Free Read - Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning ($3.99 Kindle), by Lemony Snicket, is available as a free read from Harper Collins this month.

Book Description
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odour.

In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.

Click HERE for the free read. Want to see the video that shows what Lemony thinks of it? Click HERE.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger (author of The Time Traveler's Wife), is currently marked down to $5.79 -- a bit above the prices I usually report here, but a bargain for this particular title.

Book Description
...a spectacularly compelling and haunting second novel set in and around Highgate Cemetery in London.

When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These two American girls never met their English aunt, only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and Elspeth her sister. Julia and Valentina are semi-normal American teenagers--with seemingly little interest in college, finding jobs, or anything outside their cozy home in the suburbs of Chicago, and with an abnormally intense attachment to one another.

The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders Highgate Cemetery in London. They come to know the building's other residents. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword puzzle setter suffering from crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Marjike, Martin's devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt's neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including--perhaps--their aunt, who can't seem to leave her old apartment and life behind.

Niffenegger weaves a captivating story in Her Fearful Symmetry about love and identity, about secrets and sisterhood, and about the tenacity of life--even after death.

Get $3 in MP3's for Free

Amazon is giving everyone a $3 MP3 Credit that can be used between now and the end of the month, with practically no strings attached (you have to have an Amazon account and use the code by the end of the month). I don't know if the credit itself will expire by the end of the month, but the promotional code used to get the credit must be entered (use the link above, it has both the code and the full instructions on getting the credit) by then.

In any case, that's three free singles (they are generally 99 cents) or one free album of the day (they are almost always $2.99, although today's is $3.99, and are on the MP3 Deals page) or $3 off a bargain $5 album.

You may even want to look thru the Holiday Music Store (although it's a bit early to be playing those; and I'd skip the Weird Christmas Collection for most gatherings).

Free Books and Free Reads

The Storms of Eternity ($0.99 Kindle), by Robert Williams, is free to download at Smashwords. Make sure you get all the formats you might want and make a backup copy, as there is no way (currently) to save it on your bookshelf when it's an entirely free read at Smashwords.

Book Description
Mike Rhoades, Reese Patterson, Josh Carter and his twin sister Jen are inseparable friends, but they each have a secret they cannot share with the others.

All that changes, however, during a sailing trip down the Alaskan coast, when they are struck by a violent storm. After the winds clear, the friends find themselves lost in a nightmare landscape where clouds cover the Earth with eternal darkness; roaming gangs stalk the unending night seeking victims, and two militant factions battle to rule the devastated land by any means necessary.

Mike, Reese, Josh and Jen are caught up in a fight for their lives, freedom, and their very humanity as they are drawn towards the inhuman being that has brought them into this apocalyptic future for its own enigmatic plans.

Finn Reeder, Flu Fighter, by Eric Stevens, is free in PDF format until Jan 1, 2010, from Stone Arch Books. The tip for this one was sent in by one of my readers.

Book Description
Finn Reeder thought it was just a dumb assignment when a sub told his English class that they had to start keeping a journal. Little did he know that his journal would turn into the record of a major flu pandemic.

Somehow, he survives infection. As their class size dwindles, Finn and his friend Amy face down the school bully, draw comics, catch the principal ordering pizza, and even manage to study once in a while. And when finally, Finn is the lone student remaining in school, he manages to win—and lose—the most intense game of solo dodge ball ever.
By the time the month is over, he’s made it through the epidemic, gotten vaccinated, and might even have found himself a girlfriend if he plays his cards right.

One for the Road ($33.00 Paperback), by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, can be downloaded for free from his website, in several different formats (only the PDF includes photos, it appears). The website is worth exploring to see his other photos from trips and his blog continues his journeys to other locations.

Book Description
It's a fun and informative read about independent travelling, taking you on three different journeys:

• Through Patagonia and Antarctica the cheap way
• Through Southern Africa along the backpacker trail, visiting South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Victoria Falls and Namibia
• On and off the Trans-Siberian Railway, Vladivostok to Moscow

If you enjoy humorous tales of trips to foreign parts, I do believe you will find the book worth your while. Also, if you plan on doing a trip similar to any of these three, definitely read at least the chapter about "your" trip, as a preparation!

Come, Wewoka & Diary of Medicine Flower, by Edward C. Patterson, is free when using coupon code EX87U, thru November 28.

Book Description
The Trail of Tears left a deep mark on the Cherokee nation, a mark that still ripples through the descendants of that culture. It should also leave an indelible mark on the current conscience. Come, Wewoka - Poems on the Trail of Tears is a collection of heartfelt reflections on Cherokee culture during those days and after. Diary of Medicine Flower - Cherokee Aphorisms re modern Cherokee thoughts

Refuge of Delayed Souls, by Miladysa, is free when using coupon code GH35B, thru Nov 30.

Book Description
Volume 1 ~ RoYds In a story spanning many lifetimes, we follow Elizabeth Whyte's journey as she investigates the supernatural & seeks information about her own past, all while trying to keep a balance between the light & the darkness in her work for an agency known as the Refuge of Delayed Souls. A world where ghosts, angels, the Living & others exist side by side, although not always in harmony.

Samhain has a new short story as a free download - Love & Scones, by Meg Benjamin

Game of the Day - EA Sports Active

EA Sports Active for the Wii ($39.99) is Amazon's Video Game of the Day and part of their Countdown to Black Friday sale. It isn't as big a bargain as the 99 cent downloads, but for those just getting a Wii or Balance Board (or who have one already), it's a pretty good deal. I ordered this when it first came out - the workouts are a bit more intense than the basic ones with the Wii Balance Board (and it works much better than the Jillian Michaels Fitness game for the Wii, which my mother purchased and we both hate).

Game Description

• Game includes a deep co-operative multiplayer game mode.
• Engage in fitness made easy through 20 minute circuits feature a variety of familiar activities that target upper body, lower body as well as cardio.
• Follow the guidance, motivation and training tip of your very own virtual personal trainer.
• 30 day challenge' of tailor made 20 minute workouts, that change as you progress each day, and track calories, intensity and progress throughout your journey.
• Gameplay/workout options are extended with the included Nunchuck strap and resistance band accessories, and compatibility with the Wii Balance Board (not included).

Developed in collaboration with fitness expert Bob Greene, best known as Oprah's personal trainer, EA SPORTS Active provides a fun, inexpensive and easy to maintain regimen designed to encourage physical fitness and healthy living. A combination of a wide variety of interactive activities and exercises, linked together into an ever-changing circuit training routine targeting the muscles of the upper and lower body, as well as providing cardio for a healthy heart, it is the perfect exercise option for every member of a modern household.

I just took a glance thru the Video Games on the Black Friday Countdown and it looks like Big Beach Sports WII is available for $10 on that page ($15.82 normal), which is another decent looking deal.