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Do the books in your local bookshop come alive once the store closes, much like the toys in Toy Story? After watching this video, I sure like to think so.

Watch and enjoy. Thanks for sending the link over, Jane!

If Elvis Presley were alive today, he’d be celebrating his 77th birthday.

He may have been the king of rock and roll, but Elvis Presley had an appetite that was more down-home than aristocratic. A Mississippi boy at heart, Elvis preferred iconic Southern dishes, such as buttermilk corn bread, Memphis-style bbq, banana pudding, and sweet potato pie.

His favorite snack, which he apparently taught the cooks at Graceland to make, was his mama’s grilled peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich. The King allegedly preferred mashed bananas, but slices work just fine. He also liked his peanut butter smooth and creamy and his bacon burnt. Unless you’re a truly dedicated Elvis Presley fan, the burnt bacon is optional.

In honor of the King, I’ll be having an Elvis today. Will you?

The Elvis
Makes 1

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 slices white bread
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 slices cooked bacon
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread, banana on the other. Add bacon slices and close sandwich.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook sandwich 2 minutes per side, or until golden. Eat it while it’s hot. Keep all the ingredients close at hand — you’ll likely be making another.

One flew kites. The other had a ball with leeches.

Everyone knows Ben Franklin. Americans celebrate his 306th birthday on Jan. 17th. Another Ben—Dr. Benjamin Rush—is lesser known but nevertheless played a pivotal role in American history. His 267th birthday is Jan. 4th.

Quirk’s home city of Philadelphia is gearing up for two celebrations this month that pay tribute to the two men.

Contest Closed! Thank you!

Well, this is the last holiday giveaway. Today we're giving you a chance to win all our fiction titles, including our mashups and Taft 2012, which isn't due out until January. I'm also tossing in some posters with a couple of the books… which includes a special, limited edition signed Miss Peregrine poster.

Now, you might notice us go quiet over the next week or so here on the website, Twitter, Facebook… but we'll be back! We're all taking a nice holiday break and returning January 2nd.

See you next year, book lovers!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: The New York Times bestselling YA smash. I'll include a signed poster with this!

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies by Seth Graham Smith: The original mashup that helped usher in a new literary genre.

Bedbugs by Ben Winters: A young couple's dream home is crawling with bedbugs… or is it? Rosemary's Baby meets the Amityville Horror in Ben Winters' horror story of supernatural bedbugs.

Taft 2012 by Jason Heller: A Rip Van Winkle-esque tale of William Howard Taft. Reawakening in our time and thrust into the primaries, Taft adjusts to our world with hilarious and often times heartwarming results.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steven Hockensmith: The New York Times bestselling prequel to Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. How did the Bennett sisters become such fierce warriors? Hockensmith tells their story.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith: When Mr. Darcy is bitten by a dreadful, Lizzy goes on an epic quest to find a cure for her beloved.

Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters by Ben Winters: What happens when the Dashwood sisters run into giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, and two-headed sea serpents? Ben Winters' New York Times bestselling Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters does.

Android Karenina by Ben Winters: An enhanced edition of the literary classic… with robots, cyborgs, and interstellar space travel.

The Meowmorphosis by Coleridge Cook: "One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that he had been changed into an adorable kitten." That's all you need to know.

Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson & Sam Stall: A rag-tag team of Star Trek fans get caught up in a zombie attack at a Trekkie convention.

How can you win? Leave a comment that either 1.) Details how you would survive in a zombie uprising or 2.) What your 'peculiar' superpower would be. You can also simply retweet this post while mentioning @quirkbooks. I'll select one of you at random for a bag full of Quirk fiction goodness.

Note: Make sure you leave your email so I can contact you!

Good luck, and happy holidays everyone!

Contest is over! Thanks!

Five Days of Quirkmas continues! Just because my whiskey glass is empty in this picture, doesn't mean yours has to be! Our next giveaway features a library of all our boozy books, perfect for those of you who want to master the ultimate New Year's Eve cocktail.

Field Guide to Cocktails by Rob Chirico: More than TWO HUNDRED recipes for tried and true libations, as well as a bunch of recipes and pairing suggestions.

Old Man Drinks by Rob Schnakenberg: Old-Fashioneds, Sidecars, Clover Clubs, Rusty Nails, Hot Toddys, Monte Carlos… there are sixty classic drinks in here that your grandfather would love.

The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion by Duane Swierczynski: Reprinted in the Spring, this classic Quirk title comes packed with 151 cocktails that are, as the reading line says, perfect for every occasion. 

Stuff Every Man Should Know by Brett Cohen: No, this isn't a cocktail book, but Brett dishes out tips on how to make cocktails, shotgun a beer, open a bottle of beer without an opener, and more.

Booze Cakes by Krystina Castella & Terry Lee Stone: Buy too much booze over the holidays? Bake it into cakes. 

How can you enter? Leave a comment about your favorite drink. I'll pick one of you at random and mail you this boozy book pack. Make sure you leave an email address, so I'll be able to get a hold of you. Good luck!

Contest is over! Thanks!

Today's Five Days of Quirkmas giveaway is a Snowed in Survival Kit… aka, all of our crafting books. Spend those chilly Winter days huddled up working on crafts with your friends, family, and potentially, your cat!

Microcrafts by Alicia Kachmar, Katie Hatz, & Margaret McGuire: A celebration of all-that-is-small, Microcrafts dishes out 25 projects no larger than a spool of thread. Micropapercrafting, microsewing, microcrochet, and even microgardening… there are lots of super cute tiny projects in here.

Witch Craft by Alicia Katchmar & Margaret McGuire: Lots of spooky-yet-adorable projects fill Witch Craft, from marshmallow skulls to plush poison apples.

The Museum of Kitchy Stitches by Stichy McYarnpants: Well, this isn't really a craft book. It's a showcase of hilarious stitched up projects.

Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden: Love amigurumi? Adore monsters? Perfect. You want this book. Creepy Cute Crochet contains more than 20 patterns for zombies, ninjas, Vikings, vampires, aliens, robots and more. 

Knitted Icons by Carol Meldrum: Not happy with just crafting famous monsters? How about famous people?

Crafting With Cat Hair by Amy Hirschman & Kaori Tsutaya: This hilarious, strange, and rather cute craft book will show you how to make projects using your cat's fur. Buttons, portraits, cat toys, picture frames… plenty of projects that you and your cat can make. Together.

How can you enter? Just leave a comment telling us about your favorite crafting activity. Are you a knitter? Crocheter? Papercrafter? Let us know. I'll select one of you at random and send you a package full of books, as well as some sample crafts we've got around the office. Don't forget to leave your email address! I'll need to get a hold of you somehow, right?