Guerilla Furniture Design
Will Holman (Storey Publishing)

There’s something satisfying about handmade furniture, perhaps because you can sense the person behind the object. Holman, who lives in Baltimore and got an architecture degree from Virginia Tech, gives step-by-step instructions for joining the furniture-making ranks by using salvaged materials such as cardboard and plastic bags. His goal is sustainability, and his creations are intriguingly well-designed. He just may convince you to start hunting for abandoned doors and milk crates.

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Thank You, Goodnight
Andy Abramowitz (Touchstone)

What becomes of one-hit wonders? Baltimore-native Abramowitz ponders just that in his debut novel about Tremble, a band that had a brush with fame but split up after a flop of a second album, sending its four members into the real world. But then the lead singer has a change of heart and moves to (gasp!) get the band back together. Will it work the second time, now that the members are meandering toward middle age with ambitions other than sex, drugs, and rock and roll? The mix of angst and humor make this book ideal for a road trip or a day at the beach.