THE BEST Books

This year’s edition is packed with over 350 pages of work from established and up-and-coming writers and artists. There’s something for everyone from cheerful romance, to dark tales of woe. We rather enjoyed the chapter intros, drawn by editor Jonathan Lethem.

Award-winning artist Jim Kay brings Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to life in this illustrated edition, creating 115 illustrations in different media. The other Harry Potter books will get illustrated editions as well. More here.

Kat Su’s book of f–d up taxidermy is at once hilarious and disturbing, filled with the strange creations we get when we let crazy people try to do “art” with deceased animals. Buy the book or check out the website.

In his biography slash reference book, Robert Schnakenberg provides a comprehensive look at one of acting’s greats, a man who can go from the most serious to madcap roles in the same year, and has a special place in the hearts of millions.

On first sight we thought this quirky little book would be great for the guest room or gag gift, but it carries a larger, significant message, encouraging its readers to break routine and always stay curious about life. Gotta go read now.

Dan Perkins aka Tom Tomorrow is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his postmodern political satire comic strip This Modern World by compiling every TMW strip from 1990 until this year (plus bonus art) in a two-volume set.

Mix tape aficionados and children of the ’80s can keep the dream alive with a pair of Fred & Friends little magnetic bookmarks. Enjoy using the excess ribbon to mark your page, instead of attempting any more messy manual rewinds with a pencil.

Author Tim Ferriss teaches the concept of “meta-learning” to help you not only become a better cook, and to hunt and forage, but the essential techniques to learn more quickly. Download the audiobook for free from the Technabob Shop.

Learn this ancient art of paper folding while putting your dirty mind to use with this book, which offers up step-by-step directions for crafting a variety of rude, crude and lascivious shapes you can leave lying around your desk.

Amazon’s backlit e-book reader now has a high-resolution 300 ppi 6″ screen. It has a new font made for e-books, and better typography and page layouts to preserve the original format even when you increase the font size.

Oyster is a read-all-you-can ebook subscription for mobile devices. The latest version of its app filters out blue light to reduce eye strain when reading at night or in the dark. If you love f.lux, you’ll love this reader.

(PG-13 Language) Thug Notes sums up and breaks down George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, which is the basis for the TV show’s first season. Those were the good ol’ days, when you could still keep track of the characters. LATA’!

Simon Stålenhag’s retro futuristic digital paintings somehow combine dread and nostalgia. He’s currently raising funds for English language versions of two art books annotated with short stories about the world he created.

Illustrator Steve McDonald’s intricate coloring book lets you fill in nearly 60 urban locales packed with the architecture of of real and imaginary cities. Packed with countless nooks and crannies for you to get lost in.

Shuri Bakaseru (The Fascinating Repairmen) shows Nobuo Okano at work. Okano has been restoring books by hand for over 30 years. The video is in Japanese, but you’ll clearly understand his meticulous process. More here.

A photoblog that highlights Kindle ebooks with hilariously awful titles and even worse covers, from the world’s most unscientific scifi cover to the best title and art combo that we’ve ever seen. We can die now.

While some of us get our inspiration while in the shower, in bed, or even on the toilet, some of the best ideas come when your mind is unfettered by reality. These notebooks are for those times. A classic from The Awesomer Shop.

From Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics) comes a humorous choose-your-own-adventure game based on Hamlet. To Be or Not To Be features art by Kate Beaton, Mike Krahulik, Zac Gorman and more. Also available as a book.

Saturday Night Live: The Complete History contains over 2,300 photos from SNL’s archives, an illustrated breakdown of the cast and crew’s 6-day work week, a comprehensive season reference guide and more.

Enter to win one of five copies of Roger Ma’s The Zombie Combat Field Guide. The new book provides valuable tips for surviving the inevitable zombiepocalypse, while busying your mind with coloring and other activities. (Ends 1/15/15).

Hans Eijkelboom’s massive collection of street photos taken all over the world in the past 20 years. The “anti-sartorial” presentation shows people wearing similar clothes in the same city on the same day. More here and here.

A hilariously dark twist on the daily journal, including demotivational affirmations, reminders of notable deaths, a contacts section for people who never call, and places to jot down pointless doodles and ideas you’ll never follow up on.

This beloved parody not only apes the infamous adult novel Fifty Shades of Grey – telling the story of a chef seducing… a chicken – it’s also a legitimate cookbook. It also has 50 chicken recipes and lots of beautiful images.

A group of artists that turns your message into a whimsical handwritten letter and then sends it for free. Just leave your message and the recipient’s address on its website on or before 11/16/14. Also check out the book of sent letters.

Trivia maven Dan Lewis has a new paperback collection. Now I Know More: The Revealing Stories Behind Even More of the World’s Most Interesting Facts contains 101 interesting stories in Dan’s trademark engaging prose.

Thomas Olivri compiled this amazing book featuring over 750 images of pop culture inspired artworks from talented creators around the globe. It also includes website and contact info for each artist, so you can buy their works.