Our Blog

Books For Jem and the Holograms’ Tour

For those who want to relive their love of Jem and the Holograms, the show about a group of foster sisters who are bequeathed a holographic projection system by their father, and then use it to become an internationally acclaimed rock and roll group (as you do), there’s no shortage of modern retellings. But before you dive headfirst into the wonderful IDW comic series, or the new film out October 23, let’s take a moment to discuss which books the original, truly outrageous, Jem and the Holograms would find time to read between all that glamour and glitter, fashion and fame.

Posted by Alyssa Favreau

How To Photograph Your Books for Instagram

In a world where your sunset photos have to be perfectly aligned and your food artfully arranged on quirky mismatched dishware—how do you up the Instagram ante with your book photos? Here are some tips to help you become a master of the perfect Bookstagram photo. No messy, disorganized bookshelves under this #shelfie tag.

Posted by Andrea K. Thatcher

The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping: An Excerpt!

Hey there, lovers-of-vintage! In honor of The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping being our Quirk Perk this month (only two more weeks to take advantage of that!), we decided to post an excerpt from the book! 

Read on to scope out the introduction and first chapter. Like what you see? You can pick up for your Amazon KindleB&N Nook, in the iBookstore, or on your Kobo

 

Posted by Eric Smith

Quirk Perks: The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping, $3.99 All Month

THE LITTLE GUIDE TO VINTAGE SHOPPING by Melody Fortier ($3.99)
Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iBookstore / Kobo

Vintage shopping offers couture quality at a fraction of the price. But how can you spot a Dior original in a rack full of LBDs? That’s where vintage dealer Melody Fortier comes in. Her Little Guide to Vintage Shopping demystifies the entire process so you’ll know what to look for, what to avoid, and what to pay.

Posted by Eric Smith

Retro Readers: A Vintage Spin on Modern Day Reading

Believe it or not, that’s a Kindle case.

You seldom spot anyone at the Quirk HQ without his or her trusty iPads. Whether we’re rocking out to our respective iTunes playlists at our desks, playing intense games of Angry Birds during lunch, or reading using the iPad’s Kindle App, Apple’s handy tablet is always within reach.

However, as book people, we often miss the look of a well-designed cover while reading eBooks, especially with Doogie and Katie creating their masterpieces on the third floor. This is where Retro Readers comes in.

An Etsy shop ran by Melissa Obrien, Retro Readers takes vintage books and repurposes them as shells for your eReader of choice. The designs are elegant and beautiful, with a handful that work quite well around the holidays. Check out this Christmas cover!

Retro Readers doesn’t only specialize in iPad covers. They also craft some really nice Kindle and Nook protectors, such as this Circle of the Seasons piece, with its lovely green accents and charming ribbon.

The covers are reasonably priced too, cashing out at around $40 after shipping. A small price to pay for a truly unique case that will be envy of all your bookish friends.

Retro Readers @ Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RetroReaders

Posted by Eric Smith

Earrings Crafted Out of Vintage Book Pages

Flourish & Debonair, an Etsy seller based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, gives you the option to actually wear old books, as opposed to tossing them in the attic or hocking them on Amazon.

Like these handmade paper bead earrings, crafted using a repurposed vintage science diagram of the nervous and skeletal system. You can clearly see the brain, spine, and nerves in the handcrafted spherical beads. Best use of a science book, EVER. And to top it off, they come in a handmade origami gift box. A nice touch.

Posted by Eric Smith