Awesome Books

Attention adults: when you really should be cool but you’re panicking instead, take a moment to breathe, lift your heart to the sky and Calm the F* Down with Sasha O’Hara’s quirky coloring book. Let’s all chill while coloring subversive inner thoughts.

It’s the perfect gift for Star Trek fans from The Original Series to the J.J. Abrams movies, and everything in between. Learn the history of Starfleet, character backgrounds, Trek tech in layperson’s terms, and much more in author Paul Ruditis’ 300+ page visual guidebook.

Bitmap Books’ 240+ page coffee table book about two of the most important video game systems ever made. Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom: A Visual Compendium contains dozens of high resolution screenshots, box art, fan art and more.

ComiXology’s new subscription service lets you read the first volumes of dozens of titles from Image, Dark Horse, Fantagraphics and more (no Marvel or DC). It’s a great way to get into comics or find out which titles to dive into. It has a free 30-day trial period.

The burger of the day board at Bob’s Burgers features specialties like the Hummus a Tune Burger, and the Is This Your Chard Burger. Now you can make 75 of Bob Belcher’s punny creations for yourself, thanks to this cookbook from the FOX animated show’s creators.

Adult coloring books are totally dope, so curl up with some pencils and any kind of mule and bring life to the pages of the Coloring Book of Booze. There are 26 cocktails to color, with recipes included. A great gift for a dinner or housewarming party. (Thanks Mike P!)

Nowness inspects artist Tauba Auerbach’s oversized pop-up book set [2,3]. It consists of six separate volumes, each with one large, complex and arresting pop-up that somehow still folds flat when its folio is closed.

UK illustrator Megamunden’s 112-page coloring book is loaded with 120 of the artist’s unique and intricate designs in outline form so you can color them in yourself. If you dig this, be sure to check out his color-in postcards.

From Maximilian Funk and Robert Klanten (The Ride) comes The Drive, a 400-page coffee table book about some of the world’s best custom car makers and their work, including ICON’s Jonathan Ward, RWB’s Akira Nakai and of course George Barris.

Learn how to drive better and more safely not just in a sports car on a track, but in your daily driver with this excellent book from pro stunt and racecar driver Ben Collins, who has driven cars for the James Bond series, The Dark Knight Rises, and portrayed The Stig on Top Gear.

The crazy expensive Kindle Oasis is 20% thinner than previous models, with a new design that makes it easier to hold one-handed (for both lefties and righties). It also has improved backlighting and comes with a charging cover that extends its battery life to months.

Christine McConnell is known as the “Queen of Creepy Cookies” for good reason. Her creations include such subversive pastries as an Alien Xenomorph Easter Bunny and edibles with tentacles. Learn to make your own disturbing desserts with her new book.

Phaidon’s ultimate reference manual for pizzaphiles catalogs more than 1,700 great places around the globe to grab a slice or a whole pie. This 576-page book is sure to be covered with grease and tomato sauce by those who use it regularly.

Put down your smartphones and game controllers and go play outside! Recess. Ben Applebaum and Dan DiSorbo’s book catalogs and offers rules for over 150 games, from the many variants of tag, to hopscotch, four square, and dodgeball.

The teaser for Magic in North America, a new series of stories from J.K. Rowling set in the Harry Potter universe. The first story in the series is History of Magic in North America, and is itself split into multiple parts, all of which will be available on Pottermore.

(Gore) The latest project from ultra DIY channel How to Make Everything is about making a book. Host Andy George spent a total of 50 hours making paper – cotton, hemp, wood – a pencil, a quill pen, a leather cover, ink and glue. More here.