Content FREE (and bargain) books for the Kindle - December 2010

[koland]

It's a new month and there are new freebies. Several from last month are still free, so be sure to check the previous thread, HERE.

This is the sticky thread for free and bargain books in the Kindle store for December 2010. Rather than try to update the first post with a list of all the books, which is continually changing, instead new books will be posted at the end of the thread and each month there will be a new thread, letting the old one drop off the top of the forum. Anyone can post to the thread, but there are a few rules:

1. Only books in the kindle store. Yes, I realize that free books elsewhere will often work on the Kindle, but those should be reported in the Deals forum. This list is for those who only get their books from the Kindle store (and there are many who do) and don't want to deal with having to download and transfer books from elsewhere.
2. Do not edit old messages to add new books. Most people read this thread by clicking to see new posts. If you edit old messages, then no one is notified of a new post and often won't see the updates when they click to see new messages. If you need to edit an old message to correct a link or other info (or even want to note a book that is no longer free), that is perfectly ok.
3. No shortened URL's. No one likes to click on a link and end up somewhere that they were not expecting and few of the URL shorteners allow you to set up a preview mode so that you get a chance to see the destination first. So, use the full URL in your posting (yes, you can still just post a link on the title, but with the full URL, everyone can look at the status line or use Copy Shortcut to see where they will go before the new site opens).
4. No author self-promotions (unless your book is free in the Kindle store) or self-published books. If you are a Kindle author and posting another's work, it should be either a non-self-published book or one that you've read to the end and would not feel embarrassed to recommend to your mother, closest friends and priest/minister (assuming they read the same genre). In other words, the writing is exceptional (no misspellings or substituted words, grammar rules obeyed formatting that looks good on the Kindle screen). It isn't that we don't want you to post, but author self-promotions can overwhelm the list and a special child forum in the Deals and Bargains section has been provided for this purpose.
5. No excerpts or sample chapters (business minis are ok, so long as they are not just samples of another book)
6. Please indicate the price of any book that is not being offered free. You don't have to say "free" if one is, but it would be nice if you include that in the message. The maximum price for bargains is a bit flexible, but generally under $2 and nothing over $5, unless it is a volume that contains several titles in one and the total price per book puts it into the bargain realm or the digital price is below 25% of the list print price and 50% of the digital list price; this lets you include high priced reference books or cookbooks that are extremely heavily discounted, for one reason or another (but, let's not include books that Amazon has at $9.99 all the time, ok?).
7. If you see the genre of a book and it isn't clear from the book description that you post, please include it; conversely, if someone leaves this off, don't post to berate them, but you can post to include that info for others.
8. If you are posting a book that is free in the UK Amazon store, please say so. Also, if you do not have your current location set in your profile (below your name, it shows next to all of your posts), then add that to your post (as it "this is free here in Canada"). To all: please note that whether or not a book is free in a country other than the one a person is logged into is not easily discovered. The person who posts often has not way to determine that you will pay a different amount if you are in a different country. Also, prices at Amazon can change minute to minute and freebies can last as little as an hour (possibly less), so always check the price before one-clicking. If you discover that a book costs more (other than the "standard" $2+VAT international fee Amazon often takes onto books outside the US), you may leave a single comment with the country and price/restriction (for example: "This book costs $9.99 in the UK" or "Not available in Canada").
9. Try to keep chit-chat to a minimum. That will keep notifications of a new message in the thread down to (generally) only when a new book has been posted, making the thread more useful for all.

If you agree or disagree with the rules, have more to be added, etc, please send me a private message, rather than replying here. I'll discuss it with the moderators and we'll modify as needed.

[koland]

Updated to add two new features from Amazon:

Kindle Deal of the Day - one day deals on books (on the day I posted, there are 18 at $2.99).

Kindle eBooks Student Deal of the Day. The page not only shows you the current book, but the upcoming books (so you don't go buying a pricey textbook when you could have waited a few days for a better deal)

-------------------------
Ok, a number of today's freebies were posted in last month's thread and it took me a while to create this list, but here are all the current freebies that are actually "books" (self-contained, at least a short story or novella), arranged by genre. The list can change at any time (one freebie posted this morning was already back to full price by evening), so always check before clicking to purchase.

Mystery / Thriller / Suspense / Miscellaneous
Stupid Christmas
Blood of the Wicked
A Question of Upbringing
Silent Screams
Huckleberry Finished
Serial
Crossing the Line
Boob Tube
Whirl of the Wheel
Crush
Get Some
Quiet As They Come (Free Story for Kindle)
When Night Falls
Tumor Chapter 1
The Hunters: A Novella

Fantasy and Science Fiction
Reaper
The Great Secret
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #5: Purgatory
The New World
Chapter 15.5
Bright of the Sky (Book 1 of The Entire and the Rose)
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #1: Precipice
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #2: Skyborn
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #3: Paragon
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #4: Savior
The Wild's Call
Eros, Philia, Agape: A Tor.Com Original
A Memory of Wind: A Tor.Com Original
First Flight: A Tor.Com Original
Overtime: A Tor.Com Original

Romance
Once Bitten
My Christmas Wish
Snowy Night Seduction
The Dickens With Love
Holiday Bound
Slow Ride: A Rough Riders story
Outlander: with Bonus Content
Sheltering Hearts
I Thought It Was You: Grimm's Circle, Book 2.5
Seducing Jane Porter
The Wicked House of Rohan
Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch
Colters' Wife
Hide in Plain Sight
Dancing in the Moonlight
Irresistible Forces
His Lady Mistress
Slow Hands
Kiss Me Deadly
Baby Bonanza
Once a Cowboy
Homespun Bride
A Very Special Delivery
Speed Dating
The Bride's Baby

Non-Fiction
Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture: Ancient Festivals, Significant Ceremonies, and Modern Celebrations
Cooking from China's Fujian Province: One of China's Eight Great Cuisines
Fine Filipino Food
Old Havana Cookbook: Cuban Recipes in Spanish and English
Understanding the Americans: A Handbook for Visitors to the United States
India: An Illustrated History
Norse Warfare: Unconventional Battle Strategies of the Ancient Viking
English-Hebrew Hebrew-English: Conversational Dictionary/Romanized
Allies and Enemies: How the World Depends on Bacteria
Never Buy Another Stock Again: The Investing Portfolio That Will Preserve Your Wealth and Your Sanity
Lessons of a Brand Manager
15 Ways to Take Control of Your Career Now (Collection)
The Rules of Chess
The Truth About Getting the Best From People
Money Girl's Smart Moves to Deal with Your Debt
25 Language Phrasebook
Cybill Disobedience
Acupressure Guide For Relieving Hangovers
Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements (Mendeleev's Table)
Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2011
Democratizing Innovation
Economic Report of the President
More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea
Publish on Amazon Kindle with the Digital Text Platform

Textbooks
CK-12 21st Century Physics
CK-12 Advanced Probability and Statistics
CK-12 Biology I - Honors
CK-12 Calculus
CK-12 Chemistry
CK-12 Earth Science
CK-12 Engineering: An Introduction for High School
CK-12 Geometry
CK-12 Life Science
CK-12 People's Physics Book Version 2
CK-12 Trigonometry

Religious/Christian Fiction and Non-Fiction
Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas
25 Days, 26 Ways to Make This Your Best Christmas Ever
A Horse to Love
The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger
Sophie's Secret
Troublesome Creek (Troublesome Creek Series #1)
The Christmas Story from the Family Reading Bible
The Judge Who Stole Christmas
Fireflies in December
Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister, Book 1)
The Paradise War
Lonestar Sanctuary (Lonestar Series, Book 1)
Invisible (Ivy Malone Mystery Series #1)
The Holy Bible English Standard Version (ESV)
Tahn
Relentless (Dominion Trilogy #1)
Autobiography of a Yogi (Reprint of Original 1946 Edition)

Games
Mine Sweeper
Every Word
Shuffled Row
Word Morph Volume 1
Sudoku

Erotica
An Unwanted Hunger
All in Time
Nocked for a Loop
Eland
Spirit's Release
Erotique
Take Me
Peak Energy
Danu, The Return
Desire in the Dark
Not Just an Orgy
Better Late Than Never
Door Prize
Hot Moon Rising
Maui Heat
Scoring
Lap Dance
Master's Thief
Hot for the Reunion
Haunted by the Past
Playing Hardball
His Voice, His Command
Shapeshifter's Craving
Kayla's Birthday Present
The Bad Widow
Her Very Special Robot
Hunting Evander
Outlaw Lovers Dossier
Seychelles Sunset
Larkspur
Reaper's Justice
Tessa's Ambassador
Interlude in Pearl
Thrill of the Hunt
First Taste
Tween Hopeful and Hopeless
Waiting at Eros
The Next Big Thing
Goodbye Blues, Hello Love
Red Satin
Stakeout for Love
Unexpected Comfort
Message for Minerva
Christmas ScandalNot!
Just Like Old Times
Song of the Swan

UK Only
Fairytale of New York
In Praise of Savagery
Blood, Sweat and Tea: Real Life Adventures in an Inner-city Ambulance
Cybill Disobedience
Soul Identity
25 Language Phrasebook
Haven
Shatter (The Children of Man)
Arousing Love
The New World
Advanced 25 Language Phrasebook
Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload

[arcadata]

Book Bargain:

As promo for the new book 'Pale Demon', a special edition of Kim Harrison's The Good, the Bad, and the Undead with Bonus Material is currently for pre-order at $1.99 (The Kindle version without the bonus content is still $7.99). This is book 2 from her The Hollows series.

Product Description

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.

She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.

Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

*And these bargains may have been buried in all the Kindle freebies lately, but fans of Faye Kellerman can snap up her 'The Ritual Bath' for $0.99 now, and the true story of a Jordanian girl 'Burned Alive: A Victim of the Law of Men' is just $1.99.

[arcadata]

Book bargain:

As promo for the new book 'Ghost Country', a special edition of Patrick Lee's The Breach with Bonus Material is currently for pre-order at $1.99 (The Kindle version without the bonus content is still $7.99). This is Lee's debut thriller from HarperCollins.

Product Description

Thirty years ago, in a facility buried beneath a vast Wyoming emptiness, an experiment gone awry accidentally opened a door. It is the world's best-kept secret—and its most terrifying.

Trying to regain his life in the Alaskan wilds, ex-con/ex-cop Travis Chase stumbles upon an impossible scene: a crashed 747 passenger jet filled with the murdered dead, including the wife of the President of the United States. Though a nightmare of monumental proportions, it pales before the terror to come, as Chase is dragged into a battle for the future that revolves around an amazing artifact.

Allied with a beautiful covert operative whose life he saved, Chase must now play the role he's been destined for—a pawn of incomprehensible forces or humankind's final hope—as the race toward Apocalypse begins in earnest.

Because something is loose in the world. And doomsday is not only possible . . . it is inevitable.

[arcadata]

Face of Betrayal (Triple Threat Series #1) by Lis Wiehl (repeat freebie)

Description
While home on Christmas break, a seventeen-year-old Senate page takes her dog out for a walk and never returns.

Reporter Cassidy Shaw is the first to break the story. The resulting media firestorm quickly ensnares Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce and FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges. These three unique women, life-long friends, call themselves The Triple Threat--a nickname derived from both their favorite dessert and their uncanny ability to crack cases using their three positions of power.

At first, the authorities think Katie might have been kidnapped or run away, but those theories shatter when Nicole uncovers Katie's blog. Posts reveal a girl troubled by a mysterious relationship with an older man . . . possibly a U.S. Senator.

There are many faces of betrayal, but they must find one face in a crowd of growing suspects before they become the next victims.

[koland]

New game on Kindle: Mahjong Solitaire ($3.99).

I've already played thru one game on the "easy" tileset (letters and numbers, rather than the traditional mahjong characters) and it works pretty well (the tiles are sometimes tricky to get to, as you only stop on a playable tile and only have up/down and left/right movement on the Kindle). There are ten different layouts, so between those and the traditional tiles, I suspect I'll waste many hours playing this one.

[kindlekitten]

is this not going to be a sticky anymore?

[lunixer]

The link to this in last month's thread redirects to the first page of the November thread.

[lunixer]

Originally Posted by koland

Ok, a number of today's freebies were posted in last month's thread and it took me a while to create this list, but here are all the current freebies that are actually "books" (self-contained, at least a short story or novella), arranged by genre. The list can change at any time (one freebie posted this morning was already back to full price by evening), so always check before clicking to purchase.

Mystery / Thriller / Suspense / Miscellaneous
Stupid Christmas

{...}

Advanced 25 Language Phrasebook
Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload

Wow. You are dedicated. Thanks Koland!

[koland]

Originally Posted by lunixer

Wow. You are dedicated. Thanks Koland!

Or insane.

In any case, this will be stickied when the moderator gets my note (so, just hold on a bit; they do sleep now and then, too).

Until then, here's a bargain book:

Flyboys: A True Story of Courage ($1.99), by James Bradley

Book Description
LYBOYS is the true story of young American airmen who were shot down over Chichi Jima. Eight of these young men were captured by Japanese troops and taken prisoner. Another was rescued by an American submarine and went on to become president. The reality of what happened to the eight prisoners has remained a secret for almost 60 years. After the war, the American and Japanese governments conspired to cover up the shocking truth. Not even the families of the airmen were informed what had happened to their sons. It has remained a mystery--until now. Critics called James Bradley's last book "the best book on battle ever written." FLYBOYS is even better: more ambitious, more powerful, and more moving. On the island of Chichi Jima those young men would face the ultimate test. Their story--a tale of courage and daring, of war and of death, of men and of hope--will make you proud, and it will break your heart.

About the Author
James Bradley is the son of one of the Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. He lives in New York.

[arcadata]

Bargain Book:

For fans of Meg Cabot, she has a pre-order of a special edition Queen of Babble Bundle (3 books) for $9.99. This is a series of chicklit books about an "American girl with a big mouth but an equally big heart" who can't stay out of trouble.

(Each ebook in the series: Queen of Babble, Queen of Babble in the Big City and Queen of Babble Gets Hitched bought separately is priced at $9.99 each; it's great to get all three in one bundle at basically $3.33 each).

[arcadata]

Bargain Book:

The German Historical Mystery/Thriller novel 'The Hangman's Daughter' by Oliver Pötzsch (Author), Lee Chadeayne (Translator) is now just $0.99 (from $7.99) on the US Kindle store.

Product Description
Germany, 1660: When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at play in his small Bavarian town. Whispers and dark memories of witch trials and the women burned at the stake just seventy years earlier still haunt the streets of Schongau. When more children disappear and an orphan boy is found dead—marked by the same tattoo—the mounting hysteria threatens to erupt into chaos.

Before the unrest forces him to torture and execute the very woman who aided in the birth of his children, Jakob must unravel the truth. With the help of his clever daughter, Magdelena, and Simon, the university-educated son of the town’s physician, Jakob discovers that a devil is indeed loose in Schongau. But it may be too late to prevent bloodshed.

A brilliantly detailed, fast-paced historical thriller, The Hangman’s Daughter is the first novel from German television screenwriter Oliver Pötzsch, a descendent of the Kuisls, a famous Bavarian executioner clan.

*This had been on my wishlist since I liked the 3 chapter freebie on Amazon - 'The Hangman's Daughter - chapters 1-3'

[arcadata]

Bargain Book:

For fans of M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series, 'A Highland Christmas (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 16)' is priced down to $1.99 for the US Kindle store.

Product Description:

Christmas is an ancient Roman festival, not to be celebrated by decent folk in the Scottish Highlands. Police Constable Hamish Macbeth has always loved the festivities, but this year his family is vacationing in sunny Florida. He is stuck with the long, lonely Christmas shift in freezing Lochdubh. A cranky old lady kicks off the holidays by reporting her cat missing. Then the Christmas lights and tree in a nearby village disappear soon after the local council voted to allow decorations. As Hamish finds a way to bring Christmas to the Highlands and make a little girl's dreams come true, he finds -- to his delight -- that he has the best Christmas ever.

[arcadata]

FYI, new game for the Kindle. Jumble, 10 Puzzles (A Word Scramble Game) by Puzux ($0.99)

Product Description

Solve ten 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, which gradually reveals 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!

Please note: This version of Jumble contains 10 puzzles.

[birdbrainbb]

The Griffin Mage #1 & #2 by Rachel Neumeier is 2-for-1 at $7.99 for the month of December!

Summary:

Book 1: LORD OF THE CHANGING WINDS
Little ever happens in the quiet villages of peaceful Feierabiand. For Kes, the course of her life seems set: she'll grow up to be an herb-woman and healer, never quite fitting in but always more or less accepted. And she's content with that path - or she thinks she is. Until the day the griffins come down from the mountains, bringing with them the fiery wind of their desert and a desperate need for a healer. But what the griffins need is a healer who is not quite human...or a healer who can be made into something not quite human.

Book 2: LAND OF THE BURNING SANDS
Gereint Enseichen of Casmantium knows little and cares less about the recent war in which his king tried to use griffins and fire to wrest territory from the neighboring country of Feierabiand. Now, his kingdom's unexpected defeat offers him a chance to escape from his own servitude.

But now that the griffins find themselves in a position of strength, they are not inclined to forgive and the entire kingdom finds itself in a deadly peril. Willing or not, Gereint is caught up in a desperate struggle between the griffins and the last remaining mage...