have a friend in the world—until she meets Stella, a patient at the nursing home where she works as a caregiver. Whip smart and deeply familiar, Stella confides in Genevieve the story of her life, a story that builds toward a horrifying confession. As Genevieve’s own life slips helplessly down the same path, she desperately tries to turn away from a fate that seems inevitable.

Sensitive and heartbreaking, The Brimstone Wedding is a mysterious tale of mistakes repeated.

Luke and Jon ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), by Robert Williams, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.19).
Book Description
Luke's mum is dead. He finds himself in a small, scruffy northern hill town, with a near silent father, who he fears might be trying to drink himself to death. Then he meets Jon. Jon is massively strange. He wears 1950s clothes, has a side-parting and a twitch. The kids at school call him 'Slackjaw'. When Luke discovers his secret, Jon changes his life in more ways than he can imagine. Luke and Jon is a coming of age novel about family, bereavement and how lives can change forever in a single second. Written with great power, warmth and humour, it signals a hugely engaging and original new voice. Compelling and emotionally acute, it is a unique debut.

Summer of Secrets ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Charlotte Hubbard, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Welcome to Willow Ridge, Missouri! In this cozy Amish town along the banks of the river, the Old Ways are celebrated at the Sweet Seasons Bakery Cafรฉ, and love is a gift God gives with grace. . .

Summer Of Secrets

Summer has come to Willow Ridge, but Rachel Lantz is looking forward to a whole new season in her life--marriage to strapping carpenter Micah Brenneman, her childhood sweetheart. When a strange Englischer arrives in the cafรฉ claiming to be the long-lost sister of Rachel and her twin Rhoda, Rachel feels the sturdy foundation of her future crumbling--including Micah's steadfast love. As the days heat up and tempers flare, Rachel and Micah will learn that even when God's plan isn't clear, it will always lead them back to each other. . .

Otto Goes to School ($6.99 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Todd Parr, is the Nook Daily Find for Families (requires NOOK Color, NOOK Tablet or NOOK Kids for iPad); this is agency published, so it should be price matched on Kindle (I've reported it) and might make it by afternoon.
Book Description
After a breakfast of juice, cereal, and a banana split, Otto goes to school for the first time, where he makes new friends and learns how to wag his tail without knocking things over.

After a breakfast of juice, cereal, and a banana split, Otto goes to school for the first time, where he makes new friends and learns how to wag his tail without knocking things over.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is The Westing Game ($2.99), by Ellen Raskin.
Book Description
For twenty-five years, Ellen Raskin's Newbery Medal-winning The Westing Game has been an enduring favorite and is now being reissued....

This highly inventive mystery involves sixteen people who are invited to the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. They could become millionaires, depending on how they play the tricky and dangerous Westing game, which involves blizzards, burglaries, and bombings. Ellen Raskin has entangled a remarkable cast of characters in a puzzle-knotted, word-twisting plot filled with humor, intrigue, and suspense.

Grade Level: 3 and up

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Today's Deals

Fictionwise has a 50% off code this weekend: 082512 (excludes Samhain, as usual).

Waterstones is running a Top Crime eBooks sale, with selected titles reduced to £1.99 for a limited period. Sales may be limited to those in the UK.

Take 25% OFF your next eBook purchase at Sony with code: (exp Aug 27). It does seem to be limited to selected titles (click the "see all" link for your country, though, and you get most of the store listed) and you must redeem the code before making the purchase.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Keeper of Lost Causes ($2.99), the first title in the Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen.
Book Description
Carl Mรธrck used to be one of Copenhagen’s best homicide detectives. Then a hail of bullets destroyed the lives of two fellow cops, and Carl—who didn’t draw his weapon—blames himself. So a promotion is the last thing he expects. But Department Q is a department of one, and Carl’s got only a stack of Copenhagen’s coldest cases for company. His colleagues snicker, but Carl may have the last laugh, because one file keeps nagging at him: a liberal politician vanished five years earlier and is presumed dead. But she isn’t dead … yet.

Darkly humorous, propulsive, and atmospheric, The Keeper of Lost Causes introduces American readers to the mega-bestselling series fast becoming an international sensation.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is 10 Young Adult Novels for $1.99 apiece. Two I already have, one I am definitely getting and a couple of others are intriguing enough that I'll take a look at the samples. What about you?

Tree Shepherd's Daughter (Faire Folk, Book 1), by Gillian Summers
When her mother dies, fifteen-year-old Keelie Heartwood is forced to leave her beloved California to live with her nomadic father at a renaissance festival in Colorado. After arriving, Keelie finds men in tights and women in trailer trash-tight bodices roaming half-drunk, calling each other lady and lord even after closing time! Playacting the Dark Ages is an L.A. girl’s worst nightmare.

Keelie has a plan to ditch this medieval geekland ASAP, but while she plots, strange things start happening—eerie, yet familiar. When Keelie starts seeing fairies and communicating with trees, she uncovers a secret that links her to a community of elves. As Keelie tries to come to grips with her elfin roots, disaster strikes, and Keelie’s identity isn’t the only thing that’s threatened.

One part human determination and one part elfin magic, Keelie Heartwood is a witty new heroine in a world where fantasy and reality mix with extraordinary results.
Poser, by Sue Wyshynski
Tallulah Jones makes a huge splash at her new school when she scores a coveted invitation to go surfing with the popular It Girl.

The only problem? Tallulah can't surf--not at all!

But hey, how hard can it be?

Did anyone mention near-death-experience?

And who knew a girl's nose was hard enough to break a surfboard in half?
Sometimes death is preferable to humiliation--especially when the in-crowd is calling you Poser...

The ever buoyant Tallulah carries on, determined to make amends. But with an archenemy clad in to-die-for designer heels--one who shares the hots for the same guy--only a miracle can save her.
Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars, by Nick James
A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government.

Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.

Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.
The Jerk Magnet (Life at Kingston High), by Melody Carlson
When Chelsea Martin's future stepmother helps her transform from gawky and geeky into the hottest girl at her new school, Chelsea is pretty sure it's the best thing that ever happened to her. But her hot new look has a downside. She's attracting lots of guys who all have one thing in common: they're jerks. And stealing the attention of all the guys in school doesn't endear her to the girls either.

Chelsea finally finds a true friend in Janelle Parker, and a non-jerk, Nicholas, catches her eye. Janelle keeps telling her to be herself, but Nicholas is the only guy around who doesn't give her a second look. Can Chelsea and Janelle come up with a plan to get his attention? Or will Chelsea's new image ruin everything?

Teen favorite and bestselling author Melody Carlson helps girls uncover the real source of beauty in this true-to-life story of young love, friendship, and being yourself.
Torn, by Erica O'Rourke
Everyone has secrets.

Even best friends.

Swirling black descends like ravens, large enough to block the glow of the streetlights. A dull roar starts like a train on the ‘L', a far-away rumbling that grows louder as it pulls closer, until it's directly overhead and you feel it in your chest, except this doesn't pass you by. Verity, white-faced and eyes blazing, shouts through the din, "Run, Mo!"

Mo Fitzgerald knows about secrets. But when she witnesses her best friend's murder, she discovers Verity was hiding things she never could have guessed. To find the answers she needs and the vengeance she craves, Mo--quiet, ordinary, unmagical Mo--will have to enter a world of raw magic and shifting alliances. And she'll have to choose between two very different, equally dangerous guys--protective, duty-bound Colin and brash, mysterious Luc. One wants to save her, one wants to claim her. Which would you choose?
But I Love Him, by Amanda Grace
Sometimes at night, I wake up and stare at the heart for hours. I think of how I collected each piece from the beach, how I glued it all together into one big sculpture. I wonder if Connor realizes what it means, that he'll always have a piece of me no matter what happens. Each piece of glass is another piece of myself that I gave to him.

It's too bad I didn't keep any pieces for myself.

At the beginning of senior year, Ann was a smiling, straight-A student and track star with friends and a future. Then she met a haunted young man named Connor. Only she can heal his emotional scars; only he could make her feel so loved - and needed. Ann can't recall the pivotal moment it all changed, when she surrendered everything to be with him, but by graduation, her life has become a dangerous high wire act. Just one mistake could trigger Connor's rage, a senseless storm of cruel words and violence damaging everything - and everyone - in its path.

This evocative slideshow of flashbacks reveals a heartbreaking story of love gone terribly wrong.
Sprout, by Dale Peck
When Sprout and his father move from Long Island to Kansas after the death of his mother, he is sure he will find no friends, no love, no beauty. But friends find him, the strangeness of the landscape fascinates him, and when love shows up in an unexpected place, it proves impossible to hold. An incredible, literary story of a boy who knows he's gay, and the town that seems to have no place for him to hide.
Dirty Little Secrets, by C. J. Omololu
Everyone has a secret. But Lucy's is bigger and dirtier than most. It's one she's been hiding for years-that her mom's out-of-control hoarding has turned their lives into a world of garbage and shame. She's managed to keep her home life hidden from her best friend and her crush, knowing they'd be disgusted by the truth. So, when her mom dies suddenly in their home, Lucy hesitates to call 911 because revealing their way of life would make her future unbearable-and she begins her two-day plan to set her life right.

With details that are as fascinating as they are disturbing, C. J. Omololu weaves an hour-by-hour account of Lucy's desperate attempt at normalcy. Her fear and isolation are palpable as readers are pulled down a path from which there is no return, and the impact of hoarding on one teen's life will have readers completely hooked.
Leaving Paradise, by Simone Elkeles
Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.
The Agency: A Spy in the House, by Y. S. Lee
Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is more than surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners - and a most unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls is in fact a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady's companion, she must work against time as she infiltrates a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But it soon becomes clear that the Thorold household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust - or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets - including those of her own past. First in a riveting detective trilogy!

The Big Questions: Philosophy ($1.72 / £1.09 UK), by Simon Blackburn, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $7.99).
Book Description
The Big Questions series confronts the fundamental problems of science and philosophy that have perplexed enquiring minds throughout history, and provides and explains the answers of our greatest thinkers.

In Big Questions: Philosophy, Simon Blackburn tackles 20 questions essential to our understanding of ourselves and the world we live in. Am I free? Is there such a thing as society? What is time? Why is there something and not nothing? What am I? Can we understand each other? What are my rights? Do we need God? What is beauty? Why be good? What do we really know? Can machines think? How can I deceive myself? What fills up space? Why do things keep on keeping on? Are we rational? Is truth relative? What is human nature? Is death to be feared? And what is the meaning of life?

The Penny ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Jenny Blake has a theory about life: big decisions often don't amount to much, but little decisions sometimes transform everything. Her theory proves true the summer of 1955, when 14-year-old Jenny makes the decision to pick up a penny imbedded in asphalt, and consequently ends up stopping a robbery, getting a job, and meeting a friend who changes her life forever.

Jenny and Miss Shaw form a friendship that dares both of them to confront secrets in their pasts--secrets that threaten to destroy them. Jenny helps Miss Shaw open up to the community around her, while Miss Shaw teaches Jenny to meet even life's most painful challenges with confidence and faith. This unexpected relationship transforms both characters in ways neither could have anticipated, and the ripple effect that begins in the summer of the penny goes on to bring new life to the people around them, showing how God works in the smallest details. Even in something as small as a penny.

The Inner Circle ($3.99 Kindle, B&N), by Brad Meltzer, is the Nook Weekend Deal, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
The best-kept secret of the U.S. Presidency is about to be revealed.

"There are stories no one knows. Hidden stories. I love those stories. And since I work in the National Archives, I find those stories for a living."

Beecher White, a young archivist, spends his days working with the most important documents of the U.S. government. He has always been the keeper of other people's stories, never a part of the story himself . . .

Until now.

When Clementine Kaye, Beecher's first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help tracking down her long-lost father, Beecher tries to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the President of the United States privately reviews classified documents. After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact-a two-hundred-year-old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington-hidden underneath a desk chair, Beecher and Clementine find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy, and murder.

Soon a man is dead and Beecher is on the run as he races to learn the truth behind this mysterious national treasure. His search will lead him to discover a coded and ingenious puzzle that conceals a disturbing secret from the founding of our nation. It is a secret, Beecher soon discovers, that some believe is worth killing for.

Gripping, fast-paced, and filled with the fascinating historical detail for which he is famous, THE INNER CIRCLE is a thrilling novel that once again proves Brad Meltzer as a brilliant author, writing at the height of his craft.

Curious George Home Run ($3.79 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by H. A. Rey, is the Nook Daily Find for Families (requires NOOK Color, NOOK Tablet or NOOK Kids for iPad).
Book Description
George is excited to go to his first baseball game to watch his friend Marco play. While Marco concentrates on hitting his first home run, George gets to play scorekeeper. But George doesn't know in which order he should hang the numbers. With help from Marco and the girl at the snack stand, George learns about number sequence and a handy trick for putting double digits in order. During the last inning, George agrees to be a pinch runner for an injured Marco. Will he be able to add another number to the scoreboard? Includes rules of the game and a score-keeping activity.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Bargain Book Roundup

Several of the selections below are from today's Deal of the Day, so the pricing may only last until midnight on the west coast (USA). The first two may be aimed at college kids, but look like they would work for anyone cooking for one and who wants to eat healthy or save a bit of cash (or maybe do both).

30 Days to a More Powerful Memory ($2.49), by Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D.
Book Description
With phones ringing off the hook, constantly changing to-do lists, and increasingly complicated schedules, having a good memory has become more important than ever. Drawing on the latest research from cognitive experts and psychologists, "30 Days to a More Powerful Memory" provides hands-on, practical strategies and exercises that anyone, young or old, can use to sharpen their memory - fast! The book introduces readers to memory-boosting techniques such as mnemonic devices, visualization, chunking and clustering, and mental triggers, and also shows how to: effectively decrease anxiety levels and combat the negative emotions that can affect recall; create powerful backup systems to help trigger associations; exercise both body and mind, and improve overall health to improve memory; get the kind of restful sleep that will increase one's ability to retain information.The book discusses common myths about memory, clarifying what's true and what isn't. Packed with tips and memory-boosting activities, this guide provides readers with the simple but powerful methods they need to increase their mental agility.

Authorbio: Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D.(Oakland, CA) is the founder and director of Changemakers and Creative Communications & Research. She is the author of over 40 books, including "A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses" (0-8144-7298-2), and "A Survival Guide to Working with Humans" (0-8144-7205-2). Frequently sought out by the media, she has been interviewed for "Good Morning America", "Oprah", "Geraldo at Large", "Montel Williams", "The O'Reilly Factor", "The New York Times", "Glamour", and "Cosmopolitan".

The Clutter-Busting Handbook: Clean It Up, Clear It Out, and Keep Your Life Clutter-Free ($1.49), by Rita Emmett
Book Description
The Clutter Busting Handbook is a streamlined guide to uncluttering your life from the best-selling author of The Procrastinator's Handbook.We are the clutter generation, inundated by a seemingly daily or weekly influx of clothes, accessories, gadgets, catalogs, mail, and e-mail. Clutter crowds our lives, is a chief source of stress, contributes to sidetracked dreams and opportunities, and can cause guilt and anxiety. If clutter is a problem in your life, then Rita Emmett-herself a reformed clutterer-can help you tame it.

The Clutter-Busting Handbook is a concise, energizing guide giving readers insight and direction as well as proven tips, methods, and strategies that will change lives for the better.

As entertaining as she is helpful, Emmett offers practical advice on separating what you need or truly want from what you have been hanging onto for the wrong reasons. Her combination of experience and good humor-based on her hundreds of seminars and advice received from people all over the country-will win over the most reluctant convert.

The $5 a Meal College Cookbook: Good Cheap Food for When You Need to Eat ($1.99), by Rhonda Lauret Parkinson and B. E. Horton
Book Description
Say goodbye to the dining hall!

Need a break from the monotony of your meal plan? Can't afford to waste money on lukewarm takeout? Well, now you can ditch the dining hall's soggy excuse for the Monday-night special thanks to this appetite-saving book packed with cheap, easy, and delicious recipes.

Offering up more than 300 hassle-free dishes, this cookbook will not only satisfy your hunger but your meager bank account, too! Whether you need a morning-after greasy breakfast, a cram-session snack, or date-night entree, here you'll find ideas for everything you crave, including: Western Omelet, Asian Lettuce Wraps, Easy Eggplant Parmesan, Simple Pepper Steak and Decadent Apple Crisp.

Saving you from overcooked, overpriced, and dull dishes, if you have to buy a book for college, this is required reading.

The Everything Healthy College Cookbook ($2.49), by Nicole Cormier
Book Description
Forget fast food. Forget the dining hall. In this cookbook, you'll find 300 great-tasting, good-for-you recipes designed to help you eat well in and out of the dorm. Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Wraps; Toasted Cheese and Turkey Sandwiches; Apricot Rice; Asian Chicken Salad; Fresh Tomato with Angel Hair Pasta; Mango Citrus Salsa; Triple Chocolate Cupcakes; and more. Chock full of money-saving tips, cooking techniques, and culinary shortcuts, this all-in-one cookbook is all you need to eat well on a budget. With full nutritional breakdowns as well as a wide range of low-fat, vegetarian, and vegan offerings, this college-proof collection of mouthwatering recipes gives you the tasty nutritional boost you need, even when you're stressed out and sleep deprived. So put down that take-out menu and prepare to eat well--on the cheap!

101 Things To Do With Popcorn ($1.49), by Christina Dymock (I bought this the last time it was on sale).
Book Description
The world’s favorite snack just got tastier! These sweet and savory treats will turn this old-fashioned staple into Snickerdoodle Popcorn, Pumpkin Balls, Caramel Nut Bars, Sleepover Mix, Taco Spice, and A Taste of Asia. And for a popper of a surprise, give CinnaPop Cake, Popcorn Brownies, Rooster Snacks, Chicken Nuggets, and Swedish Meatballs a try.

Christina Dymock has written several Chicken Soup stories; been published in Woman’s World magazine; and wrote the Christmas booklet The Widow’s Mite. She loves spending time creating in the kitchen with her four children.

I also already own Edible Wild Plants (The Wild Food Adventure) ($1.49), by John Kallas Ph.D., which I don't recommend as your only source of identifying wild edibles, but is a good resource on utilizing plants you do know how to identify (or even grow in your garden).
Book Description
Edible wild plants have one or more parts that can be used for food if gathered at the appropriate stage of growth and properly prepared. Edible Wild Plants includes extensive information and recipes on plants from the four categories:

Foundation greens: wild spinach, chickweed, mallow, purslane; tart greens: curly dock, sheep sorrel, wood sorrel; pungent greens: wild mustard, wintercress, garlic mustard, shepherd’s purse; and bitter greens: dandelion, cat’s ear, sow thistle, nipplewort.

The Hippie Handbook: How to Tie-Dye a T-Shirt, Flash a Peace Sign, and Other Essential Skills for the Carefree Life ($1.99), by Chelsea Cain and Lia Miternique
Book Description
Brothers and sisters! Here at last is a light-hearted, free-spirited, groovy guide to the timeless hippie skills and activities that make the world a better place, one macrame belt at a time. In illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions, author Chelsea Cain -- who grew up on an Iowa hippie commune -- provides practical and playful know-how for the hippie and hippie-at-heart. Learn how to milk a goat, build a compost pile, play "Kumbaya" on the guitar, teach a dog how to catch a Frisbee, and get your file from the FBI. Discover the finer points of caring for a fern, choosing a mantra, organizing a protest, naming your hippie baby, and making sand candles as holiday gifts. Including primers on cooking, dressing, driving, telling time, dancing, and celebrating your birthday in classic hippie style, and a righteous appendix of essential hippie books, movies, and slang, The Hippie Handbook knows the score. Right on.

98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive ($1.49), by Cody Lundin and Russ Miller (Illustrator)
Book Description
Cody Lundin, director of the Aboriginal Living Skills School in Prescott, Arizona, shares his own brand of wilderness wisdom in this highly anticipated new book on commonsense, modern survival skills for the backcountry, the backyard, or the highway. This is the ultimate book on how to stay alive-based on the principal of keeping the body's core temperature at a lively 98.6 degrees.

In his entertaining and informative style, Cody stresses that a human can live without food for weeks and without water for about three days or so. But if the body's core temperature dips much below or above the 98.6 degree mark, a person can literally die within hours. It is a concept that many don't take seriously or even consider, but knowing what to do to maintain a safe core temperature when lost in a blizzard or in the desert could save your life. Lundin delivers the message with wit, rebellious humor, and plenty of backcountry expertise.

Watch naturalist Cody Lundin on "Dual Survival" as he uses many of the same skills and techniques taught in his book: 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive.

Cody Lundin and his Aboriginal Living Skills School have been featured in dozens of national and international media sources, including Dateline NBC, CBS News, USA Today, The Donny and Marie Show, and CBC Radio One in Canada, as well as on the cover of Backpacker magazine. When not teaching for his own school, he is an adjunct faculty member at Yavapai College and a faculty member at the Ecosa Institute. Cody is the only person in Arizona licensed to catch fish with his hands, and lives in a passive solar earth home sixty miles from Prescott, Arizona.

On Silver Wings ($0.99), the first novel in Evan Currie's Warrior's Wings military sci-fi/space opera series, is one of five fiction titles hiding out in today's Kindle Daily Deal.
Book Description
Behind enemy lines.

Cut off from reinforcement.

Her only assets; Her rifle, power armour, basic kit... oh, and several hundred civilians looking to take back their home.

Luckily this is just what she was trained for. De Oppresso Liber.

A novel of both ground and space warfare set in the far flung future, On Silver WIngs tells the tale of a colony cut off from Earth's support when an alien assault severs their orbital tether and effectively maroons the colonists on a lush world where neither the flora nor fauna are edible by humans. Faced with frightening ghost-like aliens using technology nearly unfathomable to their knowledge, the colonists are forced to rely on the sole survivor of a military scouting mission as their best and possibly only chance of survival.

The Solar Fleet isn't sitting this one out, however, and back home a massive effort is marshalled to send support and reinforcements to the stricken colony world... but will any of it be in time?

Gift ($1.49), by Andrea J. Buchanan, says it is an "Open Road E-riginal", looks to be of novel length and includes some extras such as a short graphic novel, a journal and lyrics and links to the music.
Book Description
Daisy has an electrifying secret that could save her life—or kill her

High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.

Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in, and a gorgeous senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vivi, a mysterious classmate in a crisis, she soon discovers that her new friend has a secret of her own. Now Daisy and her friends must deal with chilling dreams and messages from the beyond. Can Daisy channel the power she’s always tried to hide, before it’s too late?

Philip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe. ($1.49), the first in the The Philip Hall Trilogy by Bette Greene, is published by Open Road Young Readers.
Book Description
Beth Lambert has a crush on Philip Hall, who is better than she is at just about everything—or is he?

Philip Hall is the handsomest, smartest, fastest boy in Miss Johnson’s class. He beats Beth Lambert in math, spelling, reading, sports . . . and she adores him. Beth suspects Philip likes her too, only she can’t quite get him to admit it. In fact, he won’t even invite her to his birthday party because he’s afraid the other boys will call him a sissy.

But then Beth begins to wonder: Maybe Philip only wins because she’s letting him. Maybe she could beat him at everything. That would show Philip Hall! Because if being friends with a girl is bad . . . getting beaten by a girl is much, much worse.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Bette Greene including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

The Kid from Tomkinsville ($1.49), by John R. Tunis, is also published by Open Road Young Readers.
Book Description
Rookie pitcher Roy Tucker is full of hope for his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers—and hope might be what the team needs most

Roy Tucker—a small-town kid from Tomkinsville, Connecticut—has quit his job at the drugstore and packed up for Dodgers training camp in Clearwater, Florida, hoping to make the team as a rookie pitcher. He expects the field to be competitive and realizes he might not pass muster, but after just one practice, he discovers just how difficult a goal he has set.

But the Dodgers are an aging team, and owner Jack MacManus is getting tired of the smart remarks from sports reporters and the manager of the rival Giants, Bill Murphy. With a little coaching and encouragement from Dave Leonard, the oldest catcher in the big leagues, this kid from Tomkinsville might be just what the team needs.

Easy ($0.99), a self-published entry by Tammara Webber in today's Kindle Deal sale, has nearly 500 reviews and a near 5-star rating (and is a New York Times Bestseller).
Book Description
A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Untouchables: Dirty cops, bent justice and racism in Scotland Yard ($1.99), by Michael Gillard and Laurie Flynn
Book Description
With Scotland Yard in the dock, now more than ever the public needs to know why the police cannot be trusted to investigate their own corruption.

Untouchables, a five year investigation which the Yard tried to stop, provides the essential context to the phone hacking and other scandals currently engulfing Britain’s most powerful police force.

Republished after seven years, it was the first book to question the cosy relationship between the Yard and sections of the media, to explain why cops are incapable of investigating themselves and to expose the lack of independence in the new police watchdog.

From the 1983 Brinks Matt robbery, through the murders of Daniel Morgan, David Norris, Stephen Lawrence, Jill Dando and Damilola Taylor to the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, Untouchables reveals the cover ups, double standards and miscarriages of justice during the Yard’s phoney war on corruption.

Sunday Times journalist Michael Gillard and TV producer Laurie Flynn expose how the discredited use of supergrasses in the war on corruption has re-emerged in the new wars on terror and crime, with the same disastrous effects: prosecution misconduct, collapsed trials, huge bills for the taxpayer, victims left without justice and the guilty walking free.

Jeremy Lin: From the End of the Bench to Stardom ($1.49), by Bill Davis
Book Description
This true story is truly “Lin-sane!”

The world is exposed to an individual like Jeremy Lin only once in a generation. His journey has taken him from practicing lay-ups on the court at the local YMCA to hitting last minute game-winners on the grand stage at Madison Square Garden. This book charts Jeremy’s life story, from the streets of Palo Alto to the dormitories of Harvard to the major arenas throughout the country. Through exclusive interviews, play-by-plays, and colorful recollections, we get an intimate look at Jeremy’s story. It is one of unyielding determination, true faith, and unimaginable success.

What the Best College Students Do ($4.49), by Ken Bain (Harvard University Press), might be one you want to gift to any new or upcoming high school grads in your family.
Book Description
The author of the best-selling book What the Best College Teachers Do is back with more humane, doable, and inspiring help, this time for students who want to get the most out of college—and every other educational enterprise, too.

The first thing they should do? Think beyond the transcript. The creative, successful people profiled in this book—college graduates who went on to change the world we live in—aimed higher than straight A’s. They used their four years to cultivate habits of thought that would enable them to grow and adapt throughout their lives.

Combining academic research on learning and motivation with insights drawn from interviews with people who have won Nobel Prizes, Emmys, fame, or the admiration of people in their field, Ken Bain identifies the key attitudes that distinguished the best college students from their peers. These individuals started out with the belief that intelligence and ability are expandable, not fixed. This led them to make connections across disciplines, to develop a “meta-cognitive” understanding of their own ways of thinking, and to find ways to negotiate ill-structured problems rather than simply looking for right answers. Intrinsically motivated by their own sense of purpose, they were not demoralized by failure nor overly impressed with conventional notions of success. These movers and shakers didn’t achieve success by making success their goal. For them, it was a byproduct of following their intellectual curiosity, solving useful problems, and taking risks in order to learn and grow.

I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College ($1.99), by Pete Leibman
Book Description
Recent graduates looking to enter the workforce face a discouraging job market and stiff competition for even the most entry-level positions. Yet with the right attitude and strategies, they can break into any organization in any industry and start climbing the ladder to success. When he was only 21 years old, Pete Leibman landed his "dream job," working in the front office of the NBA's Washington Wizards. He went on to be their #1 salesperson for three straight seasons and was promoted to management in under two years. In "I Got My Dream Job and So Can You", Leibman shares his proven and simple system for career success. He shows readers how to: think big and identify what they want from their career; network their way past corporate gatekeepers; impress highly influential people in any field; land interviews for "hidden" jobs; and sell themselves on paper, online, and in person. Get hired faster and with less effort than they thought possible. Career hopefuls will also find inspiring stories of other young professionals, creative strategies for leveraging social media in the job-search process, and the 5 secrets that will skyrocket their earning potential once they are hired. In short, all the information they need to land the job of their dreams-in any economy.

Click Millionaires: Work Less, Live More with an Internet Business You Love ($1.99), by Scott Fox (I've only read the sample, but this looks pretty good; I definitely would not object to having my office in the same place as the cover image).
Book Description
The rules have changed. The American Dream is no longer the corner office.It's a successful business you can run from your home office, the beach, or wherever you desire. It's work you love that still allows you the freedom and income to live the life you truly want. Sound like a tall order? Well, thanks to the Internet, anyone can launch a business with little or no start-up capital or technical expertise. And in Click Millionaires, e-commerce expert Scott Fox teaches weary corporate warriors and aspiring entrepreneurs how to trade the 9รป5 job they hate for an online business they love. The book explains how to combine outsourcing, software, and automated online marketing to build recurring revenues, all while working less and making fewer of the lifestyle compromises that corporate success requires.

Readers will learn how to: Find a lucrative niche on the Internet that matches their interests and skills; Choose an online businessmodel: fromblogs, noozles, and audience communities to digital delivery, online services, affiliate marketing - even physical products; Position themselves as a experts Build their audience; Design the lifestyle they want; Balance passion and profits to realize their personal definition of success.

Featuring stories of dozens of regular folks who have reinvented themselves as Click Millionaires, this inspiring and practical guide shows readers how to stop dreaming of a better life and start living it!

Just reading the synopsis on Leading at The Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition ($2.99), by Dennis N. T Perkins, Margaret P. Holtman, Jillian B. Murphy and Margaret P. Holtman, puts a little perspective on the bad business trips I've been. Getting stuck on runways for 12+ hours, routed thru deserted & closed terminals (to get a replacement plane) in states we aren't even supposed to be flying over or dumped into the Detroit airport and left for a 24 hour delay (they did relent and bring out some free water and soft drinks after about 8 hours) all pale in comparison to a 2 year layover in the Antartic sea.
Book Description
Stranded in the frozen Antarctic sea for nearly two years, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team of 27 polar explorers endured extreme temperatures, hazardous ice, dwindling food, and complete isolation. Despite these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the group remained cohesive, congenial, and mercifully alive-a fact that speaks not just to luck but to an unparalleled feat of leadership. Drawing on this amazing story, "Leading at The Edge" demonstrates the importance of a strong leader in times of adversity, uncertainty, and change. The book reveals 10 timeless leadership lessons that show readers how to: instill optimism while staying grounded in reality; have the courage to step up to risks worth taking; consistently reinforce the team message; set a personal example; find something to celebrate and something to laugh about; and, never give up. Part adventure tale, part leadership guide, the second edition features additional lessons, new case studies of the strategies in action, tools to uncover and resolve conflicts, and expanded resources. An updated epilogue compares the leadership styles of the famous polar explorers Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott. Today's leaders have much to learn from this gripping account of survival against all odds. "Leading at The Edge" will help them bring order to chaos-and achieve success in the face of adversity.

The Vow: The True Events that Inspired the Movie ($1.99), by Krickitt Carpenter and Kim Carpenter
Book Description
Life as Kim and Krickitt Carpenter knew it was shattered beyond recognition on November 24, 1993. Two months after their marriage, a devastating car wreck left Krickitt with a massive head injury and in a coma for weeks.

When she finally awoke, she had no idea who Kim was. With no recollection of their relationship and while Krickitt experienced personality changes common to those who suffer head injuries, Kim realized the woman he had married essentially died in the accident.

And yet, against all odds, but through the common faith in Christ that sustained them, Kim and Krickitt fell in love all over again. Even though Kim stood by Krickitt through the darkest times a husband can ever imagine, he insists, “I’m no hero. I made a vow.”

The Fate of Your Date: Divination for Dating, Mating, and Relating ($1.99), by Stefanie Iris Weiss, Sherene Schostak and IRMA
Book Description
Dating can be a bewildering business. Sometimes we all need a little help, a little divine intervention, if you will. Enter The Fate of Your Date. Using the time-tested arts of astrology, spell craft, tarot, and more, this handy guide shows you how to divine whether he's a loser or a keeper. It's easy. Before the date, work some numerology on his phone number; during the date, perform a little palmistry as you hold his hand; and after the date, cast a bit of white magic to get exactly what you want. Covering all the essential arts and organized into a date timeline (before the date, during, and after), The Fate of Your Date makes it a cinch to divine and conquer!

The Alps ($1.49), by Ronald Clark
Book Description
The unrivalled scenery of the Alps attracts increasing numbers of visitors every year, while for those who seek the more active and dangerous pursuits of climbing and skiing, the region offers unique opportunities. Ronald Clark, a distinguished historian of mountaineering, who knows the Alps fromend to end, describes the history of the mountains and their most famous peaks. The heroic story of their exploration, first by scientists, then by such early mountaineers as Whymper, Coolidge, Miss Brevoort and their guides, is related with extensive quotations from letters, diaries and contemporary records. With the mountaineers came the pioneer photographers whose cumbersome but fragile equipment had to be manhandled up ice-slopes and across glaciers to enable them to take their photographs, a procedure which necessitated hours of intricate manoeuvring, in freezing weather, to obtain one successful shot. Other chapters discuss the development of the Alps as a mountain health centre, the coming of roads and railways and the growth of the winter sports industry and Mr Clark warns that the mountains, like a Highland deer forest, can carry only a certain number of living creatures without facing disaster.

What's the Economy For, Anyway?: Why It's Time to Stop Chasing Growth and Start Pursuing Happiness ($2.49), by John de Graaf and David K Batker
Book Description
In this funny, readable, and thought-provoking book based on the popular film of the same name, activists John de Graaf (coauthor of the bestselling Affluenza) and David Batker tackle thirteen economic issues, challenging the reader to consider the point of our economy. Emphasizing powerful American ideals, including teamwork, pragmatism, and equality, de Graaf and Batker set forth a simple goal for any economic system: The greatest good for the greatest number over the longest run. Drawing from history and current enterprises, we see how the good life is achieved when people and markets work together with an active government to create a more perfect economy-one that works for everyone.

Beginning by shattering our fetish for GDP, What's the Economy For, Anyway? offers a fresh perspective on quality of life, health, security, work-life balance, leisure, social justice, and perhaps most important, sustainability. This sparkling, message-driven book is exactly what those lost in the doldrums of partisan sniping and a sluggish economy need: a guide to what really matters, and a map to using America's resources to make the world a better place.

ESV Student Study Bible ($3.49), by Crossway
Book Description
The ESV Student Study Bible is ideally suited for students who are serious about God’s Word—who want to learn more about what the Bible teaches and how the Bible applies to all of life.

With 12,000 clear, concise study notes, the ESV Student Study Bible provides numerous new features—including nearly 900 “Did You Know?” facts, 120 new Bible character profiles, and 15 new topical articles. It also features a new glossary of key terms, more than 80 full-color maps and illustrations, an extensive concordance, and 80,000 cross-references. These and many other features make it the most comprehensive, colorful, and content-rich student Bible available today. Suited to high school and college students, the ESV Student Study Bible is also a versatile resource for anyone engaged in serious study of God’s Word.

Created by an outstanding team of more than 100 evangelical Christian scholars, teachers, and pastors, the ESV Student Study Bible is adapted from the highly acclaimed and best-selling ESV Study Bible. With numerous new features, the ESV Student Study Bible is an invaluable resource. For high school and college students, but equally for all students of the Bible—for everyone who loves to read and learn more about God’s Word.

From Merriam-Webster, be sure to check out Book of Word Histories ($2.49), Guide to Punctuation and Style ($2.49), Intermediate Dictionary ($2.99), Vocabulary Builder ($2.49), Collegiate Thesaurus, Second Edition ($2.99), Dictionary of Law ($2.99), Dictionary and Thesaurus ($2.49) and Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition ($4.99). The latter two can be used as your Kindle dictionary, instead of the default New Oxford American Dictionary.
Book Description
Since 1937. Merriam-Webster is America's foremost publisher of language-related reference works. The company publishes a diverse array of print and electronic products, including Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition – America's best-selling desk dictionary – and Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster can be considered the direct lexicographical heir of Noah Webster. In 1843, the company bought the rights to the 1841 edition of Webster's magnum opus, An American Dictionary of the English Language, Corrected and Enlarged. At the same time, they secured the rights to create revised editions of the work. Since that time, Merriam-Webster editors have carried forward Noah Webster's work, creating some of the most widely used and respected dictionaries and reference books in the world.

Water: Asia's New Battleground ($4.99), by Brahma Chellaney
Book Description
The battles of yesterday were fought over land. Those of today are over energy. But the battles of tomorrow may be over water. Nowhere is that danger greater than in water-distressed Asia.

Water stress is set to become Asia's defining crisis of the twenty-first century, creating obstacles to continued rapid economic growth, stoking interstate tensions over shared resources, exacerbating long-time territorial disputes, and imposing further hardships on the poor. Asia is home to many of the world's great rivers and lakes, but its huge population and exploding economic and agricultural demand for water make it the most water-scarce continent on a per capita basis. Many of Asia's water sources cross national boundaries, and as less and less water is available, international tensions will rise. The potential for conflict is further underscored by China's unrivaled global status as the source of transboundary river flows to the largest number of countries, ranging from India and Vietnam to Russia and Kazakhstan; yet a fast-rising China has declined to enter into water-sharing or cooperative treaties with these states, even as it taps the resources of international rivers.

Water: Asia's New Battleground is a pioneering study of Asia's murky water politics and the relationships between freshwater, peace, and security. In this unique and highly readable book, Brahma Chellaney expertly paints a larger picture of water across Asia, highlights the security implications of resource-linked territorial disputes, and proposes real strategies to avoid conflict and more equitably share Asia's water resources.

The Everything Guide to Study Skills: Strategies, tips, and tools you need to succeed in school! ($1.99), by Cynthia C. Muchnick
Book Description
Here's something worth learning: Studying doesn't have to be a chore! This fun and accessible resource provides the tools you need to develop better study habits, boost your grades, and position yourself for academic success.

Educational consultant Cynthia Clumeck Muchnick uses a wide range of ideas taken from hundreds of students to help you find a unique, effective method suited for your individual learning style. You'll improve transcripts for college applications, ace standardized tests, and become a better student at any level of education.

This indispensable guide shows you how to: Get the most out of class time; Use the best strategies for note-taking and memorizing; Improve writing skills; Prepare completely for tests; Safely and effectively conduct online research and Use Skype, iChat, or social media to form study groups.

With this guide in your backpack, you'll be able to balance school and activities, avoid pre-test panic, and achieve consistently better results.

Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference: The Definitive Source for Clear and Concise Writing ($2.49), by Gary Lutz
Book Description
The Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference is the comprehensive resource on grammar and usage, a necessity for every writer's desk. It presents balanced instruction and real-world examples that will ensure professional and flawless work on every occasion.

The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2012 ($20.49), by Frank J Domino MD, may be a bit above my usual bargain cutoff, but it is priced at not much more than the co-pay for most doctor visits. Some of the images are a bit difficult to read on Kindle, but you should be able to get those on the website (or view on a larger screen). If you were lucky enough to snag a $10 off $20 textbook credit from AmazonLocal (no longer available), you get it for almost half off the current sale price (if you apply the promo code first). The intended audience is medical students, but might be worth picking up just for the health maintenance guidelines for kids and others.
Book Description
The 5-Minute Clinical Consult continues to provide our users with instant, up-to-date answers, at the point of need in print, online, or remotely on mobile. The 2012 edition has had every topic reviewed and updated, new topics have been added and updated with ICD-9 and Snomed codes, and more evidence-based medicine ratings have been added to references. Purchasers of the book will receive access to Clinical Consult topics on the website 5minuteconsult.com (both those in print and those only published online) where they can also view hundreds of new clinical and radiologic (x-rays, CTs, etc.) images. Also on the standard website: New procedure and physical therapy videos; patient education handouts from the AAFP in English and Spanish; new and revised diagnostic and treatment algorithms (also in the book); and updated drugs from the A – Z Drug Guide from Facts and Comparisons. Plus, all the content is accessible from your web-enabled mobile device and is updated regularly.