A Reading List

National Video Game Day happens on July 8! (Its cousin, National Video Games Day, is Sept. 12.) Why is a bookseller writing about video games, you ask? Well, there's a lot of crossover between these two art forms. There are obvious relevancies, such as the wildly popular Witcher games (based on Andrzej Sapkowski's epic book series); and the less obvious ones, like spinoff novels and art books. And (by this time you probably know) I really love sci-fi, much of which deals with what-ifs about how video games can impact our lives now, and in the possible future. From classics like Ender's Game to more recent hits like Ready Player One, video games have been fascinating writers ever since they were first a thing. 

Personally, I love the art of video games so I chose a lot of art books for this list, but I'd love to hear about your favorite books on gaming (whether that's a childhood favorite, an incredible art book, a game-inspired cookbook, a novel, backstory, or anything else you love). What's your favorite? Let me know!  I can still add titles to this list. 

Beloved Games

The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia Deluxe Edition

"This 328-page book is an exhaustive guide to The Legend of Zelda, from the original The Legend of Zelda to Twilight Princess HD. A comprehensive collection of enemies and items, potions to poes, an expansion of the lore touched upon in Hyrule Historia, concept art, screencaps, maps, main characters and how they relate, languages, and much, much more, including an exclusive interview with Series Producer, Eiji Aonuma! This, the last of The Goddess Collection trilogy, which includes Hyrule Historia and Art & Artifacts, is a treasure trove of explanations and information about every aspect of The Legend of Zelda universe!" #StaffPick

Super Mario Encyclopedia: The Official Guide to the First 30 Years by Nintendo

"Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: The Official Guide to the First 30 Years is jam-packed with content from all seventeen Super Mario games--from the original Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario 3D World. Track the evolution of the Goomba, witness the introduction of Yoshi, and relive your favorite levels. This tome also contains an interview with producer Takashi Tezuka, tips to help you find every coin, star, sun, and mushroom - even explanations of glitches! With information on enemies, items, obstacles, and worlds from over thirty years of Mario, Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia is the definitive resource for everything Super Mario!"

Minecraft For Beginners: A Step By Step Guide by The Official Minecraft Team

"With its open-ended game play, massive world and dedicated fan base, Minecraft is a richly rewarding experience—once you get the hang of it. With easy-to-follow instructions, tips and tricks from the experts behind the game, Minecraft for Beginners will help you survive and thrive. You’ll learn how to find food, build a shelter, mine for materials and craft armor, swords and other equipment, plus get the inside scoop on places to go and the monsters you’ll encounter. What are you waiting for? Begin your Minecraft adventure today!"

Incredible Art Books

Art books like these tend to be printed for a short time, so if you see something you love, snap it up while you still can. They're often quite hard to come by on the secondary market. 

The Skyrim Library (Box Set)

"For the first time, the collected texts from the critically and commercially acclaimed fantasy video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are bound together in three exciting volumes. Lavishly illustrated and produced, these titles are straight out of the world of Skyrim - and a must for any wandering adventurer. Delve deeper into the lore behind one of the most successful and critically acclaimed fantasy games of all time, Skyrim. Featuring in-game texts on factions, landscapes, creatures, heroes, and dragons."

The Art of Halo Infinite (Deluxe Edition)

"Take home a piece of the Master Chief’s Mjolnir Mark VI Powered Assault Armor in the Art of Halo Infinite’s Deluxe Edition! The chest-plate slipcase holds the Art of Halo Infinite hard cover with an exclusive new cover that any member of the United Nation Space Command would find up to spec. Also contained within is a UNSC portfolio with landscape art on museum quality paper of the Master Chief enjoying a peaceful moment on the Halo Array."

Marvel's Spider-Man: The Art of the Game by Paul Davies

"An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Marvel's Spider-Man. Packed with hundreds of exclusive full-colour images of Spider-Man, his suit and equipment, the allies he relies on like MJ Watson and Aunt May, and the deadly villains he battles. This wealth of material is accompanied by exclusive insight into the creative process from the talented developers, artists, and designers responsible for bringing Spider-Man's world to vivid life."

For Some Reason, Cookbooks?

I don't understand this trend but I'm completely here for it. Every time I see a cookbook based on a video game, it's a work of art.

Tomb Raider: Official Cookbook and Travel Guide by Haley, Theoharis, and Marie

"A thrilling and delicious tutorial on recipes based on the cultural history of the many locations Lara Croft has visited throughout her 25 years of global adventures—bringing the taste back home to you. Inspired by the hit Tomb Raider videogame franchise, this book features over 40 recipes from the many locations Lara Croft visits and explores across the globe, with food and drinks inspired by key characters and locations. Also included is expert information on the cultural history of the many beautiful cities and countries to which she travels. A global exploration, this unique cookbook and travel guide takes fans on an exclusive journey across the planet chasing the thrills and adventures of Lara Croft. Featuring beautiful full color photography as well as stunning art from the games, this is the ultimate gift for fans, travelers, and food aficionados alike."

The Ultimate Final Fantasy XIV Cookbook: The Essential Culinarian Guide to Hydaelyn by Victoria Rosenthal

"Journey through the rich culinary landscape of FINAL FANTASY XIV. Featuring favorite flavors from across Hydaelyn and Norvrandt and easy-to-follow instructions, this tome provides numerous tips on how to make the most of your ingredients. Start your day with Farmer’s Breakfast, a very famous and simple-yet-delightful dish; savor the Knight’s Bread of Coerthas; dive into La Noscea’s Rolanberry Cheesecake, and many more."

Street Fighter: The Official Street Food Cookbook by Victoria Rosenthal

"Sakura Kasugano: High school student, martial artist, and world traveler. Join her as she embarks on a trip around the globe, training, fighting, and trying out delicious new street food snacks. In this book, she shares the stories of her encounters with other fighters and their favorite recipes from their hometowns. This cookbook features delectable treats found in food stalls on the streets of Japan, Spanish tapas from a flamenco tavern, snacks on a pier in the Amazon River basin, and much more. With easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, this cookbook features recipes and characters from every iteration of Capcom’s hit Street Fighter series. Packed with vibrant photography as well as information about each fighter and the dish they inspired, this book will level up your skills in the kitchen, making it the ultimate culinary companion for everyone from skilled cooks to new challengers."

Fallout: The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook by Victoria Rosenthal

"Craft your own glass of Nuka-Cola, a bowl of BlamCo Mac & Cheese, and more with the recipes in Fallout: The Official Cookbook. Based on the irradiated delicacies of the world of Bethesda Entertainment’s Fallout, this Vault-Tec–approved cookbook provides fans of the award-winning series with recipes inspired by their favorite Fallout foods. Whip up tasty versions of the Mirelurk egg omelette, throw some deathclaw meat on the grill, and re-create BlamCo Mac & Cheese with Fallout: The Official Cookbook."

Overwatch: The Official Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel

"Based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon Overwatch, this official cookbook is packed with scores of authentic recipes inspired by the game’s diverse heroes hailing from all corners of the universe. Building from the game’s compelling narrative and variety of characters, this cookbook features international food and drink recipes from each hero’s homeland. Each recipe includes straightforward step-by-step instructions, mouthwatering full-color photos, pairing suggestions, and more. Overwatch: The Official Cookbook is the ultimate compendium of Overwatch delicacies and is sure to satisfy even the hungriest gamer with fun and delicious recipes."

World of Warcraft: New Flavors of Azeroth by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel

"In this cookbook, Pandaren chef Nomi has collected the best recipes gathered during his travels and will instruct you in everything you need to know as you feast your way through Azeroth. As a young boy in Pandaria, Nomi answered the beckoning call of the Cooking School Bell and quickly grew into a promising chef. Through the years, this intrepid cook has traveled across Azeroth, learning countless regional recipes and techniques from Pandaria, the Broken Isles, and even the mysterious Shadowlands. Each chapter features easy-to-follow dishes, as well as numerous tips on how to not burn your food. Let culinary expert Nomi be your guide in World of Warcraft: New Flavors of Azeroth."

Video Game History

Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry by Jason Schreier

"From the bestselling author of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels comes the next definitive, behind-the-scenes account of the video game industry: how some of the past decade's most renowned studios fell apart—and the stories, both triumphant and tragic, of what happened next."

A Brief History of Video Games by Richard Stanton

This Brief History provides a unique look at the history and culture of video games, starting with the 1960s classics like Pong to modern favorites such as Grand Theft Auto V and Bioshock. Focusing on creative and scientific advances between 1962 and today, A Brief History of Video Games offers a global perspective on gaming's past and its cutting-edge future with the evolution of virtual reality, 3D graphics, and thought-interface technology. It also addresses the design process from concept to packaging, considers the influence of manga and anime, and explores the relationship between video games and movies.

Once Upon Atari: How I made history by killing an industry by By Howard Scott Warshaw

"This is a detailed look behind the scenes of the early days of video games, with particular attention to the causative factors leading up to the video game crash of the early 1980s. It is also the journey of one industry pioneer, and how his experience creating some of the world's most noted pieces of interactive entertainment reverberates throughout his life. It is a compelling tale of innocence, joy, greed, devastation and ultimately redemption, told in a fresh voice and unorthodox style."

Video Games FAQ: All That's Left to Know about Games and Gaming Culture by Mark J. P. Wolf

"Wolf's info-dense account traces video games from their earliest renditions as blocky abstractions to the photorealistic worlds of the present day, exploring the games, systems, technologies, companies, and inventors who transformed a novelty into a worldwide industry and major imaginative force along the way. In lively prose intended for a general audience, the book examines the many ways video games have entered our lives, impacted popular culture, and evolved through innovations and technological advances. More than just a history, this book, which can be read from cover-to-cover or a stand-alone chapter at a time, is also packed with fun, thought-provoking video game trivia touching on the origins of handheld games, the first first-person shooting games, famous characters named after a landlord and an attorney, the birth of third-party development, and the best and worst selling systems of all time."

Speculative Fiction

Ender's Game: A Novel by Orson Scott Card

"Recruited for military training by the world government, Ender's childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battle School. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. He excels in simulated war games. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battle School is just a game. Isn't it?" #StaffPick

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

"In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days. When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune - and control of the OASIS itself." #BookToFilm

Warcross by Marie Lu

"For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. "

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

"In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s CosoNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that’s striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous . . . you’ll recognize it immediately."

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