Randomize ME

Oh, basing on this preview of the upcoming episode, things are going to be a mix of the ludicrous (Finn’s Jesus sandwich) and emotional (Kurt’s dad in the hospital!).

Here’s 30-sec previews of the songs featured on the show: Only the Good Die Young (Puck/Mark Salling sounds great!), Bridge Over Troubled Water (a bit too histrionic for my taste), One of Us, Papa Can You Hear Me (Rachel/Lea Michele giving me chills as usual) and I Look to You (Mercedes has a solo! Yes!). But wait, I thought that Kurt/Chris Colfer was singing I Want to Hold Your Hand? Why isn’t that in the preview? boo!

Can’t wait to hear more than just samples!

P.S. Do GLEE fans know that there’s actually a GLEE book out? Glee: The Beginning: An Original Novel by Sophia Lowell focuses on the time right before we met up with our fave GLEE characters on Season 1. It’s overpriced for me at $8.99 though, especially since not all the reviews are great.

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Book Description:

Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnaped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk’s local Nac Mac Feegle — aka the Wee Free Men — a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds — black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors — before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone….

In a riveting narrative that is equal parts suspense and humor, Carnegie Medalist Terry Pratchett returns to his internationally popular Discworld with a breathtaking tale certain to leave fans, new and old, enthralled.

I wanted to read Terry Pratchett’s latest Discworld book “I Shall Wear Midnight“, but then I found out that it was the fourth book in the YA-oriented Discworld: A Tiffany Aching Adventure series. Well, unfortunately, even though I’d practically read every Discworld novel out there, I’d kinda skipped on all the YA ones. Now, since I’m OC about things like reading all the books before in a series, I’m stuck reading all the prior books.

Book #1 is titled The Wee Free Men and it stars the very spunky nine-year-old dairymaid (and also maybe Witch-in-training) Tiffany Aching. Tiffany has made it her self-imposed mission to rescue her (actually really annoying) baby brother Wentworth from the clutches of an evil Faerie Queen. And she’s armed only with her wits, determination, a frying pan, a talking toad and the sheep-disease manual of her dearly departed Granny Aching (who may/may not have been a Witch), and oh yes, she also has an entire army of tiny rough-talking war-mongering Nac Mac Feegles (or the titular Wee Free Men) on her side. The evil Faerie Queen won’t know what hits her, right?

Now, I don’t know why I ever skipped the YA division of the Discworld series of books. But I’m damned glad I decided to read this. Tiffany Aching is who I wish I was when I was nine, she’s like the younger version of Mistress Weatherwax (my absolutely favorite witch in the Discworld series). Tiffany knows exactly who she is and what she wants to do in life, and that’s a lot for a nine-year-old kid. She’s a bit of a know-it-all and bossy besides, but I kinda always wanted to be like that Besides she kinda needed to have that personality in order to keep the little Wee Free Men (who love their alcohol a wee bit too much) in line, as she battles with the Faerie Queen on the Queen’s turf.

And what a turf it is – it’s partly the snow-covered kingdom of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” but it’s been Pratchett-ized so it’s like this nebulous and half-formed re-imagination of people’s most warped dreams and terrifying nightmares where things are half-real and half-dreams. There are monsters and challenges a-plenty for Tiffany, and there are many, many times when you will think that the Queen has won. Still, as with all the Discworld books, the action/suspense is mixed liberally with a generous helping of laugh-out-loud humor. Tiffany acts like the straight character in a movie where everyone else is a little over-the-top and ridiculous. I loved the Wee Free Men, even though it took me a little time to get used to their weird way of speaking (like Irish or Scottish?).

If I have any criticisms, it would be the frequent flashbacks with Tiffany’s Granny Aching, which while they explained a lot, also took the reader out of the story. It was okay, for one or two times, but there seemed to be a whole lot of reminiscence going on.

All in all though, I was wholly entertained with this book (it’s a fun and funny story!), and I highly recommend this one to both the young and old. I have a lot of respect for the young heroine, especially in her final showdown with the Elf Queen with a lot more than her little brother at stake. And I am so totally pumped to read book #2 in the series A Hat Full of Sky next!

The Wee Free Men (Discworld: A Tiffany Aching Adventure) by Terry Pratchett is available on Amazon as a Kindle Edition ($6.99) and a Mass Market Paperback ($6.99).

You can also get the book at Barnes & Noble for the same price.

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Okay, maybe I should stop ribbing Barnes & Noble about just having one free eBook a week. They’ve released two more (aside from the one I posted about earlier) – young romance and a father-son story. So hey, Nook owners (or those with Nook apps on their PC/mobile devices), check out more freebies for you!

‘According To Jane‘ by Marilyn Brant is available for FREE download on the Barnes & Noble site (the Kindle version would have cost you $8.79 is now FREE!). Just click here to download!

Book Description:

In Marilyn Brant’s smart, wildly inventive debut, one woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart. . .

It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett’s teacher is assigning Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet “tsk” of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who’s teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author’s ghost has taken up residence in Ellie’s mind, and seems determined to stay there.

Jane’s wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go–sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane’s counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.

Still, everyone has something to learn about love–perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie’s head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending. . .

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Click on the next page for the next free book!

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So, how many of you have bought a Kindle OR if you haven’t bought a Kindle yet, whataya waiting for? Amazon has just released a WiFi Only Kindle 3 for $139, and a WiFi + Free 3G Kindle 3 for $189! You can also check out the new Graphite Kindle DX.

(If you don’t have a Kindle, don’t worry, you can still read the free books! Just download the Kindle for the PC, Kindle for the iPhone/iPod Touch, Kindle for the iPad, Kindle for BlackBerry or Kindle for Android!)

Update: The Nook freebies are now also FREE for the Kindle. Adding them below!

Well, time to fill your Kindle with FREEBIES! And some more bargains! One is a fantasy romance previously free from B&N, the others are non-fiction, but useful.

*If you want a direct Amazon link where you can see ALL the updated free books right now, be sure to bookmark this link! It will take you to a page that lists them in best-selling order*

‘Enchanting the Lady (Relics of Merlin #1)‘ by Kathryne Kennedy is available for download on the Amazon Kindle site. Just click here to download! This is also free on Barnes & Noble. It’s a historical paranormal romance starring a were-lion! *The author has other books from this series out: “Double Enchantment” (starring a were-stallion) and “Enchanting the Beast” (starring a werewolf), check them out!

Book Description:

In a Victorian London where titles are based on the inheritance of magical powers, a were-lion’s obsessive quest for Merlin’s magical relics will threaten his love for a disinherited duchess—as well as their very lives.

In a world where magic ruled everything, Felicity Seymour couldn’t perform even the simplest spell. If she didn’t pass her testing, she’d lose her duchy–and any hope of marriage. But one man didn’t seem to mind her lack of dowry: a darkly delicious baronet who had managed to scare away the rest of London’s Society misses.

Sir Terence Blackwell knew the enchanting woman before him wasn’t entirely without magic. Not only could she completely disarm him with her gorgeous lavender eyes and frank candor, but his were-lion senses could smell a dark power on her–the same kind of relic-magic that had killed his brother. Was she using it herself, or was it being used against her?

One needed a husband, and the other needed answers. But only together could they find the strongest magic of all: true love.

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Check out the other freebies & the bargains after the jump!
Read more…

Well, hey Nook owners (or those with Nook apps on their PC/mobile devices)! Even though it’s not Free Fridays yet, there’s a free ebook out! It’s a mystery featuring a lady sleuth.

‘Elvis and The Dearly Departed (A Southern Cousins Mystery)‘ by Peggy Webb is available for FREE download on the Barnes & Noble site (the Kindle version would have cost you $4.47 is also FREE!). Just click here to download!

Book Description:

They say you can’t get to Heaven without passing through the Eternal Rest Funeral Home. And no one gets into Eternal Rest without passing muster with Elvis – the basset hound who’s convinced he’s the reincarnation of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Brewing up a big ol’ pitcher of Mississippi mystery, Peggy Webb’s delightful new series is as intoxicating as the Delta breeze.

Normally, Callie Valentine Jones spends her days fixing up the hairdos of the dead, but when the corpse of local, prominent physician Dr. Leonard Laton goes missing, it’s bad for business. So Callie and her cousin Lovie (Eternal Rest’s resident wake caterer) have no choice but to go in hot pursuit of the recently embalmed, last seen bound for Vegas by way of downtown Tupelo.

In Vegas, Callie and Lovie hit the jackpot when they find the dearly departed inside a freezer owned by his showgirl mistress, Bubble Malone. But their luck runs out when Bubble decides to join her man in the afterlife. With the poisonous Laton family tree providing plenty of rotten suspects, Callie, along with some help from her basset hound, Elvis, is determined to crack this case-and have a killer singing “Jailhouse Rock” in time for her next haircutting appointment. . .

Pure southern lunacy of the best possible kind.” – Laurien Berenson

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Hey, the Sony Reader store has graced us with two freebies! One is a new one in freebies – a manga comic! and the other one is an ‘inspirational’ book… Take note that the eBooks will be in ADE ePub format, so any ADE ePub reader can access it in case you don’t have the Sony Reader or the Sony PC app.

‘Daniel and Daughter‘ by Mayu Takayama (and Lucy Gordon) is available for download on the Sony Reader site. Just click here to download! It’s the comic book/manga adaptation of Lucy Gordon’s novel. (Update: As of right now Sept 29 1AM EDT, it’s no longer free, sorry if you missed it!)

Book Description:

When she was 16, photographer Lee went to Gretna Green, the Elopement Capital of Scotland, where she could get married without her parents’ consent. However, she soon divorces, taking her daughter with her. She has had enough of men, but 13 years later, she meets Daniel, who tries everything in his power to seduce her.

Meanwhile, Lee’s brother is in a passionate relationship with Daniel’s daughter. The two lovers decide to elope to Gretna Green just as Lee did all those years ago. Lee chases after them with a bitter feeling in her heart…

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Check out the other freebie on the next page!

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Sorry, this freebie is only for those who have an Amazon UK account! Not that those in the US store have anything to be jealous of really…

‘Roseanna (Martin Beck Series #1)‘ by Per Wahlöö, Maj Sjowall (Authors), Lois Roth (Translator) is available for FREE download on the Amazon UK Kindle site (usual price £6.43). Just click here to download! This is a classic for crime fiction.

Book Description:

Widely recognised as the greatest masterpieces of crime fiction ever written, these are the original detective stories that pioneered the detective genre and inspired writers from Agatha Christie to Henning Mankell and Graham Greene to Jonathan Franzen. Translated into 35 languages, they have sold over 10 million copies around the world. Written in the 1960s, they are the work of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo — a husband and wife team from Sweden. The ten novels follow the fortunes of the detective Martin Beck, whose enigmatic, taciturn character has inspired countless other policemen in crime fiction. The novels can be read separately, but do follow a chronological order, so the reader can become familiar with the characters and develop a loyalty to the series. Each book will have a new introduction in order to help bring these books to a new audience.

‘Roseanna’ begins on a July afternoon, the body of a young woman is dredged from Sweden’s beautiful Lake Vattern. Three months later, all that Police Inspector Martin Beck knows is that her name is Roseanna, that she came from Lincoln, Nebraska, and that she could have been strangled by any one of eighty-five people. With its authentically rendered settings and vividly realized characters, and its command over the intricately woven details of police detection, ‘Roseanna’ is a masterpiece of suspense and sadness.

About the Author
Per Wahlöö was born in Goteborg, the son of Waldemar and Karin (Svensson) Wahloo. After graduating from the University of Lund in 1946, he worked as a journalist, covering criminal and social issues for a number of newspapers and magazines. Maj Sjowall is a poet. She lives in Sweden.

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As I’ve said, I’ve been collecting some bargains lately from the Amazon Kindle store. I was given a $75 gift card, so I’ve been trying to use it wisely on really really cheap but interesting books! (Update: I’ve put up Bargain round-up part #7 – mostly serious adult books). As you can see, this is Bargain round-up part #6, but you can check out the previous posts if you missed them (round-up #1, round-up #2, round-up #3, round-up #4 and round-up #5). Take note that the prices may change at any time, since the books are cheap only because of massive discounts. Check the books out, you only lose time when you’re just looking!

The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Five Novels in One Outrageous Volume) by Douglas Adams for $9.99 (SciFi). *To those of you rolling your eyes and saying, ‘I thought this was an under $3.00 listing?’, take note that this is a collection of 5-in-1, so if you do the math, that comes out to about $2.00 per book. You are of course free to buy the books piece meal, but it won’t come out so cheap, trust me. *The paperback edition is also discounted to $13.60.

Product Description:

At last, the complete Hitchhiker series in one volume! Five novels, including the new bestseller Mostly Harmless — plus a bonus story, Young Zaphod Plays It Safe!

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Facing annihilation at the hands of warmongers is a curious time to crave tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his comrades as they hurtle across the galaxy in a desperate search for a place to eat.

Life, the Universe and Everything
The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky – so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals can avert Armageddon: mild-mannered Arthur Dent and his stalwart crew.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Back on Earth, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription conspires to thrust him back to reality. So to speak.

Mostly Harmless
Just when Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life, all hell breaks loose. Can he save the Earth from total obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter from herself?

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Check out MORE bargains after the jump!
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