Recommended for I Spy Fans

I Spy Mystery by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick

Yep. Another I Spy book. Because they're awesome! So let's finish out October on a fun, kid-related note. Mystery and hidden things abound in this one, so take your time to look through all the enigmatic pages to find all the objects. The mystery theme is perfect for Halloween if you can't get your hands on I Spy Spooky Night. As always I love the pictures that these two have come up with and it's just so much fun to sit and look at them even when you're not actually trying to find something in the riddles. You simply never know what you'll find in the mish-mash of goodies. Trick-or-treat!

Read the Epinions review here!

Notes from the playlist: "Replay" by Iyaz

Recommended for Scary Storytelling

The Complete Tales of Edgar Allen Poe by Edgar Allen Poe

You can't have a good Halloween without some good scary stories to go with it. Might I suggest the "Masque of Red Death?" Or perhaps the old classic, "The Pit and the Pendulum." There's always "The Raven." Or you could read one that you've never heard of before. This is everything you ever wanted from Poe in a gorgeous leatherbound edition. I'd like to add that these leatherbound editions are fantastic. I own four of them. My cover looks a bit different (I got mine several years back), but the content is the same. Every page filled with Poe and his tales of murder, deception, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night - as well as the things that creep up behind you and don't make any noise at all and by the time you notice them, it's too late...

Notes from the playlist: "Superbeast" by Rob Zombie

Recommended for Science Geeks and Any Crichton Reader

Prey by Michael Crichton

The stuff Crichton came up with was always pretty impressive, both on a literary level and on a scientific level. Never mind that the dinosaurs escaped and wrecked havoc in Jurassic Park - we're all still jazzed about the idea of actually making real dinosaurs. As with most of his books, Crichton utlized a terrific amount of actual research to base all his ideas upon. This is also what helps to make the book so freaky. Robots of any form breaking free of human control and doing their own thing is a huge fear that lurks around. Nanos are no different. Those little buggers could (and in the book, do) as much damage as any human-sized, or larger, robot. Scary. However, that same information is what makes this book so thrilling. You like SF? You like Michael Crichton? You like science? Dive in, because this book is for you.

Read the Epinions review here!

Notes from the playlist: "What I've Done" by Linkin Park

OCTOBER BOOK GIVEAWAY!

My first giveaway wasn't superhot, but I attribute that to only having one book available. After all, a lot of people are burned out with paranormal type stuff, urban fantasy and all that. So this time I'm doing something a little different - giving away more books with a wider variety. If this doesn't draw more people in, I don't know what will. So, with that in mind, here's the October Book Giveaway!

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

This book has only been on the front shelves for what seems like forever. I know, it says "New in Paperback" up there, but this came out in 2008 and the paperback came out in February of this year. It's been uber-popular and still sells dozens of copies as the days roll by. So why not see what everybody's talking about?

The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

If the author name sounds familiar, then so should The Spiderwick Chronicles. This book is fresh off the press, only just going out a few weeks ago. It reminds me of other interesting child-oriented post-apocalyptic style sort of thing. Like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Something I could see Miyasaki doing. So if you're ready for a unique adventure or have some kids who would be interested in a story with a beyond the Wizard of Oz type feel, go for it.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

This is one I just kept looking at while at work. It sounded so interesting, so different, so ripe for Tim Burton to take a look at. This is geared toward teens and follows a boy who isn't supposed to be here. He was left in the crib of a human baby a long time ago, but he really belongs below ground, a dark world beneath the down. And he'll finally have to go there when his sister goes missing...

Zoo Story by Thomas French

This is the book I read back in July. It follows the events that unfold at a zoo in Florida, a fascinating look at where zookeepers work, how they handle escaped animals, and what happens when things are stretched to their limit. If you already have warring feelings about zoos, this will enhace them. Are zoos worth it or are they sheer entertainment? Knowing a little more about the full story behind at least one of them will at least give you more insight into the world we never see.

Yep. Four books. A little something for everyone. And remember, these are ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) so they're not entirely finished. They are all paperbacks, and they all have markings on the outsides of the pages to prevent anyone from attempting to sell them. But if you just want to read a good story, like a good free book, or think ARCs are cool, then by all means join in on the fun.

All you have to do is leave a comment anywhere on this blog. Say whatever you like (recommend something, tell me how much you enjoyed something, anything), but be sure to include an email address or some other way I can contact you if you've won, as well as which book you would like. The contest will end October 31st as the big spooky clock strikes 12. *muahahaha!*

**Just to clarify: There will be four winners - one person for each book. Not one winner take all. Hence the whole "tell me which book you want" thing. Sorry if anyone was confused.

Good luck!

Notes from the playlist: "Burning in the Skies" by Linkin Park

Currently Reading

The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy by Luke Cuddy (Editor)

Now, your store may or may not have this - apparently it is now out of print and only available digitally, but a few stores still have it in stock (at least they do around me). Every time I was in the philosophy section of the store, I saw this and others like it; House and Philosophy. Family Guy and Philosophy. Star Wars and Philosophy. But out of them all, I thought this would be the most fun to read. Though not a big gamer at all, I do love the Zelda games (ok, so I only own/have played two of them) and was really curious as to how the writers managed to wrangle philosophical concepts from an adventure video game. I suppose if you try hard enough, you can get philosophical about almost anything. Still, it's been an interesting read, with essays by different writers all compiled together. And yes, these guys have played the games.

Notes from the playlist: "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band

Recommended for Wolf Lovers and Photographers

Wolves: A Photographic Celebration by Amber Rose

This is another bargain delight I stumbled upon one day. These books fall into the Brick Books series, so there aren't just wolfy books like this. However, I think these are hard to come by now, so if you can't find them in the store, you might have to buy from a secondhand place. What I love about this book is that it's just pictures and fun facts. I love wolves. Always have. Always will. My parents still wonder why I'm not in the middle of the woods studying them. Sometimes I wonder that too. But since I'm not, I'll settle for this. Gorgeous color pictures with factoids accompanying each page. And if you were so inclined, it's not big like most coffee table books, but would make for an interesting piece.


Notes from the playlist: "The Greatest Story Never Told" by Murray Gold

The Winner!

The winner of the very first Bookseller Recommends Book Giveaway, after using the Random Number Generator, is.....

Poster #7 - HEIDI!

Congratulations Heidi, and I hope you enjoy your books!

(And no, in response to your comment, I actually haven't read Child 44 yet, but I've heard a lot of good things about it. Probably why it was a B&N Recommends book!)

If you didn't win, don't worry because I'll be posting another contest soon and THIS time there will be more than one title to choose from!