Each weekend, Needcoffee.com’s staff of whackos will wrack our brains to give you interesting and new things to do over the weekend. Books, movies, whatever. We’ll throw them out, you do with them what you will. And hey…if you have something you want to recommend–whatever it is–drop us a line.
Incidentally, we’ve provided links where we can for you to buy the stuff or find out more if you’re interested, courtesy of those Amazon types, in the US, the UK and Canada.
Hey, come on, we can’t be totally selfless in this, can we? Okay, books and music first…
Book of the Week: Anatomy of the Sea: Over 600 Creatures of the Deep by Dr. David Ponsonby & Prof. Georges Dussart. 600 bits of sea life are profiled in this Chronicle Books release, yes, but presented in woodcuts and engravings from the Victorian era along with observations by naturalists of the time. This compilation is perfect for anyone who enjoys ocean critters, as it covers everything from sponges to sharks to plankton, and is put together by two biologists who know what they’re doing. Always a good thing. (US)(UK)(CAN)
Audiobook of the Week: Superman Lives by Various Readers. It’s not the upcoming movie (which is probably a good thing), but instead a dramatization of the return of the character after he got his ass handed to him by Doomsday. If you’re not a follower of the comic, this is where you nod and smile. Dirk Maggs, who we’ve mentioned before, masterminds this audio play version which spans three discs and hits from Time Warner Audiobooks. Considering the great job Maggs has done with the Hitchhiker’s Guide series, this is worth checking out. (US)(CAN)
Graphic Novel of the Week: Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore & Various. While America’s Best Comics unravels a bit, let’s take a look back at something that’s hardly ever done properly on this side of the pond: an anthology series. With bonus stories of Tom Strong and his family and friends, plus the introduction of a new character, Jonni Future, Moore leads a convincing charge of creators. Though the best bits in here are by Jaime Hernandez and Sergio Aragones. It’s handled out of the UK by Titan. (US)(UK)(CAN)
CD of the Week: War of the Worlds. If you’d like an alternate take on the H.G. Wells alien invasion story than the Cruise-Spielberg version, and you’ve already listened to the Orson Welles version recently, why not grab this 70s rock version from Epic and give it a shot? Two discs narrated by Richard Burton feature Justin Hayward from the Moody Blues and Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy, among others. It’s dated, sure, but interesting. It comes with four bonus tracks. (US)(UK)(CAN)
