Friday, October 28, 2011

Friday Freebie: The Habitation of the Blessed, One Imperfect Christmas, While We're Far Apart

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It's Friday Freebies time! This week Barnes and Noble is offering 'The Habitation of the Blessed' by Catherynne M. Valente. This is hard to classify; maybe historical fantasy? You can see reader reviews at Goodreads, where the book gets 4.19 stars. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads


This is the story of a place that never was: the kingdom of Prester John, the utopia described by an anonymous, twelfth-century document which captured the imagination of the medieval world and drove hundreds of lost souls to seek out its secrets, inspiring explorers, missionaries, and kings for centuries. But what if it were all true? What if there was such a place, and a poor, broken priest once stumbled past its borders, discovering, not a Christian paradise, but a country where everything is possible, immortality is easily had, and the Western world is nothing but a dim and distant dream?

Brother Hiob of Luzerne, on missionary work in the Himalayan wilderness on the eve of the eighteenth century, discovers a village guarding a miraculous tree whose branches sprout books instead of fruit. These strange books chronicle the history of the kingdom of Prester John, and Hiob becomes obsessed with the tales they tell. 
The Habitation of the Blessed recounts the fragmented narratives found within these living volumes, revealing the life of a priest named John, and his rise to power in this country of impossible richness. John's tale weaves together with the confessions of his wife Hagia, a blemmye--a headless creature who carried her face on her chest--as well as the tender, jeweled nursery stories of Imtithal, nanny to the royal family.


You can pick it up in any of these formats. 
Be sure to check that it is still a freebie before adding it to your cart! 
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Another freebie this week is 'One Imperfect Christmas' by Myra Johnson. This contemporary Christmas story will help us get into the season. You can see reader reviews at Goodreads, where the book rates 3.93 stars. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads.

Graphic designer Natalie Pearce faces the most difficult Christmas of her life. For almost a year, her mother has lain in a nursing home, the victim of a massive stroke, and Natalie blames herself for not being there when it happened. Worse, she’s allowed the monstrous load of guilt to drive a wedge between her and everyone she loves—most of all her husband Daniel. Her marriage is on the verge of dissolving, her prayer life is suffering, and she’s one Christmas away from hitting rock bottom.
Junior-high basketball coach Daniel Pearce is at his wit’s end. Nothing he’s done has been able to break through the wall Natalie has erected between them. And their daughter Lissa’s adolescent rebellion isn’t helping matters. As Daniel’s hope reaches its lowest ebb, he wonders if this Christmas will spell the end of his marriage and the loss of everything he holds dear.

You can pick it up in any of these formats.
Be sure to check that it is still a freebie before adding it to your cart!
Kindle          Nook
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The last freebie this week is 'While We're Far Apart' by Lynn Austin. This is a historical romance set in NYC during WWII. You can see reader reviews at Goodreads, where the book rates 3.98 stars. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads.

In an unassuming apartment building in Brooklyn, New York, three lives intersect as the reality of war invades each aspect of their lives. Young Esther is heartbroken when her father decides to enlist in the army shortly after the death of her mother. Penny Goodrich has been in love with Eddie Shaffer for as long as she can remember; now that Eddie's wife is dead, Penny feels she has been given a second chance and offers to care for his children in the hope that he will finally notice her and marry her after the war. And elderly Mr. Mendel, the landlord, waits for the war to end to hear what has happened to his son trapped in war-torn Hungary. But during the long, endless wait for victory overseas, life on the home front will go from bad to worse. Yet these characters will find themselves growing and changing in ways they never expected--and ultimately discovering truths about God's love...even when He is silent.

You can pick it up in any of these formats.
Be sure to check that it is still a freebie before adding it to your cart!
Kindle          Nook          Sony Reader
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