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Here at Quirk, we love creating unique, innovative books.

And since it IS December, the magical time of year when blogs everywhere are banging out Best Of Lists (David at Largeheartedboy has a great roundup of them), we decided to write up our own. I polled the office and asked for innovative book picks. Whether it was the writing, the design, the illustration, or the packaging, as long as the book caught our eye in some special way, it got featured below.

Have your own picks? I bet you do! Leave them in the comments. We could use some good reads (and inspiration!) for 2012.

Contest Closed!

Next up in the FIve Days of Quirkmas giveaway… a chance to win all our titles coming out in January 2012! Books from the future!

Taft 2012 by Jason Heller: The hilarious, Rip Van Winkle-esque story of William Howard Taft, who awakens in our time just in time for the primaries.

The Thorn & the Blossom by Theodora Goss: One enchanting romance, two lovers keeping secrets, and a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever. You've never seen a book like this one. Seriously. Check out the video that demonstrates how it works.  Neat, right?

Ten Tea Parties by Joseph Cummins: Yeah yeah, you know all about the Boston Tea Party. But what about the nine others? You can learn about those in this book.

The Onion Presents: Love, Sex, & Other Natural Disasters: A hilarious collection of some of The Onion's funniest stories about high-school sweethearts, college hook-ups, dating disasters, weddings, divorces, and more.

How can you enter? Just leave a comment about what book interests you the most and why. Be sure to include your email address, so I'll be able to contact you. I'll choose one of you at random at the end of the week, and you'll get the whole bundle, including a handsome Taft 2012 poster and pin!

Contest is Closed!

Well Quirk fans, the holidays are here. And as we get ready to close up shop for the Winter, I'm going to run one giveaway a day up until we leave on break this Friday. So… welcome to Five Days of Quirkmas.

First up? A whole bunch of Smarts Co. card games.

Now, Quirk didn't make these cute games. We distributed them a few years ago, and we still have some around the office. Nicely packaged and cleverly designed, these quiz games dish out trivia on an array of subjects, and I've got copies of Sex Smarts, Wine Smarts, Baby Smarts, Paris Smarts, Chocolate Smarts and Coffee Smarts up for grabs. Each comes with 60 to 100 question and answer cards, a score pad, and a handy little guide on whatever topic the game covers.

How can you enter to win one? Just leave a comment (feel free to mention which game you'd prefer) or tweet this post while mentioning @quirkbooks. I'll select ten of you at random at the end of the week. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments, or I won't be able to contact you.

Check back tomorrow for another giveaway! Happy Holidays!

A few weeks ago, Neil Gaiman made a hilarious appearance on an episode of the Simpsons (pictured above, and as of this post, you can still watch it on Hulu). When Homer and his Ocean’s 11-esque assembled crew decide to team up and write a Young Adult novel, Gaiman jumps in to help make it happen. Unfortunately, the publisher tries to alter the story, and the gang of would-be-novelists (and a multiple award winning one) plan a heist to get it back and put the original in stores.

Quote of the episode? Gaiman exclaiming “I’ve heisted my way to the bestseller list once again. And the most brilliant part is… I don’t even know how to read!” Well, either that or Homer hoping they remember to “put in enough steampunk. Whatever that is.”

Anyhow, the episode got me thinking about other awesome authors cameos I’ve caught on the Simpsons. Lisa being dismissed by Amy Tan, Alan Moore with rippling muscles, Michael Chabon and Jonathan Franzen getting into a fight… ah, so many brilliant moments. I’ve rounded up my Top 10 here (in no particular order), though there are certainly many more. If I missed a favorite of yours, leave it in the comments!

Image via the Lisa Simpson Book Club Tumblr

1. Amy Tan: The celebrated author of The Joy Luck Club makes an appearance in the ‘Insane Clown Poppy’ episode, speaking at the Springfield Festival of Books.

Lisa tries to compliment Tan on her work, to which Tan hilariously responds “no, no, that’s not what I meant at all. I can’t believe how wrong you got it. Just sit down, I’m embarrassed for both of us.”

Stephen King also makes an appearance in this episode, cackling madly about a supposedly non-horror title he’s hard at work on.

2. Thomas Pynchon: This notoriously reclusive author actually made TWO appearances on the Simpsons. He pops up in the episodes Diatribe of a Mad Housewife (clip above), in which Marge writes a romance novel and he “provides” a quote, and All’s Fair in Oven War.

3. J.K. Rowling: I won’t lie to you, Quirk fans. I didn’t get into Harry Potter until fairly recently, when Broetry author Brian McGackin threatened not to speak to me until I read the entire series. I’m about halfway through Order of the Phoenix as of this posting, and thankfully, Brian and I are on speaking terms once again.

As a result though, this is probably my favorite author appearance on the Simpsons. I rediscovered it while looking up author cameos, and thanks to Brian, I can finally appreciate how funny it is.

Tempt your friends with this tantalizing spicy, sweet- sour sauce, perfect for dipping crispy Asian-inspired wontons. The zing in the tangy sauce compliments the scrumptious little treats packed with ground meat goodness. Make them ahead, pop them in the freezer and when the party starts, drop them in a hot pan for a quick, tempestuous treat.

What better way to get on everyone’s “nice” list for the holidays!

On a chilly Winter afternoon, a bunch of us at the Quirk Books HQ decided it was time to show our support for the Taft 2012 movement. We spent some time decorating our office with posters, bunting, and campaign signs. 

Oh, and we also shot a video! 

Want to decorate YOUR office with Taft 2012 decor? Visit the Taft 2012 website and learn how you can start your own local Taft party.