Go the F**k to Sleep
Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach and Ricardo Cortes is $1.99! This book is a hilarious rendition on the the children’s bedtime story. I also highly recommend snagging the audiobook, as it’s narrated by none other than Samuel L. Jackson. Of course, there are some complaints using profanity in something that appears to be a children’s book, but most readers who are parents sympathized with the book’s message.
Go the F**k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest, it captures the familiar—and unspoken—tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. Beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny, Go the F**k to Sleep is a book for parents new, old, and expectant. You probably should not read it to your children.
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Marine for Hire by Tawna Fenske is 99c! This is more of a novella-length contemporary (around 200 pages), but the rest of the series is also on sale. You can grab all four books for less than $10. The heroine is a divorced, single mother, who has sworn off men in the military. The hero is a great friend of the heroine’s brother (we know how that goes), who’s playing nanny temporarily.  Readers love the heroine and her relationship with the people around her, while others felt the book was rather forgettable. Have you read this one?
She thought she’d sworn off military men for good…
Sam Kercher is every inch a wickedly hot Marine. Tall. Sexy. Lethal. When his best friends call in a favor, Sam is forced to face an entirely new line of duty—playing nanny for their newly divorced sister and her squirming seven-month-old twin boys. If Sam can dissemble an M16 in his sleep, diaper duty should be a cakewalk…right?
Unfortunately, Operation Nanny isn’t quite that simple. Sheridan has sworn off overbearing military men, so Sam must protect her from her dirtbag ex without revealing just how much he has in common with her brothers. Or that he’s been ordered not to touch her. Ever. Problem is, Sheri’s one hell of a gorgeous woman, capable of making this hard-bodied marine even harder. And Sam wants her bad.
Protect the girl. Care for the babies. Hide his identity. And keep his hands off. But even the most disciplined Marine has weaknesses…and Sheridan is one Sam might not be able to resist.
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In the Raw by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin is $1.99! This is a M/M contemporary romance between two men working on their culinary degree. Readers warn that there is a cliffhanger and many loved the food descriptions. It has a 3.8-star rating on Goodreads.
If you can’t take the heat…
James Lassiter has had a crush on fellow culinary student Ethan Martin for three years, but has never had the guts to make a move. Putting himself out there is hard, especially when under the thumb–and wallet–of his overbearing parents. Now that bad boy chef Ethan–who is always vying with Jamie for best in class–is struggling with the pastry course, Jamie suddenly has a reason to reach out.
Ethan doesn’t mean to be an ass–okay, so mostly he does–but even though he’s secretly hot for Jamie, he sure as hell doesn’t want help with pastry. Ever since his dad walked out, Ethan has been the one to hold things together and he’s done fine on his own. Except that he can’t get his cake to rise.
Jamie could be the answer to what Ethan’s been missing his whole life–someone to depend on. But with the two competing for the same scholarship, things suddenly get too hot to handle. And if Jamie finds the strength to go for what he wants, he isn’t about to settle for what he needs.
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The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey is $9.99! This is a much-loved fantasy series and has been talked about on previous podcasts. This is a collection of the first three books and the omnibus has a 4.1-star rating on Goodreads. The books separately are $7.99 a piece.
The first three books in the world’s most beloved science-fiction series–finally together in one volume!
Dragonflight
After ten long Turns, Lessa was ready to come out of hiding, to claim her birthright and become Weyrwoman of Benden. But suddenly, the deadly silver Threads once again threatened all Pern with destruction. The mighty telepathic dragons were fewer in number, not nearly enough to protect the planet in its hour of greatest peril…until Lessa hatched a daring and dangerous scheme to rally support from people who had long ago ceased to exist.Dragonquest
Another Turn and the deadly silver Threads began falling again. The bold dragonriders took to the air once more to destroy the shimmering strands before they hit the ground. But F’lar knew he had to find a better way to protect his beloved Pern, before the Oldtimers could breed any more dissent…before his brother F’nor could launch another suicide mission…and before those dratted fire-lizards could stir up any more trouble!The White Dragon
Never before had there been as close a bond as that between adventurous Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary pure white dragon, Ruth. Though Ruth was a dragon of many talents, almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt. But Jaxom knew better, iknew he could teach his dragon to fly and to destroy the deadly silver Threads…a belief that put them both in the path of danger and in a position to prevent the biggest disaster of all!Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
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Oh, Anne McCaffrey, how I miss you. The first dragons I ever loved, and still the ones by which I judge all others. Said it before, say again, they will have to pry my Dragonriders books from my cold dead hands.
Sam can “dissemble” an M16 in his sleep? Given the lack of brains, or gullibility, in a gun, that Marine must have superpowers!
And here’s Samuel L. Jackson reading GO THE F**K TO SLEEP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mI5F3F2Txo Hah!
Caffrey’s dragons are still my favorites, but, in my old age, I notice paradoxes in the time travel that didn’t register when I was (much) younger.
For example, the Oldtimers. If they’d been left alone they’d still have been when and where they’re supposed to be, right? So, now the purpose of The Ride makes my brain itch. 🙂
@Carolyn, I had a few thoughts about that as well. My final rational on it was that given the unusually long interval between falls, the weyrs had all fallen off in numbers – especially dragons – not to mention discipline, so left as it was, they would have still been dangerously short handed so many generations later. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Marine for Hire is my perfect kind of comfort read. Yes, the plot is almost an afterthought, but the humour and sexual tension are great, and I dig Fenske’s ability to write over-the-top in an enjoyable way. I devoured the whole series.
Boy I loved the Pern novels…I’m curious how they would hold up for me 30 years later…there are certain aspects of her world building that I was vaguely uncomfortable with before, and I think might really bother me now…
@Mochabean – I did a memorial re-read of the first 6 Pern novels (plus a DNF attempt at Dragonsdawn) and yeah, they didn’t hold up too well for me. I had more problems with the misogyny, homophobia and dubious consent than the world building and plot. But I think the basic premise requires suspension of disbelief that 12 year old me was more wiling to make than 40 something y.o. me. And Dragonsdawn actively contradicted the world building from the first books, which made me rage-y.
The only two that held up for me were Dragonsong and Dragonsinger – they’re not in this set but they are finally available in ebooks.
@cleo ah, it is all coming back to me. I also recall that there was this whole servant class that was coded as being developmentally disabled which is just really really wrong in many ways…
The first pern book I read was dragonsong which I adored because firelizards are awesome.
Yes, I think the Dragonsong/Dragonsinger/Dragondrums books are my only comfort re-reading. As much as I loved the dragonhold books, being immersed in the culture and politics of the leadership is iffier for me. And I love music. And firelizards.
I had the same concern as @Carolyn, and reached the same conclusion as @DonnaMarie. @Mochabean, you are tempting me to go back and read some of the main books, because I don’t remember a developmentally disabled servant vlass, I just remember one servant. (So, maybe still problematic, but not a systemic problem.)
God, I loved the Dragonsinger books. Most of the Pern books I read once. Excellent, but I never felt the need to revisit. The Dragonsinger books I think I’ve read upwards of 10 times apiece, but not in several years. I feel a reread coming on…
I don’t know that they were developmentally disabled, but there was a serf-type class of people who seemed to have no rights. Outside of the weyrs, the society appeared to be very feudal and I had trouble reconciling that with the high level of learning and knowledge of the Ancestors. Nothing survived the years, except some learning ballads.
*serf-class = drudges
I started out with the Dragonriders of Pern trilogy in middle school, then devoured almost everything Anne McCaffrey had ever written to the point that I was able to predict what her characters were going to do. They were very good books at the time, though now? I think some parts of her world would rub me very much the wrong way. I agree that the Dragonsong/Dragonsinger/Dragondrums trilogy is the best of the gaidenish series from that world.
I also found out how to make klah. And found that meatrolls = half the asian meat-based steamed wrap dishes actually made here and now. Those are good.
@E. Baker How do you make klah? I’ve always imagined it as a cinnamon-y bitter hot chocolate…
Count me in as a lover of Dragonsong et al, but meh on the rest of the books. I too hold Pern dragons as the standard against which all other dragons are measured. And I can’t begin to tell you how much 13-year old me wanted to study at Harper Hall.
@Kate 12-yr old me thought Masterharper Robinton was the hottest dude on two legs. I was like DUDE MUSIC AND DRAGON AND RIDE AROUND AND STUFF WITH ME RIGHT NOW. I didn’t really care for the treatment that his son got though, but 12-yr old me couldn’t explain why.
Insofar as Klah goes I peeked at the OFFICIAL DRAGONLOVER’S GUIDE TO PERN years ago, which basically said that yep, bitter cinnamon hot chocolate. I imagine if you get like regular hot chocolate, make it with milk, (or almond milk if lactose intolerance,) get a shaving of that really good bittersweet chocolate to dissolve, and some strong cinnamon, maybe a hint of clove, and bam, klah. Like fall folk festival apple cider, only chocolate instead of apple base.
There’s a running plot point in most of McCaffrey’s books about the fact that coffee only grew on Earth. No matter where the human race went, coffee would not grow, hence klah. Which I never wanted to try as that was back in my coffee=yuck and this was their substitute for coffee, so how could it be tasty? You all are much more creative thinkers than I. Cinnamony hot chocolate sounds yummy.
@E. Baker – I never really crushed on the Masterharper and was a bit ick about the thought of him and Menolly together. Menolly and Sebell forever! And I completely forgot about the dynamic between Robinton and his son. I’m sensing that I may have to schedule a re-read of those books some time soon.
@DonnaMarie – 13 year-old-me definitely didn’t like coffee (and 38-year-old me only gets a coffee craving once a year or so, and even then it has to be lots of milk and lots of sugar and only a little bit of coffee); so I guess that my brain invented a drink that I thought that I would like!
@Kate Dang I forgot about Sebell. Robinton + Menolly is ew, Sebell + Menolly = win. Besides Robinton was completely married.
So yeah DO THE REREAD DO IT.
@DonnaMarie Adult me wonders why in blazes the beer never left Earth either. What kind of world is this where you have dragons (yay) but can’t have beer or coffee?
Oh I love Fenske’s “For Hire” series, they are hilarious and a little bit ridiculous in the suspense/thriller department, but oh so adorable and sexy. I can’t decide between “Marine for Hire” or “Fiance for Hire” as favourites… the former has “how hard can nannying be?” in it, the latter’s heroine is a vet and has the absolute most accurate cat-neutering sequences I have ever read in a romance book (and I worked as a vet tech!). In like, delightful and horrifying ways. Also skink wrangling. It doesn’t really stand alone, so like, just get the whole series and read them in order, it’s ridonkulous.
I don’t think Robinton was married. He and Silvana got together and produced the developmentally delayed son who was such an important part of Dragonsinger, but I don’t think he married her.
The lack of consent thing with F’lar and Lessa, and F’nor and Brekke REALLY bothered me when I re-read them as an adult. Plus, the scene where Yanus beats Menolly for playing her own music, not to mention depriving her of her music in Dragonsong, still brings tears to my eyes. I wanted to jump into Pern, rip off the shutters and let Thread consume all of Half-Circle (well, Yanus, Mavi, and Sella, as a start).
Still do love Dragonsinger, although I could do without the nasty Mean Girl interval in the middle.
Also, there was another male journeyman – Talmir? Something like that. I always thought he was nicer and hotter than Sebell, and was disappointed when he vanished from the scene. Glad Menolly attained her Mastery later in the books, but slightly disappointed she didn’t end up becoming Masterharper instead of Sebell. She certainly was talented enough.
In Masterharper, Robinton was married (I think her name was Kasia?) but she died after a storm on their honeymoon cruise. Tragic stuff. I was so young when I read them I totally did not even see Menolly + Robinton as a thing.
The Harper Hall trilogy are totally my faves (even despite the I HATE YANUS), the others are mostly meh on rereading but they still hold a special place in my heart.