Book Reviews and Bargain reads for the Amazon Kindle, nook, Kobo, Sony and other ereaders, Kindle Fire, nookColor, Kobo Vox, and other tablets, along with some games, music, technology and computers tossed in now and then.
For Easter, get a free Audible download of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter, narrated by Pauline Brailsford. It's short, but should be a nice listen with kids.Book Description
Mother rabbit cautions her children against entering a vegetable garden grown by Mr. McGregor. Her three daughters obey, but Peter, the naughty rabbit, helps himself to the crops from Mr. MacGregor's garden, to the dismay of all.
A special audiobook edition of A Christmas Carol ($14.95 list; $2.99 WhisperSync), by Charles Dickens, featuring a Signature Performance by Tim Curry, is free over at Audible. For those that like to read along while listening, there are many editions in the Kindle store, ranging in price from free to a nice edition from Bantam Classics (Random House) for $2.99.Book DescriptionGet the free audiobook from Audible. Note that the edition found when searching isn't free, so use this link; this edition is also not Whispersync enabled; for that, you can buy the pay-edition (which I believe was free last year) for $2.99 after picking up on of the Kindle editions above.
This version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, masterfully narrated by Tim Curry, was available for a limited time last year, and now it's back. This one-of-a-kind performance puts a unique spin on a treasured classic, and served as the inspiration for the exciting new line of Audible Signature Classics, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Elijah Wood, and Heart of Darkness with Kenneth Branagh. Tim Curry performs this timeless holiday story in a deliciously dark tone, returning it to its Dickensian roots with a vivid imagining of Victorian London and just the right touch of outrageous fun.
A Christmas Carol has constantly been in print since its original publication in 1849, and has been adapted for stage, television, film, and opera. It has often been credited with returning the jovial and festive atmosphere to the holiday season in Britain and North America, following the somber period that emerged during the Industrial Revolution.
The story opens on a bleak and cold Christmas Eve as Ebenezer Scrooge is closing up his office for the day. As the story progresses and Christmas morning approaches, Scrooge encounters the unforgettable characters that make this story a classic: Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and, of course, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
For a limited time, you can pick up several Kindle E Ink Halloween Games and Interactive Books for $0.99 each (up to 75% off). For those of you with a Kindle Fire, be sure to check out the daily Free Android App (top/right corner of the blog home page); today's app: Halloween Mahjong.
Click-Clack the Rattlebag, a free short story written and performed by Neil Gaiman, is free on Audible and for every copy downloaded through Halloween, Audible will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to the education charity DonorsChoose.org.Book DescriptionGet the free audiobook from Audible. If you are in the UK, use this link and donations will go to the education charity BookTrust.
A few words from Neil: "Why tell ghost stories? Why read them or listen to them? Why take such pleasure in tales that have no purpose but, comfortably, to scare?
"I don't know. Not really. It goes way back. We have ghost stories from ancient Egypt, after all, ghost stories in the Bible, classical ghost stories from Rome (along with werewolves, cases of demonic possession, and of course, over and over, witches). We have been telling each other tales of otherness, of life beyond the grave, for a long time; stories that prickle the flesh and make the shadows deeper and, most important, remind us that we live, and that there is something special, something unique and remarkable, about the state of being alive. Happy Halloween!"
"'What kind of story would you like me to tell you?' 'Well,' he said, thoughtfully, 'I don't think it should be too scary, because then when I go up to bed, I will just be thinking about monsters the whole time. But if it isn't just a little bit scary, then I won't be interested. And you make up scary stories, don't you?'"
So begins this subtle, witty, deceptive little tale from master storyteller Neil Gaiman. Lock the doors, turn off the lights, and enjoy!
The MP3 download audiobook edition of The Phantom of the Opera (free+ Kindle, $19.59 Audible), by Gaston Leroux, narrated by Alexander Adams, is free over at Tantor Media for your Halloween listening pleasure, complete with a PDF edition of the book to read as you listen. It isn't quite the same as Whispersync for Voice, but it's a lot cheaper, since it appears that the combo cost at Amazon is $8+, depending on the ebook edition you choose (they are often linked to different audiobook performances; none appear to be linked to this one, sadly).Book DescriptionGet the free audiobook/ebook combo from Tantor. While you are there, you may also want to check out their $6.99 Horror Sale; I see a lot of Zombie Apocalypse at the front of the sale, but there are some Urban Fantasy titles too (such as Kim Harrison's Hollows series).
Under the Paris Opera House lives a disfigured musical genius who uses music to win the love of a beautiful opera singer.
The actors, singers, and patrons of the Paris Opera House say that a ghost haunts the labyrinthine chambers beneath its stage. Those who laugh off such superstitions always do so nervously, in the bright light of day. Nearly everyone connected with the opera house in any way has felt the phantom's vague, troubling presence. But beautiful, talented young singer Christine Daae will soon experience a terror far more acute than any vague feeling of unease. For she is about to learn the secret of why the man who has made the tunnels beneath Paris his private domain must forever hide his face behind a mask.
Part horror story, part historical romance, and part detective thriller, the timeless tale of a masked, disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House is familiar to millions of readers, as well as to movie and theater-goers. At the heart of the story's long-standing popularity lies its questioning of a universal theme: the relationship between outward appearance and the beauty or darkness of the human soul.
The Myths, Legends, and Lore of Ireland (Main/UK), by Amy Hackney Blackwell, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store. It should be free for US customers by morning and most likely at Barnes & Noble, as well.Book DescriptionGet the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
More than 20 million Americans claim some sort of Irish heritage. But how much do you really know about this amazing country? Forget about shamrocks, leprechauns, and all that blarney--this book is a concise and authoritative guide that dispels the myths and tells the true stories of the Irish. Highlights include:
Complete with an Irish language primer and pronunciation guide, this book is an informative pot of gold for everyone who loves the Irish!
- Who St. Patrick really was
- The story behind "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
- Scandals in the Irish church
- Coming to America and the real gangs of New York
- The spooky truth behind changelings, leprechauns, and fairies
A Season of Angels ($7.99 US; $0.00 AU, by Debbie Macomber, is free in the Kindle store for Australia customers only. Could be one that rolls into the US store tomorrow or is just as likely to be a pricing error that corrects in Australia after a while.Book Description
Wishes for love bring hope from above.
Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy—three willing but sometimes wayward angels—are each given someone's prayer to answer . . .
Shirley: She's sent to help nine-year-old Timmy Potter, who longs for a new father. And although his mother, Jody, has vowed never to trust any man, Shirley is determined to help her love again.
Goodness: She knows Monica Fischer longs for a husband and home of her own, but the young woman has practically given up on finding the right man to stand by her side . . . until Goodness steps in to help.
Mercy: Can Mercy bring hope back into Leah Lundberg's life? This maternity nurse desperately wants a child to fill up the home she's made with her husband, Andrew.
But there's just one catch: Each angel must teach her charge a memorable lesson before the prayer can be granted . . .
Twas The Night ($7.99 Kindle), an anthology by Sandra Hill, Kate Holmes and Trish Jensen, is a repeat freebie from Kobo, courtesy of Bell Bridge Books.Book DescriptionGet the free ebook from Kobo
“Christmas or Bust!”
What do a Blue Angels pilot, a bounty hunter and an ex-NFL football player have in common? The three bad-boy bachelors of Snowdon, Maine have to make a friend’s Christmas Eve wedding on time or die trying! They’re willing to risk anything to make that happen—even dashing through the snow in the goofiest bus on Earth, bright red and filled with a bunch of merry, meddling senior citizens known as the Santa Brigade. All too soon, these men will have met their matches in three special women: a woman from their past, a forest ranger so hot she ought to be declared a fire hazard, and a woman on the run. Ho, ho, OH!
While serving up holiday cheer with the Santa Brigade, the guys will discover ‘tis the season for good will and folly. Wise men or not, they are well and truly caught, which means these roguish St. Nicks are willing to jingle a few bells along the way if that’s what it takes to find what they truly want for Christmas nestled in their beds after the stockings are stuffed and the gifts placed under the tree.
First up, seven free editions of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol ($9.95 Amazon) that have been gathered together by LearnOutLoud (although one of the editions is one I told you about earlier this month). Some of these require an account and are only free for a limited time, so don't dawdle.Book Description
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman and Hall and first released on 19 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim.
The book was written and published at a time when Britain was experiencing a nostalgic interest in its forgotten Christmas traditions, and at the time when new customs such as the Christmas tree and greeting cards were being introduced. Dickens' sources for the tale appear to be many and varied but are principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and the Christmas stories of Washington Irving.
The tale was pirated immediately, was adapted several times to the stage, and has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and somberness. A Christmas Carol remains popular, has never been out of print, and has been adapted to film, opera, and other media.
Links for the free downloads (with formats noted; several include a download of the text of the book, as well):
- LearnOutLoud, narrated by Antonia Bath (MP3 & MPEG-4) *free today only
- ChristianAudio, narrated by Simon Vance (M4B, MP3, EPUB) *free this month only
- LibriVox, narrated by Glen Hallstrom (MP3, OGG, M4B, ZIP, TXT, RSS)
- iTunes, narrated by Patrick Horgan (podcast)
- Wired for Books, narrated by Karen Chan (MP3, RealAudio Stream)
- Mercury Theatre, narrated by Orson Welles & The Campbell Playhouse (RealAudio, MP3)
- Lit2Go, narrated by Rick Kistner (MP3, TXT/HTML)
Tantor Audio is offering a free download of both the audiobook and ebook of Favorite Stories of Christmas Past ($11.95 Amazon), by Clement C. Moore, Nora A. Smith, Louisa May Alcott, et al, narrated by Renée Raudman and Alan Sklar.Book Description
Tantor Media presents a collection of some of the most popular Christmas stories read by award-winning narrators Renee Raudman and Alan Sklar. This special anthology will transport listeners back to the Christmases of their youth, when they first heard these holiday tales. From "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", Clement C. Moore's classic depiction of St. Nicholas at work, to O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi", which embodies the very spirit of Christmas, Favorite Stories of Christmas Past has something for everyone.
Also included is Francis Church's moving editorial response to a little girl's Christmastime query, "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus", as well as seven other Christmas classics that can be heard and shared year after year.
The classics that can be found in Favorite Stories of Christmas Past are: "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore; "The Story of Christmas" by Nora A. Smith; "A Country Christmas" by Louisa May Alcott; "An Empty Purse" by Sarah Orne Jewett; "The Bachelor's Christmas" by Robert Grant; "The Fir Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen; "The Birds' Christmas Carol" by Kate Douglas Wiggin; "Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus" by Francis Church; "The Festival of St. Nicholas" by Mary Mapes Dodge; and "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.
Tantor Audio's second free download is Gulliver's Travels ($19.95 Amazon), by Jonathan Swift, narrated by David Case.Book Description
In Gulliver's Travels, the narrator represents himself as a reliable reporter of the fantastic adventures he has just experienced. But how far can we rely on a narrator who has been impersonated by someone else? The work purports to be a travel book, and describes the shipwrecked Gulliver's encounters with the inhabitants of four extraordinary places: Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and the country of the Houyhnhnms. A consumately skillful blend of fantasy and realism makes Gulliver's Travels by turns hilarious, frightening, and profound. This is one of literature's most disturbing satires on the human condition.
An Irish Christmas (US/UK), by Melody Carlson, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store, courtesy of Christian publisher Revell. I expect it to be free for US customers and from Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook sometime tomorrow morning, but I don't expect it to stay free more than a day or so.Book DescriptionGet the free ebook from Sony.
For Colleen, life is spinning out of control. She just lost her husband, and her relationship with her young adult son Jamie is crumbling. Should she confess to him the secret that has been haunting her for twenty years? Jamie has a few secrets of his own. When he announces his plans to join the military, Colleen decides it's time for the two of them to take a trip together--to Ireland. The truth they discover there could fulfill both their dreams in a way neither ever thought possible.
An Irish Christmas is a captivating story of love, deception, and secret passions, from popular and prolific author Melody Carlson.
Making Room at Christmas, a short story in the LGBT Charlotte Diamond Mysteries series by Olivia Stowe, is free over at Rainbow Books. In addition, they are having a 20% off sale on all titles this weekend, plus if you like this particular author, you can buy the first four books in the series at 30% off (and #3 is only $0.79!), then send an email to admin @ rainbowebooks. com to receive Book 5 (What's The Point?) for FREE! (this weekend only)Book DescriptionGet the free book from Rainbow Books.
Charlotte and Brenda are now facing their second Christmas together. Last year’s Christmas and New Year were spent on a Rhine River cruise with Charlottes’ doctor brother and his minster wife, as told in An Inconvenient Death, but this year the pair are off to a mountain retreat so Brenda can promote a film to movie financiers. Of course all is not smooth sailing for the pair in this small gift, Making Room at Christmas.
The Everything Family Christmas Book, by Yvonne Jeffrey, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store. I expect this one to be free in the US Kindle store by morning and for Barnes & Noble about the same time (or a day or two later).Book DescriptionGet the free ebook from Sony.
This holiday collection is a treasury of Christmas traditions, stories, songs, and recipes that promises to bring readers young and old together to celebrate the spirit of the season. Everyone will enjoy this delightful guide to all things Christmas, featuring: the perennial classic Christmas stories, poems, and carols; recipes for family gatherings, parties, and holiday gifts from the kitchen; ideas for thoughtful and creative handmade gifts; decorating ideas for any room; and holiday customs and traditions from around the world. As a gift or a book to be treasured, this book will help readers create new traditions that can be shared year after year.
Six Geese a-Laying (Main/UK/DE), a holiday short story by Sophie Kinsella, is free for UK and EU customers only in the Kindle store.Book Description
A special Christmas gift for fans of Sophie Kinsella, available to download for free! Includes a mini short story, Six Geese a-Laying, and sneak peak at the first chapter of Sophie's fabulous new novel, I've Got Your Number.
In Six Geese a-Laying, Christmas is approaching, and Ginny is looking forward to the birth of her first baby. It's a pity her partner Dan is so useless, and she has to keep reminding him where he's going wrong. Luckily she's enrolled into the most exclusive antenatal class going - all the highest achieving, smartest mothers-to-be aspire to be taught by the legendary Petal Harmon. Like the other five women in the class, Ginny already knows exactly what she wants, and how she's going to handle motherhood.
But when they turn up for the final class it isn't quite what they expect. As Ginny discovers what parenthood is really going to be like, she begins to realize the things that really matter...
LearnOutLoud and ChristianAudio have teamed up to give you a free download of Christmas Short Stories, by Charles Dickens, narrated by James Adams. You'll need a (free) account at LearnOutLoud for this one. It's an interesting site, with a mix of their own content and links to other sites (be sure to check out their Free Stuff page, which links to content at many sites, some audio and some video, such as a colloquium at MIT by Dr. Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind: Genius, Madness, Reawakening).Book Description
Charles Dickens is known for writing the greatest of all Christmas stories ... A Christmas Carol, but few know that he wrote a number of other short stories for that holiday season. Here in one wonderful audio collection are six short stories about Christmas--A Christmas Tree, What Christmas is as We Grow Older, The Poor Relation's Story, The Child's Story, The Schoolboy's Story and Nobody's Story.
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, by Ann Patchett, is free for everyone as a holiday gift from Audible. This is an exclusive essay from them and will likely disappear (or go up in price) after the holiday season.Book Description
“Tell the story of your marriage,” my young friend Niki says to me. “Write down how it is you have a happy marriage” But the story of my marriage, which is the great joy and astonishment of my life, is too much like a fairy tale, the German kind, unsweetened by Disney.
This December, we are excited to present our members with a gift that is truly unique: an original essay, available exclusively here at Audible, written and voiced by best-selling author – and fellow listener – Ann Patchett. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a very real love story, and one that is much more about the journey than the destination. Chock full of beauty, truth, and humor, and, in trademark Ann Patchett style, possessing an uncanny ability to feel both surprising and familiar at the same time, this essay is a perfect, if unconventional, holiday listen. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Happy holidays and happy listening!
The Christmas Dog (Main/UK), by Melody Carlson, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store, courtesy of Christian publisher Revell, and should be free for US customers by morning. This is the one I was hoping we'd get last week, when her The Christmas Bus repeated.Book DescriptionGet the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. There's church, of course. But who can she bake for these days? And who would care whether or not she pulled out the Christmas decorations?
Her new neighbor just adds to the problem. He's doing home improvements that don't appear to be improving much of anything. These days when Betty looks out the window, she sees a beat-up truck, a pile of junk, lots of blue tarps, and--horror of horrors--an old pink toilet.
But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn a very important lesson about what Christmas is all about. This contemporary Christmas story is a timely yet gentle reminder that God can work miracles through something as seemingly insignificant as a little brown dog.
Christmas Ornaments (Main/UK), by Carolyn Vosburg-Hall, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store. I expect it to be free in the US by morning, but double check the price before one-clicking. Since this is in the Kindle Lending Library, make sure you see "Buy now with 1-click" and not "Buy for $xxx" on the web page buy button and "Kindle Price: $0.00" under the pricing section, rather than "Prime Members: $0.00 (read for free)" which indicates the lending library feature.Book DescriptionGet the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Christmas is a festive time of the year, and one fun way to celebrate is to decorate!
Author Carolyn Vosburg Hall presents 25 projects for beautiful and decorative ornaments to adorn Christmas trees and the home for the holiday season. Each project includes detailed, step-by-step instructions, as well as colorful photographs. The ornaments can be made using common craft supplies such as polymer clay, paper, embroidery floss, beads, and glue, and are suitable for all skill levels.
- 25 unique and decorative ideas for Christmas ornaments
- Detailed, step-by-step instructions
- Suitable for all skill levels
Decorating for Christmas (Main/UK), by Kasey Rogers, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store. I expect it to be free in the US by morning, but double check the price before one-clicking. Since this is in the Kindle Lending Library, make sure you see "Buy now with 1-click" and not "Buy for $xxx" on the web page buy button and "Kindle Price: $0.00" under the pricing section, rather than "Prime Members: $0.00 (read for free)" which indicates the lending library feature.Book DescriptionGet the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
The holiday craft team of Kasey Rogers and Mark Wood supply do-it-yourselfers with grand Christmas projects to spruce up the home during this festive season. This team whips up some elegant decorations from the rustic nostalgia of their Country Cabin Christmas to the tradition of a red and white Candy Cane Christmas. Step-by-step instructions show how to create a children's table featuring whimsical toy soldier designs on a tablecloth, centerpiece, curtains, and pillows, as well as a winter wonderland with snowmen and cone shaped trees. The festive projects were beautifully photographed in vintage home settings.
Christmas Projects - 12 festive projects from 82 Modern Style Ideas (Main/UK), by Inside Out (an Australian magazine), is free for UK customers in the Kindle store. I don't expect this one to be available in the US, but hopefully those in Australia will be able to grab it tomorrow.Book Description
Get festive with 12 fabulous craft and styling ideas for Christmas.
Taken from Inside Out magazine's brand new '82 Modern Style Ideas to Create at Home', this sample ebook shows you how to create beautiful Christmas decoration and gifts, with step-by-step instructions. Get creative and surprise your loved ones with personal, hand-made presents this year.