Whether you’re curled up in your favorite armchair with a hot beverage, favorite furry pet, and your new favorite book, or are just there in your imagination, cold weather brings forth habits of coziness and inward study. This season, consider a book as a present—for yourself or for others—sharing the gift of learning, escape, or just pure enjoyment in a convenient and satisfying package. Here are some of the GeekFamily’s favorites this year.
Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means that the GeekDad/GeekMom contributor may make a small commission if you click through and purchase the item at no extra cost to you. We may have also received the item for review from the manufacturer.
Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Tor Books
Price: About $20
Purchase: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune
Description: A very worthy successor to the first book in the series, The House in the Cerulean Sea, Somewhere Beyond the Sea continues the story begun in the first book, taking it along the path of where you might expect it will lead, but with some additional twists and turns that you might have not expected. Relevant to many of today’s struggles, the story is heartwarming, affirming, loving, and emotional. I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you liked the first book in the series, this sequel is not to be missed.
Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Penguin Random House
Price: $15-25
Purchase: The Sacred Stones series
Description: A romantasy trilogy to thrill and win over even the most diehard Bat Boy devotees, all three books of this trilogy, A Dawn of Onyx, A Promise of Peridot, and A Reign of Rose are now available. Set in the land of Evendell, founded on the myth of Fae and magical creatures, the Kingdom of Amber finds itself at war with the Onyx Kingdom and it’s evil King Ravenwood. When our heroine Arwen is thrown into the war and taken to Onyx, she begins to discover all the lies and stories that have built this world around her, and that many things she held true are not what they appear to be. The series follows Arwen and the morally grey King Ravenwood, across the kingdoms of Evendell and beyond. This is a great series to tuck yourself away with over a long winter weekend. You will have no regrets. The books get spicier as they go on, so keep your fan handy!
Suggested By: Rory Bristol
Mfg: Running Press
Price: $18.59
Purchase: Queer Mythology
Description: This collection of myth, legend, and folktale spans continents as easily as it does centuries, exploring the diverse and timeless stories of queerness while have existed and persisted. Throughout the centuries, the stories in this book were dismissed, reduced, and even banned. Thankfully, their traditions endure, and we now can seek solace in the oldest human tradition: Storytelling. Themes include all forms of queerness including gender, sexuality, open-mindedness, and creativity (with a solid dose of social norm rejection).
Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Marvel Universe
Price: $29.42
Purchase: Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: X-Men Expansion by Matt Forbeck
Description: While mutants are only just beginning to take their first few tentative steps into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they have truly arrived in the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game. This full-sized sourcebook—penned by former GeekDad contributor Matt Forbeck—is the perfect way to bring the X-Men, New Mutants, Marauders, and even your own mutant characters to the MMRPG’s unique d616 environment. From the early days of the Xavier Institute to the waning hours of the Krakoan Era, the X-Men Expansion has just what you need for epic superhero storytelling! (Review materials provided by Marvel Universe.)
Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Union Square & Co.
Price: $20
Purchase: Dictionary of Fine Distinctions: Nuances, Niceties, and Subtle Shades of Meaning by Eli Burnstein
Description: This little book is a lot of fun for word nerds: if you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between a Ponzi scheme and a pyramid scheme, or you can’t remember which things are venomous and which are poisonous, this book will set you straight. Aside from giving the strict distinctions between similar terms, the book also has a lot of humor and occasional in-depth dives into word origins.
Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Aardvark Book Club
Price: Starts at $17.99
Purchase: Aardvark Book Club
Description: The Aardvark Book Club subscription delivers a delightful surprise to your mailbox each month, perfect for book lovers. At the start of each month, subscribers get an email with the list of five to six book options and get their choice of up to three off the list. Download the Aardvark app and participate in an online book club. This is a great gift for readers who want a fresh read delivered to their door each month.
Suggested By: Mariana Ruiz
Mfg: IDW Publishing
Price: $37.19
Purchase: Hell, Ink, & Water: The Art of Mike Mignola
Description: As a Mignola fan, I am always on the lookout for new material, as his art can stand on its own without the backup of a story. Mignola has redefined the use of lines and revived the interest in folktales and the occult worldwide. This hardcover 64-page art catalog features 31 new watercolors by Mike Mignola. Skulls, monsters, Hellboy covers, and pencil drawings are here, all scanned in the manner of Artist’s Editions from the original art.
Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Convergent Books
Price: $27
Purchase: The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi
Description: Kendra Adachi’s first book and podcast, The Lazy Genius has helped me in so many areas of my parenting journey, that I devoured her newest book as soon as possible. The Plan is a time management book written by a woman for women, with women’s minds and schedules at the forefront. Kendra provides a novel way of looking at time management that embraces the mess that my spheres of influence are always in, and provides clear cut tips and tricks for helping me come up with my own plan. Her practical tools are a breath of fresh air for this flustered mom of three.
Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Chronicle Books
Price: About $40
Purchase: The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey by Carol Verburg
Description: If you’re a big fan of Edward Gorey—whether from PBS’s Mystery!, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, or any of his other works—this latest book profiles and shows off Gorey’s theatrical work. Written by his collaborator Carol Verburg, we get to see another side of Gorey, including previously unpublished material as well as scripts, notes, illustrations, and all kinds of background material. A must-have for any Edward Gorey enthusiast.
Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Ten Speed Press
Price: $35
Purchase: Dungeons & Dragons — Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerûn and Beyond by Adam Lee
Description: Couched as an interplanar tour guided by none other than the Lord Mage of Greyhawk, Mordenkainen, this 368-page tome compiles 50 years of storytelling, worldbuilding, and eye-catching art into a coffee table book sure to please D&D players and fantasy fanatics alike. From the Material Planes of Dragonlance, Faerûn, and Eberron to the Inner Planes of the Feywild, the Shadowfull, and beyond, Worlds & Realms is a love letter to the fantastical fabric of Dungeons & Dragons itself. (Review materials provided by Ten Speed Press.)
Suggested By: Rory Bristol
Mfg: No Starch Press
Price: $24.99
Purchase: The LEGO Builder’s Handbook
Description: If you have a LEGO fan, this book is the ultimate gift to help them elevate their builds. In this tome by Deepak Shenoy, your geek can learn everything they need to know about the basics of geometric builds, structural engineering, and even tips for breaking free of the traditional LEGO grid to create true-to-life creations. There’s also a fantastic section on how to use computer software to convert pictures into mosaics, design 3D art, and more.
Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: First Second
Price: $14.99
Purchase: Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol
Description: Poor Jane: she is too plain, and her recently deceased parents didn’t even leave the house to her, so she needs a plan. She tries to marry the handsome-but-incompetent fisherman Peter, but then he gets kidnapped by a mermaid who has her own plans for this handsome fool, and Jane sets out on a mission to rescue him. Along the way, she learns a lot more about who she is and what she is capable of.
Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Ten Speed Graphic
Price: $25.70
Purchase: Nothing Special Vol. 2 by Katie Cook
Description: If you’re looking for a read packed with humor and pop culture references, Nothing Special Vol. 2 by Katie Cook is a fantastic choice. Volume 2 picks up with Callie and Declan as they dive into a world brimming with magic and mischief. We also get to see the antics of Radish and Lasser, who seems to think romance novels are the place to learn how to win over a partner. Nothing Special Vol. 2 is ideal for anyone who loves a mix of fantasy and fun.
Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Pen and Sword Books
Price: $34.95
Purchase: Red Dwarf Discovering the TV Series Volume 1: 1988-1993
Description: In 1992, my 11-year-old self was saved from social oblivion by the discovery that one of the popular girls liked my favorite television show Red Dwarf. For anyone who has ever bonded with someone over the shared love of a bizarre, offbeat show, this book feels like that warm memory all over again. Fans of the series will love this walk down memory lane, remembering things from the early episodes, and learning all new anecdotes and mishaps from the making of the show. Tom Salinsky walks you through the early years of this comedy legend rather like you are sitting in an English pub having a chat with him. Breakdowns of episodes, fan theories, and commentary far more compelling than Rimmer’s Risk campaign diaries.
Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Saga Press
Price: $14.49
Purchase: The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones
Description: Earlier this year acclaimed horror novelist Stephen Graham Jones wrapped up his Indian Lake Trilogy in spectacular fashion with The Angel of Indian Lake. Book three finds protagonist Jade Daniels returning to her hometown of Proofrock after a four-year prison stint. This fast-forward gives us a Jade that’s a little older, a little wiser, and hellbent on not becoming one of those clueless adults that dooms countless teens to their gruesome demise in this inevitable cycle of violence that seems to plague the sleepy Idaho town at regular intervals. Ultimately, this blood-splattered wrap-up places both author and character alongside literary luminaries—like King and Barker—and final girls—like Laurie Strode and Ellen Ripley—respectively. In short: it’s not a book to be missed! (Review materials provided by Saga Press.)
Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Europa Editions
Price: $18.00
Purchase: The Mortal and Immortal Life of the Girl from Milan
Description: Having been enamored with Italian author Elena Ferrante since 2018, whoever she may be, this year I became acquainted with the works of Domenico Starnone, an Italian author who has often been accused of being the writer behind the Ferrante pseudonym. His latest novel is a short and stylish novel about love, the loss of childhood, memory and death. Our protagonist starts his journey with us in his childhood, and we follow him along a narrative worthy of a Greek tragedy into adulthood, an early love playing a key role in defining his character and the direction of his life. The story is both enchanting and repelling, weaving together the good and bad aspects of its main characters in a story that is complex and beautiful.
This post was last modified on November 24, 2024 4:45 pm
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