The end of the year — and the decade! — is coming and with it is the holiday gift-giving season. And as we always say, books make a wonderful present for all your gift recipients! This year sees many selections to choose from for fans of properties like Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter, Game Of Thrones, and Stranger Things, with some very intriguing themed cookbooks, storybooks for the youngsters, and memoirs, as well as titles by authors like Jonathan Maberry, Seth Grahame-Smith, Dave Hill, and Greg Cox, along with reissued illustrated classics.

Check out here below our Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2019 for Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks for our favorite holiday gift picks for the readers in your life.

Recommendations by Empress Eve

The Necronomnomnom
Recipes and Rites From The Lore Of H. P. Lovecraft
Hardcover | Kindle
Written by Mike Slater, Edited by Thomas Roache, Illustrations by Kurt Komoda
Publisher: Countryman Press | W.W. Norton

Fans of H.P. Lovecraft who love to cook will absolutely want to get their hands on The Necronomnomnom, a cookbook with recipes inspired by the iconic horror author’s tales of terror. Author Mike Slater and editor Thomas Roache describe the preparation of each creation with instructions that read like mini tales of woe and despair themselves. But for those chefs who are Lovecraft novices, the book also contains a plain English appendix.

For Your Consideration: Keanu Reeves
For Your Consideration (Book 2)
Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audio CD
Written by Larissa Zageris and Kitty Curran
Publisher: Quirk Books

He’s Keanu Reeves, the Internet’s boyfriend! And now he’s the subject of a new For Your Consideration installment from Quirk Books. The book is composed of critical essays and tidbits about this Hollywood superstar and all-around nice guy. Black and white illustrations and Buzzfeed-type quizzes throughout add more fun.

For fans of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, there’s a selection for him too by Tres Dean, available in Paperback, for Kindle, on Audio CD.

Monster, She Wrote
The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson
Publisher: Quirk Books

Monster, She Wrote is a 352-page, eye-opening compendium of the pioneering women writers of horror fiction, such as foremother Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, as well as the women who followed her, like Shirley Jackson and Anne Rice.

Finnish Nightmares
An Irreverent Guide to Life’s Awkward Moments
Hardcover | Kindle
By Karoliina Korhonen
Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Finnish Nightmares is a small hardcover collection of humorous Finnish comic strips with global appeal. With 96 pages filled with 67 illustrations, the book is a quick read that leaves the reader laughing and nodding in agreement, and would bring a smile to your gift recipient’s face for sure.🇫🇮

Star Trek: The Official Guide to the Animated Series
Hardcover
By Aaron Harvey, Rich Schepis, Afterword by Dayton Ward
Publisher: Weldon Owen

The new hardcover full-color book, written by Aaron Harvey and Rich Schepis, provides a mind-blowingly comprehensive look at each of the 22 episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series, which ran for two seasons from September 1973 to October 1974. LLAP🖖🏻

Star Trek: The Antares Maelstrom
Star Trek: The Original Series
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Greg Cox
Publisher: Pocket Books | Gallery Books | Simon & Schuster
Release date: August 13, 2019

Author Greg Cox, best known in the Trek universe for his Khan-centric Eugenics Wars novels, gives us a full view in this new novel of The Antares Maelstrom, the galactic whirlpool first referenced in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. At 368 pages and with multiple storylines to follow, plenty of action and suspense, and a few mysteries to solve, there’s a lot to keep you intrigued in Star Trek: The Antares Maelstrom.

And here’s some more Star Trek books because I’m obsessed and chances are you know someone who is, too.

The Captain’s Oath
Star Trek: The Original Series
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Christopher L. Bennett
Publisher: Pocket Books | Gallery Books | Simon & Schuster

Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By John Jackson Miller
Publisher: Gallery Books | Simon & Schuster

Star Trek: Discovery: Dead Endless
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Dave Galanter
Publisher: Gallery Books | Simon & Schuster

Star Trek: The Motion Picture
40th Anniversary Edition
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Gene Roddenberry
Publisher: Pocket Books | Star Trek Books | Simon & Schuster

The Photography of Game of Thrones
The Official Photo Book of Season 1 to Season 8
Hardcover
By Helen Sloan with Michael Kogge
Publisher: Insight Editions

This full-cover massive 416-page hardcover contains 850 photos from the set of the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, which ran for 8 seasons. In The Photography of Game of Thrones, there are shots from the episodes as well as candid and never before seen images of cast and crew, all of which are accompanied by tidbits and anecdotes. What a gorgeous book for Game of Thrones fans!

The Art of Game of Thrones
The Official Photo Book of Season 1 to Season 8
Hardcover
By Deborah Riley with Jody Revenson
Publisher: Insight Editions

This 432-page full-color coffee table took contains behind-the-scenes concept art and production design for all 8 seasons of the long-running hit HBO series Game Of Thrones. Fans of the series, based on the Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin, will relish all the small details in The Art of Game of Thrones of what went into the design of the show.

The Hundred and One Dalmatians
Hardcover | Kindle
By Dodie Smith, Adapted by Peter Bently, Illustrated by Steven Lenton
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers

Abrams Books adapts Dodie Smith‘s 1956 classic tale The Hundred and One Dalmatians into a new illustrated storybook for young readers. Even adults will enjoy thumbing through this beautiful storybook, which tells the story of the animals who set out to save the Dalmatian puppies stolen by the evil Cruella de Vil, who wants to use the puppies’ fur to make a coat.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Classics Reimagined Illustrated Edition
Hardcover | Kindle
By Robert Louis Stevenson, Illustrated by Tina Berning
Publisher: Rockport Publishers | Quarto Publishing Group

Bound as a 7.9 x 7.9-inch hardcover, this Classics Reimagined edition uses modern illustrations by Tina Berning to enhance Robert Louis Stevenson‘s popular 1886 Gothic horror novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The Time Machine
Classics Reimagined Illustrated Edition
Hardcover
By H.G. Wells
Illustrated by Alessandro Lecis, Alessandra Panzeri
Publisher: Rockport Publishers | Quarto Publishing Group
Release date: May 7, 2019

Another Classics Reimagined Illustrated Edition, this time for H.G. Wells’s famous time-travel adventure The Time Machine, where an inventor who creates the titular machine uses it to travel to another time, where he encounters two warring factions. While the subject of time travel is very commonplace today, with plenty of books, television shows, and movies relying heavily on the process as a storytelling device, but back in 1895 when The Time Machine was published, it was innovative. This oversized hardcover illustrated edition makes a great gift for fans of this story.

We Sold Our Souls
Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Grady Hendrix
Publisher: Quirk Books

Released this year in paperback, We Sold Our Souls is a riveting , heavy metal-themed horror story from Grady Hendrix, writer of the Paperbacks From Hell compendium. The paperback makes a great gift for avid readers and horror enthusiasts, but go with the hardcover edition for the heavy metal maniacs, who will appreciate all the little design touches.

Face It: A Memoir
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Debbie Harry
Publisher: Dey Street Books

She was the face of Blondie, the new wave/rock band with punk rock roots that emerged from NYC’s underground scene in the 1970s to global success with hits like “Call Me,” “Heart of Glass,” “The Tide Is High,” and “Rapture.” This year, the 74-year-old American singer/songwriter Debbie Harry has published her first autobiography, Face It, which includes never-before-seen photos and art. The audiobook is performed by Harry, with guest appearances from Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Alannah Currie, and Gary Valentine, with original music by Chris Stein.

Parking the Moose
One American’s Epic Quest to Uncover His Incredible Canadian Roots
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Dave Hill
Publisher: Doubleday Canada

American Comedian and musician Dave Hill (of bands Valley Lodge and Witch Taint) humorously yet genuinely attempts to blend in with the locals throughout his trek of the Great White North to connect to his partial Canadian roots. Hill also narrates the audiobook for Parking the Moose, which I highly recommend listening to.🇨🇦

William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Mean Girls
Pop Shakespeare Series (Book 1)
Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
Written by Ian Doescher, Illustrations by Kent Barton
Inspired by the work of Tina Fey and William Shakespeare
Publisher: Quirk Books

In Much Ado About Mean Girls, writer Ian Doescher, who previously adapted the highly popular installments of the Star Wars saga into the style of Shakespeare, cleverly and faithfully transforms the 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls into a Shakespearean play, where sadly, “fetch” still hasn’t caught on.👚📚

The Princess and the Fangirl
Once Upon A Con Book 2: A Geekerella Fairy Tale
Sequel to Book 1 Geekerella
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Ashley Poston
Publisher: Quirk Books

In The Princess and the Fangirl, writer Ashley Poston returns to the world she built in 2017’s Geekerella, with a Prince and the Pauper-type switch between a famous actress and her fangirl double.

The Raven’s Tale
Hardcover | Kindle
By Cat Winters
Publisher: Amulet Books | Abrams Books

In The Raven’s Tale, Cat Winters embellishes on the more intimate details of Edgar Allan Poe‘s actual history while spinning a fantastical supernatural encounter for the famous horror scribe while he’s away at school during a pivotal year of his life.

The Imaginary Voyages of Edgar Allan Poe (Volume 1)
Paperback
Created and written by Dwight L. MacPherson, Foreword by Cat Winters
Illustrated by Luis Czerniawski, Colored by Andrea Messi, Lettered by Simon Roberts
Cover by Juan Ferreyra
Publisher: Hocus Pocus Comics

In my opinion, one can never get enough Edgar Allan Poe. In this first volume of The Imaginary Voyages of Edgar Allan Poe, the classic horror writer has lost his love and now possibly his mind as he ends up in a nightmare world of his mind’s own creation that’s filled with mythological gods and monsters. Cat Winters, who penned the Poe-themed YA novel The Raven’s Tale (recommended above), wrote the foreword to this graphic novel.

Heavy Tales
The Metal. The Music. The Madness. As lived by Jon Zazula
Hardcover | Paperback
By Jon Zazula
Publisher: crazed management llc

The autobiography comes from Jon Zazula, who went from New Jersey rock and roll record store owner to co-founder in the 1980s of Megaforce Records, the independent record label that launched the career of heavy metal legends Metallica. Thanks to Zazula and his wife and partner Marsha, other bands like Anthrax and Testament also got their big break. The book includes stories from Zazula’s Megaforce heyday, along with 100 rare photographs and more. Heavy metal fans will definitely dig this one.

Quick Picks

Reentry
Soul Remains (Terribly Serious Darkness Book 2)
Shining in the Dark: Celebrating 20 Years of Lilja’s Library (Anthology)
Quantum: A Thriller (Captain Chase Book 1)
The Water Cure
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: The Classic Illustrated Storybook
Bizarre World: A Collection of the World’s Creepiest, Strangest, and Sometimes Most Hilarious Traditions
This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us
Gather the Fortunes (A Crescent City Novel, Book 2)
Stephen King’s The Outsider

Recommendations by Fun With Dead Trees

Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
Written by E.K. Johnston
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Audiobook narrated by Catherine Taber (Publisher: Listening Library)

This Star Wars book gave me an incredible degree of insight into the lives of Padme’s handmaidens and decoys than I could’ve ever imagined. Plus, despite this being a very political novel, I enjoyed it more than anything I’ve read or watched that was set during the prequel era.

Recursion
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Blake Crouch
Publisher: Crown Publishing

Recursion is easily the best book I’ve read in years and one I could see myself enjoying several times. I’m saying nothing else for fear of ruining any plot point.

Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds
Stranger Things, Book 1
Hardcover | Kindle | Paperback | Audiobook
Written by Gwenda Bond
Publisher: Del Rey Books

As the Stranger Things Netflix series moves forward in time, this tie-in novel takes us a little more than a decade back giving us insight into the experiments happening at Hawkins National Laboratory under the watchful gaze of Dr. Brenner.

Frogcatchers
Hardcover | Kindle
Written and Illustrated by Jeff Lemire
Publisher: Gallery 13

Doing what Jeff Lemire does best, in this graphic novel we are treated to a deep dive into the psychology of a man awakening into a life of which he has no memory.

Bury the Lede
Paperback | Kindle/comiXology
Written by Gaby Dunn
Illustrated by Claire Roe with Miquel Muerto
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

In Bury the Lede, Boston newspaper intern Madison Jackson does the unthinkable and becomes the news when local socialite turned murderess Dahlia Kennedy refuses to talk to anyone but her. Gaby Dunn‘s writing is fantastic and warrants multiple readings of this graphic novel to catch nuances you missed in previous attempts.

Alien Archives: Eighteen Stories of Extraterrestrial Encounters
Paperback | Kindle
Written by Robert Silverberg
Publisher: Three Rooms Press

This collection of short stories and novellas from Robert Silverberg’s half-century career features new introductions from the author that are just as intriguing as the stories themselves.

Recommendations by Maximus Prime

Chokehold
The Final War #3
Paperback | Kindle
Written by David Moody
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

David Moody‘s Chokehold, the follow-up to One Of Us Will Be Dead By Morning and All Roads End Here, tells a story that viciously grabs ahold of you and will not let go, no matter how much you struggle. It is cutthroat, relentless, and — trust me when I say this — shockingly inspiring.

Rage
Rogue Team International Series #1
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Jonathan Maberry
St. Publisher: Martin’s Griffin

Jonathan Maberry delivers a non-stop global action-adventure story starring protagonist Joe Ledger in an exciting new series.

Recommendations by Dr. Zaius

How To Survive A Horror Movie
All the Skills to Dodge the Kills
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Seth Grahame-Smith
Publisher: Quirk Books

Zombies, vampires, alien invaders… Seth Grahame-Smith somehow covers the entire “Terrorverse,” alerting us to the common tropes and helping you plan your escape. How To Survive A Horror Movie is insightful, funny, and a must-have companion for any horror fan.

Recommendations by Stoogeypedia

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: A Visual History
Hardcover | Kindle Edition
Written by Tim Lybarger, Melissa Wagner, Jenna McGuiggan
Forward by Tom Hanks
Publisher: Clarkson Potter

This visual history on the beloved public television children’s program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is without question, as magical, charming, warm, and sincere as the pioneering man and the program itself. This guide contains photos (many rare and never released publicly), original show notes, recaps of great and important moments on the show, and loving interviews from many of the key cast, crew, and special guests involved with the program, which ran for over four decades and spawned almost a thousand episodes.

Recommendations by Olympus Athens

MacTrump
A Shakespearean Tragicomedy of the Trump Administration, Part I
Paperback | Kindle
By Ian Doescher and Jacopo della Quercia
Publisher: Quirk Books

Ian Doescher and Jacopo della Quercia have done it again, this time mashing current political culture (or lack thereof) with Shakespearean words, namely and obviously, MacBeth.

FIRST Official Downton Abbey Cookbook
Hardcover
By Annie Gray, Foreword by Julian Fellows
Publisher: Weldon Owen

This new cookbook contains historically recipes inspired by the Crawley household of TV’s popular series Downton Abbey. Try out Upstairs dishes like Macaroni with a Souffle Top as well as Downstairs fare like Summer Pudding.

Quick Picks

Echoes of War: Book 1 in the Echoes Trilogy
Geeks Who Drink Presents: Duh!: 100 Bar Trivia Questions You Should Know
William Shakespeare’s Get Thee Back to the Future!
The Dead Queens Club
A Golden Grave: A Rose Gallagher Mystery
Death Goddess Dance: The Mythos War, Book 3

Recommendations by Waerloga69

Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town
Stranger Things Book 2
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Adam Christopher
Publisher: Del Rey Books

Vicious murders in New York are not the only cause for alarm in this book from Adam Christopher that is based in the Stranger Things universe. Can new detective Jim Hopper get to the bottom of it or will these be chalked up to just another set of grisly unsolved crimes? Spooky elements and covert government agencies certainly will not make it any easier. A twisted tale told to Eleven whilst she and Hopper are snowed in during the Christmas holiday. A must for fans of the series and franchise!

The A*B*Cs of D&D and The 1*2*3s of D&D
A*B*Cs Hardcover | 1*2*3s Hardcover
Written by Ivan Van Norman, Illustrated by Caleb Cleveland
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

A couple of adorable primers for the wee ones cam out right before last Christmas and I had no chance to review them in time so I totally need to do so this year! Each one tells a short tale about D&D and gives young listeners and readers a fun view of what adventuring could mean to them. A is for Adventure and there is always one Dungeon Master! a great gift that I gave to my first grandson this past year. A perfect starter set for the next generation of role players!

Michael Crichton: The Andromeda Evolution
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Daniel H. Wilson
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Fifty years ago, Michael Crichton scared the reading world with The Andromeda Strain, now it seems that in that same universe where a virus almost literally wiped out an entire town, the microbes have changed. They have reappeared but in a stronger version, one that could quite possibly eradicate all life on our planet. We have had five decades to prepare, are we ready? It started in Arizona last time, an easily accessible area. But now, it has been discovered in the jungle. The world hangs in the balance in this gripping thriller from Daniel H. Wilson.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The Illustrated Edition
Hardcover
By J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Even now, years after the series completion, the Harry Potter series is as alive and well as it was a decade ago. Some of that continuing success is due in part to the releasing of illustrated editions of the books, the fourth of which just came out a few weeks back! Jim Kay‘s gorgeous full-color illustrations bring this book to life in ways heretofore unimagined. The Triwizard Tournament never looked so amazing! A true delight for Harry Potter fans of all ages.

The Children of D’Hara, Episode 3
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Terry Goodkind
Publisher: Head of Zeus

Beginning after the conclusion of The Sword Of Truth series, this serial-style novella series from Terry Goodkind continues the story of Richard and Kahlan, per the request of fans the world over. Written so as to engage the reader and draw them in again and again, this new series is chapter based and story driven. My thoughts are that this would make an interesting television series, because of the way it is laid out. Each novella has an often self-contained story, but they all tie into the greater arc that follows up the previous series. Well-rounded villains and heroes alike vie for attention in this third installment. Grab all three for a wondrous gift this holiday season.

A Midnight Clear
Paperback | Kindle
By Sam Hooker, Alcy Leyva, Laura Morrison, Cassondra Windwalker, Dalena Storm, Seven Jane
Publisher: Black Spot Books | Vesuvian Media Group

Six dark tales of the holiday season that are nontraditional in that not everything is full of cheer. Though often cheer is what you make it, right? This anthology is a wonderful step into slightly twisted, but always fun Yuletide reading. Elves, wolves, demons, loss, murder, and more abound in this small but potent little book that will make someone’s holiday a memorable one. it made me go shopping for more books from the authors as well as more from this small book press. Trust me, this will be a wicked little gift for the reader in your life.

Quick Picks

The True Bastards (Lot Lands Book 2)
Fallen (Alex Verus Book 10)
Becoming Superman: My Journey From Poverty to Hollywood
Oathbringer: Book Three of the Stormlight Archive
Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon
Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery
The Deep
Queen of the Conquered
The Princess Beard (Tales of Pell Series #3)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Illustrated Edition)

Remember, if all else fails, there’s also the Amazon.com Gift Card, you can have emailed to the recipient (arrives immediately) or you can print out the gift card at home and give it to the intended that way. If you order in enough time, you can get the physical gift card sent directly to you or to the recipient.