4.50 from Paddington ($1.99) Kindle Book: For an instant the two trains ran side by side. In that frozen moment, Elspeth McGillicuddy stared helplessly out of her carriage window as a man tightened his grip around a woman’s throat. Miss Marple asks her highly efficient and intelligent young friend Lucy Eyelesbarrow help unmask a murderer.
2082 ($0.99) Kindle Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Frank Noon divides opinion. Whilst some say he’s a philosophical genius, some say he’s a fanciful dreamer who deliberately courts controversy with his anti-establishment views about the failings of modern society.
The Abolitionist’s Secret ($0.99) Kindle Romance: In 1856 New York, Heather Fitzpatrick, a bashful abolitionist, falls for young Army lieutenant David Whitman, who is tracking a runaway slave.
Blood Red Horse ($1.99) For young readers: You need three things to become a brave and noble knight: A warhorse. A fair maiden. A just cause.
Lightning Bug – Sleep Clock (Free) App for Kindle Fire and Android: Find sleep and relaxation easier with Lightning Bug, an ambience and white noise mixer for Android powered devices. Lightning Bug features a library of almost 200 sound loops and samples ranging from the natural peace of rain storms and ocean waves, to pure white noise, city trains, meditation bells, acoustic and electronic instruments, and down-tempo break beats.
 
Prices good today only until 11:59pm Pacific Time. Regular daily posts are below this post.

Directly from the press release:

Amazon today announced that customers can now use Amazon Coins to purchase apps, games and in-app items in the Amazon Appstore and on Kindle Fire. To celebrate the launch, existing and new Kindle Fire customers in the U.S. have had 500 free Coins—a $5 value—deposited into their Amazon accounts today. For customers, Amazon Coins is an easy way to purchase apps and in-app items on Kindle Fire, and for developers it’s another opportunity to drive traffic, downloads and increased monetization. With discounts of up to 10% for purchasing Coins in bulk, it’s also an opportunity for customers to save money on their app and game purchases. Customers can purchase Coins by visiting amazon.com/coins.

You can read the complete release here.

BIG DEAL is Back
The Big Deal Sale is back! Now through May 27, save up to 85% on more than 500 Kindle books. Individual books may have additional territory restrictions, and not all deals are available in all territories. Amazon may modify the selection of books offered at any time.
NOTE: Not all books have been re-priced. Confirm price before purchase.

From The New York Times bestselling author Lee Child comes one of the most compelling heroes to step from novel to screen – ex-military investigator Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise). When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: “Get Jack Reacher!” So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep and a target on Reacher’s back.
This package selling for $19.99 includes the two-disk Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy. The movie releases tomorrow and you can watch it on your Kindle Fire through Amazon Instant Video.
Click here to purchase Jack Reacher Combo + Digital Copy

Today, we celebrate Easter. This day, among other things, inspires us to remember that hope can triumph over anything. Even death.
We see the evidence in blooms dancing in a warm breeze. Their delicate beauty belies the strength required to survive through periods of cold and of drought.
Hope may be fragile, but it is also powerful. May hope grace your life with its beauty this Easter Sunday.

Amazon’s MP3 store has lots of albums on sale for $2.99 each.

Click here to purchase albums for $2.99

Amazon and Goodreads have more than patched things up – they’re making their relationship permanent.
Amazon announced today that it is buying Goodreads, the leading site for readers and book recommendations. Goodreads has 16 million members, including Daily Cheap Reads and many of our readers.
It’s a natural fit for the world’s largest bookseller.
“Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world,” said said Russ Grandinetti, Amazon Vice President, Kindle Content.

“I just found out my two favorite people are getting married,” gushed Hugh Howey, best-selling author of WOOL. “The best place to discuss books is joining up with the best place to buy books – To Be Read piles everywhere must be groaning in anticipation.”

We’re not quite that excited, but we will be watching closely to see what happens to two of our best digital friends. Read the full press release here.

Buy the Kindle Fire 8.9″ starting today for $269 for 16GB ($30 less) and $299 for 32GB ($70 less).
Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 4G LTE Wireless is also price lower: $399 for 32GB ($100 less); $499 for 64GB ($100 less). These are price drops, not limited-time offers.
The prices above include special offers. You can pay $15 more to purchase the Fire without special offers.
• 1920×1200 HD display with polarizing filter and anti-glare technology for rich color and deep contrast from any viewing angle
• Exclusive Dolby audio and dual stereo speakers for crisp, booming sound without distortion
• High performance 1.5Ghz dual-core processor with Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core for fast and fluid performance
• Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi for 40% faster downloads and streaming (compared to iPad 3)
• Over 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, audiobooks, and popular apps and games such as Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, HBO GO, Pandora, and Angry Birds Space
• Integrated support for Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and more, as well as Exchange calendar, contacts, and email
• Free Skype video calls with front-facing HD camera
• Free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content
• Includes special offers and sponsored screensavers. • Kindle Owners’ Lending Library – Kindle owners can choose from more than 180,000 books to borrow for free with no due dates, including over 100 current and former New York Times best sellers and all 7 Harry Potter books.
Click here to purchase Kindle Fire HD 8.9″

50 Great American Love Stories
In the Books Section of Amazon a collection of books has been assembled that represents a love story from every state in the union. The books include practically every genre and many have Kindle editions available if you want to purchase the e-book for your home state. Challenge yourself by guessing which novel was selected for your state before you click or have a bit of fun scrolling through the books, reminiscing about the stories and the locations. How quickly I had forgotten where a few books were set. Click on the map or here to go to the 50 Great American Love Stories.

Oh, the waiting!
The excruciating agony of waiting for sugar cookies. For us cheap chicks, Christmas growing up was never a fancy affair, but it was always a sweet one. Especially with sugar cookies.
But it was a long wait. First to mix up the dough, then to let it chill. We got to use tin cookie cutters – tin bells, stars and trees – to cut out the shapes. More waiting. For the cookies to bake. Waiting for them to cool enough to decorate with red hots and sprinkles. Then finally…..the perfect sugar cookie.
All that waiting was worth it.

Those loooooong hours waiting taught us a lesson in patience. Christmas is a time of great anticipation and patience. You’ve probably been waiting this season – to unwrap that perfect present. In a line at the mall. For a loved one coming home.
That first Christmas, Mary and Joseph were waiting for a baby to arrive and the faithful had been watching for a Messiah for hundreds of years. We hope your holiday dreams are coming true and that your patience has paid off.
We’re so thankful for each of you and the time you spend with us here at Daily Cheap Reads. I (Susan) would like to share a recipe with you so you can have a bit of my Christmas tradition with you this year.
 

Rarely Fail Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter (softened)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Combine powdered sugar and butter. Stir in egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Chill dough 2 to 3 hours or until easy to handle. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. Cool on wire racks.
The dough is kind of “sticky” so use plenty of flour when you roll them out. Put down a sheet of wax paper or a plastic mat and dump a bunch of flour on it. Then put a tablespoon or two on top before you roll it out with a rolling pin. If the rolling pin gets sticky or the cookies won’t lift off the paper, use more flour.
Merry Christmas and cookie baking. God bless us, every one!