Happy Friday, everybody!
We're well into summer reading season, and while I plan to sit down and make a list of my own suggestions next week, I thought I'd start with a book I just picked up that all the nerds should enjoy: Tom Bissell's "Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter."
It's half memoir of a video gamer, half critical report on the status of the industry today, and anyone who is curious about video games (or just flat-out loves them) will probably want to pick this one up. Also, it got a starred review from Publishers Weekly. So there's that.
Anyway, for those of you not at all interested in video games, we do have a book to giveaway today. So, congratulations Joann! You've won "Spice Dreams." I expect a report back on any delicious treats you make!
Next up: Jennifer Egan, author of "The Keep," is back with "A Visit from the Goon Squad." The novel follows the lives of a former punk rocker and current record executive and the young woman he hires. The characters' lives lead the reader far-flung places -- Naples, San Francisco, Africa -- and illustrates the effects that time and music have on lives.
So let us know what you're reading, and this little number could be yours!