eBook Search App for iPad

Long gone are the days of paying for online books that are now public domain. I recently purchased and iPad to help me with my course work and blogging in the course of downloading apps I was looking for a way to get my hands on more ePublished works. Wouldn't you know it that eBook Search (as developed by Inkstone Software, Inc) does just that. I have now downloaded several public domain books that most companies are still charging readers for. Among them are the four that are pictured above. eBooks search is a free app, but it does have a pro addition that will cost you a few bucks. But that app offer a lot of books. I hope this article helps anyone looking for ePub / public domain access to classics. 

Here are the descriptions of the books I have recently downloaded below:

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence 

(Description is from Amazon.com) 

With its four-letter words and its explicit descriptions of sexual intercourse, Lady Chatterley's Lover is the novel with which D.H. Lawrence is most often associated. First published privately in Florence in 1928, it only became a world-wide best-seller after Penguin Books had successfully resisted an attempt by the British Director of Public Prosecutions to prevent them offering an unexpurgated edition to the general public. The famous 'trial of Lady Chatterley' heralded the sexual revolution of the coming decades and signalled the defeat of Establishment prudery. Yet Lawrence himself was hardly a liberationist and the conservativism of many aspects of his novel would later lay it open to attacks from the political avant-garde and from feminists. The story of how the wife of Sir Clifford Chatterley responds when her husband returns from the war paralysed from the waist down, and of the tender love which then develops between her and her husband's gamekeeper, is a complex one open to a variety of conflicting interpretations. This edition of the novel offers an occasion for a new generation of readers to discover what all the fuss was about; to appraise Lawrence's bitter indictment of modern industrial society, and to ask themselves what lessons there might be for the 21st century in his intense exploration of the complicated relations between love and sex.

The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

(Description from goodreads. com)

First published in 1922, The Beautiful and the Damned followed Fitzgerald's impeccable debut, This Side of Paradise, thus securing his place in the tradition of great American novelists. Embellished with the author's lyrical prose, here is the story of Harvard-educated, aspiring aesthete Anthony Patch and his beautiful wife, Gloria. As they await the inheritance of his grandfather's fortune, their reckless marriage sways under the influence of alcohol and avarice. A devastating look at the nouveau riche and New York nightlife, as well as the ruinous effects wild ambition, The Beautiful and the Damned achieved stature as one of Fitzgerald's most accomplished novels. Its distinction as a classic endures to this day. Pocket Book's Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. Special features include critical perspectives, suggestions for further read, and a unique visual essay composed of period photographs that help bring every word to life.

Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant

(Description from goodreads.com)

De Maupassant's second novel, Bel-Ami (1885) is the story of a ruthlessly ambitious young man (Georges Duroy, christened ''Bel-Ami'' by his female admirers) making it to the top in fin-de-siecle Paris. It is a novel about money, sex, and power, set against the background of the politics of the French colonization of North Africa. It explores the dynamics of an urban society uncomfortably close to our own and is a devastating satire of the sleaziness of contemporary journalism. Bel-Ami enjoys the status of an authentic record of the apotheosis of bourgeois capitalism under the Third Republic. But the creative tension between its analysis of modern behaviour and its identifiably late nineteenth-century fabric is one of the reasons why Bel-Ami remains one of the finest French novels of its time, as well as being recognized as Maupassant''s greatest achievement as a novelist.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

(Description from goodreads.com)

On what slender threads do life and fortune hang'

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas' epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialised in the 1840s.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare Cover debut

Why does he have wings?! My roomie thinks it's because he is seeking redemption .....my response "LIES...LIES....he is demon spawn"

What I am currently reading

My current read! The Night Eternal (book 3 of the Strain trilogy). Really excited about this book...its vampires the way they should be...no sparkling here. I can't wait to see how civilization survives after a complete vamp take over. So far, everyone is falling in line with the new world order. Which includes farms...were people are penned and bred for the vamps to feed off of. Its gonna be an epic ending lol!  

Clockwork Princess Review and Impressions

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Brief Synopsis (without Spoilers)

            What to say about this wonderful book? Cassandra Clare has done it again. She has kept her readers caught up in the amazing, beautiful world of Victorian London. We meet up again with Jem, Tessa and Will as they battle to stop the Magister at his dangerous game to harm the shadowhunter race. The story opens with Tessa getting ready for her nuptials with James Carstairs. She should be happy, ready to marry the love of her life. But, their engagement is over shadowed ; not only by James failing health, but also by the magister need to get his hands on Tessa. The Magister will stop at nothing to get to her. The book takes us through the ups and downs of Will’s emotions as he battles to not only keep Tessa safe ; but, to keep his emotions hidden. He is sure that Tessa does not love him; and is happy to hide his feelings if it means that is best friend and parabatai from being hurt. The story finds Jem fighting for his life after the drug he needs to sustain it is in short supply. The Magister does this in hopes to lure Tessa out into the open; by putting Jem’s life in danger he ensures that she will come to him. He also knows that Tessa is a the missing piece to his plot; and will allow him to seek the revenge he so desperately craves. Once he is assured that even the shortage of Jem’s drug; well not lure Tessa out into the open. He takes advantage of Jessie’s return to the institute. Using automatons the Magister attacks the Institute; resulting in the death of Jessie and the kidnapping of Tessa. Jem is gravely injured, weakened due to his sickness and not likely to recover. He grants Will permission to go after Tessa. While on his mission to find Tessa ; Will and Jem’s bond is severed.  Even though his Parabatai is dead Will soldiers on determined to find the woman he loves. Meanwhile back at the institute Charlotte is trying to convince the Consul to help them. She has reliable information from Will of the whereabouts of the Magister. The Consul makes it very clear that he is unwilling to trust or help Charlotte; mainly because he wants to protect his own position and power within the Clave. With no backup the Shadowhunters of the London Institute must go it alone. The fight side by side and are joined by the Silent Brothers. It is; in fact, revealed that Jem has become a Silent Brother. He does so as a means of saving not only himself; but, so that he can help fight and save those he loves. Of course, the Shadowhunters prevail;  with the help of the Angel Ithuriel, who was trapped in the Clockwork Angel.

Impression:

            Cassandra Clare is one hell of a writer. Her work is always impressive; and it always draws you in. The same is true of this series and especially this book. I fell head over heels in love with several of the characters of this series. It was heart breaking to part with them. Of course, I know that Magnus,  Tessa and now Jem will be seen in other books. (And in fact Jem has already been seen in The Mortal Instruments Series.)  What I loved the most about this series is the setting and the attention to detail. Clare really makes you feel like you are walking the streets of London with Will, Jem and Tessa. She uses the time period to create a beautiful atmosphere that is believable and beautiful. I love the fact that in this story, there is sexual tension between Will and Tessa; and Tessa and Jem. They are all romance and restraint and that is not something that we get to see in some many books these days. I hope she writes more period pieces; this one was wonderful.

Favorite Scene:

Gideon’s Proposal to Sophie; I really did not know that Gideon had so much Darcy in him. It was so beautifully rewritten. I was so happy for the couple. I would have loved to see more happen between Gabriel and Cecily.

Water Works Moments:

Jem and Tessa’s farewell: This was the worst scene I could have ever read. It made me ball. I have been in love with James Carstairs (Jem) since he was first introduced. I always found him to be the more interesting of the two boys. The was calm and steady; romantic and haunting beautiful. His departure from Tessa was hard. I felt so sorry for him because he was losing the woman that he loved so that he could live.

Will’s Death: This was an unexpected surprise for me. I think that it was because It was not until the end; when it seemed like Tessa was really truly happy with Will that I came to terms like this cocky boy actually having some really emotions. I personally was not always a fan of Will’s; he has a little too much Jace in him; but he was likeable enough.  

Another book to buy

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson 

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry. From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

A book I want to buy

"That skinny Indian teenager has that mysterious something that comes along once a generation. He is one of those rare chefs who is simply born. He is an artist."

And so begins the rise of Hassan Haji, the unlikely gourmand who recounts his life’s journey in Richard Morais’s charming novel, The Hundred-Foot Journey. Lively and brimming with the colors, flavors, and scents of the kitchen, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a succulent treat about family, nationality, and the mysteries of good taste.

Born above his grandfather’s modest restaurant in Mumbai, Hassan first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy pushes the family out of India, they console themselves by eating their way around the world, eventually settling in Lumière, a small village in the French Alps.

The boisterous Haji family takes Lumière by storm. They open an inexpensive Indian restaurant opposite an esteemed French relais—that of the famous chef Madame Mallory—and infuse the sleepy town with the spices of India, transforming the lives of its eccentric villagers and infuriating their celebrated neighbor. Only after Madame Mallory wages culinary war with the immigrant family, does she finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris, the launch of his own restaurant, and a slew of new adventures.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages—charming, endearing, and compulsively readable.

Recent book Purchases

      

Just purchased these for My Nook....can't wait to read them!!

Here is the descriptions for each book: 

What Really Happened In Peru 

There are good reasons Peru is off-limits to Magnus Bane. Follow Magnus’s Peruvian escapades as he drags his fellow warlocks Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss into trouble, learns several instruments (which he plays shockingly), dances (which he does shockingly), and disgraces his host nation by doing something unspeakable to the Nazca Lines.

The Runaway Queen 

While in France, immortal warlock Magnus Bane finds himself attempting to rescue the royal family from the horrors of the French Revolution—after being roped into this mess by a most attractive count. Naturally, the daring escape calls for invisible air balloons…