Why You Can Trust CNET 11 Amazon Kindle books to scoop up on Cyber Monday
Amazon's got lots of e-books on sale. Here are literary, science fiction and nonfiction favorites that caught our eye. Get them while you can!
- Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Browse the book deals, it's worth it.
I'm a relentless browser of discounted e-books. I peek at Kindle Daily Deals each day, and I get BookBub emailed to me (a nice way to check for sale books, FYI).
Amazon's biggest Kindle e-book sale of the year tends to be right now, and the sale books offered today are numerous. I bought a handful during last year's sale. This year, here's what draws my eye. Definitely browse the book deals yourself if you have a moment or two... your e-book treasures will differ from mine.
"Seveneves," by Neal Stephenson ($2.99)
I love Neal Stephenson. His latest novel is an epic spanning thousands of years: The human race tries to survive its own imminent destruction with teamwork, brainpower and luck. I don't want to spoil anything. It's worth it even at full price.
"Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book One)," by George R.R. Martin ($1.99)
I've never read "Game of Thrones," but I watch the show. I've been tempted, if only because Martin's also a Jets fan. Two dollars would get me in the door.
"1984," by George Orwell ($1.99)
The ultimate parable of surveillance, totalitarianism and Big Brother is worth a reread right now. Get it before it disappears.
"The Forever War," by Joe Haldeman ($1.99)
Considered one of the greatest war sci-fi novels ever. I apparently bought it last October when it was also on sale, but still haven't read it. Could be a good 2017 read.
"How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction," by Beth Shapiro ($2.99)
Award-winning nonfiction book discussing the possibilities of resurrecting extinct species. Jurassic Park fans or those looking for great science reads, take the plunge! (I haven't but probably will.)
"The Handmaid's Tale," by Margaret Atwood ($1.99)
I just bought this because, oddly enough, I've never read it. Atwood's a spectacular author, and her MaddAddam trilogy is one of my all-time favorites. An eerily prescient premise gives her most famous classic new relevance.
"Cryptonomicon," by Neal Stephenson ($1.99)
Another Stephenson epic, this one spanning World War II, cryptography and a lot more. You get your money's worth for two bucks.
"Cuckoo's Calling," by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) ($3.99)
Ready to move beyond Harry Potter? The well-reviewed detective thriller by Rowling, under the pen name Robert Galbraith, is on sale. (I haven't read it.)
"The Fireman," by Joe Hill ($3.99)
An apocalyptic supernatural tale about spontaneous combustion by a mysterious condition called Dragonscale. Joe Hill's a growing name in horror, and he happens to also be Stephen King's son. I want to read this one very badly.
"Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age," by W. Bernard Carlson ($3.99)
A beefy biography of mysterious scientific genius Nikola Tesla that also happens to be a critically celebrated book. A perfect buy-now, read-later for deep in the winter.
"Speak," by Louisa Hall ($1.99)
Described as a mix of Margaret Atwood and David Mitchell on Amazon's page (and it was an Amazon top book last July), the description sounds fantastic: episodes spanning time, describing the birth of a line of AI-enabled dolls. Count me in.