Hello We Risers!! It's Wednesday, September 2nd, and many of you are hitching up your backpacks and taking the long trudging path back to school, requiring you to walk uphill both ways. Anyway, we here at We Rise Mag thought we'd provide you with a list of ten books that would ease the struggle of school with some fun distractions!
1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline tells about Wade Watts, a teenage boy who escapes the problems of his dystopian society in the virtual world of OASIS. Like other players in this MMORPG, he uses his time to solve the puzzles. However, if he wants to succeed, he’ll have to win, and face the realities he tried so hard to shut himself away from. This is a great work of fiction that would appeal to any gamer, or just anyone who’s a sucker for pop-culture references, like I am!
I got this book in a Loot Crate, and it was a fantastic read that reminded me a bit of Sword Art Online. It’s a read that’s creatively written and goes by fast. You’ll find yourself hooked in no time!
2. H.P Lovecraft: Great Tales of Horror is exactly what the title says: A collection of some of H.P Lovecraft’s writings. From The Call of Cthulu, The Shadow over Innsmouth, The Rats in the Walls, and many others! Collected by Fall River Press, you just can’t beat the eye [and pen] for horror that Lovecraft did.
I bought this at my local Barnes and Noble for under $10, and I wasn’t disappointed. If you’ve never read any of H.P Lovecraft’s writings, this is definitely a place to get started.
3. Koji Kondo’s Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack isn’t a typo, I assure you. Written by Andrew Schartmann, this is a book, not a CD. This book is all about Koji Kondo’s music writing when it comes to Super Mario Bros, and even provides musical examples!
I saw this on a whim tucked behind a D&D starter set in Barnes and Noble, and I had to grab it. Once I saw the musical examples, I was sold! It’s a thorough break down that you don’t need to be a music major to understand, though it’s interesting, especially to those of you who are fascinated by video game soundtracks!
4. The Science of Attack on Titan by Rikao Yanagita, is an analysis that applies real science to the popular anime, Attack on Titan. From the regenerative abilities that titans have, to the weight of the ODM gear, to the metabolism that the Titans would need to survive. All of this and much more is tackled in this book!
I received this book as a birthday gift from my brother, and I have to say that it’s one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read! Not only is it accurate, but it’s absolute gold for any fan fiction writer who wants to make their story more believable. It’s a must-have for any fan of Attack on Titan or anyone who loves combining science and fantasy!
5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, is about the coming of the Antichrist and all of the mayhem that goes along with it. However, one angel and one demon get find themselves in the middle of all the discord and are apathetic about all the goings on. Combine that craziness to the great, hysterical, witty minds of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and you have quite the book!
My college roommate was the one who suggested this book to me, and I haven’t stopped paying it forward ever since. It’s a hilarious book that really puts a spin on the Apocalyptic genre. Even though this book is almost ten years old, it’s still totally relevant. Definitely check it out, and prepare yourself for quite the wild ride!
6. Bobby Singer’s Guide to Hunting by David Reed, talks not only about the various monsters that can be found in the popular CW show Supernatural, but tells about the fan favorite character, Bobby Singer. It’s a guide for those of you who want to go out and hunt demons, monsters, ghosts, wendigos, or whatever lurks in the dark where you least expect it…
I got this book for Christmas because I absolutely love Supernatural. Bobby Singer, to me, is not only the best character in the show, but has some of the best lines and really helps Sam and Dean grow. If you’re a fan of the show and eager to learn more about this universe than you can find in the reruns of earlier seasons, than pick up this book! It has pretty much everything you’ll need to know about Bobby and his adventures.
7. The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios, takes modern science and, like the Science of Attack on Titan applies it to our favorite superheroes. From Superman, Spiderman, to Batman, everyone and more is covered! The author, bursting with even more superhero/physics goodness, recently released a second edition!
This was another book I got for Christmas [see a pattern here?] and I thought it was interesting! I love books that break down unrealistic ideas and characters to make them more believable. I guess it gives me a spark of hope that these things could be real in the near future. It’s a fun read, even though you might not think that physics is fun. But if you’ve ever wondered how strong Spiderman’s webs are or whether or not Sue Richards could see while invisible. Kakalios also breaks down the details of each super power in a way that really makes it seem realistic!
8. Speaking of physics, Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson is another fantastic read to get the brain gears turning! deGrasse Tyson’s book explores a wide variety of topics, from what it would be like if you found yourself sucked into a black hole, to movie accuracy of the stars in the sky, or how the cosmos is ultimately going to wipe humanity off the face of the universe. You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy this book, but you’ll definitely find yourself looking up at the sky differently.
This was another book I got for Christmas and I found it to be another quick read. I love finding out more about the universe, since there’s so much mystery to it, and in many ways, this book reads more like a science fiction novel than an actual educational non-fiction. It’s a blast to read, and deGrasse Tyson’s style is always so easy to understand.
9. Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System by Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost is a history of the well-known, retro Atari game system and analyzes some of the most famous games to be produced for this system. Not only does it discuss the history, but also the technical aspects of the Atari.
This book was actually one of my textbooks in a “History of Video Games” course that I took in undergrad, and I thought it was amazing. I never played the Atari myself, but nevertheless, growing up playing the Sega Genesis, N64 system, and Playstation systems, I found it amazing to see how games from before I was born differed from the ones most recently created. Video games are always developing and pushing the bar year after year, and going back to the roots of where they came from is no less than astounding. This book shows that in an informative and clear way that would help any gamer find their origin story.
10. You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is a memoir by author, famous geek, and internet sensation, Felicia Day. From a socially awkward childhood, to eventually budding into a celebrity with her own webseries, it’s an inspirational tale that many geeks, gamers, and nerds can relate with.
I actually haven’t read this book, but, as Felicia Day just concluded her book tour, I look forward to picking up my copy once I have money to do so. This New York Times best seller, I feel, is a great addition to this book recommendation list, because, even if we don’t grow up surrounded by others with similar interests, there’s always a community out there for us to find respite in, no matter what our story is.
So there are our recommendations! All of these can be purchased on Amazon.com, or in a bookstore near you! Are there any we forgot? Feel free to leave a comment below and good luck with your studies! These are in no particular order, by the way... just in the order I thought of them. xD