On My Radar:

Lists of Note: An Eclectic Collection Deserving of a Wider Audience
compiled by Shaun Usher
Chronicle Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Lists of Note curates 125 unputdownable entries from a list of names that are as eclectic and intriguing as its contents, which include myriad reasons given by ancient Egyptians for missing work, Albert Einstein's demands of his estranged wife, F. Scott Fitzgerald's extensive conjugation of "to cocktail," and many more. Rarely intended for the public eye, these lists reveal hopes, priorities, and musings in a most engaging and entertaining way. Each transcript is accompanied by an artwork, most a captivating facsimile of the list itself. Richly visual and irresistibly readable, Lists of Note is a testament to the human urge to bring order to, poke fun at, and find meaning in the world around us—and is a gift of endless enjoyment and lasting value.

On My Radar:

Paddle Against the Flow: Lessons on Life from Doers, Creators, and Cultural Rebels
by Huck Magazine
Chronicle Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Nas on language, Cat Power on looking inward, Spike Jonze on loving what you do, and Kim Gordon on feeling the flow. These are just a few of the indie stars and surprising insights collected in this gorgeous book by Huck magazine. Since launching in 2006, Huck has been at the vanguard of London's thriving independent publishing scene and has grown into an internationally distributed bi-monthly, with editions available on newsstands in 20 countries worldwide. Bringing together the best insights from over 60 of the most inspiring people Huck has spoken to over the years—along with exclusive photography and art that has come to embody Huck's distinct aesthetic—this book presents a diverse range of truths, creative wisdom, and life lessons from those who paddle against the flow.

On My Radar:

Twitter: The Comic (The Book) - Comics Based on the Greatest Tweets of Our Generation
Mike Rosenthal
Chronicle Books
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

From a simple, brilliant premise—to create comics from the weirdest and funniest tweets around—artist Mike Rosenthal (@VectorBelly) has crafted a hilariously surreal world that has attracted over a million followers to his blog Twitter: The Comic. Each carefully curated tweet delivers concentrated humor in the language of the Internet, reproduced in the comics with typos and all. As envisioned by Rosenthal, each comes to life through a bizarrely recognizable cast of bassoon-playing cops, sarcastic teens, bear MDs, clueless dads, potential insect overlords, and more. Featuring more than 120 of these comics, including dozens unique to this book, Twitter: The Comic (The Book) is a dementedly funny vision of our strange online age.

On My Radar:

Sh*t Rough Drafts: Pop Culture's Favorite Books, Movies, and TV Shows as They Might Have Been
Paul Laudiero
Chronicle Books
Trade Paperback


From the publisher's website:

Sh*t Rough Drafts collects imagined misguided early drafts of classic books, screenplays, and contemporary literature, creating visions of alternate works that would exist had the authors not come to their senses. What if F. Scott Fitzgerald had gone with the title The Coolest Gatsby? How would The Hunger Games change if Peeta were armed only with blueberry muffins? If the Man of Steel’s S stood for Sexyman? MacBeth, Moby Dick, Harry Potter, Sense and Sensibility, The Lord of the Rings, and many more are each presented as if they were the actual typed or handwritten pages by the authors themselves, revealing the funny and frightful works they might have been with a little less capable judgment.

Winner of Chronicle Book’s 2013 Great Tumblr Book Search