Our Blog

Cookbook: Desserts, Crafting

Celebrate Read an eBook Day With Our Free eBook Samplers!

Celebrate Read an eBook Day With Our Free eBook Samplers!

Did you know that today is Read an eBook Day? It is! True story! Just check out this website! 

Over the past few years, Quirk has released a handful of free eBooks, featuring tons of stuff from our books. Recipes, crafts, excerpts, essays… you name it, we've tossed in a lot of free stuff into these beautifully designed (great work Andie!) free eBooks.

There are some links to download them below. Go ahead, they're free. Happy Read an eBook Day! 

Stuff Every Geek Should Know

Quirk Books Throws You Five Awesome Parties

Quirk Books Entertains Your Kids

Homemade Quirk Diy Sampler: Volume 1

Posted by Eric Smith

Crafting

Etsy Roundup: Amazing Book Safes to Stash Your Stuff

Etsy Roundup: Amazing Book Safes to Stash Your Stuff

Books: they're bigger on the inside! Sometimes literally. Book safes are cool-looking and very handy for hiding away your ~secret things~, but they're a bit of a pain to make (all that cutting and gluing!) Fortunately, some clever Etsy crafters have you covered. Click for our favorite picks!

(Above: Hollow book safe, The Coming Fury, $60, Secret Safe Books)

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

Classics, Comics, Crafting

Eat More Books, Episode 27: Silent Reading Party

Eat More Books, Episode 27: Silent Reading Party

 

Posted by Rick Chillot

Crafting

How to Tuesday: Create Your Own Bookish Hoop Art

How to Tuesday: Create Your Own Bookish Hoop Art

Hoop-ing up embroidery pieces is a great way to quickly and cheaply DIY wall art. There are so many directions to take hoop art, from the bold to the serene, that there's no way to go wrong. Here at Quirk we love words & books, so we took our inspiration from hand lettering to make our take on hoop art, but you can go with whatever floats your boat! 

 
Supplies
 
– Fabric. For this particular project, you'll want a solid color or a small pattern. 
– Backing fabric. Plain white linen should do the job. 
– Embroidery needle
– Embroidery thread 
– Scissors 
– Embroidery hoop (or two) 
– Quilting marker (optional) 
– Pencil and Paper (optional)
– Pins (optional)
 
Directions
 
 
1. Decide on a quote– I went with a favorite from A Series of Unfortunate Events author Lemony Snicket (AKA Daniel Handler): "Never trust anyone who has not brought a good book with them." 

Posted by Whitney Penn

Crafting

Five Beautiful Bookish Sculptures (Made with Real Books)

Five Beautiful Bookish Sculptures (Made with Real Books)

I hate to admit this, but books have a—pun intended—shelf life. Sometimes they are damaged by accident and sometimes they just don't stand up to the passage of time. However, there are some incredible artists out there who make old books beautiful again by using them as a medium for awesome sculptures. Here's a taste of what five of these super talented people have produced.

Posted by Gemma Noon

Crafting

How-To Tuesday: How to Survive Summer

How-To Tuesday: How to Survive Summer
 
Photo via WeSpeck on Flickr
 
Most people love summer. I hate it. For three very simple reasons: hornets, heat, and humidity. Those three H’s are nightmarish enough to make me wish us humans had some strange form of summer hibernation. I’d love to sleep through the season and wake up just when the air starts to cool. 
 
Unfortunately, that’s not possible. If you, like me, feel like summer’s nemesis, here are five things that can help you survive the next few months:
 
Sunscreen! Every publication goes on and on about sunscreen. It’s annoying. But they have a point. The only way to successfully survive the summer is to battle the sun. Sure, shade, sunglasses, and loose-fitting clothing can help, but sunscreen is the ultimate shield. My partner is allergic to the sun and even he doesn’t wear sunscreen on most days. This year, listen to the magazine articles you usually skip over.
 
Books! I’d roll over and quit every day of the summer if it weren’t for finding the perfect summer reads. Sitting on a balcony with iced coffee and a book is the only decent summer day (seriously). Choose shorter books to read in the summer, stories that you can get through in one afternoon.
 
They’re the perfect escape from the hellish weather. Need some recommendations? The Great Gatsby, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, and The Turn of the Screw are all short novels/novellas that will keep your interest for just long enough. Short story collections are also perfect for reading on summer vacation.
 
Television! It’s too easy to forget the days of the week in the summertime when you don’t have TV shows to keep you in line. Now that every major network is on a break, take some time to binge-watch shows you’ve been meaning to watch for forever. Pick something with way too many seasons and use it as an excuse to hide from the season. Close the curtains, turn off all the lights, and you’ll soon forget that it’s even summer. Enjoy your re-watch of a decade of Friends.
 
Water! This is quite possibly the only good thing to come from summer. Jump into a body of water! Drink water! Throw water balloons! Have a water gun battle! Hell, just wander down the street and run through your neighbors’ sprinklers.
 
Libraries! Your local library is the best place in the summertime. Libraries have air conditioning. Surround yourself with all those wonderful, free-to-read books and escape the heat. Libraries also have amazing programs throughout the summer months: take a class and learn something new or join a bookclub!
 
Keep your days busy and summer will be over before you know it.
 
—
 
 
Maria Vicente is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency. She likes books, coffee, design, & magic. You can find her on Twitter (@MsMariaVicente) or her blog, ibelieveinstory.com.
 

Posted by Maria Vicente

New Releases

Dog’s First Baby
Dog’s First Baby
By Natalie Nelson
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
By Grady Hendrix
Let’s Find Momo!
Let’s Find Momo!
By Andrew Knapp
My Best Friend’s Exorcism
My Best Friend’s Exorcism
By Grady Hendrix
Horrorstör
Horrorstör
By Grady Hendrix