Another holiday season is almost upon, which means another great reason to buy and gift all things books! And there are some truly beautiful offerings from the publishing world this year, such some new illustrated editions of J.R.R. Tolkien works and Game Of Thrones/House Of The Dragon tomes, as well as Star Wars box sets; tie-ins for Star Trek, Stranger Things, and the Marvel and DC universes; graphic novel collections; hard rock and heavy metal memoirs; book-related gifts; fun, pop-culture-themed cookbooks, and much more!

Check out our Holiday Gift Guide 2022 for Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks for our favorite holiday gift picks for the readers in your life.

West of Memphis: Voices for Justice, a soundtrack album for the film West of Memphis was released today on CD and MP3 and features an all-star line-up of musicians and longtime supporters of the West Memphis Three. West of Memphis, which was given a limited theatrical release last month, is the Peter Jackson-produced documentary about the arrest and 1994 murder conviction of then-teenagers Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin – known as the “West Memphis Three” – and how forensic evidence led to their release from prison after more than 18 years.

A few days ago, we posted about the first single off the album, a cover of the David Bowie classic “The Jean Genie” performed by Camp Freddy, a cover band featuring guitarist Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and drummer Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses). Now, 14 tracks off the album, which features acts like Eddie Vedder, Marilyn Manson, Bob Dylan, and Patti Smith, as well as Johnny Depp (see Track #5 by Tonto’s Giant Nuts featuring Depp), is streaming online for FREE.

Part of today’s Kindle ebook deal of the day over at Amazon today is Margaret Atwood‘s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale for only $1.99 (that’s 87% off the regular price of $8.99). If you’d like to purchase a physical copy of The Handmaid’s Tale, the book is also in paperback for only $10.20.

Note – this deal is valid only for today, Wednesday, December 26, 2011, until 11:59pm PST.

Other $1.99 ebook deals today include The Host by Stephenie Meyer; Neil Young’s autobiography Waging Heavy Peace; Just Kids, a memoir by singer Patti Smith; and the George Washington biography Washington: A Life.

The British music magazine Q celebrated the 20th anniversary of U2′s seminal album Achtung Baby by assembling a tribute album comprised of songs from Achtung covered by some of the biggest names in pop rock. The CD, which was included free with last month’s issue of Q, is entitled AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered. Listen to three of the songs from the album here below.

Among the artists Q brought into the fold for this project are Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, the Killers, Jack White, Patti Smith, Garbage, and Snow Patrol. Songs from Achtung Baby have been covered before, most notably “One,” which has been covered by artists such as R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Warren Haynes, and the late Johnny Cash.