It’s official. Borders bookstores are closing their doors for good. Unable to procure the necessary funds after filing for bankruptcy a few months back, the remaining 399 Borders and Waldenbooks retail stores will all be closed by the end of September, with liquidation expected to start as early as Friday.

If you’ve purchased any ebooks from Borders, there’s no need to worry. Kobo has everything covered. All you need to do is transfer your Borders ebooks to a Kobo account. The process is very easy and takes just a few minutes, and comes with the benefits of Kobo’s ereading apps, which have more features and work better than the Borders apps.

Filed under: eBooks, Kobo | Tags: borders | 4 Comments »

Yesterday Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a final attempt to save the company.

As part of the restructuring process, 30 percent of Borders retail stores will be closed, which equates to about 200 stores nationwide.

Filed under: eBooks, News | Tags: borders | 3 Comments »

A new Android-powered ereader/tablet combination was released today called the Next3, a WiFi-equipped touchscreen-enabled device that ties in with the Borders ebook store.

Update: Check my hands-on Next3 review for more details on the Nextbook 8.4″ ereader. There’s a video review and instructions for installing apps as well.

The Next3 is selling from HSN for an introductory price of $199 and is expected to hit retail stores (presumably Borders) soon.

Filed under: Android, New eBook Readers, Tablets | Tags: borders, color, next3, nextbook | 156 Comments »

There’s suddenly a number of sales going on for ebook readers and tablets, with several coming in at just $99. Borders is running a sale on all of their ereaders and tablets, and Walgreens of all places has a really inexpensive Android Tablet for sale.

First, Borders has the Velocity Micro Cruz Reader marked down to $169, $30 off the regular price. The Cruz Tablet isn’t discounted but comes with a $25 gift card on all pre-orders.

For ereaders, Borders has the original Kobo eReader marked down to $99, which includes double Borders bucks, and the Aluratek Libre is down to $99 as well.

All of these deals at Borders last until 10/31, which includes 20% off all ereader accessories with the purchase of an ereader.

Lastly, Walgreens has the Maylong M-150 Android Tablet on sale this week for $99. It is a 7-inch tablet that runs Android 1.6.

Filed under: Android, Sales and Discounts | Tags: borders, ereader | 7 Comments »

Borders and BookBrewer have partnered to launch a new ebook publishing tool called Borders – Get Published that allows any writer or blogger to easily create, format, edit, and then sell their ebooks to all the major ebook stores, including Amazon.

Filed under: eBooks, News | Tags: borders | No Comments »

In a much anticipated move, Borders has lowered the price of the Kobo Reader down to $129, cutting $20 off the price so that it is now $10 cheaper than the Kindle 3 WiFi.

Borders also cut the price of the Aluratek Libre by $20, making it just $99. These new prices will go into effect tomorrow, September 1st.

If you want to get one these devices from a retail store, make sure to call ahead first. It seems that some Borders stores are anti-ereader and refuse to make any effort toward selling ebook readers, at least where I live. I gave up trying to find a Kobo Reader to review. Funny story, the last time I went to Borders I honestly overhead one of the employees say something along the lines of, “Damn ereaders are going to put us out of business”. I guess that explained why they didn’t have any on display.

In addition to the Kobo and Libre, Borders sells Sony Readers too. And they just started offering the Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet and Cruz Reader for pre-order, as reported on last week.

In other Borders’ news, they just announced that they will start a new Rewards loyalty program starting September 1st. Here’s the key information from the press release:

Consumers can now choose from two forms of Rewards — a free, enhanced Rewards program, or the new “Borders Rewards Plus” program, which for $20 per year delivers savings on nearly all Borders merchandise, and free shipping on virtually all online orders. Borders is the only major bookseller to provide consumers with a choice of loyalty programs.

To celebrate, members can earn “Borders Bucks” twice as fast beginning tomorrow though Sept. 6. Typically, members earn $5 in Borders Bucks for every $150 they spend annually, but during this period, Borders will double the spend to bring the member closer to the $150 threshold faster. For example, if a member spends $50, Borders will double that amount bringing the total spend to $100. If a member spends $75, Borders will double that amount bringing the total spend to $150, resulting in the member receiving $5 in Bucks.

Filed under: Kobo, News, Sales and Discounts | Tags: borders, ereader, kobo ereader | 3 Comments »

Borders just gave everyone a huge incentive to download one of the new Borders apps for PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, and Android.

They are giving away 5 free top-selling ebooks that you can’t get free anywhere else. All you have to do is download a free app, sign up an account with an email address and password (you don’t even have to give your home address or credit card), then follow the links below and click “add to library” over on the Borders website.

Then sync whichever app you chose and the ebook will show up in your library. To download the ePub ebook to your computer, you’ll need to go to your Borders account page and then download it from there. This requires Adobe Digital Editions, of course, since the ebooks have DRM.

This offer runs from July 9th through Wednesday, July 14th. So get these free ebooks today!

Frankenstein: Prodigal Son: A Novel by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson

4 stars, 148 reviews

From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the story, you know only half the truth. Get ready for the mystery, the myth, the terror, and the magic of… Dean Koontz’s Prodigal Son Every city has secrets. But none as terrible as this. His name is Deucalion, a tattooed man of mysterious origin, a sleight-of-reality artist who’s traveled the centuries with a secret worse than death.

He arrives as a serial killer stalks the streets, a killer who carefully selects his victims for the humanity that is missing in himself. Detective Carson O’Connor is cool, cynical, and every bit as tough as she looks. Her partner Michael Maddison would back her up all the way to Hell itselfand that just may be where this case ends up.

For the no-nonsense O’Connor is suddenly talking about an ages-old conspiracy, a near immortal race of beings, and killers that are moreand lessthan human. Soon it will be clear that as crazy as she sounds, the truth is even more ominous. For their quarry isn’t merely a homicidal maniacbut his deranged maker. From the Paperback edition.

One Shot: A Reacher Novel by Lee Child

4 stars, 153 reviews

Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, from the world he lives inno phone, no address, no commitmentsexmilitary investigator Jack Reacher is coming.

In Lee Child’s astonishing new thriller, Reacher’s arrival will change everythingabout a case that isn’t what it seems, about lives tangled in baffling ways, about a killer who missed one shotand by doing so give Jack Reacher one shot at the truth…. The gunman worked from a parking structure just thirty yards awaypoint-blank range for a trained military sniper like James Barr. His victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But why does Barr want Reacher at his side? There are good reasons why Reacher is the last person Barr would want to see. But when Reacher hears Barr’s own words, he understands.

And a slam-dunk case explodes. Soon Reacher is teamed with a young defense lawyer who is working against her D.A. father and dueling with a prosecution team that has an explosive secret of its own. Like most things Reacher has known in life, this case is a complex battlefield. But, as always, in battle, Reacher is at his best. Moving in the shadows, picking his spots, Reacher gets closer and closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. And for Reacher, the only way to take him down is to know his ruthlessness and respect his cunningand then match him shot for shot…. From the Hardcover edition.

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

4.5 stars, 168 reviews

He holds the secret that can end the world. The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty. The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protectsthe Book of Abraham the Mage.

It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time. From the Hardcover edition.

Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child

4.5 stars, 73 reviews

Julia Child has given us answers to these and other questions in the ten masterful volumes she has published over the past 40 years. But which book do you go to for which solution? Now, in this little volume, you can find the answers immediately.

Information is arranged according to subject matter, with ample cross-referencing. How are you going to cook that small rib steak you brought home? You’ll be guided to the quick saute as the best and fastest way. And once you’ve mastered this recipe, you can apply the technique to chop, chicken, or fish, following Julia’s careful guidelines.

And here is equally essential information about soups, vegetables, and eggs, and for baking breads and tarts. It’s all waiting for you in this delicious, priceless, comforting compendium of Julia’s kitchen wisdom.

Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets To Naturally Balancing Your Hormones For A Hot And Healthy Body! by Jillian Michaels

4 stars, 269 reviews

Does it feel as if you’re fighting your body to lose even one pound – or just to maintain your current weight? Respected health and wellness expert and bestselling author Jillian Michaels has been there, too. So she consulted top experts in the field of metabolism and discovered that she’d inadvertently been abusing her endocrine system for years. After “fixing” her own metabolism, she decided to share what she learned by devising this simple, 3-phase plan that engages all the weight-loss hormones (including the friendly HGH, testosterone, DHEA; and the not-so-friendly: insulin, cortisol, and excess estrogen).

In Master Your Metabolism, discover how to: * REMOVE “anti-nutrients” from your diet * RESTORE foods that speak directly to fat-burning genes * REBALANCE energy and your hormones for effortless weight loss Michaels offers a wealth of information throughout, including: shopping lists and online shopping resources, hormone-trigger food charts, how to eat “power nutrient” foods on a budget, smart strategies for eating out, quick and easy recipes, as well as mini-programs for addressing PMS, andropause, metabolic syndrome, PCOS, and menopause.

Filed under: Free eBooks | Tags: borders, free, free epub ebooks | 2 Comments »

News sources all over the web are asizzle with the monumental news story that the Borders ebook store, powered by Kobo, is now live and open for business.

Additionally, Borders released Android and Blackberry apps to complement their apps for the iPad, iPhone, iPod, plus PC and Mac computers.

Wait. Hold on one second.

What?

Don’t you mean the Kobo bookstore?

No. The Borders ebook store powered by Kobo Books is now open.

Uh . . . Hasn’t the Kobo bookstore been open for a long time?

Well, yes. It has.

So what’s the big hubbub? Isn’t the Borders store exactly like the Kobo ebook store, with basically the same prices and selection?

No. Not exactly. First off, it’s only for US customers. And second, the Borders app uses red headers instead of blue, with a red buy button instead of a green one. Otherwise the formats, search options, descriptions, and prices are pretty much exactly the same, yes.

Don’t you think that’s a trifle arbitrary? It’s kind of like Amazon subbing out the Kindle store to a company—let’s call them Monkey Brain Books—that sells Kindles to inner city zoologists and decides to put their brand name on the existing Kindle ebook store that’s been around for years, and redo the apps to say Monkey Brain Books.

Yeah. It is kind of odd, isn’t it? But then again this back and forth we’ve been having seems off kilter too.

Yeah, and a little forced.

Better to get on with it then.

Okay.

Filed under: eBooks, News | Tags: borders, ebook library | No Comments »

Not to be left out of the price-cutting ebook reader hype and media frenzy, Borders issued a press release today announcing that they will be bundling the new Kobo eReader with a $20 Borders gift card and double Borders Bucks.

The Kobo eReader sells exclusively from Borders.com in the United States for $149. It is currently up for pre-order for a July 2nd shipment, as the initial orders for the June 17th release have sold out.

This coincides with yesterday’s release of the new Borders iPad and iPhone apps, as well the PC and Mac apps, of which they (and everyone else) aren’t publicizing for some reason.

In addition to the Kobo device, Borders already sells the Sony Pocket and Sony Touch. It’ll be interesting to see how Borders will work that out since their new software and ebook store is powered by Kobo’s software, which isn’t directly compatible with Sony Readers, although the books are.

Borders will also start carrying the Aluratek Libre on July 20th, 2010. They currently have it up for pre-order for $119. This is totally weird because the Libre is in stock and selling from a number of online retailers and has been for several months.

Filed under: Kobo, Sales and Discounts | Tags: borders, kobo ereader, libre | No Comments »

Borders just released their new ebook app for the Apple iPad and iPhone today in the iTunes store.

The app is powered by Kobo and is pretty much exactly like the Kobo for iPad application, except everything has the Borders look and feel with red icons and menus.

While investigating this story, I was checking out the new page at Borders about ebook help. From there, I found a link to a page for the PC and Mac ebook application. Both are available for download on this page at Borders.

Testing out the PC app, you can browse through the Borders’ ebook store, and again, being powered by Kobo the layout is pretty much the same but with Borders red instead of the blue and green that Kobo uses. Like Kobo, you can download samples of ebooks before buying.

The app requires you to sign in with a Borders account to purchase and sample ebooks. Interestingly, if you have an existing Kobo account it will not work; it requires a new account from Borders.

The reading mode for the PC app itself is extremely basic. The only options available are increasing and decreasing font size, accessing the table of contents, and full screen mode (which is somewhat misleading because the margins are very wide). There are buttons to go to the previous or next chapter, and page forward and backward buttons. That’s it. And scrolling the mouse wheel does not turn pages.

Filed under: Kobo, News | Tags: apps, borders, ipad | 2 Comments »