So as you well know, Christmas is just around the bend. Before your turkey and mash potato filled stomachs sag with the thought of dishing out money for people on your list, consider something more practical than socks, or underpants, consider getting them a book!

Not surprisingly, there have been a good number of new books out in the past year; a lot of them centering around popular video games in what seems to be an attempt to open gamers to the wonderful world of reading things that aren’t on our TV screens.  Here are a couple that may strike your loved one’s fancy, and as an added plus, keep you from going broke.

• Amazon’s Kindle:
  I wont lie, this little gadget really struck my fancy when I first saw a co-worker reading it on her break. The tablet is decent in size with a large black and white screen that screams gameboy. Kindle is a portable library that allows you to read and buy books on the fly, which is another cool thing about it. Any book you want at your finger tips! It’s a tad bit pricey, but aside from this it would make an excellent gift for avid readers or people who spend alot of time travelling (with its global wireless features) or like to take their books with them.

• Dragon Age: The Calling by David Gaider

  This is a prequel to Ea/Bioware’s RPG giant that is Dragon Age: Origins. Gaider brings up familiar names and places in his telling of the adventures of the series’ God-like protagonists, the Grey Wardens. Any DA:O fan will love the book , and the presentation David Gaider makes with it as an author.

• Zombies: A Field Guide to The Walking Dead by Bob Curran
  For the educated zombie lover in your life. Bob Curran looks into the actual myth and legend the people of the world have on the living dead. The book doesn’t just talk about zombies in pop culture but actually examines the tales and beliefs of zombies and the walking dead around the world, in an attempt to answer if the living dead are just a figment of our imagination, or there is something more.

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! by Jane Austen/ Seth Grahame-Smith
  Ever read Pride and Prejudice? Me either. Some fancy novel about fancy Victorian era stuff, no doubt filled with deep moral and social lessons beneath the guise of a cheery yet depressing love story. Well screw all that, this one has zombies. Anyone who wants a nice laugh, and a kick ass take on old novels with zombies and other brutal undead stuff should look into this. Did i mention zombies?

• Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
  Yes, a new book from the late Michael Crichton, one of the most accomplished authors/writers of this era. How can one release a new book after they are dead, you ask? Simple. Someone had access to his computer, went through all of his personal files, and discovered a complete manuscript hidden away. Anyone who is a fan of either pirates, excellent historical fiction, or Michael Crichton in general would be ecstatic to find this gem under the tree this year.

Those are my top picks for your book loving recipient, because who doesn’t want kick ass fantasy books with wars against inhuman hordes of monster warriors, and dragons and crap? For the more undead savvy person in your life, why not get an insightful take on history, as well as a mock up of a classic novel? And for the hook-handed, peg legged aunt, Pirate Latitudes is sure to suffice.

Backup Choices
Just in case your bookworm has all of the aforementioned works, or if you can’t find one of the above listed, try to keep an eye out for these awesome works as well.

• World War Z
• Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
• The War of the Worlds Plus Blood, Guts and Zombies
• Prima’s Dragon Age: Origins Official Collecter’s Guide
• Good Omens (Personal Favorite)

And there you have it! My rag-tag list of novels that anyone will enjoy. And at around 10-15 bucks a pop (save for the Kindle) you have an option that wont have you mortgaging your house or selling your first born to the Colombian black market.