Borders to offer five free books with e-book software

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Borders Group Inc. said Friday it will offer five free books, including a Dean Koontz novel, to customers who download the bookseller's free electronic-book reading software.

Through July 14, customers who download the software will receive Frankenstein: Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz; One Shot by Lee Child; The Alchemyst by Michael Scott; Julia Child's Julia's Kitchen Wisdom and Master your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. The books are worth more than $40 collectively, Borders said.

Customers will also get a chapter of Danielle Steel's forthcoming novel Legacy, which isn't available anywhere else.

Borders launched its e-bookstore earlier this week, entering the fray along with competitors Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Borders e-book reading software is available across an array of platforms including e-book readers and mobile devices such as the iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones with its partner Kobo.