I got this awesome crochet book at a local independant bookstore here in Portland, and it's totally making me want to pick back up my hooks after the last few years of mostly only knitting.  It's a follow-up to the knitting book Knitorama by the same rad author, Rachel Matthews.

 This would be a great beginner crochet book, since it includes instructions with good how-to pictures for all the basic stitches, crocheting round, tunisian crochet technique, filet crochet, working with multiple colors, etc.  There's even a section on spinning!

 And then once you learn the basics, the patterns are fabulous!  I love this crazy Daisy fascinator:

 There are simple patterns, and then more complex ones with charts, like this No-pop, no style hat which uses the popcorn stitch.  I've known how to crochet for years, but I've never learned how to follow a chart, so this seems like a great one for me to try!

 I really love the crazy experimental stuff in this book, like this Science experiment sweater, with its hand-drawn Experimental chart:

I am all about experimenting when it comes to my own crafting, so this is my kind of craft book!  I love its wacky photo styling and silly designs, unlike any other crochet book I can think of.  Whether you're an experienced hooker or you're wanting to try out crochet as a new craft, I definitely recommend Hookorama!