Going to Hell is generally no picnic and I’ve most certainly been there more than enough times to not need a guidebook. That said, some of you out there who get lost at the drop of a hat (and need to keep buying new hats) can probably use BradyGames’ Diablo III Signature Series Strategy Guide (MSRP $21.99) the next time you do drop in. Of course, you’ll also need a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and a copy of the Diablo III to get the most of this excellently handy tome of demon doom.
Authors Doug Walsh, Rick Barba and Thom Denick have put together a think 464 pages of comprehensively detailed info on every quest, a Bestiary to keep track of those things always hot on your heels, tips on items, loot drops, crafting and more all await those who require a held hand on that long, arduous trip down to the deepest deeps. Hell, your poor character may still die a few too many times, but at least you’ll be good and well-versed on just what did you in because you got a wee bit too eager in your poking about in that dungeon you needed a few more levels to clear. Even if you’re NOT a strategy guide guy or gal, getting this for that newbie to the dark world of DIII makes for a great holiday gift just so that giftee will leave YOU the hell alone and play the game without haunting your phone or inbox for sage advice. Yeah, we all know people like that, correct?
Meanwhile, back in Azeroth… to many millions of loyal players, World of Warcraft is their second home (or first for those even deeper into it) and when they come up for air, I’m sure they’ll be pleased as punch to know that Blizzard has them in mind to on the reads front. Publisher DK has recently released World of Warcraft: Ultimate Visual Guide (MSRP $29.99) is exactly what it says, a lushly illustrated 200-page hardcover featuring tons of gorgeous artwork from the games, some concise writing by Doug Wagner and plenty of lore that I’ll bet the more hardcore WoW fans out there will find some nits to pick about.
Yeah, you know how that goes with those uber-fans, right? That said, between the OFFICIAL according to Blizzard timeline that fits all those expansions together, a look into the development of the games and a too brief peek at the DC Comics series plus more, this one a great addition to the libraries of new players as well as hardened happy veterans of the seemingly unstoppable MMORPG.
That and the book weighs just enough to knock a goblin out with a sturdy swing, so maybe the dev team can add it to the game quickly as a backup weapon or something. Hey, stranger things have happened in the gaming universe, so getting clobbered by a book won’t be the goofiest thing to occur in the busy lands of Blizzard’s continuing cash cow…
Well, whee! Barnes & Noble came through pretty quickly and that means I get to do some reading this weekend. While her husband MTM sits at home holding the fort down (and sliding around on the floor in his underwear like Tom Cruise in Risky Business because he’s got the house all to himself), his wife, author Andra Watkins is out walking the Natchez Trace, following the path of Lewis and Clark. Nope, he didn’t drive her out thataway and accidentally leave her to her own devices, folks. There’s a nifty and interesting story behind all that trekking she’ll be doing for the remainder of March plus… but you’ll have to read her blog to get all that info. Hey, I can’t tell her story better than she can and I don’t have a book to sell (yet). SO you get to get it from the horse’s mouth as it were. Anyway, you can grab To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis from a few places digitally or physically. You’re smart, so you’ve clicked on one of the links here or the book cover to the right of this post in the sidebar or have already gotten a copy and are nodding and smiling because you’re further along in the book than I am.
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 