Summer Based Book Sale Reviews 2026
Books I recommend for free or 99 cents
The Summer Based Book Sale began this week, a sale with all books free or 99 cents. While I don’t have anything officially in it, I’ve read quite a few books in it and written reviews, which I thought I’d share in case it helps you buy some books. I also have some books free or on the cheap currently, so I’ll share some reviews of them by other people at the end. All of these are books I’d recommend getting and reading.
Without further ado, here are some reviews, order chosen by random number generator:
Starquest: Space Pirates Of Andromeda by John C Wright
Imagine if the Star Wars sequels weren’t terrible. Actually, imagine they were friggin’ incredible. That’s this book and its sequels. Longer review:
A couple more awesome reviews: declanfinn’s review danbenson’s review
Pirates of the Electromagnetic Waves (Yankee Republic Book 1) by Fenton Wood
An enjoyable boy’s adventure story set in a mysterious alternate history, centering around the creation of a pirate radio station in an isolated mountain valley. Mischief, electronics nerdiness, and low-stakes small town adventure abound. The characters are fun, the premise is great, and mysterious details about the setting are sprinkled throughout to keep the reading thinking and guessing.
An Inconvenient Presidency: The Time-Traveling Misadventures of President Al Gore (Presidents of the Uncanny States of America)
by Eric M. Hamilton
An Inconvenient Presidency is a hilarious romp: a time loop story, a multiverse story, and a brilliant political satire, all rolled up into a no-holds-barred joy of a read.
I was amazed by how entertaining a political satire could be which takes aim at no party or ideology, but simply celebrates the hilarious gaffes and mannerisms of many of America’s famous figures, while telling an enjoyable story. Not to mention, we have the best and most plausible explanation for Al Gore’s 2000 campaign I have ever read.
If you want a longer review, here’s one I wrote for Upstream Reviews:
The E. E. “Doc” Smith MEGAPACK®: 11 Classic Novels and Stories
Every novel in this book rocks. Skylark of Space is the foundational stellar exploration novel, with awesome heroes, villains, and superscience. The Lensman series is an endless raygun-laden interstellar adventure with larger-than-life heroes and the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, not to mention great lore and great aliens.
Iron Chamber of Memory by John C Wright
Mysterious, dark, both modern and Arthurian, dreamy, supernatural, romantic, and just plain good. It’s as if one took everything Neil Gaiman was purported to be good at it, and had an actually good writer make a better version with a better premise. Traditionalist Catholics like me may be warned that there’s some naughty unmarried stuff in it, but I still get to recommend the book because it’s made pretty clear by the end it’s a terrible idea.
If you want a longer review, here’s one from Upstream Reviews by my fellow reviewer and all-around excellent writer, Declan Finn:
Escaping Fate (Paradox Book 1) by Henry Brown
Heartwarming, Epic, and massively entertaining: 5 stars
Imagine you had limited change-the-past time travel. What would you do with it?
Somehow, Henry Brown’s answer to this question is different, and more heartwarming, than any I’ve previously read. We end up with a coming of age story from late childhood to adulthood, happening across multiple decades and timelines of the past century of U.S. history and beyond. But this isn’t to say this is just some story about adolescent romance and having Junior High friends. The stakes are high, and we have an epic multi-timeline time travel save-the-world story on top.
This is not a book for those who faint at anything which contradicts the prevailing political correctness of 2024, or whatever the current year is when you read this review. Henry Brown’s respect for the wisdom of the past, the pluses and minuses of every decade the story visits, and the ups and downs of US culture shine throughout the story. If you’re someone who respects the past and can admit that every decade gets things wrong, including your own, this is a book for you.
Also, you should check out Mr. Brown’s Kickstarter for his new superhero comic series.
Permafrost by KM Kelly
Great adventure story in a post-apocalyptic wasteland brought on by foolish geoengineers who no doubt had their brains rotted by the UN IPCC.
The Complete Father Brown Mysteries ($.99 Mystery Classics) by G.K. Chesterton
A collection of mysteries, murders and all, from one of the greatest British Catholic writers of a century ago. Witty, fun, Catholic, and satisfying, these stories are an enjoyable romp and a fresh take on the great tradition of British detective fiction from Sherlock Holmes onward.
A Presidents Day Carol (Presidents of the Uncanny States of America) by Eric M. Hamilton
I just read this one. Hilarious regardless of your politics. Warning: features Donald Trump, but should be enjoyable whether you like him, hate him, or have mixed feeling—especially given the choose your own ending feature!
Somewhither by John C Wright
The Golden Compass done right, by Wright (har!) who actually thinks things through, and makes a far more intense, action-laden book to boot. Think about it, if GOLDEN-COMPASS-SPOILERS-FOOTNOTE1 the hero would be morally virtuous, fight demons and their servants, kick major butt, and eschew this golden compass stuff.
Body and Blood by Michael Gallagher
Action. Horror. Catholicism. Also, I got this in an email from Amazon which I found HILARIOUS:
Note that this was probably a bug, because Spectral Vengeance was not particularly popular—I checked with the author. Also, I read, like, Dresden Files and zero-review books and stuff.
White Ops by Declan Finn
An action-packed interstellar fleet political military sci-fi Catholic thriller featuring an interspecies space station theoretically dedicated to bringing peace—it’s something like taking the best parts of Babylon-5 and jazzing them up with more epic fight sequences as well as cooler deep worldbuilding ideas. Here’s an actual detailed review:
Starquest: Secret Agents of the Galaxy by John C. Wright
A worthy sequel, with an awesome Gray Lensman-type hero, an awesome space wizardess archer hero, an awesome spymaster hero, an awesome Stormtrooper-turned-good hero, an awesome wiser older space wizard… Longer review:
Hacking Galileo (*FREE*) by Fenton Wood
I picked up this free book having deeply enjoyed this author’s Yankee Republic series. Boy’s adventure, electronics nerdiness, awesome thoughts on the 80s from a boy’s point of view, hacking galore… It’s pretty great.
Arthur and the Griffin (* FREE (1st Five Days) *) by Michael A. Putlack
Likely free as you read this. Magic school in a medieval fantasy setting. Enjoyably far more concise than Harry Potter, with teachers that, unlike in Harry Potter, don’t just obliviously sit on their thumbs while their students face mortal danger.
Orthodoxy: Illustrated Centennial Edition
(G. K. Chesterton Book 2) by G. K. Chesterton
A brilliantly funny and enjoyable look at how Chesterton came to his beliefs and his excitement with them, full of interesting mockeries of the various strange beliefs of various sectors of the British elite in the early 20th century. Heretics is also good in this regard; consider them two sides of the same coin.
City Beyond Time: Tales of the Fall of Metachronopolis by John C Wright
A collection of excellent time travel stories. I particularly enjoyed the ones that blend time travel science fiction with detective noir, like The Plural of Helen of Troy.
Reviews by Upstream Reviews
My fellow reviewers at Upstream Reviews also have reviewed a bunch of these books, including some ones I haven’t. If you need more recommendations to whet your book buying-and-reading appetite, check out this massive list of book reviews of the available free and 99 cent books:
Reviews of my free/cheap books
Right now I have three books on the cheap. They are:
Have some reviews:
The Lives of Velnin: The Black Citadel
Engaging, Great Characters, and Lots of Action by sammridge
This story is really engaging from the very start, with intense battle scenes and well-written action. Incredibly fast-paced, with just enough romance thrown in to have you rooting for the characters immediately.
God Emperor Trump
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable by Chance P.
I’m a fair bit of the way in, and loving the Shakespearean writing and sleuthy adventure! It’s like an alternate timeline sort of, and enough familiarity to stay grounded. Can’t wait to read more. Easy to pick up and resume reading without getting lost too.
Monster Girl Evolution: Dumb
Magical Girls in an isakai genre is what you need by Katie Burk
This story is ridiculous in the best way.
From the very first paragraph, it makes its tone clear: this is an isekai that knows exactly what it is and leans hard into the joke. Amy being reborn as “The Dumb Girl” in a candy-colored RPG world is already a strong hook, but the execution is what sells it. The humor comes fast, lands cleanly, and never overstays its welcome. The narration feels light, snappy, and self-aware without becoming smug.
What really works is how the “dumbness as a power” mechanic is used. It’s not just a gimmick—it actively shapes every encounter. Watching enemies like Professor Enoch, the Thinking Slime, and the Philosopher Dragon literally short-circuit under Amy’s nonsense is consistently funny and surprisingly clever. The way dialogue becomes combat is a great twist on standard LitRPG fights.
Conclusion
Go out and enjoy some awesome and based books. It won’t cost you very much. Again, the sale link:
P.S. If you get anything, leave reviews!
GOLDEN COMPASS SPOILERS: if dudes communicated with demons using golden compasses in order to predict the future, these dudes would obviously be the bad guys, not the hero. And the hero would not be a liar who obeys demons, as in Pullman’s version, but as in Wright’s story the hero would be morally virtuous, fight demons and their servants, kick major butt, and eschew this golden compass stuff.