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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Free Book - Absolutely Organize Your Family (K/N/E)

Absolutely Organize Your Family: Simple Solutions to Control Clutter, Schedules & Spaces, by Debbie Lillard, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble and Sony.
Book Description
Struggle Less and Savor More

Managing a family is no easy task. There are school projects to supervise, a constant deluge of laundry and toys to deal with, and after-school activities to drive to every night. It makes you wish you had an instruction manual to help you keep it all together—well, now you do!

Absolutely Organize Your Family is full of practical and effective solutions for all of your family’s organizational challenges. Debbie Lillard, professional organizer, mother of three and author of the popular book Absolutely Organized, offers all new “Absolutes of Organizing Your Family” tips to help you gain and maintain order in three key areas of your family life: Schedules, belongings and spaces. Inside you’ll find:

  • Solutions for overcrowded and out-of-control schedules
  • Advice on establishing morning, evening, and bedtime routines
  • Strategies for organizing toys, collections, artwork, photographs, and more
  • Ways to keep closets and dressers in order even in the midst of growth spurts
  • Help for your child’s schoolbag, desk, and locker
  • Methods of keeping bedrooms organized
  • Ideas for creating a homework area to improve study habits.

Spend less time struggling to keep up and more time savoring everyday moments with your family. Start your family’s organizational makeover today.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Today's Deals

For those who shop in the Sony ebookstore, you can use coupon code 40OFFWEEKEND for 40% off one ebook. Only applies to books on this Specials page, expires Sunday 1/8/12.

Today is the last day to take advantage of this KSO deals:

1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die ($0.99), by Tom Moon, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.
Book Description
The musical adventure of a lifetime. The most exciting book on music in years. A book of treasure, a book of discovery, a book to open your ears to new worlds of pleasure. Doing for music what Patricia Schultz—author of the phenomenal 1,000 Places to See Before You Die—does for travel, Tom Moon recommends 1,000 recordings guaranteed to give listeners the joy, the mystery, the revelation, the sheer fun of great music.

This is a book both broad and deep, drawing from the diverse worlds of classical, jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, world, opera, soundtracks, and more. It's arranged alphabetically by artist to create the kind of unexpected juxtapositions that break down genre bias and broaden listeners’ horizons— it makes every listener a seeker, actively pursuing new artists and new sounds, and reconfirming the greatness of the classics. Flanking J. S. Bach and his six entries, for example, are the little-known R&B singer Baby Huey and the '80s Rastafarian hard-core punk band Bad Brains. Farther down the list: The Band, Samuel Barber, Cecelia Bartoli, Count Basie, and Afropop star Waldemer Bastos.

Each entry is passionately written, with expert listening notes, fascinating anecdotes, and the occasional perfect quote—"Your collection could be filled with nothing but music from Ray Charles," said Tom Waits, "and you'd have a completely balanced diet." Every entry identifies key tracks, additional works by the artist, and where to go next. And in the back, indexes and playlists for different moods and occasions.

The Boys from Brazil ($1.54 / £0.99 UK), by Ira Levin, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $9.75). Those in the UK may also want to pick up a copy of The Guardian this weekend; today they are including a free Think yourself fit guide and tomorrow will include (with the Observer) a free Think yourself healthy mindful meditation CD. Join their EatRight website before the end of February and you will also receive a free copy of The Official British Army Fitness Guide and a copy of Cook, a collection of recipes from The Observer Food Monthly (the site is a paid membership site and the offer limited to those in the UK, as they mail out the books).
Book Description
The classic thriller of Dr. Josef Mengele's nightmarish plot to restore the Third Reich, with an introduction by Chelsea Cain.

Alive and hiding in South America, Mengele gathers a group of former colleagues for a sinister project — the creation of the Fourth Reich. Barry Kohler, a young investigative journalist, gets wind of the operation and informs famed Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman, but before he can relay the evidence, Kohler is killed...

Skin Map ($8.99 Kindle, $3.40 B&N), by Stephen R. Lawhead, is the Nook Daily Find.
Book Description
It is the ultimate quest for the ultimate treasure. Chasing a map tattooed on human skin. Across an omniverse of intereing realities. To unravel the future of the future.

Kit Livingston's great-grandfather appears to him in a deserted alley during a tumultuous storm. He reveals an unbelievable story: that the ley lines throughout Britain are not merely the stuff of legend or the weekend hobby of deluded cranks, but pathways to other worlds. To those who know how to use them, they grant the ability to travel the multi-layered universe of which we ordinarily inhabit only a tiny part.

One explorer knew more than most. Braving every danger, he toured both time and space on voyages of heroic discovery. Ever on his guard, and fearful of becoming lost in the cosmos, he developed an intricate code--a roadmap of symbols--that he tattooed onto his own body. This Skin Map has since been lost in time. Now the race is on to recover all the pieces and discover its secrets.

But the Skin Map itself is not the ultimate goal. It is merely the beginning of a vast and marvelous quest for a prize beyond imagining.

The Bright Empires series--from acclaimed author Stephen Lawhead--is a unique blending of epic treasure hunt, ancient history, alternate realities, cutting-edge physics, philosophy, and mystery. The result is a page-turning, fantastical adventure like no other.
Today's backlist/indie free books on Kindle (not likely to be free for long):

Free Book - I Want it Now! (K)

I Want it Now! A Memoir of Life on the Set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, by Julie Dawn Cole, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
In 1970, Julie Dawn Cole was cast as the unforgettable Veruca Salt in the classic motion picture Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder. Since its release in 1971, this epic musical has endured as a favorite of children from around the world with a fan base that encompasses generations of movie goers. With its unforgettable characters, chocolaty landscapes and everlasting music, this charming fairy-tale mixes these ingredients into what has been become a cinematic classic from literary legend Roald Dahl.

Praised by critics worldwide and often featured in broadcasts with other masterpiece musicals, it remains a timeless treasure. Acclaimed film critic Robert Ebert wrote: "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is probably the best film of its sort since The Wizard of Oz. It is everything that family movies usually claim to be, but aren't: Delightful, funny, scary, exciting, and, most of all, a genuine work of imagination."

Julie Dawn Cole has written an enchanting and richly illustrated memoir that offers a rare look behind the stage curtain to this ageless film. Splendidly illustrated with personal letters, never-seen-before photographs and documents; her mesmerizing story chronicles the entire production experience and tells of the remarkable journey of how she became known worldwide as a really bad egg. Filled with countless funny and touching memories, her story takes readers behind-the-scenes of Willy Wonka and the resulting coming of age journey that brought the cast together again after nearly a quarter century. I Want it Now takes readers beyond the world of pure imagination and behind the scenes to this universally cherished motion picture. A true-to-life Charlie Bucket tale, Julie's story is unforgettable...

Free Book - Sell Now! (K/E/N)

Update: 1/9/12 Now free from Barnes & Noble.

Sell Now!: Adaptive Strategies for Today's Changing Marketplace, by Stacia Skinner, is free in the Kindle store and from Sony.
Book Description
With the volatile economy, budgets are tight and expectation for increased revenue is higher than ever. Old sales strategies aren’t cutting it in this tough market. Veteran sales trainer Stacia Skinner and Brandon Toporov provide game-changing techniques proven effective for getting and keeping new business and expanding the business in your existing client base.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Today's Deals

Be sure to grab today's free Android App, Splashtop Remote Desktop, which you can use with your Kindle Fire, Android phone or tablet to access your home (or work) computer remotely (it's compatible with all my devices and it looks like it costs $4.99 or $9.99 in the Android Market. I've seen several comments on the nook boards (where the app is on sale for $2.99) about how useful it is on the nookColor or nookTablet. The part that runs on your computer is free (you do have to leave the computer running, of course). I haven't tried this company's app, but have another, similar one installed on mine and it's come in handy now and then, when I needed some information that was on the PC at home. You will want to read some of the reviews about encryption (or the lack, thereof) and be a bit careful using it on public wifi hotspots. And, speaking of the nook tablets, B&N is also having a 99 cent sale on Electronic Arts game apps, similar the one Amazon had, earlier. They even have two games I don't see at Amazon, Spider Jack and Office Gamebox. While snooping around, I did find a cute app for your younger kids: Dress the Cat, which is 99 cents from Amazon or B&N.

If you missed yesterday's deal on a 16GB micro SDHC card, you can get the same card (but "Factory Recertified") from DailySteals today for $7.99 (and no shipping). There isn't an adapter with it, but if you already have one or don't need it, the price is more than cheap enough to take a chance on one (which seems to be the limit allowed). There are lots of fakes out there with SD and SDHC card, but you do get a 90 day warranty (although I suspect that's from SanDisk, not Daily Steals - their first line of return is via the manufacturer, but they do seem to stand behind the order after that). I have bought a few (small) things from them and they have all arrived, for what that's worth.

For those using EPUB, there are some new 25% off coupon codes at Kobo: jan6us25 and the usual country code variants (see sidebar at right).

ETA: For those in the UK, it's the last day for the 12 Days of Kindle sale. All the days sale books are available, but only thru the end of today (UK time).

Additional formats on these free books are now available:
Today is the last day to take advantage of these KSO deals:

Deadly Currents ($0.99), the first of the RM Outdoor Adventures cozy mysteries by Beth Groundwater, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.
Book Description
The Arkansas River, heart and soul of Salida, Colorado, fuels the small town’s economy and thrums in the blood of river ranger Mandy Tanner. When a whitewater rafting accident occurs, she deftly executes a rescue, but a man dies anyway. Turns out, it wasn’t the rapids that killed him—he was murdered. Tom King was a rich land developer with bitter business rivals, who cheated on his wife, refused to support his kayak-obsessed son, and infuriated environmentalists.

Mandy’s world is upended again when tragedy strikes closer to home. Suspicious that the most recent death is connected to Tom King’s murder, Mandy goes on an emotionally turbulent quest for the truth—and ends up in dangerous waters.

Quantum ($1.54 / £0.99 UK), by Manjit Kumar, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (their are two US editions at $13.49 and $15.37, a pre-order for 2020!).
Book Description
Quantum theory is weird. As Niels Bohr said, if you weren’t shocked by quantum theory, you didn’t really understand it. For most people, quantum theory is synonymous with mysterious, impenetrable science. And in fact for many years it was equally baffling for scientists themselves. In this tour de force of science history, Manjit Kumar gives a dramatic and superbly written account of this fundamental scientific revolution, focusing on the central conflict between Einstein and Bohr over the nature of reality and the soul of science. This revelatory book takes a close look at the golden age of physics, the brilliant young minds at its core—and how an idea ignited the greatest intellectual debate of the twentieth century.

To Defy a King ($1.99 Kindle, B&N), the fourth and latest title in the William Marshal series by Elizabeth Chadwick, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Privileged daughter of William Marshal, Mahelt marries Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of Norfolk. But when King John sets out to subdue the Bigods, Mahelt faces the worst alone, knowing neither she, nor her marriage, are likely to survive. A story of emotional power set against the road to Magna Carta and the fight to bring a tyrant king to heel, To Defy a King is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best.
Today's backlist/indie free books on Kindle (not likely to be free for long):
Special thanks to ATDrake at Mobileread, whose eagle eyes have managed to spot most of these backlist authors.