Holiday Gift Guide: 25 Books We're Wishing For

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If not for the dawn, and subsequent takeover, of Mario, King Koopa, and Nintendo Entertainment Systems in the early 1980s, the gaming world would look a whole lot different today. Pong: Part 30, anyone? Though ’80s babies gladly shut their brains off and basked in 8-bit awesomeness, it took a great deal of eccentricity and perseverance to create the NES console, and, as a result, a video game revolution. Jeff Ryan’s quick-witted and informative Super Mario sheds light on how Nintendo got its start and battled its way through legal drama and emerging competitors (Sony, Microsoft) to beat the system—no Game Genie required.

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You don’t need to be a horror fan to appreciate the phenomenal reporting and crisply written prose in Jason Zinoman’s Shock Value, but it sure does help. The New York Times critic’s lean, anecdote-packed look back at the emergence of naturalistic scares back in the 1970s provides fresh insights into the early career days of John Carpenter (Halloween), Wes Craven (The Last House On The Left), Brian De Palma (Carrie), and Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre). Shock Value spotlights a time of overzealous innocence, recounting how a few hungry, wannabe filmmakers with original ideas redirected an entire genre’s future. It’s essential reading for anyone who’s obsessed with film, no matter the genre.

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Twenty-three years after DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince so eloquently informed youngsters, parents still just don’t understand, namely when it comes to their kids’ preference for music by artists with names like ASAP Rocky, Meek Mill, and Fred Da Godson. Rather than bitch and moan about dad’s dusty points-of-view, however, hip-hop heads should give their rap-hating superiors a copy of Steve Stoute’s informative and eye-opening The Tanning Of America. The highly influential and powerful marketing guru writes vividly about how the culture has impacted all walks of life, presenting hip-hop as more than beats, rhymes, and swag.

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VHS: Absurd, Odd, And Ridiculous Relics From The Videotape Era is a hilarious rifling through a video store’s bargain bin, but from the convenience of wherever one prefers to read books (and don’t say the crapper). Simply for shits and giggles, comedy writers Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have scoured the annals of laughably bad cassette covers to assemble the biggest collection of awful ’80s hairdos, loudly neon outfits, and instructional vids with titles like Bunnetics: The Buttocks Workout. Which does indeed exist.

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The holidays are the perfect time for us all to reflect upon life’s meanings, and literature has always been the ideal realm for truth-seeking individuals to do just that. “But I also miss the hell out of baseball,” you say? We’re not sure how the hell you made that connection from “the meaning of life,” but, whatever the case may be, The Art Of Fielding should be at the top of your list’s “Books To Get” section. Widely considered one of 2011’s best novels, Chad Harbach’s poignant story follows a collegiate baseball star whose inner circle of friends and teammates go through emotional changes after he pegs one in the head with a wild throw.

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You can’t play Batman: Arkham City forever, Batman aficionados. For those times when your brains feel like they’re about to melt from staring at the TV screen comes Daniel Wallace’s The Joker: A Visual History Of The Clown Prince Of Crime. The Caped Crusader’s greatest villain has been raising comical hell since the 1940s, and Wallace’s thorough timeline shows the cheeky and sadistic antagonist’s physical and psychological evolution from Batman #1 through Heath Ledger’s 2008 embodiment in The Dark Knight.

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Breaking through with swords swinging and crotches thrusting, Game Of Thrones, HBO’s decadent adaptation of renown fantasy author George R. R. Martin’s Song Of Fire Of Ice book series, has emerged as 2011’s grisliest and, yes, horniest pop culture phenomenon. With five months remaining before Game’s second season premiere, it’s high-time for Stark family enthusiasts to request this four-novel set, exclusive to Amazon. If folks balk at the $137 price tag, bless them with any of these wicked Game Of Thrones highlights. They’ll see the light.

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During his 19 years in the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal was a force to be reckoned with, dominating the paint with his abnormal size and unstoppable low-post game (let’s ignore his free throw shooting for now). But just ask any of his longtime fans, or any of his basketball peers on and off the court: The man who once recorded Shaq Fu: Da Return and starred in the cinematic classic Kazaam has also always been one of the sports community’s funniest personalities. Which makes his long-awaited post-playing autobiography, Shaq Uncut: My Story (co-written with ESPN personality and author Jackie MacMullan), such a lively read; that, and his willingness to dish about his past marital woes, talk recklessly about Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson, and bring LeBron James down a few pegs. No wonder he calls himself The Big Aristotle.

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Prior to his passing on October 5, technology icon Steve Jobs lived a monumental and influential, yet undeniably enigmatic life. For two years, however, biographer Walter Isaacson conducted numerous interviews with the Apple magnate, all of which provided Isaacson with the background necessary to construct this 650-page profile of one of the commercial world’s most important figures. It’s the perfect stocking filler to illuminate anyone who owns an iPhone, iPod, or iPad; meaning, damn near everyone over the age of six. Actually, three—we hear nursery school playgrounds resemble cyber lounges nowadays.

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Even though The Walking Dead’s second season hasn’t been as killer as we’d hoped, the AMC hit is still one of our favorite TV shows; based on its consistently stellar ratings, we’re not the only ones who can’t get enough of zombies, slow-moving plots, and Norman "Daryl Dixon" Reedus' scene-stealing capabilities. Tapping into the fandemonium, AMC and executive producer/comic book creator Robert Kirkman have sanctioned this behind-the-scenes text full of storyboards, interviews with set designers and makeup artists, and episode breakdowns. The best part: There’s no “Get To Know Sophia” chapter to string readers along until the last page.

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As this summer’s excellent X-Men: First Class reminded us all, Marvel’s complex band of mutants are nothing to fuck with, unless you’re Brett Ratner—not even a ten-foot pole can help that guy’s limited creative reach (case in point: X-Men: The Last Stand). To witness the evolution of superhero greatness, get your hands on X-Men By Chris Claremont and Jim Lee Omnibus, a 720-page compendium made up of earliest X stories, dating back to 1991.

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Some people enjoy horror flicks; Kim Newman, on the other hand, lives and breathes all things bloody, scary, and morbid. In this new edition of the British film critic and all-around expert’s 1988 tome Nightmare Movies, Newman further elaborates on practically every horror movie made since 1960, from cheapo, hardly-B-level productions to the inarguable classics. Lest Nightmare Movies read like a series of dry Wikipedia page entries, however, Newman types through it all with tireless wit, humor, and a fearless sense of defiance against commonly accepted opinions; for example, he rips Ridley Scott’s Alien a new one. Such knowledgeable, if not infuriating, gall deserves attention.

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Today’s word of the day, kids, is…history! Aaaaah! If that joke hits home, then Inside Pee-Wee’s Playhouse is the book you’ve been waiting for since Paul “Pee-Wee Herman” Reubens got caught jacking off in that movie theater back in 1991, a.k.a. the end of Pee-Wee’s reign. Caseen Gaines pulls the curtain back to reveal the bizarre children’s show’s history (Aaaah!), starting with its origins inside Los Angeles’ Groundlings Theatre; there’s also an in-depth and exhaustive Pee-Wee’s Playhouse episode guide. No ant farm is complete without it.

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Zombie movies—and TV shows, as proven by The Walking Dead—are fertile grounds for genre storytellers to marry social allegory with gory chills. Yet, on the literary tip, the undead thrive with far less fan-fare, save for the occasional breakthrough novel, such as Max Brooks’ epic World War Z. In Zone One, award-winning scribe, and first-time horror dabbler, Colson Whitehead has delivered the next great zombie novel, one set in Manhattan and replete with humor, authentic scares, and political satire.

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One lady who could’ve made it onto our recent Actresses Adam Sandler Stole A Job From list (inspired by his cross-dressing nightmare Jack & Jill) is The Office co-star/writer Mindy Kaling. As Dundler Mifflin’s bubbly, and a bit dim, Kelly Kapoor, Kaling rarely misses a humorous beat; in her first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), the witty funnywoman waxes comedic on her pre-Office days, the entertainment industry, romantic misadventures, and what makes guys tick.

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Come next March, the names Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark could very well be just as ubiquitous as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. So why are we so excited about that possibility? Because the characters of Katniss and Peeta originated in a mega-popular, teen-friendly book series that’s actually, you know, well-written and not obnoxious. Hollywood’s adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, starring Jennifer Lawrence, is only four months away, so now, the calm before the storm, is a good time to learn what all the fuss is about before 10-year-old girls start wearing “Team Gale” shirts.

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After nearly 40 years in the professional publishing game, Stephen King still finds ways to reinvent himself—for that alone he deserves holiday shoppers’ business. With the sprawling 11/22/63, though, the prolific author abandons his patented horror leanings and opts for a love story, albeit one that’s also a time-traveling yarn about a modern-day English teacher trying to prevent JFK’s assassination after transporting back to 1958 via a diner’s cupboard. At 860 pages long, 11/22/63 isn’t for half-assed readers; for them, there’s always Dr. Seuss.

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Many aspiring screenwriters start off dreaming about winning Academy Awards with “serious” works. And, typically, the eager hopefuls pick up straight-laced “How To” books that flow with the rhythm of an insomniac-curing tutorial. That’s where Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (of The State and Reno! 911 fame) come in; this frank and funny as hell guide to making it as a Hollywood storyteller keeps it brutally honest, pointing out that, in order to make bank in Tinseltown, one should check their artsy-fartsy inclinations at Mulholland Drive. Sometimes, the truth hurts, but it can also make us laugh our asses off.

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Here’s an eleventh tip for all Pot-heads still suffering from Harry Potter withdrawal: Beg a loved one to hook you up with Harry Potter Page To Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey as a holiday present. Now that the record-breaking series of film adaptations is over, all that’s left for fans to do is re-watch DVD bonus features, an obsessive practice that’s made very simple by Bob McCabe’s hardcover Potter tribute. Included in Page To Screen are exclusive interviews with Daniel Radcliffe and his co-stars, pre-production illustrations, and tons of on-set images.

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Be warned: Bill Maher’s The New New Rules is the last gift you’ll want to give to someone who’s upset about Herman Cain’s suspended presidential campaign, or who pledges allegiance to the Tea Party. For the liberals out there, though, the Real Time host's collection of intelligently comical diatribes railing against all things politically and socially idiotic is one of the year’s funniest books.

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So, you’re a horror movie lover, but long paragraphs full of verbosity scare you more than any big-screen baddies can? Here’s the perfect coffee table read for you. Written and complied by veteran director, and always entertaining talking head, John Landis (An American Werewolf In London, Coming To America, Michael Jackson’s Thriller), Monsters In The Movies traces the history of cinematic creatures and ghouls—from werewolves to zombies to serial killers—through lavish movie posters and stills. In addition to Landis’ super-brief blurbs accompanying the photos, he also interviews masters such as John Carpenter and David Cronenberg. And, yes, the Q&A’s are short but sweet. ADD, for the win.

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The appeal of being a superhero seems pretty basic: You get to kick ass, save the day, and bag all of the chicks. While he’s not about to refute any of those superficial pleasures, esteemed comic book writer Grant Morrison has deeper thoughts on the importance of costumed crime-fighters, all of which comprise his brainy and highly fascinating Supergods. Through personal anecdotes and historical events, Morrison analyzes the cultural necessity for characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Surprisingly, Wonder Woman has more to offer than skimpy Halloween costumes fit for drunk, hot chicks. Who knew?

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Before the days of blogs and instant online satisfaction, music connoisseurs had to actually watch TV and hope to catch their favorite artists’ latest jams. Yes, this was decades before Snooki and teenaged moms took over MTV’s airwaves. In this vibrant and nostalgic flashback to the cable network’s first years, music journalists Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum pull from over 400 interviews to reflect on a much simpler time, when dudes were sweating Tabitha Soren and Tawny Kitaen while fighting for their right to party. Cross Colours jeans sold separately.

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Mob stories and shoot-’em-up tough guy flicks didn’t start with your boys Tony Montana and Don Corleone. As the comprehensive and snappily written The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies points out, the criminally minded film genre dates all the way back to the days of James Cagney, and even earlier. Pulitzer Prize-winning crime reporter George Anastasia and fellow Philly native Glen Macnow countdown their Top 100 examples of antiheroic cinema, in addition to breaking down each flick’s body-count and offering random fun facts. There’s even a scathing rundown of the 15 Worst Gangster Movies, making The Ultimate Book Of Gangster Movies the only place you’ll ever see Chris Kattan (for Corky Romano) share written real estate with Marlon Brando.

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Whether you’re a genre head who’s more partial to straightforward horror or science fiction craziness, there’s one truth we can all agree on: Ridley Scott’s Alien is one of the scariest flicks of all time. And with Scott’s "is-it-a-prequel-or-not?" Prometheus (due in theaters June 8, 2012) currently causing major fanboy shock waves, it’s only right that British film historian Ian Nathan’s exhaustive making-of Alien Vault reminds us of the 1979 classic’s greatness. Complete with original storyboards, monster sketches, script pages, and on-set photos, Alien Vault is a “Special Features” extravaganza for bookworms.