Found some interesting links this week, so I thought I’d compile it all into one leisurely Saturday post, in case anyone is on the lookout for some weekend surfing fun. To make things easier, all the links in this post open up in a separate window (or tab, if you’re like me and go crazy for tabbed browsing).
There seems to be a lot of free book downloads/reads going around this week – or maybe there always are, but I just keep missing them.
Coraline – Free Read
You can read Neil Gaiman’s Coraline at HarperCollinsChildrensBooks, perhaps in prep for the release of the movie?
And because I still think it’s so much fun to be able to do stuff like this, here’s the trailer:
Summer’s Path – Free Download
You can also download Summer’s Path, by Scott Blum – it looks like doing so will give you a chance to win a Kindle, too, plus a gift certificate for 65 books. The site says the book is available for free download for a limited time only (but I didn’t see an end date). You have your choice, too, as there’s an audio version as well. Blum is a cofounder of the Daily OM, a popular inspirational newsletter (I don’t subscribe, but I seem to have lots of friends who do, judging from the number of nuggets from the newsletter they’ve forwarded to me in the past few years). I found this one via the Ning Book Blogs social network.
The Sharing Knife, volume 1: The Beguilement – Free Read
HarperCollinsPublishers is also offering a free read of The Sharing Knife, volume 1: The Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold. As with the Coraline free read, you can’t download the book, but you can read it online. This one is available throughout January. Found via Musings of a Bibliophile who found it via Nice Mommy Evil Editor (I love that name!).
The latest title in the series, The Sharing Knife, volume 4: Horizon will be released later this month – and speaking of which, you can read the first four chapter here. (Thanks again to Musings of a Bibliophile)
The Ruins of Gorlan (Book 1 of Ranger’s Apprentice) – Free Download
You can read The Ruins of Gorlan (Book 1 of Rangers Apprentice) by John Flanagan at PenguinGroup. I’m calling this one a free download because it looks like you can print it out (I tried to print it to Fineprint, though, and it’s coming up empty). I found this one at Reviewer X, where, if I don’t watch myself, I can lose a good half a day browsing through her archives. You are warned.
In Other News …
I’ve always wanted to say that! Typing it out kind of counts, I think.
Fantasy Debut is thinking about putting together a book blogger’s convention, if there’s enough interest. I’m thinking about this, but wish it was somewhat closer (proposed locations are Atlanta, Columbia (SC), Jacksonville, Orlando or Tampa) – I just got back from Orlando, and I’m headed back there for a conference in February, so I’m just not sure I can do another trip this year. I found this one via Book-a-Rama (but in writing this post, I see that Musings of a Bibliophile also posted about this).
And Some Giveaways
I just discovered book giveaways so you’ll have to forgive me for being excited, especially since I just won a giveaway – Sunday at Tiffany’s from A Circle of Books – now I can return the copy I have to the library (good thing, too, since I’ve already renewed it once but haven’t yet managed to get around to it).
Anysia at Booklorn has a fabulous New Year’s giveaway – eight self-help books! I’ve entered this one, mainly because I’d like to get my hands on This Year You Write Your Novel (how could I resist a title like that??)
Lori’s Reading Corner is giving away an ARC of Born to Run by James Grippando.
Readers Read is giving away a number of titles, including (so okay, this is a DVD collection but it’s Agatha Christie, so it counts) Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Definitive Collection DVD Set.
Last But Not Least
On the premise that this kind of post is something I’d like to do regularly, I was thinking it would be nice to finish up each Surfing Saturday post with a link to a review I really enjoyed. So here you go – head on over to Stella Matutina and read her review of Caleb Carr’s Angel of Darkness. I am currently re-reading Carr’s The Alienist and her review made me search through my bookshelves for my copy of Angel of Darkness so I’ll have it on hand to re-read when I finish up The Alienist.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the plug! And for all the links to the freebies; I didn’t know Coraline was available online now.
Memory’s last blog post..6. Foundation by Mercedes Lackey
congratulations on winning. I sent all the names in today.
Memory: I was trying to remember where I saw that Coraline was available – and now I remember! The HarperCollins team tweeted it on Twitter.
Toni: thanks for hosting the giveaway!
Thanks for including my giveaway in the post. The book you’re after is the same one I’m wanting (though i’m thinking that I should get back into the habit of writing instead of reading yet another book on writing).
Good luck.
Anysia (Booklorn on Twitter)’s last blog post..New Year, New You Hachette giveaway!