Books

Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games tells the tale of teenage pawns who must fight with one another until one survivor remains, relying on raw instinct and making impossible choices. (Thanks Simon!)

Artist Andrew Kolb created this wonderfully illustrated children’s book based on David Bowie’s ode to the space-bound Major Tom. Grab the entire book in PDF form here or here (mirror)

Live like Lebowski, and learn the ways of the Church of the Latter-Day Dude, applying the Dudeist philosophy to politics, ethics, finance, and relaxation. Also answers the question: WWTDD?

We still enjoy the antics of beloved YouTube cat Maru, even though he has sold himself out now and is about to release a book. On the other hand we’re jumping on the list for preorder, because why not?

Etsy seller Nerdnest converts worn out vinyl records into bookends. You can specify your color preferences for the labels if you want. They can’t be used to prop up heavy books or items though.

Actual tomes carved out and turned into safes. They’re secured by bookbinding glue and have a magnetic closure, so they stay shut even when upright. The flask safes also come with a flask.

Artist Kylie Stillman breathes new life into dead books by skillfully carving out silhouette-like tree designs. It’s all the more interesting when you remember where paper comes from.

Whether you’re dealing with a first date, a messy divorce, or a bad day at work, How to Booze: Exquisite Cocktails and Unsound Advice has your back, mixing advice and the right drink to go with.

It’s so hot out that the lack of paleteros in your area is dangerous. Worry not. The authentic recipes in Fany Gerson’s Paletas will show you how to perfect your own Mexican cool-down treats.

A photo essay of the infamous Japanese mob by Anton Kusters, perhaps the only Westerner allowed such intimate and long term access to the Yakuza. Book leaf through here; interview here.

Nathan Myhrvold and a team of chefs fill this six volume, 2,438 page set of books with everything you’d ever want to know about the science, tech (and art) of cooking. For serious foodies only.

By interviewing 80 people from 30 different countries about their eating habits, Faith D’Aluisio and Peter Menzel were able to compile this tasty portrait of food and culture from around the globe.

There are some beautiful illustrations in Mozchops’ Salsa Invertebraxa, a vivid odyssey of two invertebrate companions and their journey through a vibrant world of imaginary insects and flora.

(NSFW: You know why) If, you laughed the first time you heard about Go the F**k to Sleep, you may laugh even harder when you hear it narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. (Thanks, everyone!)

Still enticed by North Korean tourism? Us too. Thankfully Charlie Crane managed to gather enough amazingly poignant photos of what some call Stalinist Disneyland to publish this guidebook.

Milton Crawford’s cookbook breaks hangovers into six tidy categories of hurt, offering recipes and activities for snapping out of each type of morning fog the day after you get your drink on.

Based on the popular blog from the Cheezburger Network, this book picks 200+ of the best of the worst MacGyver jobs out there. Our personal favorite: the half car. Makes a great door stop, too.

Illustrator A.J. Hateley’s ongoing series Thirty Days of Videogames features beautiful vintage-style fake book covers inspired by videogames. You can get some of them as prints here.

Cartoonist Dan Hipp created a these Adventures of Tintin-inspired book covers as tributes to classic science fiction films lie Star Wars, Alien and Tron. We only wish these books were real.