I've moved!

I've moved!

Thanks for stopping by, but it appears you are using a (very) old address for my blog. I've moved to a Wordpress site and you'll need to update your bookmarks for Books on the Knob

I've moved!

Custom Search

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Bargain Book Roundup

One freebie update for the nook, then a bunch of new discounted books this month. Most of these are the same price at all the ebookstores (but may not be in countries other than the US), so if I skipped putting in a link, you can still check at Kobobooks.com or Barnes and Noble. Current Kobo coupon codes that work on non-Agency books are Feb1us1, Feb1ca1 (both $1, unlimited use), 35%offbook (one use), save25kobo (25% off, unlimited), FirstRead and fbreading (35% one use).

Dead Men Kill, by L. Ron Hubbard, was free for the Kindle last month. This month, those at B&N can get it free. (B&N link) Update: Now free on Kindle, once again!

On the iPad, you can get a cute looking interactive kid's title for 99 cents, Just Me And My Dad for iPad ($0.99), by Big Tuna New Media, LLC. The app is based on the books by Mercer Mayer and it looks like they'll be pursuing the app route, rather than introducing Kindle books.

App Description
"Just Me and My Dad" is an interactive picture book based on the popular children's book by Mercer Mayer, featuring Little Critter, one of the most beloved characters of all time. Follow along as Little Critter reads you the story of what happened when he went camping with his dad. Then play with each page of the story by touching the screen and discover hidden animations. Surprise animation scenes are hidden all over each page of the story. Touch each word of the story and Little Critter sounds it out, reading the word back to you. Little Critter will help you learn to read.

A special edition of The Body Finder, by Kimberly Derting, is available to pre-order for $1.99. This edition will have a teaser for the upcoming Desires of the Dead, which isn't included in the current edition of The Body Finder (which is selling for $9.99). You can get a sample from the regular edition, to decide if you want to order the special edition, just be sure you don't accidentally buy that $10 edition from the sample. As to how long the pre-order period will be? I've seen some disappear before the new book comes out and some that hang around, but I've learned not to wait too long to jump on a reduced price for a book I might want (after all, you can cancel any time up to delivery, then get a refund for 7 days after that).

Book Description
Sixteen-year-old Violet has the unusual ability to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. She locates them by the echoes they leave behind...and the imprints they leave on their killers. Violet has never considered her strange ability to be a gift—more like a very disturbing nuisance. But when a serial killer begins terrorizing her small town, and more and more local girls go missing and later turn up dead, Violet realizes she may be the only person who can stop him. Violet’s best friend since childhood, Jay, is reluctantly helping her—and Violet is beginning to realize that what she feels for Jay is much more than just friendship. But even as she and Jay fall in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering the killer…and becoming his prey herself.

Married with Zombies ($2.99 Kindle, B&N, Kobo, Sony), by Jesse Petersen, is this month's discount book from Orbit.

Book Description
A heartwarming tale of terror in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.

Meet Sarah and David.
Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.

Meet the Zombies.
Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.


I have it on good authority that they make it thru, as the series continues with Flip this Zombie and Eat Slay Love (July '11).

Captive ($1.99), by Leda Swann

Book Description
She was a slave to her desire . . . and to his!

A proper British governess, Louisa Clemens knows her place—and it certainly is not with the wild and exotic stranger she meets in Naples. Still, this commanding, mesmerizing man inflames her imagination in a most improper manner. When the magnificent Khair Bey steals into her bedroom, Louisa is transported to a breathtaking realm of sensual pleasure she had only previously imagined. And now she must flee his kisses and hot, demanding touch or she will be lost forever.

But on her journey home, Louisa is captured by pirates and spirited away to be auctioned off to the highest bidder—a bitter fate that turns shockingly sweet when she is purchased by the very man who has awakened her slumbering desires. Now she belongs to Khair Bey, body and soul—his mistress, his concubine, the most favored beauty in his harem. But as he initiates her into the art of lovemaking, Khair is enchanted by the powerful erotic charms and indomitable will of his captive English rose. And soon it will be the prisoner who possesses the master, passionately and completely . . .


Alluring Tales--Awaken the Fantasy ($1.99), an anthology by Vivi Anna, Sylvia Day, Delilah Devlin, and Cathryn Fox

Book Description
What is your most wicked fantasy?

Pleasure beckons and satisfaction is guaranteed in seven titillating stories of love that know no boundaries. Surrender to the passion and follow your desires into unexplored realms of sensuous delights. Awaken the fantasy!

A man harbors impure thoughts about a voluptuous stripper—and sets out to make his erotic dreams come true . . .

A big-city cop discovers that once bitten is not twice shy after spending a tantalizing night with a beautiful vampire . . .

A sheltered young woman opens a mysterious locket—and is plunged into a legendary battle of good versus evil to set her imprisoned lover free . . .

A seductive warlock will not rest until the powerful temptress he lusts for is begging to be dominated . . .

A television executive lets loose when her favorite heartthrob strides into her office—and gives her the ride of her life . . .

This one-night stand may be too hot to handle for a newly single woman, but that won't stop her from enjoying every delicious second . . .

When a mysterious package opens to reveal an oh-so-sexy, nearly naked man, these two have no choice but to hide out . . . for a good, long time.


Bridge of Dreams ($3.99), by Chaz Brenchley

Book Description
The first major fantasy novel from the author of the popular Outremer series.

In the city known as Maras-Sund, an uneasy peace threatens to unravel between two cultures. And a young man and woman will find their own destinies: one determined to hold onto power and supremacy, the other struggling for survival-and freedom.


River of the World ($3.99), by Chaz Brenchley

Book Description
The compelling follow-up to Bridge of Dreams.

Born to be enemies, Issel of the Sund and Jendre of the Maras have joined forces to save both their peoples and lands from the tyranny of a regime. But Issel's magical power over water may consume him before he can save them all.


The Chronicles of the Unbinding: Hazard's Price ($3.99), by Robert Stone

Book Description
The first title in a new series introduces the countries of Chaldus and Yndor, where a brutal war left the mages with blood on their hands. To rid the world of the destructive magic, they performed the Binding. But someone is murdering former Chaldean ministers, and now, former spy Galatine Hazard attempts to catch this wily assassin who could bring the country to the brink of war.

Knight's Blood ($3.99), by Julianne Lee

Book Description
U.S. Navy Pilot Lt. Alex MacNeil and his wife Lindsay have returned from their adventure in fourteenth century Scotland-and given birth to a son. But the magic realm is not through with them yet...The MacNeils' child has been kidnapped-presumably by Nemed, the elfin king and the couple's sworn enemy-and brought back into the past. Feeling responsible, Lindsay ventures to medieval Scotland on her own, in pursuit of Nemed. Once again in the guise of Sir Lindsay Pawlowski, she joins a company of rogue knights, led by a man who calls himself "An Reubair"...It isn't long before her true identity is discovered, but Lindsay proves her worth among the bandits. As time passes, she finds herself drawn to their lifestyle-and to Reubair-and is torn between reuniting with her family and embracing her warrior's life.And soon she will confront Alex, who has also returned to Scotland and resumed his place as laird. And her son, now a fully grown man and resentful of his parents' abandonment...

Second Contact ($3.99), by J. Austin

Book Description
When Earth's advances toward an alien paradise are rebuffed with missile fire, it decides to give peace one more chance. Dispatching one more ship to the planet, its captain, Matt Wiener, is prepared to do what it takes to keep the universe in harmony--even if it kills them all.

One For Sorrow, Two For Joy ($3.99), by Clive Woodall, has a great looking cover, but may a bit to adult for some kids. Still, Publisher's Weekly says given the compelling plot of "One for Sorrow" in particular, one can understand why Disney has optioned the novel "in a million-dollar deal." There isn't a long synopsis on this one, but you can pop over to Amazon and read a couple of reviews that expand upon the plot.

Book Description
Darkness has fallen over the realm of Birddom as the evil magpies hunt countless species of birds into extinction. And only the courage of one lone Robin can save Birddom from certain doom.

Here be Monsters ($4.99), by Christopher Stasheff

Book Description
Love is in the air as the planet of Gramarye readies itself to celebrate three weddings all at once: those of Geoffrey, Cordelia, and Gregory Gallowglass. When Alouette, Gregory's fiance, has a horrible vision of monsters attacking the land, cold feet becomes the least of their worries.

Wyrmhole ($4.99), by Jay Caselberg

Book Description
Jack Stein lives and works in the crowded, semi-organic city known as the Locality. He's hired by the Outreach Mining Company to investigate the mysterious disappearance of one of its mining crews on an uncolonized planet. But his psychic dreams are full of strange mystical symbols and red herrings, making Jack wonder if Outreach truly wants the miners found. And the deeper he digs, the more people want to see him dead...

Because We Are Americans: What We Discovered on September 11, 2001 ($4.99), by Jesse Kornbluth and Jessica Papin

Book Description
The tragic events of September 11 will never be forgotten, not only for the horror they wrought, but for the acts of bravery, generosity, and extraordinary courage. Cynicism was replaced by compassion and strangers reached out to one another for comfort and support. This touching tribute to those who lost their lives includes poems, prayers, children's drawings, and heartfelt exchanges drawn from the material posted on America Online, where millions of people gathered during the first week for support and information and to express grief and love. Inspiring and uplifting, Because We Are Americans serves as a portrait of this country at its best and a powerful reminder of all that is good in America. All proceeds will go to the relief funds set up to help families of victims of the attacks. Will also include quotes from President George W. Bush and New York City mayor Rudolph Guiliani.

The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Being a New Dad ($3.99), by Joe Kelly

Book Description
Congratulations... Now what?

This follow-up to The Pocket Idiot-s Guide to Being an Expectant Father guides new dads through all the emotional, financial, and physical changes and responsibilities they-ll face as they transition through their first year of fatherhood. This volume includes everything from using bottles and diapers, to babyproofing the home and finding the right pediatrician, to balancing work and family.

Offers a chronology of the changes dads can expect to see during the first year in their infants-and in themselves


The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Superfoods ($3.99), by Heidi McIndoo

Book Description
Move over, fad diets!

With the fading novelty-and declining popularity-of such fad diets as South Beach and Atkins, many people are turning to sensible, moderate eating habits. Along with this trend is an interest in superfoods, those foods that not only nourish the body, but also help fight disease. This pocket guide covers 30 disease-fighting, healthful superfoods and provides simple explanations of how they work.


The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Your Carbon Footprint ($3.99), by Nancy S. Grant

Book Description
Take the first step toward a better environment.

Awareness of global climate change has reached critical mass around the world, and people are looking to see how the choices they make affect the environment. This highly practical and easy-to-use reference helps readers understand how to do their part to combat global warming in simple but effective ways.

Clear explanations of the relationship between energy use and carbon emissions, and an individual’s carbon “footprint”


Queen's Own Fool ($3.99), by Robert Harris and Jane Yolen

Book Description
Nicola is a resourceful jester to the court of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a most unlikely friend to the queen. As fate takes Mary from France to Scotland and into confrontations with rebellious lords and devious advisors, Nicola remains deep in the queen's circle, and later struggles to save her friend.

Penguin Publishing has a reduced price on their edition of Madame Bovary ($5.99), by Gustave Flaubert

Book Description
A literary event: one of the world's most celebrated novels, in a magnificent new translation

Seven years ago, Lydia Davis brought us an award-winning, rapturously reviewed new translation of Marcel Proust's Swann's Way that was hailed as "clear and true to the music of the original" (Los Angeles Times) and "a work of creation in its own right" (Claire Messud, Newsday). Now she turns her gifts to the book that redefined the novel as an art form.

Emma Bovary is the original desperate housewife. Beautiful but bored, she is married to the provincial doctor Charles Bovary yet harbors dreams of an elegant and passionate life. Escaping into sentimental novels, she finds her fantasies dashed by the tedium of her days. Motherhood proves to be a burden; religion is only a brief distraction. In an effort to make her life everything she believes it should be, she spends lavishly on clothes and on her home and embarks on two disappointing affairs. Soon heartbroken and crippled by debts, Emma takes drastic action with tragic consequences for her husband and daughter.

When published in 1857, Madame Bovary was deemed so lifelike that many women claimed they were the model for its heroine. Today the novel is considered the first masterpiece of realist fiction. Flaubert sought to tell the story objectively, without romanticizing or moralizing (hence the uproar surrounding its publication), but whereas he was famously fastidious about his literary style, many of the English versions seem to tell the story in their own style. In this landmark translation, Lydia Davis honors the nuances and particulars of a style that has long beguiled readers of French, giving new life in English to Flaubert's masterwork.


Georgette Heyer's Conqueror has been steadily dropping in price and is now down to $4.97. It might go lower yet (or bounce back up to $10), but you are taking your chances at this point.

Book Description
The true story of the bastard son who made himself a king and the woman who melted his heart.The stirring history of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, who invaded England and became the King. His victory, concluded at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is known as the Norman Conquest.Known for her exhaustive research and ability to bring past eras to life, bestselling author Georgette Heyer tells the story of William the Conqueror, who became King of England in 1066, and his queen Matilda, the high-born noblewoman who at first scornfully spurned him. William was an illegitimate child of a nobleman, who won his dukedom through force of will, and went on to bring European feudalism to England, along with a program of building and fortification that included the building of the Tower of London.The historical novel includes Heyer's brilliant period language and her perfect grasp of the details of the day - clothing, armor, weapons, and food - making for a fascinating and blood-stirring read.

Bonus reading group guide available inside.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Free Book (ADE/PDF) - Who Wrote the Book of Love?

Who Wrote the Book of Love? ($24.99 Hardcover), by Lee Siegel, is free from the University of Chicago this month.

Book Description
Who Wrote the Book of Love? is acclaimed novelist Lee Siegel's comedic chronicle of the sexual life of an American boy in Southern California in the 1950s. Starting at the beginning of the decade, in the year that Stalin announced that the Soviet Union had developed an atomic bomb, the book opens with a child's first memory of himself. Closing at the end of the decade, when Pat Boone's guide to dating, 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty, topped the bestseller list, the book culminates just moments before the boy experiences for the first time what he had learned from a book read to him by his mother was called "coitus or sexual intercourse or sometimes, less formally, just making love." Between the initial overwhelmingly erotic recollection and the final climactic moment, all is sex—beguiling and intractable, naughty and sweet. Who Wrote the Book of Love? is about the subversive sexual imaginations of children. And, as such, it is about the origins of love.

Vignettes from the author's childhood provide the material for the construction of what is at once comic fiction, imaginative historical reportage, and an ironically nostalgic confession. The book evokes the tone and tempo of a decade during which America was blatantly happy, wholesome, and confident, and yet, at the same time, deeply fearful of communism and nuclear holocaust. Siegel recounts both the cheer and the paranoia of the period and the ways in which those sentiments informed wondering about sex and falling in love.

"Part of my plan," Mark Twain wrote in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, "has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves, and of how they felt and thought and talked." With the same motive, Lee Siegel has written what Twain might have composed had he been Jewish, raised in Beverly Hills in the 1950s, and joyously obsessed with sex and love.


Click HERE to sign up for the free book. You'll need to enter your email address, then check your email for the link to download the book. Mine arrived within seconds -- you get a .ACSM file, which, when opened, will load the PDF book inside of Adobe ADE. This is a DRM'd PDF that is not compatible with the Kindle.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Free and Half Price Kindle Games and Another Book for a Buck

The games are generally limited to those in the US, no doubt for technology export reasons.

The text-based adventure game Choice of Broadsides, by Choice of Games, is free in the Kindle store. now $1.99. I don't know how long this was free all total, but it was no longer free less than 10 minutes after I posted. Still a discount (as is the $1.99 for Choice of Dragon), as it started out as $4.99 when it first hit the Kindle store.

Book Description
Choice of Broadsides is a text-based adventure where your choices control the story. On most pages, you'll choose between a set of options, determining which action you will take next as a young and promising naval officer.

If you like gamebooks, you'll love Choice of Broadsides. Its unique approach to interactive fiction allows larger, deeper, and richer stories than traditional gamebooks. Will you discover all of the hidden endings? Will you become an admiral, or will you be court-martialed? When on shore, will you marry for love or for career advantage, or will you leave aside romance and spend your time gambling and dueling? The choice is up to you.

The sails have been hoisted and the guns run out as the enemy ship approaches. Your country is counting on you!


Panda Poet, by Spry Fox, has been discounted to $1.49 until February 13. I find this game addictive (and no fair using one of those scrabble cheat web sites to find all the words you can put together with four U's and only two consonants).

Book Description
Discounted 50% off for a limited time (offer ends February 13th). Do you like word games? And pandas?

With Panda Poet you use the letters on the game board to form words. Words formed from letters in open spaces create pandas. Words formed from letters near pandas make existing pandas grow.

The goal is grow the biggest panda possible. You get the highest scores from either creating the biggest possible panda or from forming the longest possible words.

To add to the challenge, each letter is only available for a fixed number of turns. Each time you enter a word, all the letters on the screen come one step closer to expiring. When a letter expires, it is replaced by a skull, which prevents you from growing your pandas in that direction. This makes playing Panda Poet a delicate balancing act: you must consider where a letter is located on the grid and how soon it will expire, not simply spell the longest word you can.


EA Sudoku, by Electronic Arts Inc., has been discounted to $1.49. I've played this several times and love the way it lets you keep notes in the various boxes, yet quickly enter a value without having to remove the notes.

Book Description
Play Sudoku on Kindle - anytime, anywhere.

EA Sudoku contains thousands of built-in puzzles, as well as the ability to enter and play a puzzle from your favorite newspaper or magazine in "Newspaper" mode.

With five difficulty levels from "Easy" to "Insane," Sudoku offers plenty of fun for Sudoku players of all skill levels. Built-in game features let you make "Notes," "Undo" moves, and apply "Error Checking." If you get stuck, you can use the "Hints" feature to fill out a cell for you, or use "AutoFill" to display the notes on all open cells on the game board. You can even track your game stats to see how you progress over time.


Triple Town, by Spry Fox, has been discounted to $1.99 until February 13.

Book Description
Discounted 50% off for a limited time (offer ends February 13th). Triple Town is an original puzzle strategy game in which you try to grow the greatest possible city. The larger the city you build, the more points you score. You build your city by matching three or more game-pieces: combine three grasses to make a flower, three flowers to make a bush, three bushes to make a tree... until you've filled the board with houses, cathedrals and castles. Along the way, you'll have to outwit evil barbarians and wizards who will try to block your progress.

This is a game that can be played for minutes or hours at a time. You'll have to think several turns ahead if you want to avoid inevitable gridlock as unfinished buildings, barbarians and wizards start to pile up. And sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll be helped along by a magical crystal (which combines with anything) or a powerful bomb (which wipes nuisances off the board). But luck won't save you forever!

How large can you grow your dream city before the board fills and the game ends?


Hardly Knew Her ($0.99), is a collection of short stories by Laura Lippman, the same author whose Baltimore Blues is also on sale for $0.99.

Book Description
New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman has been hailed as one of the best crime fiction writers in America today, winning virtually every major award in the genre. The author of the enormously popular series featuring Baltimore P.I. Tess Monaghan as well as three critically lauded stand-alone novels, Lippman now turns her attention to short stories—and reveals another level of mastery.

Lippman sets many of the stories in this sterling anthology, Hardly Knew Her, in familiar territory: her beloved Baltimore, from downtown to its affluent suburbs, where successful businessmen go to shocking lengths to protect what they have or ruthlessly expand their holdings, while dissatisfied wives find murderous ways to escape their lives. But Lippman is also unafraid to travel—to New Orleans, to an unnamed southwestern city, and even to Dublin, the backdrop for the lethal clash of two not-so-innocents abroad. Tess Monaghan is here, in two stories and a profile, aligning herself with various underdogs. And in her extraordinary, never-before-published novella, Scratch a Woman, Lippman takes us deep into the private world of a high-priced call girl/madam and devoted soccer mom, exploring the mystery of what may, in fact, be written in the blood.

Each of these ingenious tales is a gem—sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, always filled with delightfully unanticipated twists and reversals. For people who have yet to read Lippman, get ready to experience the spellbinding power of "one of today's most pleasing storytellers, hailed for her keen psychological insights and her compelling characterizations," (San Diego Union-Tribune), who has "invigorated the crime fiction arena with smart, innovative, and exciting work" (George Pelecanos). As for longtime devotees of her multiple award-winning novels, you'll discover that you hardly know her.

Free Book Updates and a Book under a Buck

Numerous books have popped up with additional formats since they were first posted, so I'm going to link in the original posts and you can check to see if you missed one. If a post fits into more than one category, I'm only listing it once, but you should be able to tell from the title if your format was added.

These are now free in the US for Kindle (previously UK only):
Nook format added:
One more more EPUB formats added:

Baltimore Blues ($0.99 Kindle), by Laura Lippman, the first in her Tess Monaghan series, is currently on sale for 99 cents at B&N. Speculation is that it is the February spotlight title there, so may remain at that price all month (or might change later today); if it does, Amazon may or may not match it.

Update: Price matched at Amazon, so one-click away!

Book Description
Until her paper, the Baltimore Star, crashed and burned, Tess Monaghan was a damn good reporter who knew her hometown intimately -- from historic Fort McHenry to the crumbling projects of Cherry Hill. Now gainfully unemployed at twenty-nine, she's willing to take any freelance job to pay the rent -- including a bit of unorthodox snooping for her rowing buddy, Darryl "Rock" Paxton.

In a city where someone is murdered almost everyday, attorney Michael Abramowitz's death should be just another statistic. But the slain lawyer's notoriety -- and his noontime trysts with Rock's fiancee -- make the case front page news...and points to Rock as the likely murderer. But trying to prove her friend's innocence couls prove costly to Tess -- and add her name to that infamous ever-growing list.

New Kindle App - Flip It!

Flip It! ($0.99) is a new Kindle App from 7 Dragons. I played thru the first three levels without even having to think about the moves, but by level four, you have to start working on a strategy, as the tiles in the 4x4 grid are a lot trickier. You can set up multiple users for the game; by default, it has a space for you, your spouse, a couple of kids, your robot, dog, cat and mouse.

Book Description
Flip It! is a game that starts out simple and gets more challenging as you play. Exercise your mind and enjoy solving various patterns and puzzles.

In Flip It! you are shown a grid of tiles that are either black or white. Clicking on a black tile will 'flip' the tile to white; clicking on a white square will 'flip' the title to black. Change all of the tiles white and you've passed that level. It may seem simple, but there's a twist: when clicking on a tile to 'flip' its color, all tiles touching the selected tile's four sides will also flip their colors. Add to that a growing number of squares and patterns per level, and you've got yourself a sophisticated brainteaser.