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Showing posts from 2012

Atomic Reading Club 2013 - It's Criminal

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Baltimore has had a long and unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) rich tradition with crime. But we've also had a strong connection to crime literature. Edgar Allan Poe, inventor of the detective story, died on our streets (Yay us! We killed Poe!). Dashiell Hammett, creator of Sam Spade, was from Maryland. And of course, Baltimore, via David Simon, has given the world the books Homicide and The Corner as well as the NBC series Homicide and the HBO series The Wire . And Laura Lippman's beloved investigator Tess Monaghan wanders our streets even when Laura's off in New Orleans. As a city, crime is in our blood. So this year our book club's theme is downright criminal! We're reading books about crime. January - We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver February - Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb / Tim Sale March - Under The Banner Of Heaven by Jon Krakauer April - The Big Con by David Maurer May - Devil All Th

Holiday Hours 2012

Our Holiday Hours starting tomorrow: 11 - 8pm Fri. & Sat. 11 - 9pm Sun. 10 - 7pm Christmas Eve 11 - 5pm Christmas Day - CLOSED Dec. 26th back to normal hours New Year's Eve - 11 - 5pm New Year's Day - CLOSED

Holiday Picks Part 6: Stocking Stuffers

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Over the past few days, we've been posting theme-based holiday picks lists for your shopping enjoyment. Here we have our final installment: A Shoppers Guide to Stocking Stuffers! Atomic Books Corn Mug They're biodegradable. They're made of sustainable US corn (a material that is sort of like an organic Bakelite). And they feature our logo. But really, the thing that freaks people out is the corn thing. "Really? They're made of CORN?!!" they'll say in disbelief. Yep. Corn. Baltimore Rat Sticker Baltimore Rat Magnet Yes, we know Baltimore isn't the only city suffering from an infestation of rodents, but here, instead of doing something about the problem we take pride in the ownership of that problem. These stickers and magnets say, "Yeah, we know we have rats. Wanna make something of it?" Dunny Figure (Series 2012) Blind-boxed mini figures are the perfect stocking stuffer, and The Dunny is the king of the blind-boxed toy. It'

Holiday Picks Part 5: Art/Coffee Table Books

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Over the next few days, we'll be posting theme-based holiday picks lists for your shopping enjoyment. Here we have Shoppers Guide to Art and Coffee Table Books! 101 Essential Rock Records by Jeff Gold This is not only a great book for the budding rock enthusiast, it's the perfect coffee table companion for any music fan. Contributors include Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Susanne Vega, Peter Buck (REM,) Johnny Marr (The Smiths,) Nels Cline (Wilco,) Devendra Banhart, Robyn Hitchcock, and more. Plus, the photo survey of censored record covers from the rock era is a really nice addition. Beauty in Decay II by RomanyWG A second collection, following up Beauty in Decay , of photography from urban exploration. Basically, people sneak into forgotten, abandoned, and locked away places where they're not allowed, and take magnificent pictures of spaces from another time in various states of decay. Dark Stories by Dark Artists by by Nie Youjia As the use of the word "

Holiday Picks Part 4: Funny Books

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Over the next few days, we'll be posting theme-based holiday picks lists for your shopping enjoyment. Here we have Shoppers Guide to Funny Books! America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't by Stephen Colbert Fiscal cliffs, partisan bickering - Colbert is here to pull us back from the brink of our own stupidity. The Great Showdowns by Scott Campbell Just because it's a famous, long-running, and iconic relationship based on competition - that doesn't mean the parties involved have to be enemies. Campbell's appealing art recreates famous cinematic showdowns like Ripley and the Alien, Brody and the shark, and many more. How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran It's not as easy as it might seem. Funny, provocative, and a great way to celebrate the end of the year of the War on Women. How To Be Black by Baratunde Thurston A funny look at race. You have to like a book that warns, "If you don't buy this book, you're a racis

Atomic Books On WYPR's The Signal

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Benn will be on WYPR 's (88.1FM) The Signal this evening at 7PM (and again Saturday at 1PM) to discuss holiday gift suggestions, covering fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels.    Check out the podcast. Listen live online.

See The Glacktorkulous Artwork of Stephen Blickenstaff

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Artist Stephen Blickenstaff will be having a one night only art show as part of Hampden Holidays Five First Fridays celebration (every Friday leading up to Christmas is a neighborhood-wide First Friday party). Stephen is best known for his iconic cover art for The Cramp's legendary record, Bad Music For Bad People, but he has also designed record covers and t-shirts and posters for They Might Be Giants, Thin White Rope, The Graves Brothers Deluxe, Electric Frankenstein and Love Tractor among others. His work has appeared in Les Barany's Carnivora, Dark Horse Presents, Weirdo, Guitar World, Psychotronic Video and Draculina. We'll be serving adult beverages, and there will be a lot more going on throughout Hampden! 

Holiday Picks Part 3: Boozers & Foodies

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Over the next few days, we'll be posting theme-based holiday picks lists for your shopping enjoyment. Here we have a Boozers and Foodies Shoppers Guide! The Book of Gin: A Spirited World History from Alchemists' Stills and Colonial Outposts to Gin Palaces, Bathtub Gin, and Artisanal Cocktails by Richard Barnett For those who like their liquors clear. I know, I know, it sounds weird to me, too. Jinuary is just around the corner! Cocktails with Bompas And Parr by by Sam Bompas / Harry Parr Bombas and Parr provide an array of classic cocktails, some obscurities and some new delights as well. There is a nice background provided on the drinks, and some serious discussion of cocktail equipment.  Destination: Cocktails: The Traveler's Guide to Superior Libations by James Teitelbaum This boozers guide book is a must for the traveling drinker. Teitelbaum reviews hundreds of cocktail bars in dozens of cities around the world - complete with notable menu items. De

Holiday Picks Part 2: Baltimore Stories

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Over the next few days, we'll be posting theme-based holiday picks lists for your shopping enjoyment. Here we have a Baltimore Stories Shoppers Guide! And When She Was Good: A Novel by Laura Lippman Mystery writer Laura Lippman's new hardcover, set in Baltimore, was largely considered one of her best. And our copies come signed by the author, while supplies last. Baltimore Beer: A Satisfying History of Charm City Brewing by Rob Kasper Kasper provides a lively, fun and fascinating history of beer in Baltimore. Why is Maryland called "The Free State?" What happened to beloved Baltimore beers? Why did Baltimore have such a rich beer culture for a significant part of the 20th century? Kasper answers all these questions with trademark storytelling charm. Hey Cabbie Volume 1 Hey Cabbie Volume 2: There's Nothing More Real Than The Streets by Thaddeus Logan Thaddeus is a former Baltimore City police detective turned cab driver who has compiled his expe

Holiday Picks Part 1: Music Lovers

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Over the next few days, we'll be posting theme-based holiday picks lists for your shopping enjoyment. We start off with a Music Books Shoppers Guide! A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of the Smiths by Tony Fletcher If you know someone who loves The Smiths, this book is the end all/be all, clocking in at about 700 pages. This is the complete history of the working-class Manchester band that left behind a legacy of fantastic records and a seemingly insurmountable, mutually shared hostility. Baltimore Sounds by Joe Vaccarino This new edition of the encyclopedia of Baltimore music from 1950 updates its listings through 2000. Vaccarino painstakingly documents every Baltimore-area pop band of the last half of the 20th century - loaded with history, photos, and more. When you pick this book up, it's very easy to lose several hours just hopping around from listing to listing. Gainsbourg: The Biography by Gilles Verlant / Paul Knobloch (translator) Gains