Books on The Knob

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Free Audiobooks - Little Brother and The Trial

Audiobook Sync's summer of free audiobooks continues. First, I've linked in the info from the ebook or audiobook version of each title (Amazon has the best reviews), then a link to get your copies free. You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date). Two new titles each Thursday, so be sure to check back next week.!

Little Brother ($9.99 Kindle; $31.68 Audible), by Cory Doctorow, read by Kirby Heyborne.

Book Description
Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.

But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.

When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

The Trial ($9.99 Kindle; $28.95 Audio CD), by Franz Kafka, read by Rupert Degas.

Book Description
Someone must have been telling tales about Josef K. for one morning, without having done anything wrong, he was arrested.

A successful professional man wakes up one morning to find himself under arrest for an offence which is never explained. The mysterious court which conducts his trial is outwardly co-operative, but capable of horrific violence. Faced with this ambiguous authority, Josef K. gradually succumbs to its psychological pressure. He consults various advisers without escaping his fate. Was there some way out that he failed to see? Kafka's unfinished novel has been read as a study of political power, a pessimistic religious parable, or a crime novel where the accused man is himself the problem.

One of the iconic figures of modern world literature, Kafka writes about universal problems of guilt, responsibility, and freedom; he offers no solutions, but provokes his readers to arrive at meanings of their own. This new edition includes the fragmentary chapters that were omitted from the main text, in a translation that is both natural and exact, and an introduction that illuminates the novel and its author.

Click HERE to sign up for an account and get the free downloads. Don't forget, you'll also need to install the Overdrive software (there is a link at Sync). In addition, you end up clicking about three pages, for each book, before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up). Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started).

Buy a Book with Visa, Get a $10 Credit (KSO)

This offer is for those with the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers or Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi with Special Offers only. Turn on your wireless, click Menu, Sync & Check for New Items, then on View Special Offers after the sync has completed. You should see a new offer:

Use your Visa® card to buy select Kindle books and get a $10 Amazon.com credit.

Click on the offer, then click on the link on the offer page sign up and get an email with the promotion code. Sign-up for this offer expires on July 21. You'll get an email (right away) with a link to the special Special Offers page. There is no promotion code on this one; instead, just buy any book from the list between now and July 31; if you return a book during this period, it won't count, but you can do so and purchase a different book during the promotion period.

There are a few things to watch for with this offer:

I don't see any requirement to click on the offer, but it won't hurt do so from at least one KSO on your acccount.
Second, you cannot use an existing gift card balance to buy the books and you must use a Visa Card for payment. To do so, follow the directions to ensure that a Visa Card is your one-click payment method on your Kindle, then call Kindle Support and have them freeze your current gift card balance while you put thru your purchase of a book from the list. This tip is one learned from the previous $10 for $10 purchase offer (which you can still take advantage of, using this trick).
You must have a KSO registered to your account when you make the purchases and when you get and apply the promotion code (which will be sent out by Aug 21).
The offer is limited to those in the US and only one per customer (not per KSO device).
I'd assume that the promotional credit won't be valid on any Agency book, but with hundreds of thousands of other choices, I know that I won't have any problem finding something to spend it on. With some of the books, you could never read them and still be ahead, essentially being paid up to $6.18 to purchase a book.

I'm going to highlight one book on the offer list: The Brass Verdict ($9.99), by Michael Connelly, because not only could you get this one essentially for free, but you can pick up the first book in the Harry Bosch series, The Black Echo for only 99 cents right now (although it's not part of the offer). The former is the the second title in the Mickey Haller series and unites the two series for the first time. You can also pick up the first in the Haller series, The Lincoln Lawyer, which was made into a movie recently and is also on the list for this offer, if you would rather start there. The only reason I'm not grabbing these three on this offer is that I already had all three in my library.

Book Description
Things are finally looking up for defense attorney Mickey Haller. After two years of wrong turns, Haller is back in the courtroom. When Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits his biggest case yet: the defense of Walter Elliott, a prominent studio executive accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But as Haller prepares for the case that could launch him into the big time, he learns that Vincent's killer may be coming for him next.

Enter Harry Bosch. Determined to find Vincent's killer, he is not opposed to using Haller as bait. But as danger mounts and the stakes rise, these two loners realize their only choice is to work together.

Bringing together Michael Connelly's two most popular characters, The Brass Verdict is sure to be his biggest book yet.

Save $10 on Video Games (KSO)

This offer is for those with selected Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers or Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi with Special Offers only. Turn on your wireless, click Menu, Sync & Check for New Items, then on View Special Offers after the sync has completed. You should see this new offer:

Save $10 on video games at Amazon.com

Click on the offer, then click on the link on the offer page sign up and get an email with the promotion code. Sign-up for this offer expires on July 3.

You'll get an email (right away), a link to the Special offer page and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until August 3 to complete your purchase. Like previous offers, this one requires you to use the full checkout process in order to enter your promotional code. Also, like all Amazon sales that use promotional codes, if you have a gift card balance, you must use it for the payment (if there is not a sufficient balance, then you can pick which credit card or other payment to use).

Once again, this offer can be used more than once per accounts, so long as you have more than one KSO registered:

4. Limit one promotional code per device.

Just click on the ad on each device to receive the individual promotion codes via email.

This one will be easy to find something to use it on, since any physical game int the Amazon Game store can be used, it will just be difficult to narrow down the choices. Today's Deal of the Day is a Kinect game, Child Of Eden, that is already $15 off, while I also see some Ubisoft 3DS Games all at $10 off to browse thru.

Free Audiobook - The Wind in the Willows

Until midnight in the UK, you can get a free audiobook edition (abridged) of the children's classic The Wind in the Willows ($4.74 Kindle; $19.95 unabridged audiobook), by Kenneth Grahame, read by Sir Derek Jacobi, from AudioGo (a division of the BBC). You will need an account with a billing address, but don't need to add any credit card info.

Book Description
The enchanting tale of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad, read by Emmy Award winner Sir Derek Jacobi.

When Mole goes boating with the Water Rat instead of spring-cleaning, he discovers a new world. As well as the river and the Wild Wood, there is Toad's craze for fast travel and motor-cars that leads them all on a timeless adventure.

Click HERE for the free audiobook. There are numerous editions of this classic in the Kindle store (including the illustrated one from Puffin Classics linked in above), or you can skip over to MobileRead's archives and get a version in most formats (all DRM-free).
Illustrated:

Original text only:

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

New Kindle Games/Apps and 99 Cent Game Sale

Amazon has a number of new entries in the Active Content for Kindle category, some games and a few apps. Since it is sometimes difficult to find these, I'll highlight those that I haven't previously mentioned. In addition, be sure to check the end of the post for the titles included in the 99 Cent Kindle Game Sale (sadly, Pirate Stash isn't on this one, as I'm holding out for a sale on it).

Math Star ($2.99) is a new learning game from puzzle.tv. If this is up your alley, then be sure to also grab Why Math Isn't an Awful Nerd, by Jason Marshal, which is still free on Kindle.

Book Description
How good is your math? Find out by taking the Math Star Challenge, and progress through 100 increasingly difficult levels to see how good you really are.

Math Star features ten different game types including "Add it Up!", "Takeaway!", "Multiple Trouble!" and "Divide and Conquer". Also included are fun and challenging games like "Fill the Gap!", "Fifty Fifty!" and "Decimal Danger!". With math problems ranging in difficulty from '2+2=?' to complicated decimal and fraction based equations, Math Star is suitable for all ages and abilities. Four user profiles let you save your progress and compare high scores with friends and family who may also wish to play.

Math Star adapts quickly to the proficiency of the user. The level at which you start is initially based on your age, and adjusts up or down according to your performance in the Main Challenge portion of the game. In addition to the Main Challenge, you can practice at your current level by selecting one of the Quick Games. As you progress through levels, you will unlock new Quick Games to play.

Improve your math today with this entertaining game. Are you a Math Star?

Kee-Ko's Quest ($1.99), by A Gamz

Book Description
Kee-Ko's Quest is a puzzle game in which you need to rearrange objects to clear a path for Kee-Ko, a robot.

Kee-Ko works in a factory alongside other robots. Her boyfriend, F4R4W4Y, has been reassigned to a different room at the end of the factory. Kee-Ko has assigned another robot to take her place, and now intends to make her way to her boyfriend's new room. She and all the other robots in the factory are built to move only on the rails set on the factory floor, and she'll need to move other robots out of her way to exit each room.

Help Kee-Ko navigate all 100 rooms and get to the end of the factory. Earn badges for accomplishments, beat your previous times, see how many rooms you can solve in the minimum number of moves, or just enjoy the challenge of solving them. If you want to skip ahead, feel free. You can complete the rooms in any order you like and return to each room just the way you left it.

Help Kee-Ko find F4R4W4Y and enjoy the challenge of solving clever puzzles at the same time!

YAHTZEE (~~$4.99~~ $0.99), by Electronic Arts Inc.

Book Description
Now you can play YAHTZEE, the classic dice game on Kindle.

Roll the dice with YAHTZEE, a game in which players roll five dice to try and make 4-of-a-kinds, full houses, and straights. Keep the dice you want and re-roll the rest, but think carefully to score the best combination and the most points!

YAHTZEE for Kindle has three modes to enjoy. Play in Classic Mode and brave the luck of the roll, or remove luck from the game and play in Duplicate Mode where each person plays with identical die rolls and only your strategy can make the difference. You may also compete in Battle Mode, where your goal is to reduce your opponents score.

Play solo or Pass 'n' Play with up to 3 other players. Track stats like best scores, total victories, win ratios and more. Share the fun with 3 difficulty levels: easy, medium and hard.

One of the world's favorite dice-driven game scores again. Now play it anywhere you take your Kindle.

Affairs of the Court ($1.99), by Choice of Games

Book Description
Affairs of the Court is an interactive romance novel where you control the main character. In each chapter, you choose how the story proceeds, unlocking different endings.

Play the role of a young noble who comes to court in search of love and power, and catches the sovereign's eye. Plunge into court politics and change the course of history, or pursue a love affair that rocks the kingdom to its foundations. Match wits with the schemers of the court, or play your suitors off each other.

This omnibus edition for Kindle contains both Choice of Romance and its sequel, Choice of Intrigues. The mobile app review website AppSafari called Romance "... a wonderfully fascinating and addictive experience that will leave you playing it over and over again."

If you like gamebooks, you'll love Affairs of the Court. Its unique approach to interactive fiction allows larger, deeper, and richer stories than traditional gamebooks. Will you find true love? Gain a crown? Lose your head? The choice is yours.

Note: May not be appropriate for children.

CodeWord (Codewords and Cryptograms for Kindle) ($0.99), by Oak Systems Leisure Software

Book Description
CodeWord is a word game with a splash of logic.

CodeWord includes two different types of word decryption puzzles in a single title: cryptograms and codewords. A cryptogram is a puzzle where you must map letters to numbers to solve the code. All of the cryptogram puzzles are based on famous quotations, but each letter is replaced by a different letter or number. A codeword puzzle is similar to a crossword, but with no clues. Instead a number in each square represents the letter, and you are given a word to start you off.

CodeWord includes 50 codeword puzzles and 50 cryptograms for a total of 100 puzzles. Hints are available if you would like some help, and if you get stuck you can give up and reveal the solution. You can play at your own pace or against an optional timer if you want more challenge. You can also reset each puzzle so you can replay as many times as you like.

People of all ages who like puzzles and word games will enjoy playing CodeWord.

Puzzle Pack 1 ($0.99), by Oak Systems Leisure Software

Book Description
Enjoy a variety of classic puzzles on your Kindle.

This pack contains 100 puzzles: 20 Sudoku (5 each of Very Easy, Easy, Medium and Hard), 8 American Style Crosswords, 7 British Style Quick Crosswords (which contain more black squares than American Style puzzles), 15 Word Searches, 10 Codewords, 10 Cryptograms, 10 Symbol Blocks (Easy to Hard), 10 Compass Points, and 10 Criss-Cross puzzles.

Play at your own pace or against the clock. Your game is saved, so you can pause partway through a puzzle and return to where you left off. You can also reset each puzzle and try it again as many times as you like. If you get stuck on a more challenging puzzle, you can get hints or give up and see the correct solution.

People who like puzzles and word games, or people who want to try a variety of puzzles will love this fun collection of games on Kindle.

Jumble, 200 Puzzles ($4.99) expands on this series of games from Puzux, with more puzzles than ever.

Book Description
Solve two hundred Jumble puzzles on Kindle with this new interactive version of the popular word scramble game.

Each Jumble puzzle features four jumbled words for you to unscramble, Each Jumble puzzle features four jumbled words for you to unscramble, which gradually identify letters that can be used to solve the bonus phrase. Unscramble the bonus phrase to complete the puzzle. Each puzzle contains a cartoon clue, that will help you crack it, but watch out for puns!

Jumble contains a Solve Puzzle feature if you get stuck and want to see the answer, a Reset Puzzle feature if you want to start over, and a Hints feature to help you out along the way.

Jumble: That Scrambled Word Game! is one of the longest continuously running word games in the world. Try out Jumble on Kindle today and find out why!

Fortune Teller ($1.99), by Sonic Boom

Book Description
Have your Fortune told on Kindle!

Fortune Teller for Kindle helps you look into your future in three unique ways: Fortune Teller Hectar Predicts, Fortune Cookies, and Mystic Pyramid.

Hectar the Fortune Teller will look into his crystal ball and make new predictions every day for different areas of your life: Love, Career, Friendship, Money, and Life. Fortune Cookie is inspired by Chinese fortune cookies. Each cookie may give you advice or reveal your fortune, and you may choose up to 3 cookies per day. Mystic Pyramid is a mystical Egyptian-themed pyramid. You are advised to think of personal questions that are important to you "with great reverence and intent" and press a button to get the Mystic Pyramid's answers.

Don't pass up the opportunity to take a sneak peak at your future on Kindle!

Calendar ($0.99), by 7 Dragons

Book Description
Calendar is a user friendly scheduling tool and daily planner for Kindle.

Calendar lets you see events and to-do lists quickly and easily with day, month and week views. It lets you create events (including recurring events) and daily to-do lists. You can set reminders that show up when you start Calendar; and sort and search tools make working with your data a breeze. US Holidays are included, but you can turn them off if you want to do so.

A Go-to-Date and Go-to-Today feature helps you move around quickly, and fast typing speed with word-wrap helps you work quickly too. You get 6 font sizes and 9 backgrounds or a simple full-screen mode from which to choose, and you can use the built-in Backup and Restore feature to save your calendar data to a PC or Mac.

Put getting Calendar on your to-do list for today!

Calendar - Appointments, Birthdays, Holidays and Sticky Notes ($0.99), by Compulab

Book Description
Calendar is a tool that offers daily planner functions for Kindle users.

You can add and remove notes for appointments, put a sticky note with a short list on a page, and set reminders for the birthdays and holidays that matter to you.

In the Month view, you can quickly see what day is a holiday or a birthday or see if you made a note for that day. In Day view, you can enter appointments and attach short notes for those appointments. You can attach a note to a day, which can be handy if you have a list of things to remember. Calendar also allows you to copy appointments and paste them back in at another time or day.

Use Calendar to manage your schedule on your Kindle today.

Stopwatch and Timer ($0.99), by A Gamz, was the first of two stopwatch apps out for Kindle.

Book Description
A Gamz Stopwatch and Timer provides a stopwatch, countdown timer and a date and time display for Kindle.

You can use Stopwatch and Timer as a convenient kitchen helper, a break reminder, or as a stopwatch. The stopwatch has lap timers and the ability to pause. With the countdown timer, you can pause your countdown or reset it at any time. The countdown timer also has commonly used presets of thirty seconds, one minute and five minutes to make countdowns quick and easy, or you may enter any duration you wish. Stopwatch and Timer will also tell you how long since your countdown finished -- in case you miss the end.

Make the most of your time by using Stopwatch and Timer today!

Please Note: Stopwatch and Timer does not make sound nor wake up your Kindle. Stopwatch and Timer will however, keep accurate timer or stopwatch times while your Kindle is asleep.

Anywhere Stopwatch ($0.99), by Nickel Buddy, came out second and seems to fill about the same functions as the first stopwatch program. Neither produce any sounds (a Kindle limitation), nor have a large clock display (to be fair, using as such would probably kill you kindle battery quickly).

Book Description
Anywhere Stopwatch is a stopwatch and countdown timer for Kindle.

Use the stopwatch to time your kids at the track, the swimming pool, or just laps around the house. You can save up to 20 stopwatch sessions, so you can go back to see improvement over time. The stopwatch has a lap feature, allowing you to see lap and split times.

Also included is a countdown timer. The display counts down by seconds to 0, and also displays a dial that represents elapsed time and time remaining. Stopwatch does not play sound on Kindle, but the dial makes it easy to see at a glance how much time is left on the timer.

Anywhere Stopwatch is a fun utility that can really come in handy. Get one for your Kindle today!

Cocktail Mixer ($1.99), by HandyX, is a reference title that you can use both when behind the bar at your next party and when shopping for it beforehand.

Book Description
Cocktail Mixer is a collection of recipes for 350 delicious drinks including classic cocktails, seasonal drinks, the coolest new mixes and a selection of non-alcoholic drinks.

The cocktail browser feature helps you find your perfect cocktail by organizing them into easy to use sections. Sections include classic cocktails, shooters, non-alcoholic cocktails, cocktails by base ingredient, cocktails by glass type and a range of occasion and party themes. The advanced search function also lets you search for cocktails by name or cocktails that contain specific ingredients which makes it easy to explore new drinks you're likely to enjoy.

You can keep track of all your favorite drinks using the 'My Favorites' function, and you can learn about cocktail making and ingredients in the comprehensive help section. Cocktail Mixer will help you get the taste you're looking for in your old favorites, and can introduce you to new drinks that may become new favorites.

Start mixing it up today with Cocktail Mixer!

Whew! That's a long list of new Kindle apps and games that have snuck into the store over the last few weeks (at least one of which I'm buying today). If you've managed to resist temptation on the existing titles so far, Amazon seems determined to get you to succumb to your urge to play with your Kindle (rather than just read), with the current 99 cent Kindle Game Sale. All of these are marked down thru July 10 (and no longer). Several of these games usually sell for $5, so this is a great discount to take advantage of. Interestingly, the new YAHTZEE game from Electronic Arts Inc. isn't a part of the official sale, so it's 99 cent price could change at any time.