Game AND Book of the Day - L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Today's game download pick is L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , which Amazon has marked down to $2.99 for today only. This game is a bit different, though, in that it ALSO includes a digital copy of the original novel. So, it's a game, it's a book (it's entertainment!). I haven't played it yet, but I am downloading the free trial; the graphics look good on the product page, much better than some hidden object games I've tried.

Game Description

• Based on L. Frank Baum's literary classic!
• Visit over 30 unique locations in the land of Oz
• Three modes of gameplay to appeal to all users
• Several varieties of hidden object gameplay keep things fun, fresh, and exciting.
• Includes a digital copy of the original novel

Join Dorothy, The Tinman, The Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and even Toto as you travel through the wonders of the Land of Oz on a quest to see the wizard to send Dorothy back home to Kansas. Dorothy needs your help as she journeys through Munchkinland, the field of poppies, dark forests, the witch's castle, the Emerald City where the companions meet the great and terrible Oz, and much more.

Book Review: The Truth About You

Thomas Nelson provided me a review copy of The Truth About You: Your Secret to Success, by Marcus Buckingham. I'm not sure how well this one will translate to the digital world (but it is available on Kindle), as there is both a DVD and a memo pad included in the book. The first thing you are instructed to do is to watch the film (22 minutes). At various points, you use the two-sided memo pad to record activities that you love (that made you feel strong) and those you loathed (you felt weak, bored, etc). Any memo pad could be used for the exercise, of course, but you will miss a third or so of the content without the DVD. The book itself is quite short, at 110 pages, so it isn't one you'll be reading for hours each day. Instead, there are short sections that require to think, reflect and act. Rather than trying to work on your weaknesses and eliminate them, this program has you work on your strengths, find jobs that use them and then carve out that job over time to match you, rather than trying to mold yourself to the job.

One thing I didn't like about the book was the binding. The DVD holder and memo pad holder are the front and back covers of the book, so you are stuck holding the fairly awkward result when reading the book, which also won't lay flat. I think with a bit of coaxing, you could separate the book from the outer hard cover (but, you'll want to be careful not to tear it up doing so), but it still isn't likely to lie flat). You can blow thru the book in an hour, but working the exercises with the memo pad will take you longer; anywhere from a few hours, to the rest of your career/life.

Book Description
An Experience to Revolutionize Your Life from Marcus Buckingham - the World's Leading Expert on Career Success!

Want to know what you are supposed to do with your life? The Truth About You is an experience to unlock life's toughest questions. The process this revolutionary toolkit teaches will create higher satisfaction and performance in life and work. This cutting-edge product includes:

Enhanced DVD. A high-energy film reveals how and why you must discover and prioritize your strengths and includes access to a wealth of downloadable resources, including five bonus Strength Tip videos.

Interactive Book. With insightful exercises and tried-and-true life wisdom no one else will tell you, the book takes you to the location of your most powerful and unchanging talents.

ReMemo Pad. Designed for a life on-the-go, the ReMemo Pad becomes your companion to complete the task of revealing your strengths using your everyday experiences.

Perfect for high school and college students, young professionals, and people simply wanting to revitalize their career, The Truth About You helps you develop the kind of clarity and passion that drives a successful and satisfying future. Marcus Buckingham will help you discover the real truth, the truth about you . . . it will be your secret to success.

New Release Tuesday (a bit late...)

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris ( $14.2712.84; Hardcover $15.57), ninth in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps—and nothing about weres. Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works—and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it. But there’s a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings—older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves—is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

New Release Tuesday (a bit late...)

The big news this week, of course, was the release of The Lord of the Rings and other Tolkien books this week. But there are a few other notable releases available for Kindle.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel by Alexander Mccall Smith ($9.99; Hardback $14.37). The latest installment of this universally beloved and best-selling series finds Precious Ramotswe in personal need of her own formidable detection talents . . . .

Mma Ramotswe’s ever-ready tiny white van has recently developed a rather disturbing noise. Of course, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni–her estimable husband and one of Botswana’s most talented mechanics––is the man to turn to for help. But Precious suspects he might simply condemn the van and replace it with something more modern. Can she find a way to save her old friend?

In the meantime, Mma Makutsi discovers that her old rival Violet Sephotho, who could not have gotten more than fifty percent on her typing final at the Botswana Secretarial College, has set her sights on none other than Mma Makutsi’s fiancé, Phuti Radiphuti. Can Mma Ramotswe’s intuition save the day? Finally, the proprietor of a local football team has enlisted the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to help explain its dreadful losing streak. The owner of the team is convinced he as a traitor in his midst. But how is Mma Ramotswe, who has never seen a football match in her life, going to discern who is throwing the game? Help, it turns out, may come from an unexpected quarter.

There are few mysteries that can’t be solved and fewer problems that can’t be fixed when the irrepressible Precious Ramotswe puts her mind to them. A good cup of red bush tea might be the best solution of all.

Recipes from America's Small Farms: Fresh Ideas for the Season's Bounty by Joanne Hayes ($9.99). This is one that I've picked up and already read thru the first few chapters. Hopefully I'll find a few ideas for the things growing in my garden this year (or new things to plant).

Recipes from America’s Small Farms gathers the most exciting, original, and authentic recipes—using the freshest ingredients—from those who know best how to set a table anytime of the year. Favorite recipes from farmers across the country and members of Community Supported Agriculture—a national organization that facilitates direct farmer-to-consumer sales of produce—will inspire home cooks everywhere. Also included are recipes from high-profile chefs such as Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill), Peter Hoffman (Savoy), Roxanne Klein (Roxanne’s), and Kevin von Klause (White Dog Café).

Readers will find it easy to locate recipes, organized by food family, that call for the vegetables and fruits that are in season, readily available, and simple to use. Recipes like Creamy Turnip Soup; Heirloom Tomatoes with Fresh Herbs, Toasted Pine Nuts, and Tapenade Toast Points; Greek Zucchini Cakes; and Hiroko’s Fusion Choy with Tahini-Soy Dip give common produce exotic appeal.

The book includes a chapter on meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood, and there are vegan recipes throughout. Each chapter provides details about the history, characteristics, and nutritional qualities of specific fruits and vegetables. Cooking techniques, useful sidebars, and a glossary make this book an indispensable resource.

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks ($14.29). Most of us believe that we will finally feel satisfied and content with our lives when we get the good news we have been waiting for, find a healthy relationship, or achieve one of our personal goals. However, this rarely happens. Good fortune is often followed by negative emotions that overtake us and result in destructive behaviors. "I don't deserve this," "this is too good to be true," or any number of harmful thought patterns prevent us from experiencing the joy and satisfaction we have earned. Sound familiar? This is what New York Times bestselling author Gay Hendricks calls the Upper Limit Problem, a negative emotional reaction that occurs when anything positive enters our lives. The Upper Limit Problem not only prevents happiness, but it actually stops us from achieving our goals. It is the ultimate life roadblock.

In The Big Leap, Hendricks reveals a simple yet comprehensive program for overcoming this barrier to happiness and fulfillment, presented in a way that engages both the mind and heart. Working closely with more than one thousand extraordinary achievers in business and the arts—from rock stars to Fortune 500 executives—whose stories are featured in these pages, the book describes the four hidden fears that are at the root of the Upper Limit Problem.

The Big Leap delivers a proven method for first identifying which of these four fears prevents us from reaching our personal upper limit, and then breaking through that limitation to achieve what Hendricks refers to as our Zone of Genius. Hendricks provides a clear path for achieving our true potential and attaining not only financial success but also success in love and life.

First Family by David Baldacci $15.11). Following the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Simple Genius, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return in David Baldacci's most heart-pounding thriller to date . . .

It began with what seemed like an ordinary children's birthday party. Friends and family gathered to celebrate. There were balloons and cake, games and gifts.

This party, however, was far from ordinary. It was held at Camp David, the presidential retreat. And it ended with a daring kidnapping . . . which immediately turned into a national security nightmare.

Sean King and Michelle Maxwell were not looking to become involved. As former Secret Service agents turned private investigators, they had no reason to be. The FBI doesn't want them interfering. But years ago, Sean King saved the First Lady's husband, then a senator, from political disaster. Now, Sean is the one person the First Lady trusts, and she presses Sean and Michelle into the desperate search to rescue the abducted child.

With Michelle still battling her own demons, and forces aligned on all sides against her and Sean, the two are pushed to the absolute limit. In the race to save an innocent victim, the line between friend and foe will become impossible to define . . . or defend.

Warriors: Power of Three #6: Sunrise by Erin Hunter ($9.99).

There will be three, kin of your kin . . . who hold the power of the stars in their paws.

A mysterious murder in the ranks has ripped ThunderClan apart. But more secrets still remain to be discovered.

Jayfeather is determined to find out who his real parents are. But he'll have to trample through a forest of lies in order to uncover the truth. Hollyleaf is shocked by her Clan's disobedience of the warrior code, and distraught enough to strike out at someone she's always admired. And Lionblaze must bear horrified witness to events that will change everything he believes.

In the harshest days of leaf-bare Clanmate turns upon Clanmate, danger lurks behind familiar faces, and one more warrior may be lost forever. . . .

B Is for Beer by Tom Robbins ($9.99; Hardcover $12.21)

A Children's Book About Beer?

Yes, believe it or not--but B Is for Beer is also a book for adults, and bear in mind that it's the work of maverick bestselling novelist Tom Robbins, internationally known for his ability to both seriously illuminate and comically entertain.

Once upon a time (right about now) there was a planet (how about this one?) whose inhabitants consumed thirty-six billion gallons of beer each year (it's a fact, you can Google it). Among those affected, each in his or her own way, by all the bubbles, burps, and foam, was a smart, wide-eyed, adventurous kindergartner named Gracie; her distracted mommy; her insensitive dad; her non-conformist uncle; and a magical, butt-kicking intruder from a world within our world.

Populated by the aforementioned characters--and as charming as it may be subversive--B Is for Beer involves readers, young and old, in a surprising, far-reaching investigation into the limits of reality, the transformative powers of children, and, of course, the ultimate meaning of a tall, cold brewski.

Kindle 2 For Dummies by Greg Holden ($3.99) joins a long list of books on how to use your Kindle for things other than reading, including how to publish your own books at Amazon. I do question the need, in a book that you read on your Kindle, for a section on how to take your Kindle out of the box, but there are no doubt a number of decent tips in there.

Kindle 2 For Dummies is a brief, to-the-point reference on the new e-book reader from Amazon. Clocking in at about 100 pages if it were a regular For Dummies print book, the guide shows how to use all the interesting features of Kindle. Chapters cover: * Unpacking & setting up * Downloading and reading books * Subscribing to newspapers, magazines, and blogs * Getting on the Web * Audio features * Creating your own Kindle-ready content. This e-book covers all the Kindle basics, plus how to get magazines, newspapers, and blogs on your Kindle 2 as well as books. Now the fun really begins, when you learn to browse the Web, add cool accessories, create your own content, and even sell it on Amazon.com. * Fire -er up - learn your way around the Kindle 2 screen while charging up the battery * Daily delivery - find out how to have your favorite newspapers waiting on your Kindle each morning * Leave a trail - see how to use bookmarks to find your way Home * Score some information - use your Kindle to check sports scores, shop, compare prices, or find the best deal on gas * Broaden your horizons - transfer content from your computer to your Kindle, and convert files using Mobipocket * Create your own - discover how to publish your own work for free and sell it in the Kindle Store, legally * Keep Kindle happy - learn to deal with minor problems, how to get a warranty, and where to swap tips with other Kindle users.

Explore Alaska

Have you received your "personal" invitation from Sarah Palin to come visit? I have (it's a yellow envelope, so keep an eye out), but with the recent winter weather and storms, I think I'll just read about it in front of the fire, instead. Although today's temps in most coastal areas of Alaska are actually warmer than here in TN, after 70F to 90F degree warmups in the last week, winters in Alaska are not for the faint of heart or for those with small pocketbooks. Mistakes in planning can mean disaster and even death due to exposure and the storms this winter are starting to take their toll on those dependent on imported fuel for winter heat and Juneau is once again dependent on diesel for electricity due to avalanche damage to their incoming electric lines. But not everyone in Alaska is tied to the modern world. Instead, a hardy few still live in much the same manner as the early settlers to the area.

The Final Frontiersman: Heimo Korth and His Family, Alone in Alaska's Arctic Wilderness $7.99. Note that there are two Kindle editions of this book, one shows a cover and the other does not, which appears to be the only difference between the two. The one with the cover image sells for $9.59, while the $7.99 edition above is the one linked from both the paperback and hardcover editions.

I'll have to admit, Heimo Korth has divorced himself from the modern world in a pretty extreme way. He's a true subsistence hunter, the only permanent resident of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Living on the northern border of the interior, temps of -50F are a normal winter day. But the possible record of -80F might have even convinced him that it was a might cold winter day (and it's a "possible" record because the thermometers in use are only certified accurate down to around -50F, which was considered to be good enough for the region).

One reviewer noted that if Chris McCandless, the subject of JonKrakauer's Into the Wild had read The Final Frontiersman first, he might still be alive today. For those who have only seen the movie, the book goes into more depth, providing insight in the character in a way that a movie seldom does. Another book McCandless might wanted to have read was James Oliver Curwood's The Alaskan or John Muir's Travels in Alaska (free at Manybooks.Net), as Muir's solitary travels suited his spirit more than the mode of travel highlighted in the average guidebook to Alaska, such as the aptly named Alaska Highway Adventure Guide (Adventure Guides), where you seldom are far from a paved road (although still the adventures are more remote and wilder than what you'd find on a highway in the lower 48).

Steve Rinella is another modern adventurer in Alaska, one of 24 people in 2005 to win a lottery to hunt buffalo in the foothills of Alaska's Wrangell Mountains and which he writes about in American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon. Unlike McCandless, Rinella heads out prepared with a compass, rifle, bone saw and skinning knife, all of which he puts to use. If you prefer your adventures to be with smaller (and colder) game, consider Fool's Paradise, by Gierach & Wolff:

"You're on a lovely, remote wilderness river in the Alaskan backcountry. There are people who would make this trip and not even bring a fishing rod." Musing on the enduring appeal of fishing, Gierach theorizes, "We're so used to the fake and the packaged that encountering something real can amount to a borderline religious experience." Equal parts fishing lore, philosophy, and great fish stories, Fool's Paradise may not be a perfect substitute for actually being out on the water, but it's surely the next best thing.

For a guide that is more specific to Alaska (Fool's Paradise also covers British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains), be sure to check out Flyfishing Alaska and Fly-Fishing Secrets of Alaska's Best Guides. And if your adventure plans don't include fishing or hunting, there is still plenty to do and lots of guidebooks to assist you, from 50 Hikes in Alaska's Chugach State Park to Alaska's Southeast, 11th: Touring the Inside Passage to The Unofficial Guide to Adventure Travel in Alaska to Coming into the Country.

If you are more interested in the history of the region, be sure to read Alaska, an in depth 600+ page treatise that covers everything from the first European explorers thru the activism of native Alaskans' in the 60's. Or, if you would rather explore the eccentricities of a "typical" small town in Alaska, don't miss If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska. It might not answer every question you have about Sarah Palin, but it will shed some insight on the odder things that came up about her hometown during the election (after all, if the entire world is your small town and you know everyone's name, perhaps feeling Russia is just over the next hill isn't all that unreasonable). Just be glad some of the other characters in this biography/memoir weren't picked instead.

Kindle Bargains: David Morrell

Scavenger, by David Morrell $3.91

This is a sequel to the award-winning Creepers, $6.39, in his Frank Balenger series.

Several of his other novels are also bargain priced (sorry, no Rambo yet):

Burnt Sienna $3.99
Assumed Identity $3.99
Double Image $3.99

His most recent, The Spy Who Came For Christmas, isn't a "bargain" at $9.99, but is in the theme of the season.

Finding Fantasy and Science Fiction Reviews

Over on Grasping the Wind, John Ottinger is putting out a roll call for all sites Fantasy and Science Fiction. Visit this post for a more up to date list, but here are the ones he has linked in so far:

The Accidental Bard
A Dribble Of Ink
Adventures in Reading
The Agony Column
The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.
Barbara Martin
Bees (and Books) on The Knob
Bibliophile Stalker
Bibliosnark
BillWardWriter.com
Blog, Jvstin Style
Blood of the Muse
Bookgeeks
Bookslut
The Book Smugglers
Bookspotcentral
The Book Swede
Bookrastination
Breeni Books
Cheaper Ironies [pro columnist]
Cheryl's Musings
Critical Mass
Dark Wolf Fantasy Reviews
Darque Reviews
Dave Brendon's Fantasy and Sci-Fi Weblog
The Deckled Edge
Dragons, Heroes and Wizards
Dusk Before the Dawn
Enter the Octopus
Eve's Alexandria
Fantasy Book Critic
Fantasy Cafe
Fantasy Debut
Fantasy Book Reviews and News
Fantasy and Sci-fi Lovin' Blog
The Fix
The Foghorn Review
From a Sci-Fi Standpoint
The Galaxy Express
Galleycat
Genre Reviews
Graeme's Fantasy Book Review
Grasping for the Wind
The Green Man Review
Hasenpfeffer
Highlander's Book Reviews
io9
Jumpdrives and Cantrips
Literary Escapism
Michele Lee's Book Love
Monster Librarian
Mostly Harmless Books
My Favourite Books
Neth Space
NextRead
OF Blog of the Fallen
The Old Bat's Belfry
Outside of a Dog
Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Piaw's Blog
Post-Weird Thoughts
Publisher's Weekly
Reading the Leaves
Realms of Speculative Fiction
Rob's Blog o' Stuff
Robots and Vamps
ScifiChick
SF Diplomat
SciFiGuy
Sci-Fi Songs [Musical Reviews]
Severian's Fantastic Worlds
SF Gospel
SF Reviews.net
SF Revu
SF Signal
SF Site
SFF World's Book Reviews
Silver Reviews
Speculative Fiction
Speculative Fiction Junkie
Speculative Horizons
Spontaneous Derivation
Sporadic Book Reviews
Stella Matutina
The Sword Review
Tangent Online
Temple Library Reviews
Tor.com [also a publisher]
The Road Not Taken
Un:Bound
Urban Fantasy Land
Vast and Cool and Unsympathetic
Variety SF
Walker of Worlds
Wands and Worlds
The Wertzone
WJ Fantasy Reviews
The World in a Satin Bag
WriteBlack

Foreign Language (other than English)

Cititor SF [Romanian, but with English Translation]

Elbakin.net [French]

New free ebook for Kindle: Secret Vampire

Secret Vampire by L. J. Smith

This is book 1 of the Night World No. 1 trilogy (Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder) (which sells for $7.19). Rather than just a small sample, you can (for a limited time) get the entire first book for free!

So far, the second two trilogies are only available in paperback:
Night World No. 2: Dark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate
Night World No. 3: Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight

Three books in One

One of the places where the Kindle truly shines is in comparison to the weight and inconvenience of reading very large books. Although there are a number of combined series or trilogy releases out in hardback and paperback, most of them can be a strain on the wrists to read, due to the physical size and weight. On the Kindle, however, one, three or a thousand books all weigh the same 10.4 ounces, the weight of small paperback. Often, another advantage of the Kindle is the pricing on these combined volume books. There are several currently in the Amazon store listed for the same or less than the cost of one volume of the series.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

The Harry Bosch Novels by Michael Connelly; $7.96. Contains The Black Echo, The Black Ice and The Concrete Blonde.

The Harry Bosch Novels, Vol 2 by Michael Connelly; $7.96. Contains The Last Coyote, Trunk Music and Angels Flight.

The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker; $9.99.Contains Black, Red and White.

Fantasy/SF

Sword of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks; $7.96. Contains The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. This one weighs in at 1,200 pages when in print.

The Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton; $7.99. Contains The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist and The Naked God. This is another huge trilogy - over 4,000 pages in paperback.

Romance

Lone Star Rising by Elmer Kelton; $9.99. Contains The Buckskin Line, Badger Boy and The Way of the Coyote.

The Secret Trilogy by Francine St. Marie; $9.99. Contains The Secret Keeping, Fortune Is a Woman (Keeping Mr. Right) and The Stolen Kiss.

Royal Brides Trilogy by Lucy Monroe; $7.96. Contains The Prince's Virgin Wife, His Royal Love-Child and The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain.

Heather Graham Bundle by Heather Graham; $9.99. This one isn't a trilogy and instead contains four novels: The Island, Ghost Walk, Killing Kelly and The Vision.

Classics

These can be had for free from other sources, but for less than a dollar you can get them combined into one volume and wirelessly downloaded.

Queen's Own FBI Trilogy by Mark Phillips; $0.80. Contains Brain Twister (That Sweet Little Old Lady), The Impossibles (Out Like a Light) and Supermind (Occasion for Disaster).

The Caspak Trilogy by Edgar Rice Burroughs; $0.80. Contains The Land that Time Forgot, The People that Time Forgot and Out of Time's Abyss.