In which I read free books on the Kindle...

[sineala]

So I'm totally not going to get this Mc/C story finished by Monday because I am busy reading free books on my Kindle. La la la la. See, Amazon has a bunch of the first books of various series available for free on the Kindle, presumably so you will then be hooked. So I am downloading a bunch of odd things, many of which I would not ordinarily read

Comments

[maubast]

You asked me how I convert fanfic and I forgot to answer (sorry!)... I use

http://www.mobipocket.com/en/HomePage/default.asp?Language=EN

but for Macs, I've heard this is good:

http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/

Apparently, using Calibre, you can fix the metadata so your books show properly.

Here's some more links for you:

http://thekindlewarehouse.com/free-kindle-ebooks/

http://ireaderreview.com/2008/01/19/free-books-for-the-amazon-kindle/

and many of the erotica publishers (Torquere, LooseID) have Kindle books for sale.

[sineala]

Thanks for the links! Sadly, my Mac is too old to run Calibre (I need OSX 10.4, which is no longer for sale at any reasonable price), so I can't fix the metadata that way. Pout. I think there's a way I can do it with Perl scripts. It would be so much easier if Amazon just fixed it. Sigh.

I've actually never read anything from either of those publishers; are they good?

(Mostly lysimache has been using the Kindle's wireless to read fanfic straight off the web; this is non-optimal in terms of battery life, but hey, she says she's having fun.)

[maubast]

Aww, boo! What OS are you running?

I have bought many books from Torquere and LooseID and enjoyed them. :D

[sineala]

10.3.9. I have considered, um, illegally upgrading, but I am afraid of torrents and have never gotten one to work.

Thanks for the rec, then. :)

[zana16]

Yes, it's silly, but sometimes silly makes you happy!

it's basically the Aubrey-Maturin novels, but Stephen Maturin is a dragon.

OMG I am sold. I'm getting this book NOW.

[sineala]

Don't encourage me, otherwise I'll totally be rebuying the sequels for Kindle. :)

I tend to assume all the fen have read the series already (because they were fans of the author's slash), but I guess it isn't true. Anyway, it's our world, but with dragons, and it's 18whatever and Napoleon is being a threat. Our hero, Will Laurence, a dashing captain in the Royal Navy, happens across the a dragon egg, and from then on his life is changed. The first book mostly is setting up the world and the basics of dragon combat (it's a lot like with ships) and so on. And the dragon has a thing for languages and math and philosophy and is a little bit seditious (although as far as I know he is not a Catalan-speaking spy). And Laurence and his dragon wuv each other a lot.

[zana16]

I am completely ignorant of this author. What fandom? M&C?

And I'm soooo going to read this book!

[sineala]

Yes, among others. :)

You definitely should read it. It's awesome.