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Quiet by Susan Cain…

Man, for the longest time I struggled with being "shy." I pushed myself to speak up in meetings; when I was single, I made myself go out to loud bars; and generally did things that I disliked—all in the name of being social and to fit in.

But this book gave me so much insight into myself—it was truly a gift, because I felt as though the book had been written just for me. I'm an introvert, and it reminded me that that's OK. I can go be social, but I also have to balance it out with quiet time.

Get excited, Hello Kitty fans! Quirk Books author Michele Chen Chock is heading to the first-ever Hello Kitty Con on October 30th, to dish out her secrets on how to decorate your very own Hello Kitty cookies from her upcoming cookbook, The Hello Kitty Baking Book.

Planning to attend? Interested in learning how to decorate your own cookies? Act fast! There are a limited amount of seats in each workshop. Details below! 

Potato, potahto, macaroon, macaron…

Have you ever tried a macaroon? You know, the sweet treat with coconut? Or you may think it’s the deliciously cute sandwich cookies made with nut flours. If you do some research on (I mean Google) the macaroons vs. macarons issue, you’ll find thousands of websites and blogs debating the difference between the two.  Some people argue that macaroons are both the coconut confection and the gorgeous almond flour treat, while others argue that the two should never be considered the same. But both accounts are right! Kind of. Macaroons and macarons may be very different, but they have one important thing in common—they’re delicious!

In anticipation of National Macaroon Day on 5/31, I spent last week doing what most people do before a big D.I.Y. project – pinning inspiration to my board on Pinterest. For the macaroons I decided on these delicious S’Mores Macaroon Bars and then took inspiration from this extremely helpful book to create S’mores Macarons. After procuring all of the ingredients I spent Sunday baking macaroons (err, macaroons and macarons).

I’ve made macarons before but had never tried my hand at macaroons. In a matter of 5 minutes they were in the oven, and just half an hour later I was enjoying these gooey treats…steeling myself up all the while for the precision and patience that is needed for macarons.

This April, read the Edgar® nominated book that everyone is talking about for only $2.99.

Slate’s “One of the Best Books of 2012”

Named a Book of the Month by Amazon, Indie Next List, and Shelfari

Named a Book of the Week by Google Play and  the iBookstore

“Ben H. Winters makes noir mystery even darker: The Last Policeman sets a despondent detective on a suspicious suicide case—while an asteroid hurtles toward earth.”—Wired

“I’m eager to read the other books, and expect that they’ll keep me as enthralled as the first one did.”— Boing Boing

“…an insightfully drawn portrait about a police officer living in a world on the edge of the apocalypse.”—io9

“Extraordinary—as well as brilliant, surprising, and, considering the circumstances, oddly uplifting.”—Mystery Scene Magazine

“Exhilarating. . . . do not wait for the movie!”—E! Online

The trilogy continues on July 16, 2013 with Countdown City: The Last Policeman Book II.

Warm, spicy, and rarely sweet—even when it’s made with sweet ingredients—chutney is altogether satisfying as a condiment but versatile enough to be used on proteins or even a cheese plate. Delicate hibiscus flowers pair well with blackberries, and they are typically in season around the same time.