Books You Should Pick Up

1) Spyology by Spencer Blake
I got to see him read a little of this, and it's awesome. It's a departure from the style of some other 'Ology books because it isn't mystical or historical--it's kind of noir and has a mystery story built in. Really fun, and it's my on Christmas list for little cousins. (Plus one for myself.) It's not out yet, but get ready for the end of October.

2) Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman
If you haven't read the His Dark Materials series, do that immediately. If you have, get Once Upon a Time in the North. Who doesn't want to read about the adventures of Lee Scoresby, Texan aeronaut, in a small Artic town riddled with political intrigue and polar bears? Lee was a bright shining star in His Dark Materials (an amazing series overall) and it was fantastic to see a little more about his past. (Reading through Once Upon a Time in the North, I realized that young Lee is like Mal from Firefly with a mustache and a rabbit.) Plus, you also get Hester, possibly my favorite daemon, and Iorek, everyone's favorite armored bear. And it comes with a board game! Yes, you too can be an artic aeronaut! I liked this one better than Lyra's Oxford, Pullman's other prequel. This one is out so pick it up!

(The photo is from the movie, which isn't great, but I do like Lee's picture here.)

3) Demons in the Spring by Joe Meno
Granted, I've only read (heard) the first story in this collection, but Joe Meno delivers. He has such empathy for his characters, and even with all the quirkiness, they feel so real. In a world where Dave Eggers and Jonathan Safran Foer are so well known, I think Meno deserves a little more fame. He just gets people, and he's very sensitive to them while also delivering a message of hope. The world is weird and hard, but it'll be okay.