Amazon has started running a
Weekend Deal on digital content, including Kindle Books, Game Downloads, MP3 Downloads and Instant Videos. You can vote on the upcoming deal thru the week and then use the same link to check on the results each Friday. I've added a link on the sidebar, directly under the free MP3 of the day, so you can easily find your way back to the page each week.
I'm going to list the deals for the weekend in this post, then add a few "with Bonus Materials" editions of books that are currently marked down in the Kindle store. Bonuses are usually simply previews of upcoming titles, which can be ignored and these volumes are usually bargain priced to entice you to try a new author.
Anathem (
$1.99 Kindle,
Google), by Neal Stephenson. Should be price matched elsewhere, as it's an Agency title. The only reason I'm not buying? I already have it in my library.
Book Description
Anathem, the latest invention by the New York Times bestselling author of Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle, is a magnificent creation: a work of great scope, intelligence, and imagination that ushers readers into a recognizable -- yet strangely inverted -- world.
Fraa Erasmas is a young avout living in the Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside "saecular" world by ancient stone, honored traditions, and complex rituals. Over the centuries, cities and governments have risen and fallen beyond the concent's walls. Three times during history's darkest epochs violence born of superstition and ignorance has invaded and devastated the cloistered mathic community. Yet the avout have always managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe, becoming out of necessity even more austere and less dependent on technology and material things. And Erasmas has no fear of the outside -- the Extramuros -- for the last of the terrible times was long, long ago.
Now, in celebration of the week-long, once-in-a-decade rite of Apert, the fraas and suurs prepare to venture beyond the concent's gates -- at the same time opening them wide to welcome the curious "extras" in. During his first Apert as a fraa, Erasmas eagerly anticipates reconnecting with the landmarks and family he hasn't seen since he was "collected." But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand poised on the brink of cataclysmic change.
Powerful unforeseen forces jeopardize the peaceful stability of mathic life and the established ennui of the Extramuros -- a threat that only an unsteady alliance of saecular and avout can oppose -- as, one by one, Erasmas and his colleagues, teachers, and friends are summoned forth from the safety of the concent in hopes of warding off global disaster. Suddenly burdened with a staggering responsibility, Erasmas finds himself a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world -- as he sets out on an extraordinary odyssey that will carry him to the most dangerous, inhospitable corners of the planet . . . and beyond.
Beethoven: The Complete Symphony Collection (
$5.00), performed by The London Symphony Orchestra. 5:40:00 of music and overwhelming 5 star reviews.
Unforgiven (
$1.99 Rent, $9.99 Buy)
Movie Description
Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman play retired outlaws who pick up their guns one last time to collect a bounty.
The Great Tree (
$1.99 PC or MAC download), by Amazon
Game Description
Fly into a magical world of mystery and adventure told through beautiful drawings and mesmerizing gameplay with Reflexive's enchanting game: The Great Tree! When the Pollen Collectors are bewitched, the faeries' survival rests upon the shoulders of their children. This quest will lead them directly into the dangers of the forest, where there are whispers of something sinister lurking in the shadows. The tree's life runs short. Set forth now to save the faeries in this grown-up tale of good and evil!
The Witch Doctor's Wife with Bonus Material (
$0.99), by Tamar Myers, is a pre-order (credit card on file required, but not charged until shipped). Get a sample from the
full price edition ($9.99).
Book Description
For a limited time at a special price, enjoy beloved mystery writer Tamar Myers' novel The Witch Doctor's Wife—an enthralling tale of duty, greed, danger, and miracles in equatorial Africa. As a bonus, you get an excerpt from The Headhunter's Daughter and The Boy Who Stole the Leopard's Spots, on sale May 8, 2012.
The Congo beckons to young Amanda Brown in 1958, as she follows her missionary calling to the mysterious "dark continent" far from her South Carolina home. But her enthusiasm cannot cushion her from the shock of a very foreign culture—where competing missionaries are as plentiful as flies, and oppressive European overlords are busy stripping the land of its most valuable resource: diamonds.
Little by little, Amanda is drawn into the lives of the villagers in tiny Belle Vue—and she is touched by the plight of the local witch doctor, a man known as Their Death, who has been forced to take a second job as a yardman to support his two wives. But when First Wife stumbles upon an impossibly enormous uncut gem, events are set in motion that threaten to devastate the lives of these people Amanda has come to admire and love—events that could lead to nothing less than murder.
Spin with Bonus Material (
$1.99), by Catherine McKenzie, is a also a pre-order. Get a sample from the
full price edition ($9.99).
Book Description
For a limited time at a special price, enjoy Catherine McKenzie's charming and humorous novel Spin, along with excerpts to her upcoming new novels, Arranged, on sale May 15, 2012, and Forgotten, on sale September 4, 2012.
When Kate Sandford lands an interview at her favorite music magazine, The Line, it's the chance of a lifetime. So Kate goes out to celebrate—and shows up still drunk to the interview the next morning. It's no surprise that she doesn't get the job, but her performance has convinced the editors that she'd be perfect for an undercover assignment for their gossip rag. All Kate has to do is follow "It Girl" Amber Sheppard into rehab. If she can get the inside scoop—and complete the thirty-day program—they'll reconsider her for the position at The Line. Kate takes the assignment, but when real friendships start to develop, she has to decide if what she has to gain is worth the price she'll have to pay.
I've mentioned
Reckless With a Bonus Excerpt (
$0.99), by Andrew Gross, before. It's out now (and still worth getting).
Book Description
For a limited time and a special price, discover Reckless, the New York Times best-selling novel by Andrew Gross, plus the first three chapters from his next novel, 15 Seconds, a thrilling, fast-paced story of a man, on the run, desperate to prove his innocence and to save his family’s lives. 15 Seconds will be available wherever books are sold July 10th.
In Reckless, Ty Hauck hunts the murderer of a friend--and steps into the crosshairs of a sinister conspiracy.
Savannah Blues with Bonus Material (
$3.99), by Mary Kay Andrews, is a another pre-order. Get a sample from the
full price edition ($9.99). I think I'll order this one, just for the area in which it is set (where I used to roam, in a past life).
Book Description
This special e-book edition of Savannah Blues includes a free excerpt of Mary Kay Andrews's latest novel, Spring Fever!
Landing a catch like Talmadge Evans III got Eloise “Weezie” Foley a jewel of a town house in Savannah's historic district. Divorcing Tal got her exited to the backyard carriage house, where she has launched a spite-fest with Tal's new fiancÉe, the elegant Caroline DeSantos.
An antiques picker, Weezie combs Savannah's steamy back alleys and garage sales for treasures when she's not dealing with her loopy relatives or her hunky ex-boyfriend. But an unauthorized sneak preview at a sale lands Weezie smack in the middle of magnolia-scented murder, mayhem . . . and more. Dirty deals simmer all around her—just as her relationship with the hottest chef in town heats up and she finds out how delicious love can be the second time around.
My Weird School 4-Book Collection with Bonus Material (
$9.99), by Dan Gutman, works out to just under $2.50/volume for a series that usually is about $3.99 apiece. If you have small kids and you want them to love reading, definitely get them some of the titles in this series (one reviewer mentioned that her child read this book 22 times!).
Book Description
Don’t miss out on an exciting new My Weird School ebook collection, complete with the first four books in Dan Gutman’s seriously hilarious and seriously zany series. The collection includes My Weird School #1: Miss Daisy Is Crazy!, My Weird School #2: Mr. Klutz Is Nuts!, My Weird School #3: Mrs. Roopy Is Loopy!, My Weird School #4: Ms. Hannah Is Bananas!, and a bunch of seriously strange activities. The activities include a checklist, a maze, and a word scramble.
Meet a teacher who eats bonbons, a principal who kisses pigs, a librarian who thinks she's George Washington, and an art teacher who dresses up in pot holders! They're all inside this collection! They must be getting pretty crowded in there!
Warriors 3-Book Collection with Bonus Material (
$12.99), by Erin Hunter, works out to $4.33/title, plus you get some bonus maps.
Book Description
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But now the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying—and some deaths are more mysterious than others. Into the midst of this turmoil comes an ordinary house cat named Rusty . . . who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.
Enter the world of Warriors with this great introduction to Erin Hunter’s best-selling series: Warriors #1: Into the Wild, Warriors #2: Fire and Ice, and Warriors #3: Forest of Secrets. In addition, this bundle includes bonus materials like trivia, territory maps, sneak peeks at other Warriors books, and a new short story from Erin Hunter.
A Series of Unfortunate Events Collection: Books 1-13 with Bonus Material (
$79.99), by Lemony Snicket, is a bit steep for a "bargain" and only works out to about $6.15/title (which is a bit of a discount from the $6.99 individually). Nowhere near the bargain long-time readers got when almost the entire series was mistakenly listed as free for a few hours, but this is the only way (that I can see) that you get the included bonus materials. If you have kids and don't have any of the books, it's definitely one to consider.
Book Description
If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched and will most likely fill you with deep despair.
From The Bad Beginning to The End, this comprehensive collection with unfortunate bonus material that may or may not include trivia questions, character profiles, and several very sad sentences is the only choice for people who simply cannot get enough of a bad thing!
Complete History of Jack the Ripper ($1.31 pre-order), by Sudgen, has the widest availability, including in the US.
Amelia Peabody Omnibus ($1.31 AU/A&P/India/LA&C, $1.36 UK, $1.35 DE), by Elizabeth Peters, isn't available for the US, but if you are in any of the available regions, it's a terrific deal. This one is a pre-order in some areas, but available now in Australia. Note that for the UK and DE regions, it's only a big bargain if bought in the Main store, not the country specific stores.
Last Seen in Massilia (Roma sub Rosa) ($1.31 AU/A&P/India/LA&C, $1.35 DE), by Steven Saylor, isn't available to the US and isn't a super bargain in the UK ($4.39), but in some regions (including Australia and Asia), it's a super deal on a very good author.
