books

Load up on free sci-fi and fantasy from Tor Books

Do you like sci-fi and fantasy fiction? If so, you probably already recognize the name Tor Books, and you certainly recognize many of the writers it has published over the years. Not only do they run a great blog–its got everything from interviews to cool science-friendly news to cartoons and comics–but they’re also one of the only publishers who regularly offer completely free digital copies of books for registered users.

This month, they’re offering Jane Lindskold’s The Buried Pyramid for free. (Comparison shopping: it’s currently $6.39 to download from the Kindle store.) All you have to do is sign in to tor.com and it’s yours.

Since I went on a tear yesterday about dumb publishers who aren’t taking advantage of new business models, I thought it would be nice to point out one that’s doing something cool and inventive. I think Tor’s registration model is an ideal customer/publisher relationship–Tor gets a captive audience of enthusiastic fans who want to hear from them about upcoming releases, and readers get the occasional freebie in a format that displays without problems on a Kindle, a Sony Reader, your smartphone, your laptop, etc.

Thanks, Tor!

New users can register for their email newsletters (and free book downloads) here.

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Wednesday, July 28th

“Face of Betrayal” by Lis Wiehl
Price: $0.00
“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.”


Tuesday, July 27th

“Curious Folks Ask” by Sherry Seethaler
Price: $0.00
“Top science writer and San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Sherry Seethaler brings together 162 of her best answers to science and health questions. Want to know how canned air works… or nuclear bombs? What causes goose bumps, earwax, dandruff, headaches? Whether it’s healthy to crack your knuckles, drink decaf, eat chocolate? What it costs to run all those LED lights around your house? It’s all here–and a whole lot more!”


Monday, July 26th

“Your Credit Score” by Liz Pulliam Weston
Price: $0.00
“MSN Money/L.A. Times personal finance columnist Liz Pulliam Weston has updated her best-selling book on credit scores to show how you can maximize your score right now—and save yourself a fortune! Weston reveals the tough new realities of borrowing and credit scoring, and shows why they aren’t going to change any time soon. She rips away the mystery surrounding credit scoring, including the FICO 08 overhaul, and tells you exactly how to use the new system to maximize your score.”


Sunday, July 25th

“The Skull Ring” by Scott Nicholson
Price: $2.39
“With the help of a therapist, Julia is finally piecing together childhood memories of the night her father vanished. But when Julia finds a silver ring that bears the name ‘Judas Stone,’ the past comes creeping back. Someone is leaving strange messages inside her house, even though the door is locked. Her lawyer boyfriend turns violent. And the cop who investigated her father’s disappearance has followed her to the small mountain town of Elkwood.”


Saturday, July 24th

Bright of the Sky by Kay Kenyon
Price: $0.00
In a corporate-controlled near future, career pilot Titus Quinn and his family disappear during a flight. When Quinn returns months later, his memory is gone and his wife and child are missing, and he must return to an alternate universe called the Entire to free them. The first of four books, it’s being compared to high-SF sagas like Hyperion, Riverworld, and Amber Chronicles.


Friday, July 23rd

GONE by Karen Fenech
Price: $2.99
“FBI Special Agent Clare Marshall was separated from her sister Beth in childhood when their mother tried to kill them. Now Clare learns that Beth lives in the small town of Farley, South Carolina, but when she goes there to reunite with Beth, Clare discovers her sister is missing and that someone in the town is responsible for her disappearance.”


Thursday, July 22nd

Out of Water by Colin Chartres and Samyuktha Varma
Price: $0.00
“Out of Water doesn’t just illuminate the coming global water crisis: it presents innovative solutions in agriculture, engineering, governance, and beyond, including state-of-the art techniques for integrated water management. This book will help raise the level of debate about water to the highest levels of government, and identify workable reforms and incentives to help water users utilize this crucial resource far more efficiently.”

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