Bargain Book Roundup (K)

I hope everyone found time to get out and vote today (if you didn't vote early).

The Nook Daily Election Find, Walter Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin, is now price matched on Kindle ($2.99). That price may or may not last past midnight on the West Coast.

The Subterranean Scalzi Super Bundle ($7.99) is a super-deal, even if you already have one or two of the titles (I have a lot of Scalzi, but only two overlap this bundle). I don't see Judge Sn Goes Golfing in the free sample, but you might want to grab it and just report it missing (it'll probably be yanked from the store, once that happens, so the publisher can replace the file).

Book Description
Subterranean Press bundles together all of their John Scalzi titles into one easy-to-buy special this November:

• How I Proposed To My Wife: An Alien Sex Story
• An Election
• Judge Sn Goes Golfing
• Questions for a Soldier
• The Sagan Diary
• The Tale of the Wicked
• The God Engines
• You're Not fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to the Coffee Shop

Waterfall ($1.99) is the first title in Lisa T Bergren's YA/CF River of Time series (David C. Cook).

Book Description
Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. In Book One of the River of Time series, Gabi and Lia are stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, boring, and dusty archeological site … until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

And thus she comes to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

Grade Level: 8 and up

The Devil in the Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness, and the Making of a Great Chef ($2.51), by Marco Pierre White, was a Nook/Kindle Deal of the Day last year ($4); this is the lowest price I've seen on it.

Book Description
Without question, the original rock-star chef is Marco Pierre White. Anyone with even a passing interest in the food world knows White is a legend. The first British chef (and the youngest chef anywhere) to win three Michelin stars - and also the only chef ever to give them all back - is a chain-smoking, pot-throwing multiply- married culinary genius whose fierce devotion to food and restaurants has been the only constant in a life of tabloid-ready turmoil. In The Devil in the Kitchen White tells the story behind his ascent from working-class roots to culinary greatness, leaving no dish unserved as he relays raucus and revealing tales featuring some of the biggest names in the food world and beyond, including: Mario Batali, Gordon Ramsay, Albert Roux, Raymond Blanc, Michael Caine, Damien Hirst, and even Prince Charles. With candid honesty and wicked humor, he gives us insight into what it takes to become a great chef, what it's like to run a 3-star kitchen, and why sometimes you really do need to throw a cheese plate at the wall.

Dirty Dishes: A Restaurateur's Story of Passion, Pain, and Pasta ($2.99), by Andrew Friedman, Pino Luongo and Anthony Bourdain

Book Description
Everyone has an opinion about Pino Luongo. To Tony Bourdain, he was the notorious Pino Noir, the shadowy kingpin of a restaurant empire. To Manhattanites, he was either the savior or the scourge of the city's dining scene. To the many fans of his cookbooks, he was the herald of Tuscan cuisine.

In Dirty Dishes, Luongo emerges to tell his side of the story. And it's quite a story: After an idyllic (and well-fed) childhood in Tuscany, Luongo came to New York as an actor, and, after quickly washing out, fell into the restaurant business. Within ten years, he had risen from a position as a dishwasher to build a string of the hottest restaurants in the city, including Le Madri, Coco Pazzo, Tuscan Square, and Centolire. For a decade, he was one of the undisputed kings of New York nightlife, building a reputation for brilliance, volatility, and charm - as well as a long list of hilarious and jaw-dropping "Pino stories." But after a flirtation with a corporate chain went sour, he cashiered his restaurants and returned to his first love, the kitchen.

Pino has had an incredible life, full of amazing twists and famous names- and he's a born storyteller. Along with his expert coauthor, Andrew Friedman (who helped craft Don't Try This at Home), he's created an immensely readable inside look at the New York restaurant world, in all its Byzantine glory.

A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal ($2.51), by Anthony Bourdain

Book Description
Dodging minefields in Cambodia, diving into the icy waters outside a Russian bath, Chef Bourdain travels the world over in search of the ultimate meal. The only thing Anthony Bourdain loves as much as cooking is traveling, and A Cook's Tour is the shotgun marriage of his two greatest passions. Inspired by the question, 'What would be the perfect meal?', Anthony sets out on a quest for his culinary holy grail. Our adventurous chef starts out in Japan, where he eats traditional Fugu, a poisonous blowfish which can be prepared only by specially licensed chefs. He then travels to Cambodia, up the mine-studded road to Pailin into autonomous Khmer Rouge territory and to Phnom Penh's Gun Club, where local fare is served up alongside a menu of available firearms. In Saigon, he's treated to a sustaining meal of live Cobra heart before moving on to savor a snack with the Viet Cong in the Mecong Delta. Further west, Kitchen Confidential fans will recognize the Gironde of Tony's youth, the first stop on his European itinerary. And from France, it's on to Portugal, where an entire village has been fattening a pig for months in anticipation of his arrival. And we're only halfway around the globe. . . A Cook's Tour recounts, in Bourdain's inimitable style, the adventures and misadventures of America's favorite chef.

A Moveable Feast ($4.99), by Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, Mark Kurlansky and Don George (Lonely Planet)

Book Description
From bat on the island of Fais to chicken on a Russian train to barbecue in the American heartland, from mutton in Mongolia to couscous in Morocco to tacos in Tijuana - on the road, food nourishes us not only physically, but intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually too. It can be a gift that enables a traveler to survive, a doorway into the heart of a tribe, or a thread that weaves an indelible tie; it can be awful or ambrosial - and sometimes both at the same time. Celebrate the riches and revelations of food with this 38-course feast of true tales set around the world. Edited by Don George

Naughty & Nice 3-Story Bundle ($1.99) is a brand-new anthology by Ruthie Knox, Molly O'Keefe and Stefanie Sloane (Loveswept). All three authors have upcoming releases, so this trio of novellas should whet your appetite, while you wait. In addition, it seems that all of Ruthie Knox's novels are currently marked down to $2.99 (including her pre-release title). The publisher sent me an eARC on this one and it's near the top of my holiday TBR pile.

Book Description
’Tis the season for romance with three original holiday-themed novellas! Unwrap this festive eBook bundle and discover why these authors are quickly becoming the biggest names in the genre. Ruthie Knox tells a heartwarming contemporary story of first loves given the gift of a second chance; Molly O’Keefe releases the ghosts of Christmas past with a prequel to her novel Crazy Thing Called Love; and Stefanie Sloane weaves an irresistible Regency tale of fiery passion that burns deep on a cold winter’s night.

ROOM AT THE INN by Ruthie Knox
Carson Vance couldn’t wait to get out of Potter Falls, but now that he’s back to spend Christmas with his ailing father, he must face all the people he left behind . . . like Julie Long, whose heart he broke once upon a time. Now the proprietor of the local inn, Julie is a successful, seductive, independent woman—everything that Carson’s looking for. But despite several steamy encounters under the mistletoe, Julie refuses to believe in happily ever after. Now Carson must prove to Julie that he’s back for good—and that he wants her in his life for all the holidays to come.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU by Molly O’Keefe
Maddy Baumgarten and Billy Wilkins are spontaneous, in love, and prepared to elope the day after Christmas—that is, if Maddy’s family doesn’t throw a wrench in their plans. After all, Maddy’s barely out of high school and Billy’s a notorious bad boy. Maddy doesn’t care about Billy’s rough past—all she cares about is living in the here and now. But after Maddy’s mother stops speaking to her in protest, and a Christmas Eve heart-to-heart with her father leaves her with butterflies, Maddy starts to get cold feet. She loves Billy, but is she taking this big step too soon?

ONE PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Stephanie Sloane
After being jilted by her fiancé, Jane Merriweather turns to her dear childhood friend, the Honorable Lucas Cavanaugh, for support—and unlocks the smoldering desire simmering in the man’s troubled heart. Frightened by his new found feelings, Lucas flees to Scotland. But when the Christmas season brings them together again, one glance is all that’s needed to reignite his yearning. If Lucas can convince Jane that his intentions are as pure as the falling snow, they’ll turn a dreary December into a joyous Yuletide affair.

Today's Deals

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The American Patriot's Almanac: Daily Readings on America ($1.99), by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb. I have had this in my library for several years now (and have managed to read quite a bit of it, but eventually forgot to pick it up each morning), but this is a new, revised and expanded edition (although there doesn't seem to be any indication as to what has been added). In any case, it's well worth picking up for the occasional read and each day has a short list of historical events that are interesting to read thru.

Book Description
Read here the storied history of these United States.

The stories in this book are part of what Abraham Lincoln called the “mystic chords of memory.” They are the symbols that define the essence of the United States, that mark its historic course, and connect its people. The American Patriot’s Almanac is a daily source of inspiration and information about the history, heroes, and achievements that sum up what this nation is all about.

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is all three DI Gilchrist series books by TF (Frank) Muir for $1.59 / £0.99 apiece.

Eye for an Eye (Main/UK)

One psychopath. One killer. The Stabber.

Six victims, all wife beaters. Each stabbed to death through their left eye. The cobbled lanes and backstreets of St Andrews provide the setting for these brutal killings. But six unsolved murders and mounting censure from the media force DI Andy Gilchrist off the case. Driven by his fear of failure, and desperate to redeem his career and reputation, Gilchrist vows to catch The Stabber alone...

Hand for a Hand (Main/UK)

When DCI Andy Gilchrist is called to a crime scene to find an amputated hand clutching a note addressed to him, a note that contains only one word, murder, he is pulled into an investigation that will test him to the limit.

Soon other single word clues are found along with amputated body parts and the murderer's vengeful message becomes clear as the identity of the next intended victim is revealed. But when someone close to him disappears, Gilchrist knows he is too late. Together with Nance Wilson, the sexy DC with her own agenda, Gilchrist comes to see the answer to the present murders lies within the secrets of his past.

Forced to confront his demons, Gilchrist must solve the cryptic clues and find the murderer before the next victim, a woman whose life means more to Gilchrist than his own, is served up to him piece by slaughtered piece.

Tooth for a Tooth (Main/UK)

What secrets from the past was he about to uncover?

When a woman's skeleton is discovered in a shallow grave DCI Andy Gilchrist is tasked with finding her murderer. But a psychic's warnings and markings on a rusted cigarette lighter found among the rotted remains set Gilchrist off on a trail that will take him back 35 years back to his past and on course to find his brother's killer in a fatal hit and run accident.

When dental records from an extracted tooth force Gilchrist to confront the unthinkable - that his brother was her killer - he keeps his fears to himself, only to be suspended on suspicion of destroying evidence.

But Gilchrist battles on in his quest for answers. Who was the woman? Why was she murdered? And was the fatal hit and run really an accident?

New York Times Best Illustrated Books Award winning Duck for President ($2.99 Kindle, $2.99 B&N), by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin (Illustrator), is the Nook Daily Find; this is a publisher priced book, so should be price matched on Kindle (eventually). price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
From the New York Times bestselling creators of Click, Clack, Moo, this eBook with audio provides an entertaning introduction to politics.

My fellow Americans:

It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for President. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land.

Some say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he is a duck.

We say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he will be the next president of the United States of America.

Thank you for your vote.

Age Level: 4 and up

Benjamin Franklin ($14.99 Kindle, $2.99 B&N), by Walter Isaacson, is the Nook Daily Find: Election 2012; this is a publisher priced book, so should be price matched on Kindle (eventually). Evening Update: Now price matched on Kindle! Yay!

Book Description
Benjamin Franklin is the Founding Father who winks at us. An ambitious urban entrepreneur who rose up the social ladder, from leather-aproned shopkeeper to dining with kings, he seems made of flesh rather than of marble. In bestselling author Walter Isaacson's vivid and witty full-scale biography, we discover why Franklin seems to turn to us from history's stage with eyes that twinkle from behind his new-fangled spectacles. By bringing Franklin to life, Isaacson shows how he helped to define both his own time and ours.

He was, during his 84-year life, America's best scientist, inventor, diplomat, writer, and business strategist, and he was also one of its most practical -- though not most profound -- political thinkers. He proved by flying a kite that lightning was electricity, and he invented a rod to tame it. He sought practical ways to make stoves less smoky and commonwealths less corrupt. He organized neighborhood constabularies and international alliances, local lending libraries and national legislatures. He combined two types of lenses to create bifocals and two concepts of representation to foster the nation's federal compromise. He was the only man who shaped all the founding documents of America: the Albany Plan of Union, the Declaration of Independence, the treaty of alliance with France, the peace treaty with England, and the Constitution. And he helped invent America's unique style of homespun humor, democratic values, and philosophical pragmatism.

But the most interesting thing that Franklin invented, and continually reinvented, was himself. America's first great publicist, he was, in his life and in his writings, consciously trying to create a new American archetype. In the process, he carefully crafted his own persona, portrayed it in public, and polished it for posterity.

Through it all, he trusted the hearts and minds of his fellow "leather-aprons" more than he did those of any inbred elite. He saw middle-class values as a source of social strength, not as something to be derided. His guiding principle was a "dislike of everything that tended to debase the spirit of the common people." Few of his fellow founders felt this comfort with democracy so fully, and none so intuitively.

In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin's amazing life, from his days as a runaway printer to his triumphs as a statesman, scientist, and Founding Father. He chronicles Franklin's tumultuous relationship with his illegitimate son and grandson, his practical marriage, and his flirtations with the ladies of Paris. He also shows how Franklin helped to create the American character and why he has a particular resonance in the twenty-first century.

Today's Kindle Teens Daily Deal is Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue ($2.99), by Kathryn J. Atwood.

Book Description
Organized by country, this historical exploration includes stories of girls and women from across Europe and the United States who risked their lives to perform extremely dangerous acts against the Nazis during World War II. The 26 profiles bring to life courageous women such as Noor Inayat Khan, a radio operator who parachuted into occupied France and transferred crucial messages; Johtje Vos, the Dutch housewife who hid Jews in her home and was repeatedly interrogated by the Gestapo; and Hannie Schaft, a Dutch law student who became involved in the most dangerous resistance work—sabotage, weapons transference, and assassinations. The profiles are written using dialogue, direct quotes, and document excerpts to lend authenticity and immediacy. Each profile includes one or more informative sidebars and is followed by a list of relevant books, websites, and films, making it an attractive resource for teachers, parents, and libraries.

Grade Level: 7 and up

$3 Kindle Deal (K)

Sorry guys, didn't see this one until very late - Amazon has a second daily new bargain Deal today, with 30 titles at $3 each. You have a bit over 3 hours a month and 3 hours! to shop.

Update: Well, it is obviously past my bedtime for the night - thanks for the tip from a reader, as I read the sale date incorrectly. It ends the 5th, but of December, not November!

Today's Deals

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Wonder Boys ($1.99), by Michael Chabon (Open Road).

Book Description
Chabon’s extraordinary story of one turbulent weekend in the life of a struggling writer, a satire of the permanent adolescence of the creative class

A wildly successful first novel made Grady Tripp a young star, and seven years later he still hasn’t grown up. He’s now a writing professor in Pittsburgh, plummeting through middle age, stuck with an unfinishable manuscript, an estranged wife, a pregnant girlfriend, and a talented but deeply disturbed student named James Leer. During one lost weekend at a writing festival with Leer and debauched editor Terry Crabtree, Tripp must finally confront the wreckage made of his past decisions.

Mordant but humane, Wonder Boys features characters as loveably flawed as any in American fiction.

This ebook features a biography of the author.

Madensky Square ($1.59 / £0.99 UK), by Eva Ibbotson, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
Eva Ibbotson’s magical novel set in that most poignant of all times and places - Vienna before the First World War. Susanna’s dress shop stands in the delightful Madensky Square and is the very hub and heart of life. Susanna sympathizes with her neighbours, watches over Signi, the wretched, orphaned child prodigy, and with her infallible eye for dress, turns an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. Of all the colourful characters in Madensky Square, only her dear friend Alice has the slightest inkling that Susanna hides more than one secret. This hidden life, full of passion and anguish, gradually unfolds in a city of romance, music and gossip.

A Mortal Terror ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), the sixth in the Billy Boyle World War II Mystery series by James R. Benn, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle. I started collecting this series when the first one was free in 2010. If you are missing the second in the series, First Wave, or want to upgrade from the Topaz format it was originally issued in, it's on sale for $3.44 currently.

Book Description
In his time investigating crimes for both the Boston cops and General Ike's European forces, Lieutenant Billy Boyle hasn't encountered a serial killer. But now it looks like he may--a serial killer with a particularly frightening agenda.

Two officers from the American troops stationed in Caserta, Italy, not far from Naples, have been found murdered. Lieutenant Norman Landry was found behind a supply tent with his neck snapped. Captain Max Galante, MD, was strangled on the same night, and his body left in a garden outside HQ. The MOs are completely different, and it seems like the officers had no connection to each other, but one frightening fact links the murders: each body was discovered with a single playing card: the Lieutenant, the ten of hearts; the Captain, the jack of hearts. The message seems to be clear--if the murderer isn't apprehended, the higher ranks will be next.

Billy is sent to Italy for the investigation, which grows increasingly sinister. But he has other things on his mind, too. His girlfriend, Diana, is on a very dangerous spy mission, and Billy doesn't know when--or if--he'll see her again. To make matters worse, Billy's just learned that his baby brother, Danny, is being sent over to Europe as an infantry replacement, an incredibly dangerous assignment. And all around him, he sees GIs suffering from combat fatigue preparing for another battle. As the invasion at Anzio begins, Billy needs to keep a cool head amidst fear and terror as the killer calculates his next moves.

The Great Decision: Jefferson, Adams, Marshall, and the Battle for the Supreme Court ($9.99 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Cliff Sloan, is the Nook Daily Find: Election 2012. This one looks very good, so I've reported the lower price to Amazon, in hopes of getting it on Kindle.

Book Description
Following the bitterly contested election between Adams and Jefferson in 1800, the United States teetered on the brink of a second revolution. When Adams sought to prolong his policies in defiance of the electorate by packing the courts, it became evident that the new Constitution was limited in its powers. Change was in order and John Marshall stepped up to the challenge.

The Great Decision tells the riveting story of Marshall and of the landmark court case, Marbury v. Madison, through which he empowered the Supreme Court and transformed the idea of the separation of powers into a working blueprint for our modern state. Rich in atmospheric detail, political intrigue, and fascinating characters, The Great Decision is an illuminating tale of America’s formative years and the evolution of our democracy.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is One Love ($1.99), by Cedella Marley and Vanessa Newton (Illustrator). It features Kindle Text Pop-Up on select devices and apps, but also works on all Kindle devices, as a basic book.

Book Description
This heartwarming picture book adapted from one of Bob Marley s most beloved songs brings the joyful spirit and unforgettable lyrics of his music to life for a new generation. Readers will delight in dancing to the beat and feeling the positive groove of change when one girl enlists her friends, family, and community to help transform her neighborhood for the better. And coming in Fall 2012, another Bob Marley favorite, THREE LITTLE BIRDS! Adapted by Cedella Marley, Bob Marley s first child, and gorgeously illustrated by the talented Vanessa Newton, One Love is a colorful and upbeat testament to the amazing things that can happen when we all get together with one love in our hearts.

Grade Level: P and up

Free Audiobook - What is the Mission of the Church?

Christianaudio's free audiobook this month is What is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom and the Great Commission ($8.51 Kindle; $14.95 Audible), by Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert, narrated by Adam Verner.

Book Description
Social justice and mission are hot topics today: there's a wonderful resurgence of motivated Christians passionate about spreading the gospel and caring for the needs of others. But in our zeal to get sharing and serving, many are unclear on gospel and mission. Yes, we are called to spend ourselves for the sake of others, but what is the church’s unique priority as it engages the world?

DeYoung and Gilbert write to help Christians “articulate and live out their views on the mission of the church in ways that are theologically faithful, exegetically careful, and personally sustainable.” Looking at the Bible’s teaching on evangelism, social justice, and shalom, they explore the what, why, and how of the church’s mission. From defining “mission”, to examining key passages on social justice and their application, to setting our efforts in the context of God’s rule, DeYoung and Gilbert bring a wise, studied perspective to the missional conversation.

Readers in all spheres of ministry will grow in their understanding of the mission of the church and gain a renewed sense of urgency for Jesus’ call to preach the Word and make disciples.

Get the free audio download from Christianaudio and scroll down the page for several titles on sale for $4.98 this month, three of them by the same authors as the free title. Francis Chan titles are also half-price thru Nov 5.

The checkout process is very streamlined (a coupon code is no longer required), as is the download process (no longer do you have to download each part of the book separately). You can also send a gift download of the free audiobook to someone else!

After finishing your order, download a zip file with the entire audiobook: select MP3 if you want to be able to play the book on your Kindle (M4B for the iOS, iTunes or QuickTime). Unzip the contents to the \audiobooks directory on your Kindle (not \music) in order to have audiobook controls and see it on your Kindle home page.