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Most people think of Cinco de Mayo as an adult holiday, but this year the powers that be at the comic book companies have made it a family day.

Every year for the past decade, summer has been kicked off in the comic book world by Free Comic Book Day. The event normally coincides with the release of the first major comic book movie of the summer season. This year that film is The Avengers which will open in theaters on Friday, May 4th. Free Comic Book Day is coordinated by Diamond Comics Distributors and involves all of the major and some of the independent comic book companies.

The best part about the event, is that it is a great day to spend as a family. Comic shops have a tendency to go all out for the day, many of them making it an event where artists and fans can come together and discuss their love for comics. Can you just go down to your local comic shop and pick up some free books, then split? Sure. There’s nothing stopping you from doing that.

But instead of just making it comic book hour, why not do what the title of the event recommends. Make a day of it. If you have kids, pack them up in the family car and take them down to your local shop. If not take your girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, younger sibling or friends down to pick up some books. This event is the perfect time to bring people closer together by allowing them to share their passion for comics.

Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, Photo via Smart Desintations

Who needs the Grand Canyon?  In honor of National Tourist Appreciation Day on May 6th and National Tourism Day on May 7th, here are some sightseeing destinations to satisfy your inner bookworm.

Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House (Concord, MA)  The home of the author of Little Women is open for tours year round.  The house also offers educational programming for school groups and Girl Scouts.  Guides dressed in traditional 19th century garb share excerpts from the Alcotts’ journals and give students an opportunity to experience a lesson in a 19th century schoolroom.

Photo via Visit Philly

Edgar Allan Poe’s House (Philadelphia, PA)  A national historic landmark run by the National Parks Service, Poe rented this house in 1843 and is said to have lived there for less than a year.  While Poe lived in several houses in Philadelphia over the years, this home is the only one that remains in The City of Brotherly Love.  Admission is free and guided tours are available Wednesday through Sunday year-round.

If your Tell Tale Heart can’t get enough, there are three other preserved Poe homes in the United States: one in The Bronx, one in Baltimore, and one in Richmond.  Road trip, anyone?

It’s time for our third and final featured poem from Broetry in honor of National Broetry (Poetry) Month.

So far, we’ve covered creation and intellectual sustenance. Now, it’s time for more practical concerns. Being a poet and college graduate in the 21st century, Brian McGackin has, understandably, written several poems about his abject poverty.

This week’s poem includes financial stress, hunger, and a coming-of-age story. All in a poem short enough to memorize and impress your friends… over pizza.

I suppose when you’ve written one absolutely perfect book, you don’t have much more you need to say. This Sunday marks Harper Lee’s 86th birthday, a gal who wrote a brilliant classic (To Kill a Mockingbird) and never wrote a second novel.

So in honor of her birthday, I’ve pooled together my five favorite books by women writers who, like Harper Lee, I wish wrote more.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, this Alabama lady stuck to her roots while writing this Southern Gothic novel. Much like the characters of Scout and Dill, Harper and childhood friend Truman Capote used to discover items left in the hollow of their favorite tree. Over 50 years later, this 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel remains a bestseller with over 30 million copies in print.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: Originally published as a two volumes in a three volume set (the third volume was Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte), this novel was often condemned for the amoral passion portrayed in its pages.

In 1850, Charlotte Bronte posthumously edited and published her sister’s novel under the author’s real name. Prior to that, Wuthering Heights was published under the nom de plume “Ellis Bell.”

Happy birthday, Will!

Shakespeare turns 448 years old today. What better way to celebrate the Bard’s birth than with one of these excellent books?

Here at Quirk, we like our classic literary mash-ups. But we like the original classics too. Happy birthday to Charlotte Bronte (April 21, 1816), who more than one hundred and fifty years ago wrote a bang-up tale of orphans, ghosts, betrayal, and all-consuming love featuring one of the most independent, kickass heroines in all literature.

If you haven’t read Jane Eyre lately, it’s time to pull it off the shelf and give it a go. It’s good. Really good. In fact, it’s better every time you read it. But if you’re not up for quite that big of a time investment, try one of these movie versions of Jane Eyre instead:

Jane Eyre (2011)

Mia Wasikowska (Albert Nobbs and Alice in Wonderland) and Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, Shame, 300), are impressive as actors and might garner great attention, but when acting together there’s no sexual tension.

In fact, if you don’t already know the story, it’s hard to see why this young Jane would fall in love with this master of the house. When you want Jane to go off to Africa with St. John, you know something is wrong!

Jane Eyre (1996)

Anna Paquin makes a bold young Jane and Helen Burns at Lowood School is beautifully played. This version is worth watching for its arresting cinematography and interesting interpretation. But William Hurt is perhaps a bit too mild to make a convincing Rochester and this Jane may be a little too plain.