Kindle Daily Deals: today Amazon offer to get The Highest Tide: A Novel by Jim Lynch for $0.99.
Miles O’Malley, 13-year-old insomniac, naturalist, worshipper of Rachel Carson, and dweller on the mud flats of Skookumchuck Bay, at the South end of Puget Sound near Olympia, Washington, is the irresistible center of The Highest Tide. He says, “I learned early on that if you tell people what you see at low tide they’ll think you’re exaggerating or lying when you’re actually just explaining strange and wonderful things as clearly as you can” and “People usually take decades to sort out their view of the universe, if they bother to sort at all. I did my sorting during one freakish summer in which I was ambushed by science, fame and suggestions of the divine.”
And what a summer he has! Miles, who is licensed to collect marine specimens for money, slips into his kayak late one night when he can’t sleep and begins his exploratory rounds. What he sees is not the usual collectibles. He hears a deep exhale, a sound of release, and comes eye to eye with a giant squid. But, there are no giant squid in Puget Sound or anywhere around it–and when they are seen by humans, they are always dead. His discovery is confirmed by Professor Kramer, a local biologist and Miles’s friend. Television cameras arrive, everyone wants to interview this small-for-his-age but very smart boy and the events of the summer begin to unfold.
Jim Lynch has an ability to tell a tale that glows on every page. He knows everything that lives in or near the water by name and habit. This knowledge and his sense of wonder at the natural world brings the reader very close to his story, both in its setting and its characters. One early morning Miles says, “…the water was so clear I could see coon-stripe shrimp … and the bottomless bed of white clam shells … Those shells, as unique and timeless as bones, helped me realize that we all die young, that in the life of the earth, we are houseflies, here for one flash of light.” Such insights are perfectly natural coming from Miles, whose interests are not garden-variety. He has a mad crush on the mixed-up 18-year-old girl next door, a randy age-mate named Phelps, and a deep friendship with Florence, the elderly woman his mother refers to as “a crazy witch.” Florence is a psychic of sorts and her powers come into play when she predicts an extremely high tide on a certain day.
All of these relationships and what is happening between Miles’s parents are part of this event-filled, life-changing summer. Early on, Miles says off the top of his head, when asked by a TV reporter why a deep-sea creature has found its way to his front yard, “Maybe the earth is trying to tell us something.” What the earth and the sea and the people in Miles’s life are all trying to tell him is what he susses out in the days that follow–before that high tide.
This absolutely luminous first novel has all the earmarks of a classic. The Highest Tide is destined to be read, re-read, and to remain on bookshelves for the enjoyment of generations to come. –Valerie Ryan
Amazon Appstore Deals: today only Amazon offer to get Touch Racing Nitro for $0.0.
Roaring engines. Hairpin curves. Spectacular crashes, spinouts, and rollovers. If you like auto racing, you’ve got to get Touch Racing Nitro for Android. It’s a gas.
Start Your Engines
Whether you aspire to be Michael Schumacher, Danica Patrick, or Jeff Gordon, you’ll love the nonstop 3D action and old-school sounds of this game. The graphics and swooping camera angles are very realistic and immerse you totally in the racing environment.
One thing that sets this app apart from other auto racing games is the touchscreen controls. Forget the virtual joystick–here you steer your vehicle by sliding your thumbs along the bottom of the screen. After spending some time in the Tutorial mode, you’ll get the hang of it and find this method much easier and more intuitive.
The Need for Speed
Touch Racing Nitro offers two main modes to choose from: Time Trial and Tournament. In Time Trial, it’s just you against the track and the clock, which is plenty challenging. You must navigate the twisting turns and tricky ramps as fast as you can without flipping or flying off the track. There’s a constant readout showing your time, miles per hour, and lap count. You can do the same track over and over and try to improve your results.
In Tournament mode, you’ll be battling opponents with intimidating monikers such as Hawks Eye and Speed Freak. Select Beginner, Driver, or Ace and pick a track and car. And you’re off! Battle for position, watch those curves, and look for nitro power-ups along the way. Can you beat the field?
Pole Position
As you improve your times and placements, you’ll unlock more cool tracks–up to 18 total. You’ll also get access to 12 different car styles (including buggies and monster trucks) and two other cup competitions. The app links directly to OpenFeint, where you can compare yourself against the world’s top drivers. Time to get out there and burn some rubber!