Kindle Daily Deals 4/30

Amazon's Android Free App of the Day is Pdf to Speech, which should be handy for listening to books you have in that format on your Kindle Fire.

Today is the last day to take borrow a book this month from the Kindle Lending Library, for those on Amazon Prime, and the last day of this month's $3.99 or Less Sale (although I expect a new batch of books tomorrow).

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is Above World ($1.99), by Jenn Reese [Candlewick], with the companion audiobook for $3.99.

Book Description
A suspenseful sci-fi escapade plucks two children out of the ocean for a thrilling adventure. Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony's survival is at risk. The Kampii's breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. But can Aluna's fierce determination and fighting skills and Hoku's tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt - growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains - here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Archie Meets Nero Wolfe ($1.99), a prequel novel to Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Mysteries by Robert Goldsborough [Open Road], who fans know continued the series after Stout.

Book Description
To become part of the Nero Wolfe legend, Archie Goodwin must prove his worth

Archie Goodwin comes to New York City hoping for a bit of excitement. In his third week working as a night watchman, he stops two burglars in their tracks—with a pair of hot lead slugs. Dismissed from his job for being “trigger-happy,” he parlays his newfound notoriety into a job as a detective’s assistant, helping honest sleuth Del Bascom solve cases like the Morningside Piano Heist, the Rive Gauche Art Gallery Swindle, and the Sumner-Hayes Burglary. But it’s the kidnapping of Tommie Williamson, the son of a New York hotel magnate, that introduces Goodwin to the man who will change his life.

Young Tommie has gone missing, and only one detective is built for the job: Nero Wolfe, the heavyset genius of West Thirty-Fifth Street. Together they will form one of the most unlikely crime fighting duos in history—but first Goodwin must find Tommie Williamson, and prove to Wolfe that he deserves a place by his side.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Rebellious Desire ($0.99), by Julie Garwood [Pocket/Simon and Schuster].

Book Description
Of all the dukes in England, Jered Marcus Benton, the Duke of Bradford, was the wealthiest, most handsome -- and most arrogant. And of all London's ladies, he wanted the tender obedience of only one -- Caroline Richmond.

She was a ravishing beauty from Boston, with a mysterious past and a fiery spirit. Drawn to the powerful duke, undeterred by his presumptuous airs, Caroline was determined to win his lasting love. But Bradford would bend to no woman -- until a deadly intrigue drew them enticingly close. Now, united against a common enemy, they would discover the power of the magnificent attraction that brought them together...a desire born in danger, but destined to flame into love!

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Extinction Point ($0.99), by Paul Antony Jones [47North], with the the companion audiobook for $1.99. I listened to the sample and the narrator is quite good and under $3 for the two is a steal.

The author's publicist provided me a copy for review and I've finished it, but had not yet completed my review. But, for now, take this short version under advisement: buy this book!

OK, there are a few nits to pick, but overall the story is good and the dialog flows (unlike some books in this genre that I've read). It isn't your typical zombie apocalypse story (not at all) and there is more introspection and attention to details (but not overwhelming lists of survival supplies or weapons models). Emily is a typical New Yorker, with little food in her apartment, no driving skills and a 100% faith and dependency on the power grid, at the start. She is on her own in NYC after the red rain falls and is no superhero, although a bit too accident prone for what her character seemed before the rain; we get more prose on how it feels to be alone, along with what seems to be more practical survival behavior (find food, find transportation, get out of town) than you'll see in the average zombie book (break into gun store, load on up unlimited ammo and shoot anything that moves) and it's pretty well done.

Yes, this is the first in a new series (isn't everything, these days?), but the good news is that you won't have to wait as long as I have for the second, as it is now available for pre-order: Exodus (and it's only $2.99! I love Amazon's imprint pricing).

Book Description
First comes the red rain: a strange, scarlet downpour from a cloudless sky that spreads across cities, nations, and the entire globe. In a matter of panicked hours, every living thing on earth succumbs to swift, bloody death. Yet Emily Baxter, a young newspaper reporter, is mysteriously spared—and now she’s all alone.

But watching the happy life she built for herself in New York City slip away in the wake of a monstrous, inexplicable plague is just the beginning of Emily’s waking nightmare. The world isn’t ending; it’s only changing. And the race that once ruled the earth has now become raw material for use by a new form of life never before seen…on this planet.

With only wits, weapons, and a bicycle, Emily must undertake a grueling journey across a country that’s turning increasingly alien. For though she fears she’s been left to inherit the earth, the truth is far more terrifying than a lifetime of solitude.

UK Kindle Daily Deal 4/30

The Summer Son (£0.99 UK), by Craig Lancaster [AmazonEncore], is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $4.99).

Book Description
He owed a lot of people, but I was the only one left to collect. I told myself that I didn’t care about him, only about what he owed me, whatever that was.

I even tried to believe it.

When Mitch Quillen’s life begins to unravel, he fears there is no escape. His marriage and his career are both failing, and his relationship with his father has been a disaster for decades. Approaching forty, Mitch doesn’t want to become a middle-aged statistic. When his estranged father, Jim, suddenly calls, Mitch’s wife urges him to respond. Ready for a change, Mitch heads to Montana and a showdown that will alter the course of his life. Amid a backdrop of rugged peaks and valleys, the story unfolds: a violent episode that triggered the rift, thirty years of miscommunication, and the possibility of misplaced blame. In Craig Lancaster’s powerful novel, The Summer Son, readers are invited into a family where conflict and secrets prevail, and where hope for healing and redemption is possible.

Nook Daily Find 4/30

Afghanistan Revealed ($9.99 Kindle, $2.99 B&N), by Ahmed Rashid, Jules Stewart, Yossef Bodansky, Greg Mill, et al, is the Nook Daily Find.

Book Description
Afghanistan Revealed offers the reader an incisive view into a country that has held the world’s attention for more than a decade. Hardly a day goes by without Afghanistan making news in the media – but behind the headlines, what do we really know about this complex and enigmatic country, its people, its culture and most importantly, its future? This ebook takes us beyond the media focus on politics and war into the lives of the Afghan people, and the forces that have shaped their individual and collective history.

A range of distinguished specialists shed light on Afghanistan, from the earliest Aryan migrations and the emergence of Islam, through the country's role as a key Central Asian trade centre, the Anglo-Afghan wars and the Soviet invasion, to the emergence of a post-Taliban state. We are reminded of how the Afghans have suffered in centuries of violent conflict and have stubbornly resisted all efforts to invade and dominate their land. We are presented with the tasks Afghanistan faces after the 2014 withdrawal of NATO-led combat troops, specifically the need to rebuild the country, create jobs, provide education, tap into its huge economic potential, and provide political and social harmony.

Readable and accessible, Afghanistan Revealed is essential background for anyone wishing to understand why peace and stability in the region have been so elusive. It is also an indispensable tool for foreign and Afghan policymakers who play a role in determining Afghanistan's future.

Diesel Daily Deal - Darkest Knight (E)

Darkest Knight ($10.99 $8.49 Kindle), a Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy novel by Karen Duvall [Luna], is today's Deal of the "Day" at Diesel E-Books, where it's discounted to $2.20 (9 copies left).

Book Description

"Betray your sisters or your lover. You choose."

After the warrior she loves saved her from a murderous gargoyle, Chalice watched helplessly as Aydin turned into a gargoyle himself. Now, free from the curse that enslaved her, Chalice pledges to join her sister knights in The Order of the Hatchet—and do whatever it takes to regain Aydin's humanity…and his love. What she encounters within their hallowed sanctuary is pure intrigue.

Someone—or something—is murdering her sisters in their sleep, provoking fear and suspicion among the order. Meanwhile, Aydin, unable to stay away, starts haunting Chalice's dreams, urging her onward. Ultimately, Chalice will be faced with an agonizing choice—one that will tear away at her newfound identity and force her to choose between duty and desire….

Get the book from Diesel; be sure to check the sales price, as the Deal of the Day often sells out.

Kindle Daily Deals 4/29

There is a great $5 Magazine Sale now going on. In addition to Eating Well, it's been expanded to 74 total titles, from Parenting to Popular Photography and including Popular Science and Cycle World, two that we read quite often. At this price, if you usually pick up one or two issues at the newsstand, you can now get the entire year in your mailbox for less. I signed up for one magazine and my first delivery date puts it squarely into the Father's Day season, so it looks like the sale is a good fit for setting up your dad with some new reading material, as well.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Watchman ($1.99), the first novel in the Joe Pike series by Robert Crais [Simon and Schuster], with the companion audiobook for $3.95.

Book Description
The city was hers for a single hour, just the one magic hour, only hers.

Larkin Conner Barkley lives like the City of Angels is hers for the taking. Young and staggeringly rich, she speeds through the city during its loneliest hours, blowing through red after red in her Aston Martin as if running for her life. Until out of nowhere a car appears, and with it the metal-on-metal explosion of a terrible accident. Dazed, Larkin attempts to help the other victims. And finds herself the sole witness in a secret federal investigation.

For maybe the first time in her life, Larkin wants to do the right thing. But by agreeing to cooperate with the authorities, she becomes the target for a relentless team of killers. And when the U.S. Marshals and the finest security money can buy can't protect her, Larkin's wealthy family turns to the one man money can't buy -- Joe Pike.

Pike lives a world away from the palaces of Beverly Hills. He's an ex-cop, ex-Marine, ex-mercenary who owes a bad man a favor, and that favor is to keep Larkin alive. The one upside of the job is reuniting with Bud Flynn, Pike's LAPD training officer, and a man Pike reveres as a father. The downside is Larkin Barkley, who is the uncontrollable cover girl for self-destruction -- and as deeply alone as Pike.

Pike commits himself to protecting the girl, but when they immediately come under fire, he realizes someone is selling them out. In defiance of Bud and the authorities, Pike drops off the grid with the girl and follows his own rules of survival: strike fast, hit hard, hunt down the hunters. With the help of private investigator Elvis Cole, Pike uncovers a web of lies and betrayals, and the stunning revelation that even the cops are not who they seem. As the body count rises, Pike's biggest threat might come from the girl herself, a lost soul in the City of Angels, determined to destroy herself unless Joe Pike can teach her the value of life...and love.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Intimate Deception ($1.99),the first novel in the Intimate series by Laura Landon [Montlake Romance], with the companion audiobook also $1.99.

Book Description
When Lady Grace Warren’s father sells her in marriage to the depraved Lord Fentington, she knows only the most drastic action will save her from a life of misery. In Victorian England, a woman possesses only one item of value: her virtue. Without it, Fentington will not want her—nor will any other man. But at least she will be free. Now she must find a man with whom to pass the fateful night, a man who will ask no questions, make no other demands. Because for a woman preparing to risk everything, no ordinary man will do…

After losing two wives in childbirth, Vincent Germaine, Duke of Raeburn, vows never to marry again. Racked with guilt over the lives lost in his quest for an heir, he is careful now to take his pleasure only with London’s most discreet courtesans. Yet when he learns that a passionate encounter with a bewitching stranger may have put yet another life at risk, Vincent sets out to find the unsuspecting girl—and discovers a woman of incomparable courage, beauty, and strength. But can two strangers brought together by desperation find true love against all odds?

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Stranger ($1.99), a stand-alone novel by Simon Clark [47North]. You can get a second title by Clark, The Tower (horror), free by signing up for the Kindle Daily emails (which you can then unsubscribe to after getting the promo code; after all, that email doesn't tell you about deals like this!).

Book Description
The small town of Sullivan has barricaded itself against the outside world. It is one of the last enclaves of civilization and the residents are determined that their town remain free from the strange and terrifying plague that is sweeping the land—a plague that transforms ordinary people into murderous, bloodthirsty madmen. But the transformation is only the beginning. With the shocking realization that mankind is evolving into something different, something horrifying, the struggle for survival becomes a battle to save humanity.

Today's Kindle Teens Daily Deal is The Unquiet ($2.99), a Teen/YA novel by Jeannine Garsee [Bloomsbury USA Childrens].

Book Description
Over the summer, Rinn stopped taking her bi-polar meds and blames herself and the voices she heard for her grandmother's tragic death. To get a new start, Rinn and her mother are moving back to her mom's small hometown and Rinn has promised to never miss a pill again.

The fresh start is just what Rinn needs. She falls in with the popular girls at her new school and she falls for very cute "farmer boy" Nate.

But River Hills High School has a secret.

The ghost of Annaliese, a girl who died when Rinn's mother was a student there, haunts a hallway the teens call The Tunnel. Rinn's not sure she believes it, but slowly Annaliese seems to be punishing those who enter the tunnel alone. A chorus soloist loses her voice, a star cheerleader falls off the pyramid, and then it gets worse-worse as in death.

Rinn still doesn't know if Annaliese is real, and there's only one way to find out. Rinn needs to ditch her bi-polar meds again and see what the voices are really trying to say....

Nook Daily Find 4/29

Poor Man's Feast ($12.09 Kindle, $3.99 B&N), by Elissa Altman [Chronicle Books], is the Nook Daily Find.

Book Description
From James Beard Award-winning writer Elissa Altman comes a story that marries wit to warmth, and flavor to passion. Born and raised in New York to a food-phobic mother and food-fanatical father, Elissa was trained early on that fancy is always best. After a childhood spent dining everywhere from Le Pavillion to La Grenouille, she devoted her life to all things gastronomical, from the rare game birds she served at elaborate dinner parties in an apartment so tiny that guests couldn't turn around to the eight timbale molds she bought while working at Dean & DeLuca, just so she could make tall food.

But love does strange things to people, and when Elissa met Susan — a small-town Connecticut Yankee with parsimonious tendencies and a devotion to simple living — it would change Elissa's relationship with food, and the people who taught her about it, forever. With tender and often hilarious honesty (and 27 delicious recipes), Poor Man's Feast is a universal tale of finding sustenance and peace in a world of excess and inauthenticity, and shows us how all our stories are inextricably bound up with what, and how, we feed ourselves and those we love.

UK Kindle Daily Deal 4/29

Lost and Found (£0.99 UK), by Tom Winter [Corsair], is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
It started with a letter ...

Carol is married to a man she doesn't love and mother to a daughter she doesn't understand. Crippled with guilt, she can't shake the feeling that she has wasted her life. So she puts pen to paper and writes a Letter to the Universe.

Albert is a widowed postman, approaching retirement age, and living with his cat, Gloria, for company. Slowly being pushed out at his place of work, he is forced down to the section of the post office where they sort undeliverable mail. When a series of letters turns up with a smiley face drawn in place of an address, he cannot help reading them.

Bargain Book Roundup

Just for those in the UK, check out the 60 Shades of May Sale, with 60 selected Kindle books available for £0.99 each until 11:59 pm, May 9, 2013.

Cover Her Face: An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery ($1.99 Kindle, iTunes), by P.D. James, is on sale at Amazon and Apple only.

Book Description
Headstrong and beautiful, the young housemaid Sally Jupp is put rudely in her place, strangled in her bed behind a bolted door. Coolly brilliant policeman Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard must find her killer among a houseful of suspects, most of whom had very good reason to wish her ill.

Cover Her Face is P. D. James's electric debut novel, an ingeniously plotted mystery that immediately placed her among the masters of suspense.

The Perfect Host: Volume V: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon ($4.74 Kindle), edited by Paul Williams, with a Foreword by Larry Mccaffery [North Atlantic Books]

Book Description
The fifth of ten volumes that will reprint all Sturgeon's short fiction covers his prolific output volume contains 15 classics and two previously unpublished stories, including "Quietly." The Perfect Host provides enough of a representative sampling of Sturgeon's "greatest hits" to give the uninitiated a good sense of what all the fuss was about way back when. At the same time it offers a generous selection of alternate takes and rarities, notably several of Sturgeon's best forays into other forms of genre writing, plus previously unreleased cuts and liner notes.

The Mistborn Trilogy ($13.08 Kindle), by Brandon Sanderson, is also on sale at Amazon only. If you already have one in the series, then buy the other two individually at $5.99 each (I have the first one from when it was free several years ago).

Book Description
The New York Times bestselling series from Brandon Sanderson.

This boxed set contains:
Mistborn
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages

At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

Bloodline ($4.99 Kindle), by Mark Billingham

Book Description
A killer is on the loose. The victims: children whose mothers can't protect them.

The past is coming back to haunt the people of London: a murderer is targeting the children of victims of Raymond Garvey, an infamous serial killer from London's past.

When Murder Squad veteran Detective Tom Thorne, who solves the London Police Department's most difficult cases, is called into what seems like, for once, an ordinary domestic murder, he thinks he's caught a break. A woman has been murdered by someone she knows. A positive pregnancy test found on the floor beside her. Thorne plans to question the husband, arrest him and return home to deal with his own deteriorating personal life.

But when a mysterious sliver of bloodstained X-ray that was found clutched in the victim's fist is replicated at other crime scenes around the city, Thorne realizes that this is not a simple case. As the bits of X-ray begin to come together to form a picture, it becomes clear that the killer knows his prey all too well and is moving through a list that was started long ago.

As Thorne attempts to protect those still alive, nothing and nobody are what they seem. Not when Thorne is dealing with one of the most twisted killers he has ever hunted.

Bones Are Forever ($2.99 Kindle, B&N, Kobo), by Kathy Reichs [Simon and Schuster]; get caught up with the latest Temperance Brennan novel before Bones of the Lost is released this summer.

Book Description
Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author and producer of the FOX televison hit Bones, is at her brilliant best in a riveting novel featuring forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan—a story of infanticide, murder, and corruption, set in the high-stakes, high-danger world of diamond mining.

A woman calling herself Amy Roberts checks into a Montreal hospital complaining of uncontrolled bleeding. Doctors see evidence of a recent birth, but before they can act, Roberts disappears. Dispatched to the address she gave at the hospital, police discover bloody towels outside in a Dumpster. Fearing the worst, they call Temperance Brennan to investigate.

In a run-down apartment Tempe makes a ghastly discovery: the decomposing bodies of three infants. According to the landlord, a woman named Alma Rogers lives there. Then a man shows up looking for Alva Rodriguez. Are Amy Roberts, Alma Rogers, and Alva Rodriguez the same person? Did she kill her own babies? And where is she now?

Heading up the investigation is Tempe’s old flame, homicide detective Andrew Ryan. His counterpart from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is sergeant Ollie Hasty, who happens to have a little history with Tempe himself, which she regrets. This unlikely trio follows the woman’s trail, first to Edmonton and then to Yellowknife, a remote diamond-mining city deep in the Northwest Territories. What they find in Yellowknife is more sinister than they ever could have imagined.

Crackling with sexual tension, whip-smart dialogue, and the startling plot twists Reichs delivers so well, Bones Are Forever is the fifteenth thrilling novel in Reichs’s “cleverly plotted and expertly maintained series” (The New York Times Book Review). With the FOX series Bones in its eighth season and her popularity at its broadest ever, Kathy Reichs has reached new heights in suspenseful storytelling.

20 Kindle Books for $1 Each (AL)

This offer is set up via AmazonLocal and anyone (in the US) can participate.

Free Voucher to Purchase Select Kindle Books for $1 Each

Just click on Apply, then complete the purchase on the page after that. Yes, it now says "Apply" instead of "purchase" on these free offers, but nearly the same process: you must be in the US and have a credit card on file, make a "purchase" at zero cost, then the promo code is automatically applied to your account (no waiting for an email and dealing with a promo code). Sign-up for this offer expires May 2, 2013 or when the number of vouchers set aside by Amazon have been exhausted.

Once applied to your account, you can shop from your Kindle or desktop, picking any of the 20 qualifying titles. You should also be able to gift any of the books to someone else (I have in the past; the full price shows all the way thru, but on the invoice summary, you will see the $1 promotional price), but the total number of books you can get at this price is 20. The voucher will expire if not used toward qualifying Kindle book purchases from Amazon.com by 11:59 p.m. PST May 7, 2013.

Deal Details:

Give yourself over to a good book. With this special offer from Amazon Digital Services, get a free voucher to purchase select Kindle books for $1 each. With 20 titles to choose from spanning many genres, you're sure to find more than one story to surrender to.

• Free voucher to purchase up to 20 select eBooks from the Amazon Kindle Store for $1 each
• Become absorbed in the drama of Bone River and Finding Emma
• Laugh along with Adventures of the Karaoke King
• Thrill to the wild adventures described in Tune In Tokyo: The Gaijin Diaries, and many more titles

30% Off Qualifying Kindle Accessories (AL)

This is another AmazonLocal deal, so you must be in the US, but don't have to find a special offer on your Kindle. Instead, just click on Apply from the Free Voucher Worth 30% Off Select Kindle Accessories page, then complete the purchase on the page after that. Yes, it now says "Apply" instead of "purchase" on these free offers, but nearly the same process: you must be in the US and have a credit card on file, make a "purchase" at zero cost, then the promo code is automatically applied to your account (no waiting for an email and dealing with a promo code). Sign-up for this offer expires May 3, 2013 or when the number of vouchers set aside by Amazon have been exhausted.

Grab a voucher now, before they sell out and you'll have over a week to look thru the qualifying items and decide which ones you want (although popular ones may sell out, as always with these offers). Also, be sure to click on the headings for your particular Kindle model, once you get to the Accessories page - only a few are displayed when you first arrive and there are actually quite a few for each Kindle model (currently; these offers often sell out). The cases I looked at were all full price before the voucher and are suggested as Mother's Day gifts (but, I'd think long and hard on a snakeskin case, at least for most Mothers that I know, although I can think of a few that might want one of the camouflage cases).

Deal Description
Mom loves reading on her Kindle, so help her love it even more with a stylish accessory. Today's deal from the Kindle Accessories Store offers a wonderful discount on colorful sleeves, cases, and covers to protect and personalize her device. She'll appreciate the safety, and every time she picks it up to read, she'll remember you were thinking of her.

• Free voucher worth 30% off select Kindle accessories
• Wild variety of colors and patterns -- you're sure to find one she'll love
• Helps identify the Kindle as Mom's and no one else's
• Voucher will expire if not used toward a qualifying purchase in the Kindle Accessories Store by May 31, 2013
• Voucher is valid for a 30% discount on your order total (up to the first $166.67 spent) for qualifying items in the Kindle Accessories Store; your order total can be over $333.33, but the maximum discount is $100.
• Limit 1 voucher per customer; limited quantities available
• This promotion may not be combined with other offers, including promotional certificates

Kindle Daily Deals 4/28

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Wicked Years series by Gregory Maguire, all four for $1.99 apiece (great! we were waiting on priced drop on the last title in the series). Check your libraries for Wicked - I had a Bonus Edition in my Kindle Library that is a different ASIN from the one included in this sale, so it didn't show that I'd already bought it when I looked at the list. If you want the companion audiobook, though, you'll need the edition from this sale, as it's the only one linked up to the Audible edition.

Wicked: Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (companion audiobook $3.49)

This is the book that started it all! The basis for the smash hit Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Gregory Maguire's breathtaking New York Times bestseller Wicked views the land of Oz, its inhabitants, its Wizard, and the Emerald City, through a darker and greener (not rosier) lens. Brilliantly inventive, Wicked offers us a radical new evaluation of one of the most feared and hated characters in all of literature: the much maligned Wicked Witch of the West who, as Maguire tells us, wasn’t nearly as Wicked as we imagined.

Son of a Witch

In this captivating New York Times bestseller, beloved author Gregory Maguire returns to the land of Oz and introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Is he really Elphaba's son? He has her broom and her cape—but what of her powers? In an Oz that, since the Wizard's departure, is under new and dangerous management, can Liir keep his head down long enough to grow up?

A Lion Among Men

Return to a darker Oz with Gregory Maguire. In A Lion Among Men, the third volume in Maguire’s acclaimed, New York Times bestselling series The Wicked Years, a fuller, more complex Cowardly Lion is brought to life and gets to tell his remarkable tale. It is a story of oppression and fear in a world gone mad with war fever—of Munchkins, Wizards, and Wicked Witches—and especially of a gentle soul and determined survivor who is truly A Lion Among Men.

Out of Oz: The Final Volume in the Wicked Years

Bestselling author Gregory Maguire’s remarkable series, The Wicked Years, comes full circle with this, his fourth and final excursion across a darker, richer, more complex landscape of “the magical land of Oz.” Out of Oz brilliantly reimagines L. Frank Baum’s world over the rainbow as wracked with social unrest—placing Glinda the good witch under house arrest and having the cowardly Lion on the lam from the law as the Emerald City prepares to make war on Munchkinland. Even Dorothy makes a triumphant return in Maguire’s magnificent Oz finale—tying up every loose green end of the series he began with his classic Wicked, the basis for the smash hit Broadway musical.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is The Girl Who Came Home ($0.99), by Hazel Gaynor.

Book Description
Ireland, 1912
Fourteen members of a small, Irish village set sail on RMS Titanic towards a new life in America. Among them is seventeen-year-old Maggie Murphy, who wonders if she will ever see her sweetheart, Séamus, again.

Four days into their journey, disaster strikes Titanic. Finding herself distraught and alone as she recovers in a New York hospital, Maggie vows never to speak of the event again.

Chicago, 1982
After the death of her father, Grace Butler's life seems to be on hold. But when her Great Nana Maggie confides in her about her Titanic journey, Grace discovers an incredible story of loss and survival. It is a story which leads to unexpected reunions with friends they had both thought lost long ago.

Inspired by true events surrounding a group of Irish emigrants who sailed on the maiden voyage of R.M.S Titanic, The Girl Who Came Home is a poignant re-telling of the Titanic tragedy. Blending fact and fiction, this Titanic novel tells the human story of the tragedy, not just on board the ship itself, but extending beyond the immediate aftermath of the event to explore the emotions of relatives awaiting news back home and of the impact that night had on the survivors and their descendants. It is also a love letter to a ship whose tragic legacy continues to captivate our imaginations one hundred years after she sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean with such devastating loss of life.

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is The Book of Lost Fragrances ($1.99), by M. J. Rose. This is her latest novel, just released last February, so it's a real steal. I just received a review copy of her forthcoming release, Seduction: A Novel of Suspense (coming May 7), which I had asked for after reading her Reincarnationist series, but this book in between the two is one I didn't (yet) have!

Book Description
A Secret Worth Dying For …

Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by visions of the past, her earliest memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up with as the heir to a storied French perfume company. These worsened after her mother’s suicide until she finally found a doctor who helped her, teaching her to explore the mythological symbolism in her visions and thus lessen their painful impact. This ability led Jac to a wildly successful career as a mythologist, television personality and author.

When her brother, Robbie—who’s taken over the House of L’Etoile from their father—contacts Jac about a remarkable discovery in the family archives, she’s skeptical. But when Robbie goes missing before he can share the secret—leaving a dead body in his wake—Jac is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind.

Traveling back to Paris to investigate Robbie’s disappearance, Jac discovers that the secret is a mysterious scent developed in Cleopatra’s time. Could the rumors swirling be true? Can this ancient perfume hold the power to unlock the ability to remember past lives and conclusively prove reincarnation? If this possession has the power to change the world, then it’s not only worth living for . . . it’s worth killing for, too.

The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion and suspense in an intoxicating web that moves from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. This marvelous, spellbinding novel mixes the sensory allure of Perfume with the heartbreaking beauty of The Time Traveler’s Wife, coming to life as richly as our most wildly imagined dreams.

Today's Kindle Teen/YA Daily Deal is Embrace ($1.99), by Jessica Shirvington [Sourcebooks Fire].

Book Description
It starts with a whisper: "It's time for you to know who you are..."

On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.

LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori—part human, part angel—and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles.

PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.

Two sides: Angel or Exile.
Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.
The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...

Nook Daily Find 4/28

The Cat That God Sent ($8.54 Kindle, $3.99 B&N), by Jim Kraus [Abingdon Press], is the Nook Daily Find.

Book Description
Jake Wilkerson, a disillusioned young pastor who is an expert at hiding his fears, takes on a new assignment at a small rural church in Coudersport, Pennsylvania--which is a far piece from anywhere and full of curiously odd and eccentric people. His first day on the job, he is adopted by Petey--a cat of unknown origins and breed--but a very sentient cat who believes that he is on a mission from God to redeem Jake and bring him back to the truth. Jake must confront his doubts early on when he meets Emma Grainger, a single woman and a veterinarian who dismisses all Christians as "those people." Then, Tassy, a young runaway with a secret, arrives at the door of the church looking for a place of refuge. How does Jake deal with this runaway and his interest in Dr. Grainger? More importantly, can Jake rekindle his faith? Petey does his best to lead all people to the truth, in a most subtle and feline way.

UK Kindle Daily Deal 4/28

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is Five History Books at up to £1.19 each (>70% off).

Seal Target Geronimo: The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama Bin Laden (£0.99 UK), by Chuck Pfarrer (US edition $7.99)

On May 2, 2011, at 1:03 a.m. in Pakistan, a satellite uplink was sent from the town of Abbottabad crackling into the situation room of the White House in Washington, D.C.: 'Geronimo, Echo, KIA'. These words, spoken by a Navy SEAL, put paid to Osama bin Laden's three-decade-long career of terror. This is the story of Bin Laden's relentless hunters and how they took down the terrorist mastermind, told by Chuck Pfarrer, a former assault element commander of SEAL Team Six. After talking to members of the SEAL team involved in the raid, Pfarrer shares never-before-revealed details of the historic raid and the men who planned and conducted it in an exclusive boots-on-the-ground account of what happened during each minute of the mission - both inside the building and outside. Pfarrer takes readers inside the operation as the SEALs flew over the wall of Bin Laden's shabby compound and then penetrated deeper and deeper into the terrorist's lair, telling us just what it looked, sounded, and smelled like in that sweltering Pakistani suburb. He takes us to the exact spot where the al-Qaeda leader was cowering when the bullet entered his head. SEAL Target Geronimo is an explosive story of unparalleled valour, clockwork military precision, and deadly accuracy carried out by one of the most elite fighting forces in the world - the U.S. Navy's SEAL Team Six.

Escape from Camp 14 (£1.19 UK), by Blaine Harden (US edition $9.99; companion audiobook $3.95)

Twenty-six years ago, Shin Dong-hyuk was born inside Camp 14, one of five sprawling political prisons in the mountains of North Korea. Located about 55 miles north of Pyongyang, the labor camp is a 'complete control district,' a no-exit prison where the only sentence is life. Inmates work 12 to 15-hour days in the camp – mining coal, building dams, sewing military uniforms – until they are executed, killed in work-related accidents or die of illness that is usually triggered by hunger. No one born in Camp 14 or in any North Korean political prison camp has escaped. No one except Shin. This is his story. A gripping, terrifying memoir with a searing sense of place, Escape from Camp 14 will unlock, through Shin, a dark and secret nation, taking readers to a place they have never before been allowed to go.

Battleground Prussia: The Assault on Germany's Eastern Front 1944-45 (£1.09 UK), by Prit Buttar and Love (US edition $7.77)

In September 1944 the Soviet Army poured into German territory, flooding the martial heartland of the Reich, Prussia. Hopelessly outnumbered by the human wave of the Red Army, the Wehrmacht fought on with determination, but was gradually beaten back. This book describes the great battles that marked the Soviet conquest of Prussia, from Memel to Königsberg, the Heiligenbeil Pocket to Danzig. Using accounts never before published in English, Prit Buttar looks at the campaign both from a command level, and from the perspective of normal soldiers on the front line.

Prit Buttar's second book, Between Giants: The Battle for The Baltics in World War II, is available from May 20th.

Born Fearless: From Kids' Home to SAS to Pirate Hunter - My Life as a Shadow Warrior (£0.99 UK), by Phil Campion (no US edition)

Meet ‘Big’ Phil Campion. To his fellow operators he’s a private military contractor. To you or me he’s a mercenary, a soldier of fortune, a gun for hire selling violence to the highest bidder. But to Big Phil it’s all just another chapter in a life spent fighting in the shadows.

Abandoned. Run-away. Half-beaten to death. Blown-up. Locked up. And all before the age of twenty. This is the incredible true story of how Phil Campion survived all of that, and went on to complete Commando selection, Para selection, and to join the SAS – before fighting as a mercenary in the world’s toughest war zones. Undertaking deniable operations, freeing hostages and escaping terrorists hell bent on revenge – the dangers and insane risks of life as a private military operator eclipsed even those of waging war in an SAS Sabre Squadron. Big Phil’s story of life on the private military circuit (‘The Circuit’) is a high-octane blend of chasing fast bucks in a Wild West industry, whilst always staying one step ahead of the bad guys.

Love, Tommy: Letters Home, from the Great War to the Present Day (£1.19 UK), by Andrew Roberts (US edition $7.69)

Capturing the forgotten voices of a nation and empire at war, Love Tommy, is a collection of letters housed at the Imperial War Museum sent by British and Commonwealth soldiers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa from the front line of war to their loved ones at home. Poignant expressions of love, hope and fear sit alongside amusing anecdotes, grumbles about rations and thoughtful reflections, eloquently revealing how, despite the passage of time, many experiences of the fighting man are shared in countless wars and battles. From the muddy trenches of the First World War to frozen ground of the Falklands to the heat and dust of the war in Afghanistan, these letters are the ordinary soldier’s testament to life on the front line.

Free App/Book - Even Monsters Get Sick

Even Monsters Get Sick, by Busy Bee Studios, is free Amazon App Store and from Barnes & Noble.

Book Description
Kids read, listen, touch, play and interact with Harry as he struggles to find out what’s wrong with his new monster. Beautiful art, a custom soundtrack and full interactivity throughout keeps kids engaged and keeps parents raving about both the learning aspects and the endearing message built into “Even Monsters Get Sick.”

Readers and non-readers of all skill levels will enjoy the wide range of features in this interactive storybook.

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.

Kindle Daily Deals 4/26

If you had problems downloading your book from B&N yesterday (well, any book at B&N, not just the one that was free), you should be able to do so today. I managed to download mine late last night, so they apparently worked out whatever was wrong with attaching the DRM license to the books. If you do have books from Night Shade Books, be sure to back them up, as it looks like they are shutting down (thanks to a reader for the tip).

Amazon's Android Free App of the Day is Pandas vs Ninjas Premium.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition ($1.99), by Neil Gaiman [William Morrow/HarperCollins], with the companion audiobook for $3.95. I absolutely loved this book (and was disappointed he didn't write any type of sequel or series, although it definitely stands on it's own). Even though I already had two editions (on Kindle and in paper), I still picked this up the last time it was on sale and added it to my re-read list.

Book Description
First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic—an intellectual and artistic benchmark from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman. Now discover the mystery and magic of American Gods in this tenth anniversary edition. Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece by the one, the only, Neil Gaiman.

A storm is coming . . .

Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.

But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.

Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined—it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. Along the way Shadow will learn that the past never dies; that everyone, including his beloved Laura, harbors secrets; and that dreams, totems, legends, and myths are more real than we know. Ultimately, he will discover that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.

Relevant and prescient, American Gods has been lauded for its brilliant synthesis of “mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose” (Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World) and as a modern phantasmagoria that “distills the essence of America” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is, quite simply, an outstanding work of literary imagination that will endure for generations.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is The Violets of March ($2.99), by Sarah Jio [Penguin], with the companion audiobook for $4.49.

Book Description
A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch.

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater ($1.99), by Kurt Vonnegut [RosettaBooks].

Book Description
Second only to Slaughterhouse-Five of Vonnegut's canon in its prominence and influence, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (1965) presents Eliot Rosewater, an itinerant, semi-crazed millionaire wandering the country in search of heritage and philanthropic outcome, introducing the science fiction writer Kilgore Trout to the world and Vonnegut to the collegiate audience which would soon make him a cult writer.

Trout, modeled according to Vonnegut on the science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon (with whom Vonnegut had an occasional relationship) is a desperate, impoverished but visionary hack writer who functions for Eliot Rosewater as both conscience and horrid example. Rosewater, seeking to put his inheritance to some meaningful use (his father was an entrepreneur), tries to do good within the context of almost illimitable cynicism and corruption.

It is in this novel that Rosewater wanders into a science fiction conference--an actual annual event in Milford, Pennsylvania--and at the motel delivers his famous monologue evoked by science fiction writers and critics for almost half a century: "None of you can write for sour apples... but you're the only people trying to come to terms with the really terrific things which are happening today." Money does not drive Mr. Rosewater (or the corrupt lawyer who tries to shape the Rosewater fortune) so much as outrage at the human condition.

The novel was adapted for a 1979 Alan Menken musical.

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is Chains ($0.99), by Laurie Halse Anderson [Simon and Schuster].

Book Description
If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl?

As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

Age Range: 10 and up

Nook Daily Find 4/27

Good Omens ($3.99 $1.99 Kindle, B&N), by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle (it was already discounted to $3.99 as part of the Monthly $3.99 or Less Sale).

Book Description
There is a distinct hint of Armageddon in the air. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (recorded, thankfully, in 1655, before she blew up her entire village and all its inhabitants, who had gathered to watch her burn), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witch-finders are getting ready to fight the good fight, armed with awkwardly antiquated instructions and stick pins. Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. . . . Right. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan.

Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon -- each of whom has lived among Earth's mortals for many millennia and has grown rather fond of the lifestyle -- are not particularly looking forward to the coming Rapture. If Crowley and Aziraphale are going to stop it from happening, they've got to find and kill the Antichrist (which is a shame, as he's a really nice kid). There's just one glitch: someone seems to have misplaced him. . . .

First published in 1990, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's brilliantly dark and screamingly funny take on humankind's final judgment is back -- and just in time -- in a new hardcover edition (which includes an introduction by the authors, comments by each about the other, and answers to some still-burning questions about their wildly popular collaborative effort) that the devout and the damned alike will surely cherish until the end of all things.

UK Kindle Daily Deal 4/27

Nina Todd Has Gone (£0.99 UK), by Lesley Glaister, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
Nina Todd is not the sort of person you'd notice - and that's the way she likes it. She lives a quiet life: dull job, dependable boyfriend, no disruptions. When Nina meets Rupert in a hotel, it leads to an empty adulterous encounter that she'd rather forget. But it soon becomes clear that Rupert won't. Is it pure infatuation, or something more sinister? Who is Rupert, and what is the power he holds over her? And who is Nina Todd?

Diesel Daily Deal - Sweet Giselle (E)

Sweet Giselle ($10.99 $8.49 Kindle), a Romantic Suspense novel by Karen Williams [Urban Books], is today's Deal of the "Day" at Diesel E-Books, where it's discounted to $2.20 (1 copy left).

Book Description

Giselle thinks she has the perfect life. Her fine and sexy husband, Giovanni, is obsessed with his perfect wife and gives her whatever her heart desires. Giselle thinks her husband can do no wrong. What she doesn't know is that his lucrative adult film company is not as legit as it seems, and Giovanni's seedy dealings put his precious wife in danger. Giselle is kidnapped by a vicious drug dealer named Bryce, who is hell bent on revenge after his sister comes up missing and he believes Giovanni is responsible. Bryce takes the thing he knows Giovanni treasures most. He plans to torture Giselle, but instead he finds himself falling in love with her. He reveals the truth about Giovanni and the news pushes her right into Bryce's arms. Giovanni wages a war against Bryce and anyone close to him, leaving several dead bodies in his wake. Now that he has his wife back, Giovanni thinks things can return to the way they were. Giselle, however, can't get Bryce out of her system, and continues to see him behind Giovanni's back. As the war between these two men heats up again, Giselle has to decide if being with the man she loves is worth risking her life.

Get the book from Diesel; be sure to check the sales price, as the Deal of the Day often sells out.

Cooking Light!

There are several Cooking Light cookbooks on sale in the Kindle store today, in addition to Cooking Light Pick Fresh Cookbook, which I highlighted yesterday. At B&N, these are still full price and I don't see them at Kobo, at all. As you probably know from buying cookbooks in print, you can pick up a half-dozen of these for what one would cost in hardcover.

A few have warnings to only view on a Kindle Fire -- read my notes below on the first title, as this warning has some merit, but doesn't seem to be entirely applicable, anymore.

The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook: Simple Food Solutions for Everyday Meals ($3.99 Kindle), has been on my wishlist for some time. Now that it's dropped in price, I've snapped it up.

NOTE: This book requires Kindle Fire/HD or select Kindle Reading Apps (Kindle Cloud Reader, Kindle for iPad or Kindle for Android); however, do note the warning in the synopsis below; I downloaded to my Kindle Fire HD (8.9") and it is readable, although the images tend to be placed in the background and the text often flows over them. On my iPad (which required updating the Kindle app to the latest version), it looks absolutely fine, so ignore the warning if you have an iPad (and probably on the PC, although I didn't test it there). On the Fire HD+, the TOC and search work; on the IPAD 4 with the latest Kindle App version, the TOC works, but there is no search function. The filesize for this book is also quite large, so you'll want to download it via WiFi, rather than using a cellular connection (if your device has one).

Book Description
Due to technical issues, The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook should only be viewed on the Kindle Fire at this time.

Cooking Light introduces The Gluten-Free Cookbook--the search for simple, healthy and delicious gluten-free meals is over. Cooking Light developed more than 180 everyday recipes that will work for the reader searching for a wide variety of satisfying and flavorful gluten-free dishes. Designed in a full-color, easy-to-read format, The Cooking Light The Gluten-Free Cookbook is the definitive guide to cooking gluten-free.

Questions from individuals who live gluten-free either out of necessity or by choice are answered all in one place. Within the pages of this book, readers will find the best kitchen tips and techniques and helpful information about ingredients that are the basis of gluten free cooking, including which grains, flours, and convenience products to use. This book offers simple advice on how to avoid gluten containing products-natural and hidden sources-and teaches what to look for on the nutrition label. Enjoy food previously sacrificed, such as pizza, pastas, meatloaf, sandwiches, breads, and even desserts! On every page, readers will find deliciously transformed, gluten-free versions of their favorite dishes-from quick breads to cakes and oven-fried chicken to spaghetti and meatballs, and more.

Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals: Over 280 Incredible Supper Solutions ($3.99 Kindle)

Book Description
Dinnertime stress is over! Enjoy over 280 all-new 5-ingredient, 5-minute recipes guaranteed to come together easily from start to finish-fast. With options for 2, 4, or 6 servings, households of all sizes can share a home-cooked meal. These Test Kitchen approved recipes are tailor-made for hectic lifestyles and health-conscious families.

More than recipes, this must-have collection offers over 160 full-color photographs, detailed nutritional analyses, ways to streamline prep so dinner is ready even faster, easy make-ahead options, assorted 10-minute side dishes, and suggestions for turning leftovers into tasty lunches-to-go.

Helpful shortcut kitchen techniques show you how to shave minutes off your prep time, while simple ingredient pairing tips teach you to effortlessly craft a variety of mouthwatering meals from just a few flavor-boosting items.

Serving wholesome, homecooked meals on busy evenings just got easier thanks to Cooking Light® Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals. Family meals return with these ready-in-minutes recipes for healthy, delicious, satisfying dishes.

Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2013: Every Recipe...A Year's Worth of Cooking Light Magazine ($3.99 Kindle)

Book Description
All the appetizing and inspiring recipes from 2012 can be found in this all-new collection by the editors of Cooking Light.

This volume is filled with more than 700 recipes to bring new dishes and flavor combinations to your table, as well as fresh takes on all-time favorites.

More than 70 full-color photographs, fresh ingredients, quick tips, the latest cooking techniques, and information about innovative kitchen equipment make this your must-have resource for preparing healthy and flavorful food.

More than 100 menus are included to help you plan for every occasion. From everyday dinners to weekend entertaining, Cooking Light helps you round out your favorite dishes with excellent recipe-pairing suggestions.

Cooking Light Slow-Cooker Tonight!: 140 delicious weeknight recipes that practically cook themselves ($3.99 Kindle)

Book Description
For fast times and a hectic schedule, nothing makes an easier or more memorable meal than one from a slow cooker. After a long, busy day, who wants to spend more hours in the kitchen? Instead, turn to Cooking Light Slow Cooker Tonight! for savory, nutritious, ready-when-you-are meals.

The fourth book in the celebrated Cooking Light Tonight! series, Slow Cooker Tonight! delivers the best healthy slow-cooker recipes. From appetizers and beverages to main dishes, sides, and desserts, the 140 recipes in Slow Cooker Tonight! offer healthful, delicious choices for any occasion. You'll find (somewhat unexpectedly) recipes that can all be made with a slow cooker, including Beef Pot Roast, Red Beans and Rice, Overnight Apple Butter, Zinfandel-Braised Leg of Lamb, Enchilada Casserole, and Hot Chocolate. Readers will also find the "Top 6 Tips for Slow-Cooker Success," with abundant information on what to look for in a slow cooker, as well as tips for making the most of your time and ingredients, such as "spice judiciously," "use less liquid," and "account for variables." So break out the slow cooker and a copy of Slow Cooker Tonight! for your memorable, easy dinner tonight.

Cooking Light The New Way to Cook Light: Fresh Food & Bold Flavors for Today's Home Cook ($4.99 Kindle) is a bit larger than some of the other selections, at 512 pages in print.

Book Description
The New Way to Cook Light is the signature cookbook from Cooking Light, America's number one food magazine. This rich, visual book is a celebration of food, delivering inspiration and approachable recipes, all of which are rooted in smart cooking methods that extract maximum flavor from every food you enjoy. That includes butter and cream and chocolate and bacon, but also smoked paprika and Meyer lemons and olive oil and fresh, sweet corn. The "new way to cook light" is about getting more—more pleasure, more flavor, more satisfaction in knowing that you are cooking food that is uncompromising in taste and in promoting good health. The New Way to Cook Light contains more than 400 recipes that exemplify this new way to cook light. Readers will also find Cooking Light magazine's 10 Essentials of Healthy Eating, which have been honed to perfection through 25 years of extensive research and exhaustive kitchen testing, and more than 200 full-color photographs throughout. In addition, textboxes and sidebars within the chapters focus on classic Cooking Light elements such as go-to ingredients, expert cooking techniques, and trusted nutrition information.

Cooking Light Everyday Baking: 150 Quick & Simple Recipes...Good to the Last Crumb ($3.99 Kindle)

Book Description
Cooking Light Everyday Baking is the perfect solution for busy readers who are starved for time but hungry for the freshest baked goods. It's ideal for readers who want to bake but need quick, healthy options that don't require spending too much time in the kitchen. Cooking Light Everyday Baking delivers all this and more, making it an essential cookbook for every busy, health-conscious cook. This book includes a unique assortment of our favorite quick recipes that help home cooks bake a wide range of great-tasting, healthy recipes that are suitable for the whole family. From cookies and bars to pies and cobblers, each recipe in this book has a prep time of 30 minutes or less. Each of the more than 150 recipes has a beautiful full-color photograph. You'll also find baking and nutritional information to create amazing baked goods at any time and for any occasion.

Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast 24/7: Over 280 quick and easy recipes for breakfast, lunch & dinner ($3.99 Kindle)

Book Description
Due to technical issues, Fresh Food Fast 24/7 should only be viewed on the Kindle Fire at this time.

Now anyone can live a healthy lifestyle 24/7! Making fresh, great-tasting meals in a hurry--at any time of day, any day of the week--has never been easier. Fresh Food Fast 24/7 offers recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for the nibbles in between, so readers can eat healthy, delicious food 'round the clock, any day of the week--even when they're on the go. This all-new collection of 280 fast recipes includes weekday breakfasts and lunches created just for brown-bagging; midday snacks; fast, family-friendly weekday dinners; weekend brunches, lunches, and suppers that are perfect for sharing with family and friends; desserts that satisfy any sweet tooth; and fun nibbles and drinks for cocktail hour. Just like the first three books in the Fresh Food Fast series, recipes in 24/7 can be made with either 5 ingredients or in 15 minutes or less. Simple, delicious, and good-for-you food is easy to enjoy all day long.

Fresh Food Fast 24/7 includes new features:

• The Pack It Up Gear Guide gives advice on keeping desk-side lunches fresh and tasty
• The Market to Meal Planners give easy-touse shopping lists for three days' worth of meals-and helps cooks make the most of fresh produce (no more wasted bagged spinach!)
• Our Budget-Friendly Meals icon points out affordable, delicious meals

Plus, ingredient and technique tips guide cooks so they will get perfect results every time they step into the kitchen. Every recipe is test-kitchen approved and rated, and comes with nutrition information. Fresh Food Fast 24/7 makes it easy to live an active life and still eat healthfully!

Cooking Light Real Family Food: Simple & Easy Recipes Your Whole Family Will Love ($3.99 Kindle), by Editors of Cooking Light Magazine and Amanda Haas

Book Description
Since the launch of her website, OneFamilyOneMeal.com, cook and test kitchen professional Amanda Haas has been helping parents all over the country put well-rounded, healthful meals on the table. Now she's teamed up with Cooking Light in creating a one-of-a-kind cookbook that offers 150 delicious recipes, encouraging tips and techniques for simplifying meal preparation, and anecdotal success stories from online readers, noted chef superstars, and others. From her Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce to Oven Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan and Pine Nuts, Amanda has created recipes that everyone in the family will eat. Cooking Light Real Family Food captures the spontaneity, intimacy, and fun of home cooking and will inspire families back to the kitchen table. It provides all the tools and instruction parents need to create tasty, wholesome meals that their entire family will enjoy—adults and kids alike! Features include: Functional icons and encouraging tips for quicker meals and less time in the kitchen; "15 Mintue or Less" recipes for great results in a minimal amount of time; 13 chapters of amazing, healthy foods including "Amanda's Best Breakfasts," "Snack Time," and "Quickest Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less;" "Kids in the Kitchen" tips throughout the book show parents fun ways to include their children in preparing recipes they will love to cook—and eat, too.

Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast: Over 280 Incredibly Flavorful 5-Ingredient 15-Minute Recipes ($3.99 Kindle) was not only on my wishlist, but I had a sample that I was checking from a few weeks ago on my Fire; electing to recheck the price on this one is what led me to find all the books in today's post.

Book Description
With over 280 incredibly delicious flavorful 5-ingredient, 15 minute recipes at your fingertips, you'll discover how simple it is to serve a healthful home-cooked meal on a busy weeknight. Our Test Kitchens experts have paired easy side dishes and desserts with superfast entrées to create over 160 mouthwatering menus.

Organized by easy-to-use food categories, including Soups, Sandwiches, Salads, Meatless Main Dishes, Fish and Shellfish, Meats, and Poultry, Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast offers recipes that are great for you and taste great, too!

With short ingredient lists, straightforward procedures, fresh ingredients, and delicious results, the recipes and meals in this cookbook will be the most requested, often-repeated solutions in your weeknight repertoire.

Cooking Light Way to Cook: The Complete Visual Guide to Everyday Cooking ($3.99 Kindle) - this looks like the perfect book for cooks that are newly on their own or taking up cooking for the first time (for those raised on meals out and processed foods).

Book Description
The Cooking Light Way to Cook celebrates the philosophy that all foods have a place in a healthful diet. The keys are moderation and balance, and this highly visual book shows you how to prepare those foods and enjoy them judiciously. It's filled with over 850 photos that show you how to prepare the more than 200 recipes that appear in these pages, as well as hundreds of cooking tips that give an insider's peekinto our way to cook great food.

Look and learn your way through our healthy eating principles. One of these is utilizing the flavors of the world's cuisines to enhance recipes. These concentrated sauces and robust herbs and spices offer ways to add flavor with little or no fat. Another is embellishing convenience products by adding fresh herbs or a sprinkling of freshly grated cheese. You reap the benefits of time-saving ingredients but can still enjoy the spark of flavor that fresh ingredients bring to a dish.

These are just some of the hundreds of tips and techniques that you can use to get started cooking healthfully right now. From making the best marinara sauce to scrambling the perfect egg-it's all here in one stunning collection. In the Cooking Light Way to Cook, learning to cook healthfully is as simple as turning the page.

Cooking Light Fresh Food Superfast: Over 280 all-new recipes, faster than ever ($3.99 Kindle) - for those who only have 15 minutes to spare for cooking!

Book Description
The third book in the best-selling Fresh Food Fast series is helping the home cook go superfast. Cooking Light Fresh Food Superfast is packed with more than 280 all-new recipes that fit the trusted Fresh Food Fast 5-ingredient, 15-minute equation--and 100 of those can be prepared with 4 ingredients or less or in 10 minutes or less!

Following its popular predecessors, Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast and Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals, Cooking Light Fresh Food Superfast is packed with even more exciting features. "Fix It Faster" tip boxes offer suggestions on how to speed things up; "Ingredient Spotlights" focuses on fresh convenience products that help rev up prep time-without sacrificing freshness or fl avor; "Quick Flips" offers substitution ideas to completely transform a recipe into a new one; and a "Seasonal Produce Guide" gives readers guidelines for fresh produce purchasing and storing. The book also provides a side dish suggestion for many recipes, as well as practical tips from the Cooking Light experts to help reduce time in the kitchen. From Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken to Chocolate-Hazelnut Panini Sundaes, Fresh Food Superfast takes the guesswork out of meal planning and helps readers put dinner on the table in a flash.

Cooking Light Oops!: 209 Solutions for Everyday Kitchen Mistakes ($3.99 Kindle)

Book Description
If you've ever poached eggs that weren't pretty or ended up with parched turkey burgers, you are not alone. No cook, no matter how seasoned, is free from kitchen mishaps. The creative cook can sometimes salvage a dish, but the smart cook aims to prevent such ingenuity from being necessary. Cooking Light Oops! helps you fix (or even better, prevent) more than 200 common cooking and nutrition blunders. The fun, light-hearted text gives readers simple, clear-cut answers about how to solve kitchen dilemmas. Cooking Light Oops! is an insightful, engaging, and visually rich book that helps readers make smart choices even before they find themselves saying "oops!"

Free Nook App - Ocean Adventures!

Ocean Adventures! Fun educational games for kids in Preschool & Kindergarten: Grammar & Vocabulary (no Amazon version), by i Learn With, is this week's Free Friday App from Barnes & Noble. While looking at this app, I discovered that another by the same company is also free at B&N: Planet Boing! Fun creativity free game and activities for kids in Preschool and Kindergarten.

App Description
This application is recommended for ages 4+.

Discover these great language development games for kids in Preschool and Kindergarten! Top educational app to get children ready for school.
Your child will learn and practice key language skills such as vocabulary, listening comprehension and sentence formation while playing with lovely underwater animals!

Get the free App from Barnes & Noble.