Happy Haulidays from Chronicle Books

Chronicle Books is once again hosting a holiday giveaway to die for: $500 dollars of selected books to the winning blogger plus to one commenter on the blog plus to the blogger's charity of choice. You just can't beat that.

My Charity of Choice: Reading Tree
Reading Tree donates to schools, libraries, and other non-profits in an effort to promote literacy. And it saves books from decomposing into useless lumps of landfill. I am a big fan of both.

My Book List:

Edie: Girl on Fire by Melissa Painter and David Weisman
"The real story of Edie Sedgwick: model, film star, socialite, friend, lover, and addict; first "it" girl of Andy Warhol's Factory and later muse to Bob Dylan."

This is NPR by Roberts, et. al.
This beautifully designed volume chronicles NPR's storied history, featuring dozens of behind-the-scenes photos, essays and original reporting by a who's who of NPR staff and correspondents, transcripts of memorable interviews, and an audio CD of the most memorable programming throughout the decades.

Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock
Griffin & Sabine is like no other illustrated novel: appealing to the poet and artist in everyone and sure to inspire a renaissance in the fine art of letter-writing, it tells an extraordinary story in an extraordinary way.

Dante's Inferno by Sandow Birk and Marcus Sanders
A faithful yet totally original contemporary spin on a classic, Dante's Inferno as interpreted by acclaimed artist Sandow Birk and writer Marcus Sanders is a journey through a Hell that bears an eerie semblance to our own world.

Between the Bridge and the River: A Novel by Craig Ferguson
Two childhood friends from Scotland and two illegitimate half-brothers from the American South suffer and enjoy all manner of bizarre experiences which, as it turns out, are somehow interconnected and, surprisingly enough, meaningful. An eclectic cast of characters includes Carl Jung, Fatty Arbuckle, Virgil, Marat, Socrates, and Tony Randall.

The Doorbells of Florence by Andrew Losowsky
These alluring photographs of doorbell panels in Florence, Italy, inspired stories that imagine the lives of the people who dwell at each address. Charming, whimsical, and elegant, each story is a perfect match for its photo, balancingthe antique, old-world appeal of Florence and the contemporary, gritty realities of a modern city.

One Love by Cedella Marley and Vanessa Brantley Newton
Adapted from one of Bob Marley’s most beloved songs, One Love brings the joyful spirit and unforgettable lyrics of his music to life for a new generation. Readers will delight in dancing to the beat and feeling the positive groove of change when one girl enlists her community to help transform her neighborhood for the better.

Scary Stories, Illustrated by Barry Moser 
Classic and modern storytellers (Lovecraft, King, Poe, Stoker, Irving, Dahl, Oates...) collected together and illustrated with "twenty unforgettable engravings".

The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams
This story was supposed to be about Evie, how she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herself but it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changes and Evie's life is never the same again.

Yoda: Bring You Wisdom I Will
This one-of-a-kind, hand-painted Yoda statue comes with a customizable galactic display stand, a booklet of Yoda's most inspirational musings alongside full-color illustrations, and a sheet of removable stickers of select quotes.

Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel by Michaela MacColl
London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above.

How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain
When his dad's new patient Zelda tells him shes from outer space and on a quest to take Johnny Depp back to her planet, he knows he should run away screaming. But with one look from her mean, green eyes, David's hooked, and soon he's leaping across rooftops, running from police, and stealing cars just to stay by her side.

Picture This: How Pictures Work by Molly Bang
Using the tale of Little Red Riding Hood as an example, Molly Bang uses boldly graphic artwork to explain how images—and their individual components—work to tell a story that engages the emotions: Why are diagonals dramatic? Why are curves calming? Why does red feel hot and blue feel cold?

The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis
At first glance, the small seaside town of Whitby seems quiet and charming, but eight year-old Ben and his older sister Jennet soon learn that things are not always as they seem. Moved about from foster home to foster home, Ben and Jennet hope to make a fresh start in Whitby. But Ben sees thingsand peopleothers cannot.

Wideness and Wonder: The Art and Life of Georgia O'Keefe by Susan Goldman Rubin
Well-known children's biography writer Susan Goldman Rubin traces the events that shaped O'Keeffe's art and how art influenced OKeeffe's life in return. Wideness and Wonder is colorful, accessible, and packed with the art that made O'Keeffe so renowned.

Story Painter: The Life of Jacob Lawrence by John Duggleby
A collection of these stunning paintings provides the backdrop for this exceptional biography which tells the story of one of our finest living painters-from his family's experience in the great migration North, to his growing up in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, to his rise as one of the most renowned painters of African American life.

Life in Prison by Stanley "Tookie" Williams
Stanley "Tookie" Williams, cofounder of the notorious Crips gang, is a death-row inmate. But in his two decades of incarceration, Williams has also become a respected author and activist whose dedication to ending gang warfare in the lives of inner-city children has earned him a 2001 Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

Classic Western Stories by Cooper Edens
Here are legends: Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, Calamity Jane and trailblazers Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone. Each will take the reader to the edge of a vast territory, to a time when the wilderness was just outside our doors. Illustrated by such renowned artists as N.C. Wyeth, Winslow Homer, and Frederic Remington, these stirring stories and songs are sure to absorb and entertain, introducing to readers of all ages the spirit and lasting power of the American frontier.

The Orphan of Awkward Falls by Keith Graves
When thirteen-year-old Josephine moves to Awkward Falls she can’t help but snoop around the dilapidated mansion next door. Inevitably, she is captured by the house’s strange inhabitants: an ancient automaton who serves as a butler, a cat patched together with a few odd parts, and most surprising of all, a boy named Thaddeus Hibble.

Ramayana by Sanjay Patel
Artist and veteran Pixar animator Sanjay Patel lends a lush, whimsical illustration style and lighthearted voice to one of Hindu mythology's best-loved and most enduring tales. Teeming with powerful deities, love-struck monsters, flying monkey gods, magic weapons, demon armies, and divine love, Ramayana tells the story of Rama, a god-turned-prince, and his quest to rescue his wife Sita after she is kidnapped by a demon king.

Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash
My Listography: My Amazing Life in Lists by Lisa Nola and Nathaniel Russell 
52 Amazing Science Experiments by Lynn Gordon and Karen Johnson 
Aesop's Fables: A Classic Illustrated Edition
Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Anderson: A Classic Illustrated Edition

I didn't think those last five books needed explanations. :)

Reminder: If I win, one of my commenters will win this list of books too.