Today's Deals

40% off one book at the Sony Reader store, must apply to account by 5/30: MEMORIAL40

Amazon.UK is celebrating Memorial Day weekend with a £0.99 Jubilee Sale, which has over 200 books to choose from, while Germany has a "Summer Comes" Sale with 80% off English language books and prices of EUR 0,99 - 1,09. Although the US Amazon Store is having a Memorial Day Event for books, it is for print editions, although the monthly $3.99 or Less Sale is ongoing.

Unfortunately, I only had one voucher code on the Refurbished Kindles, so several of you will have to wait until next time. Congratulations, though, to jvan, chosen by the number generator at Random.Org. Check your email for the code and instructions on using it. Be sure to check your Spam folder if you don't see it right away.

Additional formats on free books:

• Untamed (K/E/I)

Today is the last day to take advantage of this KSO deal:

• Neutrogena: Get $10 Off $30 Order

Today's Kindle Deal of the Day is the AmazonEncore edition of Greyhound ($0.99), by Steffan Piper.

Book Description
12-year-old Sebastien Ranes is taking a trip. He doesn't exactly understand why, but he accepts it. His mother often seems too emotionally detached to care for him. Her latest boyfriend Dick takes cruel pleasure in mimicking the boy’s stuttering, and wants to live his life without "somebody else's kid" getting in the way. So it's no surprise when they pack his bags to send him away. It is a surprise when they send him alone.

Ushered from his Stockton, California home, Sebastien must fend for himself and travel two thousand miles across the country to live with his grandmother and sister in Pennsylvania. Along the way, he learns that sometimes caring, guidance and understanding can come from some unlikely people.

Marcus is a man who has been neglected more by society than his family. As a young black ex-con, he is not the epitome of the person most would pick as a chaperone for their child's cross country trip. Yet rather than be held apart by their differences, Marcus and Sebastien are drawn together by the things that make us all alike. As both guide and protector, Marcus imparts his own style of wisdom while showing Sebastien that, despite the darker side of the human condition, people can and do care for one another.

Greyhound is the story of the journey taken by a young boy into manhood, and by the reader into his world. Like every trip, there are many stops along the way. But this journey differs in the way young Sebastien arrives at his destination.

The Happiness Equation ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), by Nick Powdthavee, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.39).

Book Description
Everybody wants to be happy. But how much happiness will each life choice bring? Should I get married? Am I going to feel good in that new job? Is seeing friends worth more than a Ferrari? How can we decide not only which choice is better for us, but how much better?

The Happiness Equation reveals the cutting-edge new science of happiness economics for the first time and explains, quantifiably, how and why some things matter more to our happiness than others.

About the Author
Nick Powdthavee is a behavioral economist at the department of economics, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time ($8.61 $1.99 Kindle, B&N), by Brian Tracy, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
Using "eat that frog" as a metaphor for tackling the day's most challenging task, Tracy shows readers how to zero in on these critical tasks and organize their time. He details 21 practical, doable steps to stop the procrastination treadmill and get more of the important tasks done.

Every idea in this book is focused on increasing your overall levels of productivity, performance, and output and on making you more valuable in whatever you do. You can apply many of these ideas to your personal life as well. Each of these twenty-one methods and techniques is complete in itself. All are necessary. One strategy might be effective in one situation and another might apply to another task. All together, these twenty-one ideas represent a smorgasbord of personal effectiveness techniques that you can use at any time, in any order or sequence that makes sense to you at the moment. The key to success is action. These principles work to bring about fast, predictable improvements in performance and results. The faster you learn and apply them, the faster you will move ahead in your career—guaranteed! There will be no limit to what you can accomplish when you learn how to Eat That Frog!

Tiger's Quest ($10.98 Hardcover, $2.49 B&N), the second title in the Tiger's Curse series by Colleen Houck, is the Nook Daily Find for Families; no Kindle edition.

Book Description
Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest--this time with Ren's dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger's Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER'S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them.

Winner of a Parent's Choice Award!

Today's Deals

If it seems like forever since you've seen a Kindle Special Offer, you would be correct. There are only three deals still active (one ends tomorrow) and the last one to show up was May 1. Instead, I am starting to see some short-time AmazonLocal deals show up that are for Amazon products (Kindle, MP3), rather than for mostly companies I've never dealt with (and for products that even at half price, seem to be priced to high). Today's deal (good thru tomorrow, from what I can see, or until they sell out), is for "half-price" movie tickets via Fandango. Fandango has pretty much a monopoly on advance ticket sales and if you use them (and don't go to matinees with prices already near the $6 mark), this is a pretty decent deal. Pay $6 and get a voucher for Fandango good for $12 off one ticket. Must be used by Sep 30 (or reverts to $6 value) and limit two vouchers per person. You can order them via your Kindle (uses your default payment type) or online.

Speaking of AmazonLocal, I signed up for a the "$20 Off a Certified Refurbished Kindle" voucher, but don't really have a need for it. It must be used by May 29, 2012, so if you would like it (and plan on buying a Kindle in the next few days), leave a comment below with an email address (I'll moderate and not publish the comments). I'll pick someone in the morning and email you the voucher. Please, only comment if you can use the voucher. I'll have another contest this weekend, with a number of iTunes codes, that everyone can participate in.


Today's Kindle Deal of the Day is It Happened on the Way to War ($1.99), by Rye Barcot.

Book Description
In 2000 Rye Barcott spent part of his summer living in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. He was a college student heading into the Marines, and he sought to better understand ethnic violence-something he would likely facelater in uniform. He learned Swahili, asked questions, and listened to young people talk about how they survived in poverty he had never imagined. Anxious to help but unsure what to do, he stumbled into friendship with awidowed nurse, Tabitha Atieno Festo, and a hardscrabble community organizer, Salim Mohamed.Together, this unlikely trio built a non-governmental organization that would develop a new generation of leaders from within one of Africa's largest slums. Their organization, Carolina for Kibera (CFK), is now a global pioneer of the movement called Participatory Development, and washonored by Time magazine as a "Hero of Global Health." CFK's greatest lesson may be that with the right kind of support, people in desperate places will take charge of their lives and create breathtaking change.Engaged in two seemingly contradictory forms of public service at the same time, Barcott continued his leadership in CFK while serving as a human intelligence officer in Iraq, Bosnia, and the Horn of Africa. Struggling with the intense stress of leading Marines in dangerous places, he took thetools he learned building a community in one of the most fractured parts of Kenya and became a more effective counterinsurgent and peacekeeper.It Happened on the Way to War is a true story of sacrifice and courage and the powerful melding of military and humanitarian service. It's a story of what America's role in the world could be.

About the Author
Rye Barcott founded the renowned non-governmental organization Carolina for Kibera (CFK) with Salim Mohamed and Tabitha Atieno Festo while he was an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduation, he served as a Marine for five years on active duty. In 2006 ABC World News named then Captain Barcott a Person of the Week and Person of the Year for his dual service to Kibera and the Marine Corps. As a Reynolds Social Entrepreneurship Fellow, he earned master's degrees in business and public administration from Harvard University. He is currently a member of the World Learning Board of Trustees and a TED Fellow living in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ashes ($1.72 / £1.09 UK), the first title in the trilogy by Ilsa Bick, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $7.69 on Kindle and from Kobo, where it is coupon eligible). The second in the series, Shadows, is now available to pre-order in the US and should release in September in both the US and UK.

Book Description
It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

Presentations in Action: 80 Memorable Presentation Lessons from the Masters ($12.99 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Jerry Weissman, is the Nook Daily Find; this title was free on Kindle last September.

Book Description
World-renowned presentation coach Jerry Weissman has spent 20 years helping top executives succeed in the most important business presentations of their lives. Here’s what he’s learned: the best way to get his message across is to show his techniques in action. Weissman does just that: he teaches how to make spectacularly successful presentations by showing exactly how great presenters have done it. Weissman dives into his library of outstanding presentations, sharing examples from current events, politics, science, art, music, literature, cinema, media, sports, and even the military. His compelling examples don’t just demonstrate what’s universal about effective human communication: they also reveal powerful ways to solve the specific challenges presenters encounter most often.

This book’s five sections focus on each element of the outstanding contemporary presentation: Content: Mastering the art of telling your story; Graphics: Designing PowerPoint slides that work brilliantly; Delivery skills: How to make actions speak louder than words; Q&A: How to handle tough questions; Integration: How to put it all together.

From clarifying “What’s in it for you?” to crafting better elevator pitches, improving flow to using anecdotes, Presentation in Action is packed with solutions–and packed with inspiration, too!

The Sea of Monsters ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), the second title in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, is the Nook Daily Find for Families, price matched on Kindle. I paid more than this when I bought it two years ago (in fact, when I bought everything in the series). Definitely recommended if you have tweens/teens in the house, this series was read by adults here (think of it as a US Harry Potter, but with Gods, Demigods and Monsters) and it appears that the first four books in the series are all below the $5 mark.

Book Description
After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson—a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any “normal” friends. But things don’t stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia—only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name…the Bermuda Triangle. Now Percy and his friends—Grover, Annabeth, and Tyson—must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family—one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon’s son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.

Real Life & Liars with Bonus Excerpt ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Kristina Riggle, is my pick for the Today's Deal at Kobo, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
For a limited time at a special price, enjoy Kristina Riggle's heartwarming novel Real Life & Liars along with an excerpt from her upcoming new novel, Keepsake, on sale June 26, 2012.

Sometimes you find happiness where, and when, you least expect it.

For Mirabelle Zielinski's children, happiness always seems to be just out of reach. Her polished oldest daughter, Katya, clings to a stale marriage with a workaholic husband and three spoiled children. Her son, Ivan, so creative, is a down-in-the-dumps songwriter with the worst taste in women. And the "baby," impulsive Irina, who lives life on a whim, is now reluctantly pregnant and hitched to a man who is twice her age. On the weekend of their parents' anniversary party, lies will be revealed, hearts will be broken...but love will also be found. And the biggest shock may come from Mirabelle herself, because she has a secret that will change everything.

Get $2 Off Select $5 MP3 Albums

Another great MP3 deal, for those with either a Kindle Fire or access to any Android device that can run the Amazon MP3 app: Get $2 Off Select $5 MP3 Albums When You Purchase on the Amazon MP3 App for Android or Kindle Fire. You must use either the App or the Music Store from the Kindle Fire, not a web browser to purchase the album. So, although I've linked in the list here, to make it easier to see which albums are on the list (it's mostly the same as the May $5 MP3 Albums list, but not quite the same, as I saw a $2.99 Memoryhouse album hiding on this offer's page; you may or may not get the $2 discount on it, since it isn't a "$5 album"), you'll need to do a manual search on your device to find the album and purchase it. Be sure that you don't accidentally grab a version that has a digital booklet with it, also, as those are specifically excluded.

There's no date indicated on when this offer ends, so I wouldn't wait too long to try it (right now, I see a box about the offer on the product details page for the albums included - so long as you can see that, it should still be a valid promotion). I also don't see any information as to whether or not this is a "limit one" offer, so if anyone buys two from the list, could you leave a comment and let us all know if you received the discount each time? Also, if you have any problems getting the discount (on the earlier Lumineers $2 off discount that had the same purchase requirements, I didn't get my $2 off and had to email support to get a credit). OK, I found two albums on the list that I wanted and decided to chance it - in fact, you do get the $2 discount for each album purchased, with no apparent limit (other than that there are only about 100 albums that qualify).

If you still have the $2 Facebook MP3 credit (good thru tomorrow), you can combine it with this one, giving you a net price of $1 on any of the albums included. Alas, I spent my credit on John Handy's Live At Monterey album; although the album is priced at $9.99, you can get each of the two 1/2 hour long cuts for 99 cents apiece (If Only We Knew and Spanish Lady), leaving two cents to spend on something else. Another good choice for that credit would be Lionel Richie's Tuskegee album, which is currently on sale at $2.99 (not included in this sale, though, so you can't double up the credits on it).

The Fine Print
Purchase Select $5 MP3 Albums on Your Kindle Fire or on the Amazon MP3 App for Android and Get a $2 Discount Applied at Purchase.

1. Search for any eligible $5 MP3 album title in the Amazon MP3 App for Android or Kindle Fire. If you don't have the Amazon MP3 App for Android, download it here.
2. Purchase your album by clicking the "Buy" button and your $2 discount will be automatically applied to your order. The credit only applies to album purchases and not individual song purchases from the albums. The discount will not apply to album purchases made in the Amazon MP3 webstore or through your Kindle Fire browser. This promotion does not apply to digital booklet versions of the $5 album titles.
3. After your purchase, you can confirm that your $2 credit was applied by checking your order confirmation, which will be sent to you by e-mail.
4. Additional terms and conditions apply.

Today's Deals

Today's Free Android App is CrossMe, which is a "Japanese crossword known as a Nonogram". Normally $5, it looks like it would be fun and has a lot of 5 star reviews.

If you wanted Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl on your Kindle, Amazon price matched B&N's deal price from yesterday, so it's currently $1.99; there is no telling when it will go back up, though, so grab it fast.

Today's Kindle Deal of the Day is Mystery Walk ($1.99), by Robert R. McCammon. The publisher is Open Road and my rule of thumb with them is to snap up anything they discount to this level, if it is at all interesting; they only deal with bigger name author's backlist titltes. Several reviews claim that this is McCammon's best work and the only one-star review I saw was a complaint about a used hardcover being the wrong book ordered (which should have been a 3rd party merchant comment, not a review of the book itself).

Book Description
Two young psychics do battle with an ancient evil

Billy Creekmore was born to be a psychic. His mother, a Choctaw Indian schooled in her tribe’s ancient mysticism, understood that the barrier between life and death is permeable. She knew how to cross it, and used that knowledge to help the dead rest easier. She passed that power on to her son, and he has spent his whole life learning how to communicate with the dead to prevent them from meddling with the living.

Though his powers are the same, Wayne Falconer’s background could not be more different. The son of a prominent preacher, he would be disowned if his father learned he was using supernatural powers in service of the church. Though they don’t know each other, Billy and Wayne share a recurring dream—and a common enemy. When a nightmarish monster descends on their community in Alabama, mankind’s fate will rest in their hands.

Darke ($2.04 / £1.29 UK), the sixth book of the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $6.99). Another excellent teen/YA series and the only one I don't yet have in my Library; maybe it will drop in the US one day (it's not as though I have nothing in my TBR list).

Book Description
Septimus is on the threshold of his fourteenth birthday, which falls on the shortest day of the year. While everyone celebrates and the Castle is lit with the traditional candles, Septimus has greater concerns on his mind. He has finally reached the period in his Apprenticeship known as Darke Week. During this crucial time, he hopes to undertake the very dangerous mission of restoring Alther from Banishment, following the attempted invasion of the Castle of Syren. But while this preoccupies him, other Darke things are afoot in the Castle.
Written with Angie Sage's characteristic humor, Septimus Heap, Book Six: Darke is a compelling fantasy adventure filled with surprises, thrills, and laugh-out-loud moments. Readers will revel in the action-packed story as they realize the wisdom of Magyk—that all things are meant to be part of a living whole.

I Know What You Did Last Summer ($7.99 $2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Lois Duncan, is the Nook Daily Find. An Agency title, it should be price matched on Kindle, so you might want to check again later today. Now price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
Some secrets just won't stay buried.

They didn't mean it. They didn't mean to hit the boy. There was a party, and it was an accident...that wasn't who they were. They were pre-law, a football player, bound for New York. No one could know, so Barry, Julie, Helen, and Ray swore one another to secrecy. But now, a year later, someone knows. Julie receives a haunting, anonymous threat: "I know what you did last summer." The dark lie is unearthed, and before the four friends know it they need to outsmart a killer...or they will be the next to die.

Leave the lights on when reading this classic thriller!

Camp SpongeBob ($1.99 Kindle, B&N), a Level 2 Reader in the SpongeBob SquarePants Leveled Reader series by Molly Reisner, Kim Ostrow and Heather Martinez (Illustrator), is the Nook Daily Find for Families (NOOK Color, NOOK Tablet or NOOK Kids for iPad App), price matched on Kindle (Kindle Fire or Kindle for Android App).

Book Description
Sandy decides to open Bikini Bottom's very first summer camp and asks SpongeBob to be her assistant. But SpongeBob goes overboard trying to make sure that their camp is the best camp ever!

Refurbished Kindle for $49

Get a free $20 off voucher from Amazon Local and use it to buy a Certified Refurbished Kindle ($69). Net cost after entering the promo code: $49! This is the Special Offers version of the Kindle, but at a great price and it includes the same one-year warranty as a new unit, since you are buying it direct from Amazon.

If you are new to AmazonLocal, you sign in using your Amazon account information. You'll need to use a credit card to secure the voucher (but it won't be charged); presumably it is used to verify that you are in the US. This particular offer is listed in the Boston area, but you can use it no matter where you are in the US. Once you've signed up, you'll get an email on how to use the voucher, but essentially you look under "My Vouchers" (click link in upper right corner) and just enter the promo code at Amazon. You have to wait a bit, for the order to be 'processed' before you can get the code, but it usually doesn't take too long for that to happen (mine took less than 2 minutes)

The Fine Print

• Voucher must be redeemed by May 29, 2012
• Ships only to U.S. addresses
• Limited quantities of vouchers are available. One per customer
• Voucher is valid for $20 off the regular price of $69 for a Certified Refurbished Kindle with Special Offers from Amazon.com; customer will be responsible for $49 payment to Amazon.com, plus applicable taxes and shipping charges
• Includes Certified Refurbished Kindle with Special Offers wireless e-reader and USB 2.0 cable; power adapter sold separately
• Certified Refurbished Kindle orders are eligible for Prime and Super Saver Shipping
• Voucher is available for use immediately after purchase
• Voucher not redeemable via 1-Click ordering
• Amazon.com account with valid credit card required to get this voucher