B&N Nook Sale Report

I stopped in the local B&N this afternoon, to check on the $90 Off Tablet Sale and the NOOK Book Two-for-One Weekends Offer. There were posters everywhere on the "special price" on the Nook HD and HD+. Gone, though, were the old "$50 Free Content" offer posters, which means that the price on the smaller tablet was essentially the same (assuming you would buy some content at B&N). For B&N Members, who received the coupons in the mail for $50/$90 off a tablet - all B&N did was extend the exact same sale to everyone, rendering the "exclusive coupons" sent to you essentially worthless (no special price for members, no kickback as a gift card, as they've done in the past, no special bonus content on an SD card). You can get the same price at BestBuy this week, so if you are in the market for a new Nook Tablet, buy at whichever one gives you the best perks (BestBuy Rewards members probably come out ahead on this one).

As for their NOOK Book Two-for-One Weekends Offer, which specifically says that you get to choose which book to pay for -- in the store instructions (only; not on any online offer details and they had exactly zero posters up about this deal, so only those who knew about the sale before coming to the store would have a chance to take advantage of it), the store was instructed to give you the cheapest book free, regardless of which book you told them you wanted to pay for. I wonder how many handed over their credit cards and never looked to see that they paid for the more expensive book?

In any case, we skipped both sales and the Weekend Offers will have to be quite enticing (and have two books at close to the same price, I suspect) to lure me into the store on a weekend, just to take advantage of the sale. Especially since the cafe is so crowded on the weekends and you have to wait to get a table (unlike during the week, which makes you wonder about the timing of the sale, since they are much more deserted during the week).

Update: I tried the coupon code for the $90 off the HD+ tablet online and it actually worked, taking an additional $90 off (would have been $50 off the HD). I have no idea how long this will continue to work or if B&N will actually ship the ones ordered with this steep discount, but it's worth a shot for those who received coupons in the mail.

Nook HD+ $90 Off and Nook HD $50 Off!

This price is good this week only, in store and online: Get $90 off NOOK HD+ Tablet (now $179) or $50 off NOOK HD Tablet (now $149). Hurry Offer Expires 5/12!

If you are buying in-store, don't forget the NOOK Book Two-for-One Weekends Offer that is going on. For those buying online, if you have a B&N membership, you get free shipping (so, it might be a good time to sign up for that first, then order).

If you can't get to a B&N store and want to buy local, check with Best Buy, as rumor has it that they have the same sale price this week (I haven't popped over to ours to check).

Kindle Daily Deals 5/5

Over at Kobo, get 40% off a select list of books using coupon code MaySave40. Also any Kobo Glo or Touch (now $99.99), comes with a free cover (thru May 16).

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Two Minute Rule ($1.99), by Robert Crais [Simon and Schuster].

Book Description
Two minutes can be a lifetime.

Ask anyone on the wrong side of the law about the two-minute rule and they'll tell you that's as long as you can hope for at a robbery before the cops show up. Break the two-minute rule and it's a lifetime in jail. But not everyone plays by the rules. . .

When ex-con Max Holman finally gets out of jail, freedom doesn't taste too sweet. The only thing on his mind is reconciliation with his estranged son, who is, ironically, a cop. But then he hears the devastating news: His son and three other uniformed cops were gunned down in cold blood in Los Angeles the night before Holman's release. When the hit is exposed as a revenge killing and the question of police corruption is raised, it becomes a father's last duty to clear his son's name and catch the killer. With all the elements that have made Robert Crais one of the very best crime writers today, The Two Minute Rule is gripping, edgy suspense from the author who sets the standard when it comes to surprising plot twists and powerful characters.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Dead Heat ($0.99), by Kathleen Brooks [indie].

Book Description
In the third book of the Bluegrass Series, Paige Davies finds her world turned upside down as she becomes involved in her best friends' nightmare. The strong-willed Paige doesn't know which is worse: someone trying to kill her, or losing her dog to the man she loves to hate.

FBI Agent Cole Parker can't decide whether he should strangle or kiss this infuriating woman of his dreams. As he works the case of his career, he finds that love can be tougher than bringing down some of the most powerful men in America.

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Building From Ashes ($1.99), the first book in the Elemental World series, by Elizabeth Hunter, author of the best-selling Elemental Mysteries [indie].

Book Description
In a world teetering on the edge of change, two beings struggle to find their purpose. Will their paths lead them closer together or tear their worlds apart?

For a thousand years, powerful earth vampire Carwyn ap Bryn has served others. God. His family. His friends. But tragedy and loss disrupt his peaceful existence, causing him to question everything he has committed his eternity to.

Brigid Connor has known about vampires since they rescued her from a painful childhood. But not even their vast elemental power can save her from the demons that torment her.

As loyalties are tested and new paths are forged, a lurking danger slowly grows in the Elemental World. Carwyn and Brigid learn that even secrets revealed can come back to haunt you when you least expect it.

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is My Brother Sam is Dead ($2.99), a Newbery Honor winning YA fantasy novel by James Lincoln Collier [AudioGo?/Scholastic].

Book Description
The Revolutionary War comes alive in this contemporary classic for young adults. The War had no clear-cut loyalties--it divided families, friends and towns. Young Tim Meeker's 16-year-old brother goes off to fight with the Patriots while his father remains a reluctant British Loyalist in the Tory town of Redding, CT. Tim’s always looked up to his brother, who’s smart and brave. With the war soon raging, Tim knows he'll have to make a choice -- between the Revolutionaries and the Redcoats . . . and between his brother and his father. Over the course of the war Tim learns that life teaches some bitter lessons and does not guarantee clear answers. My Brother Sam Is Dead is a stirring, probing tale full of action and suspense, putting listeners right into the heart of the Revolutionary War.

Save $20 on 7" Kindle Fire HD!

As a Mother's Day promotion, you can save $20 on a Kindle Fire HD 7" (now from $179 with promo), by entering promotional code FIRE4MOM at checkout. The deals page shows both the base models and the memory upgraded models, as well as those with and without Special Offers (if you don't want Mom to have to pay to dump the advertising herself). If you play a lot of games, like to download the full content on those Audubon apps or want to stick a few movies on there for a quick trip, you should probably consider upgrading to the 32GB model, for only $30 extra.

There are some restrictions, which work out to basically one per customer (account), only those sold by Amazon (no third party sellers or used), and only until the number they've set aside for the promotion sell out (the final end date is May 12th, but there is also a "while supplies last" clause). Be sure not to use one-click, though - you need to go thru the full checkout process, so that you can apply the promo code above (and double check your total) before ordering, in order to get the sale price. If you are buying as a gift, be sure to click the box on the summary page for that, as well, so that the device isn't auto-registered to your account.

UK Kindle Daily Deal 5/5

Daddy's Home (£0.99 UK), by AK Alexander [Thomas & Mercer], is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $3.99 and the the companion audiobook $1.99).

Book Description
They call him “the Family Man,” the cunning killer who preys upon single mothers and their innocent children, hunting for a family to call his own. But when they fail to meet his unyielding demands for perfection—and they always do—he kills.

Holly Jennings is the San Diego PD’s top crime scene investigator. She’s also a single mother struggling to raise her daughter alone and to dealing with her feelings for another man in the wake of her husband’s death. The Family Man case hits her hard—but even harder when her friend becomes his latest victim.

Determined to stop this psychopath once and for all, Holly delves deep into the investigation, combing through evidence for clues to his identity. But the closer she gets to the truth, the further she must venture down a dark path that could cost her everything: her family, her newfound love—even her life. A Wall Street Journal bestseller, this edgy page-turner is guaranteed to keep readers riveted into the wee hours of the morning.