It's true that books don't occupy a high perch here in the Cheap Seats. But occasionally one will get taken off the shelf and used for something other than a drink coaster, and at other times they're actually something that would interest folks who read these pixels.

So while we're waiting on Gov. Tim Kaine to call the year's second special legislative session, here's a selection of books for the politically minded:

• Bias
Bernard Goldberg's book is the granddaddy of all books about dissatisfaction with the modern media, and a good read for any reporter who wants to step back and take a look at their own work with greater clarity.

• What Liberal Media?
Eric Alterman answered Goldberg's challenge and provides a math-driven look at what he says is conservative bias in big media outlets. The numbers get a little heavy at times, but Alterman went out of his way to document his points. If nothing else, Alterman's book goes to show that nothing is either as good or as bad as people think it is.

• Warrior Politics
Robert Kaplan's look at politics both modern and ancient is an enlightening (and somewhat depressing) assessment of how human nature rules all in the world of things political. Ancient Greece isn't as far from Washington or Richmond as you'd think.

• Deliver the Vote: A History of Electoral Fraud, an American Tradition
Sleazy politics, vote buying and outright fraud are not in fact a recent invention, according to this informative tome. In fact, one of the first shady efforts to buy votes was right here in the Shenandoah Valley, as George Washington bought his way into the House of Burgesses with hard cider.

• How the Republicans Stole Christmas
Bill Press is none too happy with the alignment of faith and politics in the modern Republican party, and calls on Democrats to enter the fray once again. Press lays out in detail how the current axis of Washington, Lynchburg and Virginia Beach came to be, and how it was not always so.

• How to Rig an Election
GOP operative Allen Raymond's firm made one too many phone calls in New Hampshire a few years back, and it landed him behind bars. Raymond tells his behind the scenes tales of manipulation and gamesmanship all the way up to his departure for prison for jamming union phone lines during a U.S. Senate election. This book was interesting, yet creepy in that some people I've known and encountered in this business make an appearance.

• Supreme Conflict: The Inside Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court
Jane Crawford Greenburg walks us through the history of the high court from the nomination of Justice Anthony Kennedy to the confirmation of Justice Samuel Alito. Each justice gets some time in the spotlight, fleshing out just what motivates each of the nine folks in robes. Reading this one has been of immeasurable help in covering the Edward N. Bell case.

• Deer Hunting with Jesus
Joe Bageant's book could well have been titled "What's the Matter with Winchester?," as he explores the same themes of "What's the Matter with Kansas?," why a liberal or social progressive message doesn't seem to resonate or get votes in Virginia's northernmost city. Bageant's tale at times funny and heartbreaking, but it should come with a caveat for local readers: he changed the names to protect the innocent and guilty alike, but you'll probably recognize more than a few, which is kinda creepy.

• The House
Think politics are rough and tumble now? Today's scrums in the halls of power are positively mild compared to what has come before. Robert Remini's book is a must read for anyone who wants to put today's political discourse into perspective.

Got a good one I missed? Drop me a line.