Free Kindle books: Mon: 279 books, Sun: 299, Sat: 6, Fri: 680 ! + Free parental control app for Kindle Fire - UPDATE 12/13

TOO MANY free Kindle books, even for the Kindle forum free-book stalwarts

Never thought we'd see this situation.
  As you know, I haven't been around much, but things are calming down so I can get back to more regular blogging.  The first thing I find is that Joyce has posted, Sunday:

' Good morning to all ... Well, here we go again with another round of 299 freebies. I'm sorry, but I will need to pass this off to your search one more time. '

Then Joyce refers readers to one of the many good sites she visits to collect her daily specimens (there are several sites recommended in these threads I've pointed to you a few times a week).  The site she recommends for searches (kinlib) has a few per page with good information though not the quickest if people are in a hurry.
And they give advice for using it, when people feel it's laborious, and name other sites.  Another good site they recommend removes free books whose price have been raised back. (ereaderiq)

  The responses from the forum readers include naming the free books they felt were interesting enough to 'buy' (for $0.00), so I'll post some of these instead and -- as always -- am referring you to Joyce's ongoing daily forum threads so you can get all the forum alerts and links to finder-places 'first-hand' -- the forum message titles and threads are separate for each set of release-alerts and are otherwise hard to find unless you are right there in the forum to find and follow them.

 They tend to list on a regular basis which website sources they use so that you can find, bookmark, and regularly use them.

Sample reactions to the glut:
  "Oh no, not again!
  "Sometimes too much is simply too much!  Fortunately I am on vacation right now."

Amazon now lets self-publishers set promo pricing of $0.00
The likely reason for this unmanageable glut of free books is that Amazon has finally allowed Amazon-self-published writers who agree to offer their books for the Prime Lending Program (which allows members to borrow one free book per month with no waiting list and no due-date) the ability to set their prices to $0.00 instead of just under $1.
 And they can do this once (per year, I think per 90 days.  
Update - 12/13 - Those interested in this aspect can read how that works, in an article by Mark Coker of Smashwords (Link: huff.to/prime-indies ), whose site is one of those that are negatively affected by the Prime terms for Indy authors.  Unfortunately too many of them decided to do it the first week, and while the idea of briefly pricing their books at $0.00 is to let people find those books, this will be difficult this week.

 Add that the authors' books can be included in the monthly Prime borrowing program, with the added exposure, if they pull those titles from competitor sites where they do make some money.  In other reading (Nate Hoffelder's The Digital Reader (Link: bit.ly/prime-indy ), I see that one author (Jeff Bennington) said that Amazon had brought him 97% of his e-book sales, so it was an easy decision for him.

  All in all, I don't think most knew that they would be going into a pool of 46,000+ books instead of the original 5,400~ or so when the program started with traditionally published books and invited best-selling authors publishing at Amazon.

  Unless Amazon separates the new Indies books, it could make it harder for Prime members to find what we usually look for in the public libraries that are always on waiting lists.  I hope there's flexibility for the writers who signed up for this and that they are doing this on a trial basis (see Coker article linked in this section).

  When I first explained the new Prime Kindle book borrowing program (Amazon calls it the Lending program), I gave a special link to a browsable webpage listing of of the then 5,379~ Prime-eligible Kindle books (Link: amzn.to/kprimebooks ).

  Today, that link will bring you to over 46,000 Kindle books eligible for Prime program borrowing.   That matches our situation of 1,200+ free books the last few days.


Parental Control app available for Kindle Fire
In connection with some concern over the readily visible product pages for blue books (and I don't mean automobile), there is a very general free app available now for parental control of what can be accessed with the Kindle Fire.
  Here's the Amazon Kindle forum discussion of how the app works, its benefits and limitations.


Today's Kindle Daily Deal
Monday's Daily Deal is a Bellwether Prize-winning novel, Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan set in the Jim Crow South and is discounted from $8.51 to $0.99 (88% off) for one day.


The 1200-1500+ free books listed and discussed in message threads and a LOT of customer recommendations for those not wanting to plow through the listings is next.

  These will be on a 2nd page (if you are reading on the main page), as the long lists are linked to from the main page.

  MORE... ( The temporarily newly-free books on the 2nd page, off the main page)
  Those wanting to go see the discussion threads on these and some user recommendations reprinted here from the forum can do so by: clicking on "MORE" just below (if you're on the main web page).

*****

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LATEST DISCOUNTED Kindle books (some temporarily) -
  Forum-thread starter RandomizeME cautions, "This thread is [only] for discounts and price drops that readers find from publishers."  Another main finder is Emily Bronte.
  For 12/7-12 )

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TEMPORARILY-Free Books:  Alerts from the Amazon Kindle forums - via the energetic "Happy Reader" Joyce, who is ever on the lookout on behalf of forum members.

  NOTE: The alerts are quoted from Joyce's collecting of mostly temporarily-free books.  They're *not* recommendations by anyone but are a popular, unfiltered daily set of forum release-alerts by Joyce, logged here for those who don't or can't make it to the forums.  The eBooks are often no longer free within days, sometimes, within hours.  Thanks to Joyce for gathering and organizing them for us where possible.

*** [ Joyce writes, on [ Friday, Dec. 9 - and reactions are included in this blog entry. ]

Today there are too many free offers to post...Please enjoy your search (680 Books) and feeding your Kindles...

[ A SEPARATE thread was started in reaction, titled,
    "680 free books today! Does that intimidate anyone besides me?"


*** [ FREE Books - Saturday, Dec. 10, (6 books)

...It has been a little difficult to sort out the freebies this morning from the huge offering yesterday of 680 books.  But, I would like to share a few here with you this morning that might or might not have been on the list.  I think the following books are sure to be of interest to many.  I don't recall seeing them and/or maybe some of you missed...

"Travails of a Stepmom
Author: Ms. Taken
Genre: Non-Fiction - Lifestyle and Home

DESCRIPTION: These articles describe the trials of one stepmom as she fights to do right by her stepkids, son, and husband. There have been some ups. There have been some threats, name calling and private investigators.

*****

Upon the Isles of the Sea
Author: Gordon Ryan
Genre: Fiction - War - Inspirational
* Gordon is a superb writer - Don't miss this one *

DESCRIPTION: LDS Inspirational Fiction: When Seth, a young Stripling Warrior comes home from the wars after nearly eight years of fighting, he barely has time to settle in before Helaman, his former commander, now a missionary, comes to the village and calls him on yet another assignment. But Lilliana is determined that Seth will not leave the village again--at least not without her. Jared, Seth's best friend and also a former Stripling Warrior, is persuaded by General Moroni to remain in government service to infiltrate the devious "Secret Combinations." When Seth and Jared meet Hagoth--an "exceedingly curious man,"--in the City of Bountiful, their quest takes on a whole new dimension. Upon The Isles of The Sea, the first adventure tale from The Nephite Chronicles, is a story of courage, sacrifice, and honor.

*****

Santa's Diary (The Christmas Connection)
Author: Santa Claus
Genre: Christmas - Holidays

DESCRIPTION: A quick message from Santa ... Hello everyone, and welcome to my diary. People have been asking me for years to write about my experiences and what's going on in my world. So I have finally given in and I'm going to share with you all what I'm getting up to. I'll be keeping a record here of all my preparations for Christmas and news for the next fews month. And what a time it's going to be. The elves are already hard at work, and Rudolf and the other Reindeer are well rested. We're all looking forward to another great Christmas. I hope you'll read this diary regularly and send me lots of nice letters, and even track my movements over the coming month.

*****

The Everything Healthy Cooking for Parties
Author: Linda Larsen
Genre: Health - Cookbook

DESCRIPTION: With a third of Americans on a diet at any given time, planning party menus can be a challenge for any hostess. Veteran cookbook author Linda Larsen has the solution! She offers you healthy cooking tips and delicious party-food recipes with your health in mind. Her recipes include lots of fruits and vegetables and low-fat ingredients like turkey bacon and tofu, so the foods are good for you and taste great! You will find many festive recipes: Cantaloupe Punch; High-Fiber Cashew Pear Bread; Low-Fat Turkey Swiss Sandwiches; Lemon Meringue Crunch Trifle; and more! With this book, you will discover that party food doesn't have to be bad for you. And that's reason enough to throw parties more often!

*****

The Miracle Inspector
Author: Helen Smith
Genre: Literay Fiction

DESCRIPTION: A dystopian thriller set in the near future. England has been partitioned and London is an oppressive place where poetry has been forced underground, theatres and schools are shut, and women are not allowed to work outside the home. A young couple, Lucas and Angela, try to escape from London - with disastrous consequences.


*** [ FREE Books - Sunday, Dec. 11 (299 books) Joyce writes:

Good morning to all ... Well, here we go again with another round of 299 freebies. I'm sorry, but I will need to pass this off to your search one more time... Some books that were free the past couple days in the huge number of free book offerings do not remain free for very long. As rumor has been heard, it appears that Amazon is switching out the old and bringing in new titles.
*** BE SURE THE PRICE SHOWS $0.00 BEFORE YOU "ONE-CLICK" *** ...

[D. Baker says:
Some that I "bought"
Advice
Juice recipes to prevent & fight Cancer by mick hann

The Presence of Gladness by George Alexiou

Fitness Training Made Easy [The Fitness Training For Easy Weight Lifting, Exercises Workouts and Workout Routines. Get a Fitness Program To Make Easy Your ... Workouts And Physical Fitness Training.] by Eric Nicolas

Mysteries
Retirement Can Be Murder (A Jake Russo Mystery) by Phil Edwards

MORTAL SIN (The Jake Lassiter Series) by Paul Levine

Hope Falls by Jamieson Wolf

*** MamaSylvia says:
So far I have grabbed the following freebies in addition to those I already listed:
Snowybrook Inn: Book One
A Married Man's Guide To Christmas
The Wobbit A Parody (Of The Hobbit)
Isabelle Around The World - The Trans-Siberian Railway
The Mysteries of Hummingbird Falls (Hummingbird Falls Mysteries)
Dating, Diapers & Denial
100 Unique Ways To Lose Weight
Elusive December (this was really good, I read it today)
Cat Training: How To Train A Cat With Ease [Cat Training - A Guide To Cat Training With Cat Behaviour Demystified, Training And Advices To Take Care Of Your Cat For Happy Cat Training!]
International Kittens of Mystery

and a few others that are no longer free

*** MamaSylvia adds:
There were hundreds more books this morning! Other freebies I picked up that are still free:
Mousetrapped and Backpacked Too
Christmas Journeys: Finding Joy along the Way
At Risk of Being a Fool
Ridgeway Manor
Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road: Humorous Views On Love, Lust, & Lawncare

These are mostly mysteries and humor, and at least the product descriptions used accurate spelling and grammar and gave me an idea of what to expect from the book, so I have hopes they will be readable. And if not, I just delete them from my Kindle and go on to the next book.

MamaSylvia says:
I actually got caught up! The only new freebie I added was:
Mafia Math - sounds like it will either be hysterical or a dud

*** angelmum3 says
Whose Angel Keyring The description sounded interesting :
all these years later, a key that'd gone missing has mysteriously appeared. What does it unlock? Is it just the heirloom clock hiding in plain site on the mantel? Or does the angel keyring unlock far more? Though the e-book stands alone, it alsoextends the Milford-Haven Novels, the critically acclaimed, popular series, a multi-generational saga. Based on Purl's BBC Radio drama Milford-Haven U.S.A.

This is a kid's book - that is probably suited more for the Fire - it will be a gift for DD, so I clicked!
A Stranger At Christmas
Not much description, but again - worth the price!
The Edward Francis Blogs - the complete saga.
This year ...the geek shall inherit the earth! Part-time blogger, full-time social outcast. The story of how eighteen-year-old, Edward Francis had nothing, gained something, lost everything and found himself in-between.A rich, rewarding experience that you'll want to read again and again.Teen / young adult. Some swearing. Includes volumes 1, 2 and 3. Plus the Waiting Room. The complete saga! (putting in the product link I saw that amazon sells volumes 1, 2, 3 separately - so may be more reviews there)

*** [ patrinka says ]
Here's a few I picked up that looked interesting:

Emily Dickinson: Beyond the Myth fictional bio

Out of Time Series Omnibus (Out of Time: A Paranormal Romance & When the Walls Fell) time travel paranormal romance

How to Lower your Cholesterol with French Gourmet Food. A practical guide.

*** AnnieB-Grinch's Nemisis says

Patricia Sierra has several other free books today...

From the Writer Half of My Being: Poems and Short Stories in Search of a Reader

The Absence of Color (a time-travel romance in the age of The Great Gatsby)

Sheet Music

*** dharts says
Lost Gold of the Shenandoah
A lighthearted tale of mystery and adventure set against the historical legacy of the American Civil War.

In the Autumn of 1864, a Confederate payroll train out of Richmond, Virginia, is attacked and plundered by a Union raiding party near Waynesboro, Virginia. The successful band of raiders, with their booty of strongboxes full of gold coins, headed north toward the Union lines near Winchester, Virginia. They never made it back.

One hundred forty-six years later, this tale of the lost gold is regarded only as legend, except in the small Shenandoah Valley town of Apple Grove. The descendants of the town's founding families, the Sons and Daughters of the Stars and Bars, have never stopped looking for the gold. But the trail of clues to its whereabouts has long grown cold, until the summer of 2010.

Lauren Reynolds had recently moved to Apple Grove and purchased the old White Swan Inn. She loved the town's old houses and battlefield park, the working period steam locomotive, and the numerous shops that catered to tourists and Civil War enthusiasts. It was a town where Civil War Reenactors came each year to relive the romance of times gone by. But when Lauren accidently stumbles across hidden secrets from the inn's past, she discovers that there is a darker side to this picturesque Shenandoah Valley town.

A Raucous Time (The Celtic Cousins' Adventures)
"When the final tally is counted, it will be seen that John's vices far outweigh the virtues of other kings," Churchill meant the Magna Carta of course. John also left another legacy though. One which has been hidden from sight for almost one thousand years. Rhyllann Jones's geeky cousin Wren believes he can solve an ancient mystery. And he's willing to sacrifice everything to the race to discover the fabled treasure trove of King John.

Rhyllann Jones longs for a normal family life. His Mum is an animal activist, his gran is in hospital, his aunt is in prison, while his cousin insists he knows where King John's lost treasure is hidden. Somehow Rhyllann finds himself fleeing from a ruthless gang and DI Crombie, over the wild moors of Bodmin and in more danger than he could ever imagine.

*** AmeliaA says
I picked those two up, too -- I'd heard about the Appalachian trail one and had been wanting to look at it.

Here are the links:
Skywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian trail
and
Skywalker--Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail

Here's the first half of the product description for the Appalachian Trail one:
 Why would a middle-aged businessman who had never even spent the night outdoors, attempt to hike the entire Appalachian Trail? Bill Walker, a former commodities trader in Chicago and London, and an avid walker, had developed a virtual obsession to hike this historic 2,175 mile footpath in one hiking season.
So in the spring of 2005 he set off from his home state of Georgia, hoping to make it to Mount Katahdin in northern Maine before the arrival of winter. Immediately, he realized he had plunged into a whole new world. For starters, the Appalachian Trail has some ferociously difficult terrain, winding through dramatically diverse geography and covering the East's highest peaks.

Walker's 6'11' height earned him the trail name, "Skywalker", and drew envious attention from his fellow hikers. However, the height made him more susceptible to weight loss, cold weather, and crushing fatigue. An elemental fear of bears and snakes, as well as getting lost, also loomed large.

*** Andromeda says
Looking for history books I found this, which is easily missed among the huge list of freebies, thought some might like to know about it:

The Battle of Massard Prairie, Arkansas: The 1864 Confederate Attacks on Fort Smith

"On July 27, 1864, Brigadier General Richard M. Gano carried out one of the great open field cavalry attacks of the Civil War. Targeting the camp of the 6th Kansas Cavalry, Southern horsemen charged across miles of open prairie and achieved one of the few overwhelming Confederate victories of the Civil War in Arkansas. On Massard Prairie outside Fort Smith, Gano's Texans fought side by side with Choctaw and Chickasaw soldiers to virtually destroy an entire battalion of Union cavalry in a sweeping victory that opened the way for the noted Cabin Creek expedition just two weeks later. The Battle of Massard Prairie, Arkansas, is the third in a series of studies of small but significant Civil War battles by historian Dale Cox. Other books include The Battle of Marianna, Florida and The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida. "


*** [FREE Books - Monday, Dec. 12 (278), Joyce said ]
. . .Well, we are starting off yet another day of 278 [+1] free books.

ETA: ** Be sure you check the price is $0.00 before you "one-click". Some books have already gone back to regular pricing, and this list has only been available for 6 hours. **


*** [More recommendations ]
*** Princess "Jingle Bells" (Joyce) says
Well, I have completed my search through today's 278 books, and I have to admit that I did find 8 books that I think I will enjoy reading.

The Wedding Gift
Christmas Dog, The
Love Me Tender
Watermarks
Betrayal (Liv Driscol)
Taking Out the Trailer Trash
The Mediocre Housewife
If We Dare to Dream (The Evans Family, Book One)

*** The SNOW FLAKY squiggly, StoneHeart says
these are the ones i grabbed
: )
Grubbycup's Garden Notes (The Path of the Garden)
Christmas with Family & Friends Cookbook: Favorite recipes, homemade memories and little touches that make the holidays warm & cozy.
Poor Man's Cheesecake. A Simple, Easy to Follow No Bake Cheesecake Recipe.
Easy Indian Curry Recipes
The Addicted Brain: Why We Abuse Drugs, Alcohol, and Nicotine (FT Press Science)

*** AnnieB-Grinch's Nemisis says
The Cloud Roads not what I usually read but had excellent reviews
First Degree Innocence
Eye Sleuth (A Yoko Kamimura Mystery)
Christmas with Family & Friends Cookbook: Favorite recipes, homemade memories and little touches that make the holidays warm & cozy.
Monarch: Egg I'm hoping this is a full book not a preview.
A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida his other books have good reviews.
Christmas O'Clock
A Perfect Flood
The Quest: Mystery Of The Professor's Notebook this is interactive. I also put it on Dan's kindle.
The Wedding Gift I almost forgot this one. :

*** Sweet Diva Reader says
Wading through the list now and I've picked up:
Heir of the Wolf Malediction
Warnings: A Collection
Six of Hearts
New Christmas Stories
Christmas Dog, The
Harvest
Christmas Stories
The Offer: Book 1 (The Skeptic)
Supernatural Witness 1 (Paranormal Factor)
Sisters 3 - Book 1 - The Nine Gates
Watermarks
The Quest: Mystery Of The Professor's Notebook
Torchlight and Shadow
Taking Out the Trailer Trash
Christmas with Family & Friends Cookbook: Favorite recipes, homemade memories and little touches that make the holidays warm & cozy.
Poor Man's Cheesecake. A Simple, Easy to Follow No Bake Cheesecake Recipe.
Temporal Membranes (1)
If We Dare to Dream (The Evans Family, Book One)
Supernatural Witness 2 (Paranormal Factor)
Tales of Merryville
Addicted to Magic
Easy Indian Curry Recipes
SongMaster's Realm
The Wedding Gift
A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida

*** Reindeer Snow Prancer says
...also these additional titles, so far.
The Amun Chamber
In The Shadow of Babylon
Eye Sleuth (A Yoko Kamimura Mystery)
Fiji: A Novel

*** kiss04bam says
The Haret (The Haret Series)
The Forest of Adventures (The Knight Trilogy)
Retirement Can Be Murder (A Jake Russo Mystery)
Skywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian trail
MORTAL SIN (The Jake Lassiter Series)
The Suicide Effect
The Eve Tree: A Novel
Motion To Kill (Lou Mason Thrillers)
The Gorge (An Appalachian Thriller Novel)
The Chocolate Gravy Queen
The Wedding Gift
Living Successfully with Screwed-Up People
Christmas Dog, The
Taking Out the Trailer Trash
First Degree Innocence

*** Christine H. says
Christmas Dog, The
The Orwellian Afghanistan War
Thaw
The Offer: Book 1 (The Skeptic)
The Ninth Orphan
Fiji: A Novel
THE "SKULL AND BONES" CULT CREATES WARS FOR PROFIT AND POWER!
Strictly G.I.: The WWII Letters of Cpl. Wanda M. Renn
The Amun Chamber
In The Shadow of Babylon

*** Live2Read says
Thanks Joyce and everyone who shared their picks of the day. Here is what I decided to try:
The Ninth Orphan
The Overtaking (The Overtaking Series)
The Whole Enchilada: A Payton Claymore & John Raines Novel
30 Easy Ways To Draw(for daughter)
Easy Indian Curry Recipes
Changing Curses For Blessings - Loving Yourself and The World Around You
How To Draw An Orchid In Six Easy Steps (daughter)
What a treasure trove of free books we have!


[ AND SO, go to the thread if you want to see what others are adding on for books they found interesting out of too many ] '

Kindle Touch 3G   Kindle Touch WiFi   Kindle Basic   (UK: KBasic)   Kindle Fire
Kindle Keybd 3G   (UK: Kindle Keybd 3G)   K3 Special Offers   K3-3G Special Offers   DX

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button .

Len Edgerly's Amazon Single - A report from Amazon's NYC Press Conference + 2 free short stories + forum alerts & topics

A Kindle Fan's Report from the Front Row at Amazon's NYC Press Conference  $0.99

This new Amazon Single is by The Kindle Chronicles podcast's Len Edgerly, who's filed "A Kindle Fan's Report from the Front Row at Amazon's NYC Press Conference," covering this event in his inimitable style, with cover photograph by John Marshall Mantel and a couple of photos by Len.  Love that tent photo.

  Len is widely appreciated for his perceptive and balanced reports and his excellent weekly interviews in connection with the e-publishing scene.

  From the Product Description:

' In this 30-page article, I invite you to join me in the front row at Amazon's press conference in New York city on September 28, 2011.

That's when Jeff Bezos introduced the next generation of Kindles, including the Kindle Fire tablet.  Just being at the event was a major thrill for a book lover whose life has been changed by the Kindle.  I thought I'd seen the future when I bought a Rocket eBook in 1998.  That didn't work out too well, but the Kindle in 2007 looked like the real thing.

  The next year, I started a weekly podcast, The Kindle Chronicles, to participate in the revolution in reading that I was sure would follow.  Since then, I've interviewed 165 people representing all parts of the Kindlesphere -- from Amazon executives to nervous writers, from technologists to school administrators, from the editor of the New York Times Book Review to my wife Darlene, who reads three times as many Kindle books as I do but is an endearing skeptic about technology.

  I traveled by train to New York City worried that Amazon executives might get so excited about their shiny new color tablet that they would forget to keep improving the monochrome e-ink Kindles.  In the event, I need not have worried.  Jeff Bezos started the press conference by telling the Kindle story in a way that touched me as highly personal and revealing.  Come join me in the front row, and I'll show you what I mean. '

I just heard about the book and bought it on the spot as one who looks forward to Len's take on the Kindle and e-publishing scene.



Kindle Daily Deal (Often U.S. only, unfortunately) (The Daily Deal link above changes at MIDNIGHT each day.
      Click it to see what the daily deal book is, at any time.)

The Dead Saint, by Mairlyn Brown Oden, 23 customer reviews, 4.3 stars
    Daily Deal until the end of Friday 10/7:
      Thursday's Price: $9.47
      Friday's Discount: $7.48
      Friday's Daily Deal Price: $1.99 (79% off)

"The casual yet taut style will keep readers turning pages to find out if Bishop Lynn [Peterson] can prevent disaster..." -- Publishers Weekly

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Ongoing popular discussions
  . To Avoid Confusion, Please Use the Official Product Names in Forum" [Very entertaining!] New
  . Warning: Personal docs now sent to a Kindle will now go to all new Kindles
    registered to your account   New
  . Discussion of geographic restrictions on digital purchases
  . Discount-alert books discussed in more detail
  . What have been your favorite public domain books that are not so well known?
  . Best "Free" books you've read (many are no longer free, however).
  . Highly recommended Indie authors
  . Unique Uses of Kindles [Use of free 3G web-browsing refers only to K3 aka Kindle Keyboard.)

Other current forum threads that might interest some
Public Library Lending questions at the forums, and Lendle's Kindle borrowing
  . How many e-books does your public library have?
  . Public librarians: what has been your Kindle/Overdrive experience?
  . Changes to lendle (This is Kindle owner-to-Kindle owner lending.)
      The changes include incentives for offering loaners.

Amazon's own ongoing listing of LIMITED-TIME OFFERS - Promos   Amazon sorts these by Bestsellers first.   I've added a by Low-to-High pricing. Editors' Picks: $1.99-$3.99   thru' October

Free contemporary books: subsets Filters out excerpts, chapters, previews US:  by Last 30+ days  Oct 2011    Publication Date   Late-listed    Bestselling   High-ratings UK:  by PubDate   Popular

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LATEST DISCOUNTED Kindle books (some temporarily) - an ongoing forum thread:
  Forum-thread starter RandomizeME includes a caution that it's not a book promotion thread for authors or for posts about indies or free books either.  "This thread is for discounts and price drops that readers [esp. Emily Bronte] find from publishers."
  10/5-10/7

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TEMPORARILY-Free Kindle Books:  Alerts from the Amazon Kindle forums - via the tireless "Happy Reader" Joyce, who is ever on the lookout on behalf of forum members.
  NOTE: The alerts are quoted as they appear in Joyce's collecting of mostly temporarily-free books.  They're *not* recommendations by anyone but are a very popular, unfiltered daily set of release-alerts by Joyce.  The eBooks can become no longer free within days, sometimes, within hours.  Thanks to Joyce for gathering and organizing them for us.

So far, on Thursday morning, there were only two entries released, both of them short stories.  One so far for Friday as of early morning.

' Happy Reader "Joyce" says:

Haunted Destiny: A Midnight Dragonfly Bonus Short Story
Author: Ellie James
Genre: Children's Fiction
* Pre-Order for November 23, 2011 *

DESCRIPTION: Teenage mystic Rachelle Dugas knows to expect the unexpected when she fills in for a friend leading a Haunted New Orleans tour. But when she decides to check out a haunted house on her own, nothing prepares her for the secrets lurking in the shadows-or the twist of destiny about to unfold.

***

A Very Holly Christmas: An Exclusive Short Story
Author: Sheila Roberts
Genre: Romance
* Pre-Order for November 15, 2011 *

DESCRIPTION: Shelia Roberts is back with the hilarious short follow up to On Strike For Christmas. This short story will bring you right back to the spirited town of Holly, one year after the big strike! For even more Christmas (this time with a touch of romance) don't miss The Nine Lives of Christmas, coming November 2011.

***

Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients
Author: Derek Landy
Genre: Children's Fiction

DESCRIPTION: Grade 5-8-When 12-year-old Stephanie's eccentric Uncle Gordon dies, a mysterious man bundled in an overcoat, scarf, sunglasses, and a hat shows up at both the funeral and the reading of the will. This man, as it turns out, is Skulduggery Pleasant, a walking, talking skeleton who rescues Stephanie when she is attacked while alone in the house that she has just inherited. It seems that a particularly evil person named Serpine is trying to obtain a scepter that will allow him to rule the world. Stephanie is swept into a world of magic, secrets, power, and intrigue as she and Skulduggery try to keep one step ahead of Serpine and various other nefarious folk. Deadly hand-to-hand combat, nasty villains, magical derring-do, and traitorous allies will keep readers turning the pages, but it is the dynamic duo of Stephanie and Skulduggery who provide the real magic. The girl eagerly jumps into this new, dangerous, action-packed life, but she isn't sure that she has the guts or the power to pull it off. Skulduggery Pleasant lives up to his name, performing amazing feats with such self-effacing drollness that readers will wish they had a similar skeletal friend. Give this one to fans of Eoin Colfer's "Artemis Fowl" books (Hyperion) or to anyone who likes a dash of violence and danger served up with the magic. '


[These are from Joyce's free-books alerts Thursday in the forums, 10/6/11 - afternoon, 2 books, and Friday, 10/7/11 - morning, 1 book.]

Kindle Touch 3G   Kindle Touch WiFi   Kindle Basic   (UK: KBasic)   Kindle Fire
Kindle Keybd 3G   (UK: Kindle Keybd 3G)   K3 Special Offers   K3-3G Special Offers   DX

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers

Free Kindle Books, 5/28 (quite a few of them)

A PLETHORA OF TEMPORARILY FREE KINDLE BOOKS.  Today's reported releases include more-esoteric books from academic and local-history collections which will stay free and also some cult-oriented books.  I'm not including those in this blog entry as those will be found in the links-box below, usually within a day.

Although I've gathered Kindle- and other e-reader news, I decided to do this first, as I have time for only one blog entry today and this is probably more of interest to most.

  As usual, these don't include previews, samplers, teaser chapters, or individual short stories.  With an occasional exception, those blogged here are usually informational books or more popular or unusual items suddenly free for a short time and which can be lost in all the long listings pointed to in the links-box below.
  Those links in the bottom box do include the short stories and fantasy/romance fiction popular today as well as faith-based books of several religions.


CK-12 Earth Science, by CK-12 Foundation, 2 customer reviews, 5 stars
Publisher: CK-12 Foundation

From the Product Description: "CK-12 Earth Science covers the study of Earth - its minerals and energy resources, processes inside and on its surface, its past, water, weather and climate, the environment and human actions, and astronomy."

Here are CK-12's many other books, which are all $0.00 at the moment.  I have no idea for how long.  They include Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, etc.


Acupressure Guide For Relieving Hangovers, by MobileReference, 6 customer reviews, 2.5 stars
Publisher: MobileReference

From the Product Description: "...Product Features: Practical and fully illustrated.  Step-by-step guide to treatment of every condition.  Every step explains point location, direction of force, and duration of massage.  No previous experience necessary."


Probably always free:
Boob Tube, by Mark Coker, Lesleyann Coker, 22 customer reviews, 3.5 stars
Publisher: Smashwords Press; 2 edition (May 6, 2008
At Smashwords: 9 cutomer reviews, 5 stars

From the Product Description: "Go behind the scenes of the daytime television soap opera industry with Boob Tube.  Written by Lesleyann Coker (a former reporter for Soap Opera Weekly) and her husband Mark, the two interviewed dozens of soap opera industry insiders for their stories and then fictionalized everything here.

From Smashwords site: "Mark Coker founded Smashwords in 2008 to change the way books are published, marketed and sold.

Mark is co-author along with his wife, Lesleyann, of Boob Tube, a novel that explores the behind-the-scenes world of daytime television soap operas.  It was Mark's experience trying to get Boob Tube published that inspired him to start Smashwords.  He believes Smashwords holds the promise to make publishing more enriching for authors, readers and publishers.

In the three years since its launch, Smashwords has grown to become the leading ebook distributor serving indie authors, small presses and literary agents.  Over 20,000 authors from around the world have published more than 50,000 books at Smashwords."


Apparently always free now:
FREE 25 Language Phrasebook, from Mobile Reference (Mobi Travel), 36 customer reviews, 3 stars
Publisher: Mobile Reference (November 20, 2006)

Many complain this is far too basic, and one mentioned a more expensive
one at $7.99 which was much better.  I looked it up and they have an "Advanced" version for $3.99.


Other free e-books
How I Wrote My First Book: the story behind the story, by Anne K. Edwards, 6 customer reviews, 4 stars
Publisher: Twilight Times Books; First edition (February 15, 2011)

From the Product Description: "Product Description
Twenty authors tell amazing stories about the efforts that went into writing their first book."


Young People, Ethics, and the New Digital Media: A Synthesis from the Good Play Project , by Carrie James (Author), 2 customer reviews, 3 stars
Publisher: The MIT Press (October 30, 2009)

From the Product Description: "Social networking, blogging, vlogging, gaming, instant messaging, downloading music and other content, uploading and sharing their own creative work: these activities made possible by the new digital media are rich with opportunities and risks for young people. This report, part of the GoodPlay Project, undertaken by researchers at Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero, investigates the ethical fault lines of such digital pursuits..."


Origins (Spinward Fringe), by Randolph Lalonde, 79 customer reviews, 4.5 stars.

[Science fiction book with many happy readers]
From the Product Description: "Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins is a collected trilogy that chronicles the early adventures of an ambitious crew. Their leader, Jonas Valent, has the least to lose and everything to gain as he tells the tale of his first tour as Captain of a ship tasked with making allies and discovering new technologies for the good of his people. This simple mission becomes more complicated as the crew ventures further into the settled fringes of the galaxy.

This trilogy spawned the best selling Spinward Fringe eBook series. This is where it all began, when one man was challenged to aspire for more than an idle life."


The Night Walk Men, by Jason McIntyre

[Short Story by a popular writer]
From the Product Description: "Three-year old Gabriela plays with her twin brother on a train platform. Blind sax man, Braille the Rail, meets with an old, old friend. The earth rumbles beneath them all: the promise of an approaching locomotive. Now, two mysterious strangers, both of them acting in the interest of an otherworldly sense of duty, will decide their fate over a cup of tea."

His novel (not free), On the Gathering Front receives a lot of enthusiasm.


Straw Hats and Bicycles (Asian) , by Brian Lawrenson, 1 customer reviews, 2 stars
Publisher: Marco Polo Press; eBook Edition edition (July 1, 2010)

Brian Lawrenson does short personal travel reports of the type you'd write to your friends or post to a forum after your travels.  I've downloaded one from China when it was free and it was like reading a long, fairly detailed forum post from Fodor's forums about people's trips, which for me can be fun to read in that way, but they're generally free.  He has some worthwhile photos though, and for free and in single booklet format, these are worth a download if you've an interest in the locale and what it's like to travel there.  In my own view they should never be more than $.99 but Lawrenson prices them pretty high when they're not on promo pricing.

From the Product Description: "This is the story of a couples [sic] visit deep into the culture of Vietnam and Cambodia.  The highlights of the story include a visit to the Hill tribes at Sapa, the Sunday market at Bac Ha, sailing Halong Bay, exploring the culture and architecture of Hanoi, historic Hue, shopping mecca Hoi An, a trip on the Re-unification Express, the Open Bus, got lost in Phan Thiet and discovering the South including Ha Chi Ming and the Mekong Delta.  During these independent journeys they met the people, experienced the culture and sampled the wonderful Vietnamese regional cuisine.

Then in Cambodia they explored the wonderful temples of Ankor Wat, were dumb struck by the “lost in the jungle” experience of Ta Prohm, look [sic] the express boat across the Tonle Sap Lake down to Phnom Penh, the once exciting capital of Cambodia..."


Also check the below at any time:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics - USA: by: NEW: Last 30+ days  May 2011    Publication Date   Late-listed    Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular What is 3G? and "WiFi"? Highly-rated e-books under $1

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free USEFUL for your Kindle (U.S. only, for now):   99c Notepad,   99c CalendarPro,   99c Converter

Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's)   K3 Special ($114)   K3-3G Special ($164)   DX Graphite

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Free Books, Bob Dylan book, Calculator app! Lady Gaga Album 1-day 99c

MISCELLANEOUS FREE BOOKS AND DEALS
Lady Gaga album for $0.99 again - only today, 5/26
The new Lady Gaga [Album] for $0.99 again - "This Time We're Ready," Amazon said in their press release.

  They added, "...we saw extraordinary response to Monday's promotion - far above what we expected - she definitely melted some servers," said Craig Pape, director of Music for Amazon. "So we're doing it again, and this time we're ready. We're pleased to offer 'Born This Way' - the whole album - for $0.99, today only."

"Along with this purchase, customers get 20 GB of free Amazon Cloud Drive storage so they can store and play their music anywhere."


New CALCULATOR App by 7 Dragons - creators of Notepad
7 Dragons created the very popular Notepad, my favorite Kindle app, which I use daily, and Converter, which is very useful.

 Now they've released their Calculator for the Kindle. $0.99

  It's a very flexible calculator, useful for computing sales discounts, double-checking an invoice, or computing a restaurant tip.  If your Kindle is usually with you, outside, the calculator will be available too.

From the Product Description (emphases mine): "In addition to basic math operations, Calculator also includes Square Roots, percentages and exponents, and the trigonometric functions Sine, Cosine, and Tangent.  You have standard calculator Memory Functions, and you also get Calculator History; in which the last 10 items and last 10 calculation results are saved for later reference. [Very nice!]

Calculator offers keyboard shortcuts to help you work quickly, and a last function undo and digit by digit undo functions to help you correct errors.  Help pages explain each feature, and a Shortcuts List page clearly lists all shortcuts."


Revolution in the Air - The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957–1973, by Clinton Heyland. (ePub format...see below.)
Publisher: Chicago Review Press (April, 2009)
  Normally $23.95. the e-book is $0.00 through June 6.

 Those w/o an ePub reader can read this on either a Windows or Mac computer/laptop via Adobe Digital Editions.
  Paul Biba at Teleread brought this to our attention.  He writes, about Copia's special free offering (emphases mine):

' For any Dylan fan this looks like a "must have".  From the press release:
  As rock and roll legend Bob Dylan celebrates turning 70 today, Copia, the groundbreaking social eReading platform and web site, is honoring the event with a gift to fans of the American Icon.  Starting Tuesday, May 24 and continuing through June 6, Dylan fans will be able to visit the website and download Revolution in the Air, noted Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin's comprehensive, 446-page, song-by-song guide to Dylan's work from 1957–1973.  "We wanted to do something fun for readers and fans that would pay tribute to one of America's greatest songwriters and... '

For the younger among us who haven't heard what is considered one of the best rock albums of all time (Highway 61 Revisited, Dylan's voice will be an acquired taste but it's the lyrics and drive behind it (and the band) that make it.   An example: Ballad of a Thin Man on the album (which is maybe more popular than Like a Rolling Stone).
  .  Words & Music, in various versions of the piece
  .  Audio of the song, streamed here in quite compressed sound.  The downloaded audio, either song or album, will have far better sound.  There are annoying animated ads on the page.
  .  What the lyrics may mean - Lyrics only plus a good analysis of the piece, in the Comments area.  Wait a few seconds and the large top ad will be bypassed as you go straight to the Comment although you might have to click a pop-up if you don't use a pop-up blocker.


Free Kindle Book picks today
Canadian Meds, by John Moynihan, 4 customer reviews, 4 stars
Publisher: Xlibris; 1 edition (October 15, 2009)
  "Canadian Meds is a work of fiction that highlights the world of selling prescription meds over the Internet."

Famous men of science, by Sarah Knowles Bolton
  It's #1 Bestseller in Amazon sub-genres History of Science and Sciences

Gunboat Number 14, by Jens Kuhn
Publisher: lulu.com; 2 edition (October 11, 2009)
  "It's 1808 and Sweden is at war with Russia...

Still Life With Murder (Nell Sweeney Mysteries (formerly Gilded Age Mysteries)), by P.B. Ryan, 29 customer reviews, 4.5 stars
  From Product Description: "Nominated for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award, Still Life With Murder is Book #1 of P.B. Ryan’s acclaimed historical mystery series featuring Boston governess Nell Sweeney and opium-smoking former battle surgeon Will Hewitt. Long thought to have died during the Civil War, Will is arrested for murder, and it's up to Nell to prove his innocence. Originally published by Berkley Prime Crime."

Treasure Lost, by R.G. Cordiner, 6 customer reviews, 4.5 stars
  Customer reviews say it's fun for young and old.

A truly unusual e-book:
Development of Nominal Inflection in First Language Acquisition: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective, Editors: Ursula Stephany, Maria D. Voeikova, Ursula Stephany, Maria D. Voeikova, Hardcover $123, Paperback $19.95
  "Language documentation is a rapidly emerging new field in linguistics which is concerned with the methods, tools and theoretical underpinnings for compiling a representative and lasting multipurpose record of a natural language."
  I don't think there'll be a run on this one.  :-)


Check the below at any time:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics - USA: by: NEW: Last 30+ days  May 2011    Publication Date   Late-listed    Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular Highly-rated e-books under $1

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free USEFUL for your Kindle (U.S. only, for now):   99c Notepad,   99c CalendarPro,   99c Converter

Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's)   K3 Special ($114)   K3-3G Special ($164)   DX Graphite

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Free Kindle books today + under-$1 ebooks sorted by avg customer rating

UNUSUAL (TEMPORARILY) FREE BOOKS OFFERING TODAY - 5/25/11

Self-Reliance, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, 4 customer reviews, 5 stars
Publisher: The Domino Project; Unabridged edition (May 25, 2011)

From Amazon.com Review:
A Q&A with Ralph Waldo Emerson
"For nearly 200 years, Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance has been the preeminent book on independence, non-conformity, and trusting oneself. At The Domino Project, we believe that Emerson's words are just as relevant today as they were in 1841..."

From Product Description: "Redefining the classic essay, this modern edition of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous work, Self-Reliance, includes self-reflections from both historical and contemporary luminaries. With quotes from the likes of Henry Ford and Helen Keller to modern-day thought leaders like Jesse Dylan, Steve Pressfield, and Milton Glaser, we're reminded of the relevance of Emerson’s powerful words today. Emerson’s words are timeless"


Fair Price, by Laura Lond, 2 customer reviews, 5 stars


2 very short stories that have received good reviews about the writing.


Another free book today:
Sleep, by Infinite Ideas
No customer reviews.
This is the first in a series of very short books or booklets with "techniques to help deal with all types of persistent sleep problems"

CAVEAT:The author modestly says the ideas are 'brilliant' and straightforward, and the little books in the series are about $1 each, which is one way of doing one book's worth of content under several titles, with prices that total about $6.
  Essentially, you can try one for no cost, if interested in this.


If looking for highly-rated e-books under $1, here's a listing of those with highly-rated Kindle books first.


Check the below at any time:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics - USA: by: NEW: Last 30+ days  May 2011    Publication Date   Late-listed    Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free USEFUL for your Kindle (U.S. only, for now):   99c Notepad,   99c CalendarPro,   99c Converter

Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's)   K3 Special ($114)   K3-3G Special ($164)   DX Graphite

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Free Kindle Books - a few promos, 5/24/11

MOSTLY TEMPORARILY FREE BOOK OFFERINGS May 24
As usual, these don't include previews, teaser chapters, or individual short stories.  With an occasional exception, these are usually informational books or more popular ones suddenly free for a short time and which can be lost in all the long listings pointed to in the links-box below.  Those links at the bottom do include many short stories and fantasy/romance fiction popular today.   I've noticed a trend to offer much shorter e-books lately, maybe to match the 99c 'List Price' that works best for new authors.

The Dogs of Rome, by Conor Fitzgerald, 16 customer reviews, 4 stars
Publisher: BLOOMSBURY USA/WALKER (March, 2010)

From Publishers Weekly: "Fitzgerald's impressively plotted debut, the first in a projected contemporary crime series, introduces police chief commissioner Alec Blume, an American expatriate who's been living in Rome for the last 22 years. Since losing both his parents—art historians who were shot and killed during a bank robbery on Via Cristoforo Colombo...the flawed but endearing Blume uses his unique perspective to negotiate his way through a labyrinthine minefield that includes crooked cops, unscrupulous politicians, and an ancient city whose very history is steeped in the corruption associated with organized crime. Those who like gritty crime thrillers with a European flair will be well rewarded. "

From Booklist: "The appearance of a new police series set in Italy is guaranteed to whet the thirst of international crime-fiction fans, especially when a few sips evoke that heady Italian brew that comes from the smooth blending of a corrupt bureaucracy and a flawed, world-weary hero. Fitzgerald mixes the ingredients skillfully, adding a few flavors of his own ... The plot unwinds with some genuine surprises, though not of the simplistic whodunit variety, but the focus here is on character: Blume, of course, but also his colleagues, who are casually comfortable with corruption, as well as the wife, the mistress, and the killer. This promising debut is reminiscent of early Michael Dibdin, and that is more than enough to put Fitzgerald’s series on your radar. --Bill Ott"


The Lens & The Looker: Book #1 of the Verona Trilogy, by Lory S. Kaufman (Author), Lou Aronica (Editor), 7 customer reviews, 4 stars
Publisher: The Fiction Studio (March 1, 2011)

"The first Verona science fiction story is a terrific thought provoking tale.... The Lens and the Looker is a super opening act." --Midwest Book Review

This is Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Magic under Children's eBooks.



Links-Box: Check these at any time to see the latest, which change hourly.

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics - USA: by: NEW: Last 30+ days  May 2011    Publication Date   Late-listed    Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular TIP: Battery-use advice from Amazon

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free USEFUL for your Kindle (U.S. only, for now):   99c Notepad,   99c CalendarPro,   99c Converter

Temporarily free books for Kindle, 5/23. More Amazon publishing news

TEMPORARILY FREE BOOK OFFERINGS - Mostly business-oriented or motivational today, two with semi-scientific focus

Germs, Genes, & Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today, by David P. Clark, 50 customer reviews, 3-1/2 stars
Publisher: FT Press

From the Publishers Weekly: "...Beginning with Attila's attack of Rome, which was likely stopped by dysentery, and continuing through modern diseases such as AIDS and the Ebola virus, Clark investigates a large number of illnesses and uncovers the ways in which they have impacted historical events...With wit and humor, the author turns death, an ever-heavy topic, into an engrossing exploration of the course of mankind."

That review also mentions a "lack of references."  Some customer reviews say it's inaccurate and shallow and has a decided political viewpoint.


Investor's Library: Fundamental Analysis, Technical Analysis, and Income Investing (Collection), by Harry Domash, Michael N. Kahn, Marvin Appel, Marvin N. Appel, 0 customer reviews

From the Product Description: "...Don’t pay someone to pick stocks! Do it better yourself...!  Next, Michael Kahn completely demystifies technical analysis and shows you exactly how to apply it--easily, painlessly, profitably. Then, Marvin Appel helps you use bonds and income-producing equity strategies to meet your income needs without unacceptable risk."

  Exclamation points and overpromising the features of a book would have me avoiding the product, but it's free, so risk is minimal.


The Truth About Negotiations, by Leigh L. Thompson, 8 customer reviews, 4 stars
Publisher: FT Press

About the Author: "...a Distinguished Professor of Dispute Resolution & Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.  She directs the Leading High Impact Teams executive program, the Kellogg Team and Group Research Center, and co-directs the Negotiation Strategies for Managers program."

“The 53 Truths provide incredible insight into the art and science of negotiating. This is a must read for sales professionals but is equally beneficial to all who wish to be better negotiators.”
- CHRIS WEBER, Vice President, West Region Enterprise, Microsoft Corporation

“A superbly presented summary of practical tools and techniques for negotiating in all types of situations, and creating win-win solutions that result in enduring business relationships.  Provides substantiated evidence of what works successfully–and pitfalls to avoid–in the game of negotiation.”
- RUSSELL D’SOUZA, International Credit Manager, Hallmark Cards, Inc.


Your Brain and Business: The Neuroscience of Great Leader, by Srinivasan S. Pillay, 14 customer reviews, 4 stars
Publisher: FT Press

From the Product Description: "...Harvard psychiatrist Srinivasan S. Pillay reveals how the latest research in neuroscience can help you lead, communicate, and collaborate more effectively…"

Certainly a different approach for a motivational work...


AMAZON KINDLE NEWS
Amazon is apparently going into publishing in a big way, which has been upsetting to the traditional book industry.

e-reads reports that "According to an Amazon source, Laurence Kirshbaum, former CEO of the Time-Warner Book Group and more recently a literary agent, 'has accepted the role of Publisher for Amazon’s New York publishing office, effective July 5th.
  "Kirshbaum will assemble an editorial team that will develop and manage new Amazon imprints “with a focus on acquiring the highest quality books in literary and commercial fiction, YA, business and general non-fiction,” said the source."

An earlier e-reads column pointed out that "Amazon has announced the launch of a romance line, Montlake Romance. It will lead off with a novel by Rita-winner Connie Brockway, which will be published in all formats including print.

More genre lines are on the way, starting with fantasy and science fiction. We know because Amazon just hired former Del Rey editor Chris Schluep."


For other types of currently-available free e-books, check the below at any time:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics - USA: by: NEW: Last 30+ days  May 2011    Publication Date   Late-listed    Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free USEFUL for your Kindle (U.S. only, for now):   99c Notepad,   99c CalendarPro,   99c Converter

Free Kindle books - a few, mostly temporary + low-cost ones - 5/17/11 - UPDATE2

UNUSUAL, MOSTLY TEMPORARILY FREE, and under $1 BOOK OFFERINGS HIGHLIGHTED
These don't include previews or a few chapters only and are usually informational books that may be lost in all the larger listings you can see in the links-box below.  Under-$1 ebooks are included if they seem unusually interesting (to me).

Moon USA Travel Planner, by Moon's Handbook, 2 customer reviews, 3.5 stars

This is actually less a planner, from what one customer review said, than a way to become somewhat acquainted with various U.S. travel destinations in a less than methodic way as far as actual travel-planning goes.  Because it includes many maps and pictures, the size is about 50 times larger than your average novel (normally only text). Since it's new and currently free, and is informational I'm listing it (and getting it because I know so little about vacation spots in the U.S.

From the Product Description: "Moon USA Travel Planner is a sampler of top travel destinations in the U.S.  Excerpted from Moon’s Handbooks series, this eBook offers information on vacation spots ranging from Washington’s San Juan Islands to Florida’s Gulf Coast. Rather than providing in-depth coverage on just one location, this is a fun-to-browse guide that offers overviews of fifty-two individual cities, states, regions, and national parks and monuments—along with a trip-planning section, suggested itineraries, maps, and photos for each one..."

Stories of Ships and the Sea , by Jack London, no customer reviews

This is $7.99 in print form but published in Kindle format in 2008 with no reviews so far.  Nice cover, and it's a TINY collection of 5 stories filling only 48 pages, so it might make up for the huge entry above :-)  It's the #2 Kindle book in "Men's Adventure" so this would be for the guys or for those who might want to understand this type of guy ;-)  Well known collection.


There's a 99-cent version published by Bound Classics which promises illustrations where possible, editing by hand, and always a linked table of contents, and it's twice the size, which is still small.

Rex: A Mother, Her Autistic Child, and the Music that Transformed Their Lives, by Cathleen Lewis, 67 customer reviews, 5 stars - $0.71

From the Product Description: "How can an 11-year old boy hear a Mozart fantasy for the first time and play it back note-for-note perfectly-but struggle to navigate the familiar surroundings of his own home?"

"Highly recommended for all public libraries and academic libraries with autism and special needs collections." -- Library Journal, 11/25/2008

"The remarkable story of a mother's love and a child's indomitable spirit, told in a writer's style that riveted me to the page, is singularly the most important work ever written on the relationship between a parent and a child with disability.  For me, as a person who happens to be blind, the experience of reading Rex was an eye-opener I will never forget..." -- Tom Sullivan, author of Adventures in Darkness and Together


The Super Health Diet - The Last Diet You Will Ever Need!, by KC Craichy, 37 customer reviews, 5 stars, $0.99

With that dangling subtitle, I wouldn't ordinarily trust the book, but reviews are almost entirely positive.

"KC Craichy has written the most remarkable nutrition book of the twenty-firsty century. The reader will gain more information from KC's book than from other nutrition books currently available on Amazon.  This book is a must read for everyone who cares about their nutrition and preventive health." -- Dr. Richard Lippman, M.D., 1996 Nominee for the Nobel Prize in Medicine

eReadUps
eReadUps is run by Will DeLamater, the man behind EduKindle.
  eReadUps staff collects information from articles in the news, lists full sourcing with active links to those sources, and makes versions available for free for Kindle and for ePub e-readers.

...the Hunt for Osama bin Ladin
  "This free eReadUp download covers the operation that led to bin Laden’s death, and the forces behind it.  More to come as the world learns more about this extraordinary event."
  UPDATE - Well, the official story changed drastically after this was put together, so I'm hoping they will update this story very soon.
  UPDATE2 - This eReadUps story has now been updated with latest information.  More info to come.



 A couple of weeks ago, they featured downloads of a set for the Royal Wedding, an event which proved to be of greater than expected interest in the U.S.

For Kindles, you can send these non-Amazon books (called 'personal docs') to your Kindle. See Amazon help for that and maybe also something I wrote on this which I need to simplify eventually.

  With ePub, the default opens the book up in an epub-reader on the computer but you can choose to right-click and "Save Target to" or "Save Link to" your computer and move the books to your ePub reader.


As before, check the below whenever you can:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics - USA: by: NEW: Last 30+ days  May 2011    Publication Date   Late-listed    Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular TIP: Battery-use advice from Amazon

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free USEFUL for your Kindle (U.S. only, for now):   99c Notepad,   99c CalendarPro,   99c Converter