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Everybody loves a good adaptation. It can be tough when there are so many movies and television shows being made out of fan favorite books, sometimes decisions are made that may not necessarily best serve the story. This was certainly the case with Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials Trilogy. That isn’t to say the 2007 film was no good, it just wasn’t quit the right adaptation fit for the story. To celebrate the release of the new HBO adaptation of His Dark Materials, we wanted to take a look at some stories which might have been better adapted as long form television series.

We’re officially in spooky season and we couldn’t be happier. Not only does it mean shorter days and perfect conditions for reading horror novels during dark and stormy nights, it also means our love for Mary Shelley and Frankenstein isn’t super out of place. (We love her year-round. You’ve read Monster, She Wrote, right?) So today, we're celebrating the strange experiment that Dr. Frankenstein got up to with books that we’d love to “Frankenstein” together. But proceed with caution! Dr. Frankenstein’s experiment was also his downfall.

Image by Dave Tavres from Pixabay

Today is Back to the Future Day and in celebration of one of the most culturally significant science fiction films, we at Quirk have decided to make a reading list for George Mcfly (Crispin Glover), who eventually makes a space for himself as a science-fiction novelist and seems to have very distinct tastes.

It’s Snoop Dogg’s birthday this weekend and we can’t help but wonder if he already has a copy of Stuff Every Cannabisseur Should Know on his bookshelf. He could’ve written the entire book himself if he wanted to. He’s just that good. (Sorry, Marc Luber.) And so instead of giving Snoop a hard sell on the latest in our Stuff You Should Know series, we’re putting together a birthday reading list – one best enjoyed after a visit to your favorite cannabis shop.

We can’t all be excited independent readers. For some of us, reading feels too much like school. (And some of us really loved school.) Or maybe the weather is getting us down; not enough sunlight, not enough warmth. (While some of us really love cuddling up with a warm blanket, lighting some candles, and getting cozy with a book.) Whatever the reason, it’s perfectly normal to get grouchy around reading. Here are some of our favorite surefire recommendations for reluctant and grouchy readers.

It’s National Coming Out Day and we couldn’t be happier. As a publisher that prioritizes intersectionally feminist titles, we’re so pleased to have three queer titles to celebrate today. (Three of them!) For all the new parents, aunts, uncles, and proud friends, we’re recommending our newest picture book: The GayBCs by M.L. Webb, an inclusive book of ABCs meant to encourage conversation among children.

For our young adult readers – and YA fans of all ages – we have Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston, a raucous adventure perfect for anyone who’s braved a con, stayed up all night working on cosplay, or written a piece of fanfic. It’s also super queer in a romcom way, so you don’t have to be a fangirl yourself to fangirl over Imogen and Jessica.

And for long time fans of Quirk Books, dig into our back catalogue with Born This Way by Paul Vitagliano, a book of over one hundred memories from LGBTQIA+ folks about their childhood. It’s a celebration of our true queer selves.

In celebration of this beautiful day, here are our (other) favorite queer-centric books, featuring some of our favorite young adult protagonists.