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Flora Ahn Talks Lunar New Year, Food Memories, and Inspiration for A SPOONFUL OF TIME
The beginnings of A Spoonful of Time were hatched over the heat of a grill and amid aromas of beef, garlic, and onions. There was the idea for a story but it needed more details of Seoul from the past. So I turned my regular meals with my parents into research trips. Sometimes we would meet for lunch at a restaurant to eat steaming bowls of gomtang (beef bone soup) or bubbling jjigae (stew) in scalding hot stone pots. But most of the time we’d have barbecue at my parents’ house.
Posted by Flora Ahn
Quirk Books To Help With Your New Year’s Resolutions
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Resolutions are a complicated subject. Some people swear by them, some people swear off them, and most people swear they are going to keep to theirs, and then forget about it by the time the snow melts! Whichever camp you fall into, making New Year’s Resolutions can be a fun way to focus on something positive to bring into your life in the new year, even if it’s just for January. From a decision to take better care of your health and your home, to getting more sleep or shopping less, we have a Quirk book for every resolution—unless your resolution is to buy fewer books!
I Resolve to Get Fit: Work It Out by Sarah Kurchak (on sale April 18, 2023)
Resolutions to work out more, get fit, or hit the gym are some of the most common, but it can be hard to head out in the cold of winter to exercise. That’s why Work It Out is ideal, as it will help you get healthy without even having to get out of bed! Author Sarah Kurchak is an autistic personal trainer, who understands that 45 minutes at a gym isn’t accessible (or reasonable) for everyone, and so Work It Out focuses on ways to incorporate movement and develop new habits in a unique way. Realistic, accessible, and practical, this is the ideal book to make sure that anyone can improve their physical and mental health through movement—without hustling at the gym for hours.
I Resolve to Buy Less (And Still Look Great): New to You by Melody Fortier
Fast fashion is increasingly recognized as a problematic way to stay stylish, so if your resolution is to buy less, New to You is an ideal guide to making what you already have (or what someone else has had before you) work. Subtitled How to Buy, Fix, and Keep Secondhand Clothing, New To You covers every step from buying vintage and second hand (and making sure you get the good stuff) to fixing, maintaining, and storing items so that they will last. Fast fashion isn’t the only way to a stylish wardrobe, and this book will help create one that is truly unique, and will last a lifetime.
I Resolve to Be More Organized: This Modern House by Jennifer McKnight Trontz
Keeping on top of things around the house doesn’t come naturally to most, and that is why everyone needs a copy of This Modern House. Drawing from vintage housekeeping and modern, practical advice, this book includes everything adults need to know about budgeting, food shopping (and avoiding food waste), cleaning, entertaining, and more. Decorating tips, how to sew on buttons, and even how to host a dinner party (and plan it well) come together to help anyone who wants to be one of the people who Have Their Life Together. Vintage aprons not required.
I Resolve to Get More Sleep: Good Night by Julia Blohberger and Roos Neeter (on sale March 21, 2023)
Everyone knows that a good night’s sleep is almost magic—it helps with physical and mental health, focus, fitness, and so much more—but it’s not always easy to break the cycle and start getting a good night’s sleep. That’s where Good Night: Your Holistic Guide to the Best Sleep of Your Life comes in. Written by yoga teachers and Ayurveda health and lifestyle advisors, Good Night looks at all the parts of our lives that affect the quality of sleep we get, and provide advice and tips on how to get the best sleep you can, starting from wherever you are, even if that’s only a few hours a night.
I Resolve to Drink Less Alcohol: Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know and Stuff Every Coffee Lover Should Know by Candace Rose Rardon
By the end of the festive season, with feasts and parties, is it any surprise that a lot of people resolve to cut back on the booze or even cut it out completely? Dry January is increasingly popular, but it can be a struggle to figure out what to replace it with, which is why Stuff Every Tea Drinker Should Know and Stuff Every Coffee Drinker Should Know are great ways to get into a healthier way to sip. These books will take any reader from novice to aficionado on coffee and tea, a perfect journey to take if alcohol is off the menu this year.
Explore Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know Explore Stuff Every Coffee Lover Should Know
What books are you reading to support your resolutions? Tweet @quirkbooks and let us know!
Posted by Rose Moore
Stuff Every Grandfather Should Know
This pocket-sized guide has all the stuff you need to become the coolest granddad, grandpa, or Pop Pop on the block!
Becoming a grandfather is one of the most exciting events in a man's life–but there's a lot to learn! This little book is jam-packed with all the wisdom, know-how, and trivia that you'll need to become the best grandfather you can be, including:
* How to Pick Your Grandfather Nickname
* How to Share Your Wisdom
* How to Tell A Tall Tale
* When to Step Up and When to Step Back
* Planning for Your Future (And Theirs)
The handsome package and timeless information make this a perfect gift for seasoned grandpas and grandpas-to-be alike.
Stuff Every Grandmother Should Know
This pocket-sized guide has all the stuff you need to become the coolest grandma, mom-mom, or mimi on the block!
Becoming a grandmother is one of life's biggest joys—but that doesn't mean it's simple! This handy gift book lays out all the wisdom, savvy, and know-how you'll need to care for, cherish, and spoil your grandchildren from babyhood through the toddler years and beyond, including:
• How to Pick Your Grandmother Nickname
• Baby Equipment Essentials
• How to Play Safe at Your Place
• How to be Someone They Can Talk To
• Tips for Sharing Your Memories
• And more!
The lovely package and timeless information make this a perfect gift for seasoned grandmas and grandmas-to-be alike.
Hello Color
Rachel Mae Smith gives beginning crafters 25 easy and fun home decor projects to liven up your life and make your home space vibrant.
Whether she’s writing for her blog, snapping pictures for Instagram, or just living her life, Rachel Mae Smith is all about the simple joys of handmaking and bringing brightness to everything. And now beginning crafters, aspirational DIYers, and dorm dwellers can, too! Rachel shares her colorful signature style in each simple and fun step-by-step project like Dip-Dyed Napkins, Pom-Pom Votive Candle Holders, and Geometric Patterned Pillows. Helpful sidebars on decorating, like Staging a Beautiful Bookcase and building Bar Carts for Beginners, give you ideas for perking up pre-fab accessories so that any space can look colorful. Plus how-tos on working with specific materials, ideas for entertaining, and—of course—a guide to shooting pictures. And as a special bonus, tear-out posters in the back make it easy for you to decorate your walls in a snap!
Pom-Poms!
Whether they’re perking up your clothes, brightening your home decor, or bringing a rainbow of color to your next party, pom-poms are perfect wherever they pop up.
Each project in this book has oh-so-simple instructions and photographs that’ll have you whipping up homemade tufts in all kinds of eye-catching patterns, from speckles to stripes to polka-dots. And don’t worry about running out of yarn. You’ll learn how to put a new spin on poms with a host of fun materials like tissue paper, tinsel, coffee filters, and cupcake wrappers.
With 25 fresh and fancy takes on a classic, Pom-Poms! will give crafters of all ages a reason to cheer.
SARAH GOLDSCHADT is a Danish American craft book author and designer who lives in Brooklyn. She has worked for Food Network Magazine, Do It Yourself, and Kids' Rooms and freelanced for Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, and Architectural Digest. Sarah loves to make things, travel, and take pictures. Say hello and find new craft projects at Sah-rah.com.
LEXI WALTERS WRIGHT is a writer, editor, and sometime librarian whose work has appeared on family and home design websites such as CountryLiving.com, FreshHomeIdeas.com, and many more. She chases her toddler through the woods of Florence, Massachusetts. Visit her website at lexiwalterswright.com.
Posted by impart
