Welcome first day of Fall 2021…. and with it come lots of new books!

Last year, aka Pandemic Year 1, while self-isolating and staying indoors as much as possible, I threw myself into reading … print books, magazines, ebooks, and audiobooks. So while it was a stressful year on a whole (for all of us), I really enjoyed being able to prioritize reading. This year, what’s become Pandemic Year 2, I wanted to get outside a bit, but also continue to be on the safe side, which meant road-tripping and hiking the great outdoors. Therefore, I’ve leaned more towards audiobooks.

Below are some titles — with accompanying links to the print, ebooks, and audiobooks editions — that I personally am looking forward to this Fall, presented here in order of release date, starting with those releasing in September 2021. After this main list, I’ve included some titles that came out earlier this year that you might have missed, as well as some themed Cookbooks, Crafts, and Guidebooks, along with an Audiobook Spotlight. And with the Fall comes, of course, Halloween and some spookier picks!

Continue on to check out my Fall 2021 Book Recommendations…

Dungeons & Dragons: Mythic Odysseys Of Theros

Hardcover
D&D Accessory
Wizards Of The Coast
Release Date: July 21, 2020

Greetings from the time of COVID-19, good reader! I only just received this advance copy of Dungeons & Dragons: Mythic Odysseys Of Theros and while I am not very knowledgeable about Magic: the Gathering, I do know a bit more than most about Dungeons & Dragons. From my perspective, this is a new world, a new setting. And regardless of the source material, it is a new role playing source book. But for those who play Magic, this may well something even more special.

Magic: The Gathering: Rise Of The Gatewatch: A Visual History
Hardcover | Kindle
Magic The Gathering Accessory
Abrams ComicArts and Wizards Of The Coast
Release Date: July 23, 2019

I try to be upfront with everything I write, folks. So when I say I have never in my entire life played Magic: The Gathering, I hope you know I am not kidding. When it was first coming out, I was well aware of it but only because at that time I was living above a comic shop and found myself constantly in there for one reason or another. This now defunct but eternally glorious shop was my refuge, just as it was for so many others. I saw the fervor with which newcomers took to the game but it sadly held no allure for me. I was and still am a diehard tabletop role-playing fan, but the entire concept of a trading card game just did not appeal to me. And until quite recently I had no idea there was more to it than the simple mechanics of gameplay. This is in no small way because of Magic: The Gathering: Rise of the Gatewatch.

The book itself is a fairly straight forward homage to the game with elaborate backstories and beautiful art for each of the eight planeswalkers, plus the added bonus of one of the most evil beings in the multiverse! The histories included show the planeswalkers in a variety of lights. Not every one of them is heroic, though most are to be sure. And while I may never play a single round of the game, I now see what appeals to those who do. It is just as gripping as what I would consider traditional gaming, though this has been around long enough that I must give it the due it deserves.

Over twenty years after being introduced as the first Trading Card Game, Magic: The Gathering is being optioned for the silver screen. 20th Century Fox recently closed the deal that gives them access to the franchise for the purpose of creating a feature film, though it has been rumored they might seek to rival other huge fantasy movie franchises in the future.

At the helm is Simon Kinberg, a writer and producer who already works closely with Fox. Word has it that he’ll be working closely with Hasbro’s Daniel Persitz to bring this to fruition. Assisting him in this are Kira Goldberg and Ryan Jones who were directly involved in the acquisition of the rights to M:TG. There’s not a lot of details right now but we’ll be bringing you updates as we get them.

Zero Charisma
Director: Katie Graham, Andrew Matthews
Screenwriter: Andrew Matthews
Cast: Sam Eidson, Garrett Graham, Brock England, Anne Gee Byrd, Cyndi Williams, Brian Losoya, Vincent Prendergast, Katie Folger, John Gholson, Dakin Matthews

Directed by Andrew Matthews and Katie Graham and written by Matthews, Zero Charisma is an indie-comedy about an obsessive fantasy nerd who becomes unhinged when a charming hipster joins his role-playing game.

Graham and Matthews served as Director of Photography and Editor, respectively, for Michael Stephenson‘s award-winning documentaries Best Worst Movie and The American Scream. They make their directorial debut with Zero Charisma, which is also Executive Produced by Stephenson.

The film stars Sam Eidson (Natural Selection, My Sucky Teen Romance) as Scott Weidemeyer, a metal-loving gamer geek who lives with his crazy grandmother and works a dead-end job at a donut shop. But every Tuesday night, the terminally uncool Scott is the all-powerful Game Master, guiding his role-players through a tabletop journey of dark fantasy and adventure.