Wondrich’s engaging, staggeringly well-researched book Imbibe! does double duty, detailing the rise of “Professor” Jerry Thomas, the colorful innovator and impresario who helped create America’s cocktail culture in the late 19th century, as well as describing, in loving detail, the archival cocktails of the era. This is first book about spirits to win a prestigious James Beard Award, previously given only to cookbooks. $18 from Amazon.

Four decades after the Oblivion Crisis, Tamriel is threatened anew by an ancient and all-consuming evil. It is Umbriel, a floating city that casts a terrifying shadow–for wherever it falls, people die and rise again.

And it is in Umbriel’s shadow that a great adventure begins, and a group of unlikely heroes meet. A legendary prince with a secret. A spy on the trail of a vast conspiracy. A mage obsessed with his desire for revenge. And Annaig, a young girl in whose hands the fate of Tamriel may rest . . . .

Based on the award-winning The Elder Scrolls, The Infernal City is the first of two exhilarating novels following events that continue the story from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, named 2006 Game of the Year.

Excerpt at Random House. $10 at Amazon.

EDIT: Just so everyone knows, I LOVE Oblivion. Favorite game EVAR. Next, I LOVE Fallout3. So, basically, I LOVE Bethesda Softworks. If Bethesda ever asked me if I wanted to work for them, I would drop whatever I was doing at the moment, and run toward them with open arms. *Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink*
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Issue 3 is the product of months of work by dozens of people. It is 60 pages, 8.5×11, perfect bound, offset printed on FSC-certified paper. It includes 28 original illustrations, 18 true stories, one interview, and a full-page spread of 36 lips. It includes the phrases: opposed to cunnilingus, atrocity before dinner, sticky wetness on my palm, volcano of inappropriateness, and zipping up the darkness. Issue 1 and 2 are also awesome. $12 each at Fray.

Very cool. Found on HI + LOW. More on Flickr. Assemble your own set at AbeBooks.

No.Zine is an independent arts zine, released in series, the first collection; 1 to 3 features a variety of young artists, designers, writers, photographers and illustrators. Each issue is conceptually centred around it’s issue number. Curation, illustration, design and art-direction by Patrick Fry with the help of many great contributors. For contacts for all the contributors, see the links. About $30 at No.Zine.

Getting Real is a book about the business, design, programming, and marketing philosophies of 37signals — a developer of web-based software used by over 1 million people and businesses in 70 countries. $25 at 37signals.

With more than 100 rules that will help you pick the right shoes and apparel, keep up with the latest running lingo, and achieve your running goals while keeping sore ankles, knees, and muscles to a minimum. $13 from Amazon.

The Boy’s Own crew were having so much fun that in six years they only managed to release 12 issues. But these 440 pages depict acid house culture – the slang, the parties, the tunes, the humour – better than anything, as captured in the words of Farley, Mayes, Weatherall, Oakenfold and many more key players. As well as every page of every fanzine there’s a great interview with all the Boys. $30 at Oki Ni. Note: This one’s for you, Ben. It would be for Sam too, but he needs to come say Hi first.

Operating Manual For Spaceship Earth is a short book by R. Buckminster Fuller, first published in 1969. The book imagines our species as a crew, united by a shared fate, on a tiny spaceship traveling through infinity. The spaceship has a finite amount of resources and cannot be resupplied. It can be read even today as the most intelligent metaphor for thinking about humankind on this planet. Fuller accepted the challenge presented by this metaphor, using his inventions and writings to contribute to the safe operations of Spaceship Earth.

These bookends are great to showcase your favorite books and a unique way to organize your collection. Available from GSelect for $89.