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October 24, 2013

Cats

Eat More Books: Episode 10 That Darn Cat

October 23, 2013

Celebrate Fall with Six Book-Inspired Beers!

Complex tastes, diehard fans, and cultish obsession with new releases: it's no surprise craft beer and literature go together like, well, writers and alcoholism. Quench your thirst for bookish brews with these five flavors…

An Ale of Two Cities: Whether you're celebrating the best of times or drowning the sorrow of the worst, this full-bodied beer will quench your thirst for Revolution. With bitter notes of social upheaval set against the long-fermented yeast of aristocratic privilege, this is a beer with more character(s) than you can keep track of. For the authentic Dickensian drinking experience, six packs are serialized one bottle at a time.

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

October 22, 2013

Geek, Relationships

The Geek’s Guide to Dating Webseries: Chris & Shannon

Welcome to The Geek's Guide to Dating Webseries!

From bloggers to podcasters, indie video game developers to celebrated filmmakers, hard hitting journalists to award-winning storytellers, over the next few months geeks-of-all-kinds will be sharing their love stories and dishing out advice.

In this week's video, you'll meet Christopher Wink and Shannon McDonald. You locals might recognize Chris from Technically Philly and Shannon from NewsWorks / NEPhilly. Hit play and learn how they met, how Google Apps can play a major role in any relationship, and why Chris won't call himself a "cat geek", whatever that is.

Enjoy! And check back every Tuesday afternoon for a new video through February!

Posted by Eric Smith

October 22, 2013

Fiction

Breaking All Four Walls: Boston Bookstores That Aren’t Actually Stores

I love indie bookstores. Especially ones that smell like funky used paperbacks and whose wooden floors creak under your shoes. They’re probably some of my favorite places ever.

But do you know what can feel even cooler than floors creaking under your shoes? Outdoor bookstores! Outdoor libraries! Where grass and gravel crunch under your shoes instead! These little bookstores are just hanging out in different corners of your neighborhood, waiting for you to stumble upon them in all their bookish glory, and the Boston area has several of them all over the place. Here are three super-cool outdoor havens to drop off and pick up books without actually stepping foot inside a bookstore.

Harvard Square Book Table: The Harvard Square Book Table is a perfect example of stumbling upon an outdoor bookstore. The whole book table business is built on the honor system, and has been doing so for over five years. Shoppers have nearly 100 book choices that are constantly changing, and are trusted to leave their money in the lockbox, which seems to be working pretty well. One of my friends and I found the table while walking around Harvard Square one day (for anyone around Boston, it’s down near the Brattle Theatre), and were automatically preparing ourselves to walk away with at least four or five books each. The books were cheap—I don’t remember one being more than seven dollars—and with no dude with a cash register or anything, the store was even more awesome. Try to check this place out during sunny days, though; at even the slightest chance of rain, the books are packed away and a tarp is thrown over the table to protect your future purchases.

Brattle Book Shop Alleyway: This little shop is on West Street, almost right across from the Boston Common, and pretty much offers the best of both worlds, funky used paperback smell included. Complete with a mural devoted to several famous authors including Hemingway, Kafka, Asimov, and of course, Dr. Seuss, the Brattle’s alley is lined with bookshelves that are embedded in the walls of the surrounding buildings, and a bunch of pushcarts are arranged in the middle, as well (except, like the book table, on rainy days). Added bonus! When the Brattle closes for the night, the bookshelves in the walls close, too, offering even more bookish paintings for people to enjoy. And who can say no to book art?

Somerville’s Payphone Library: James Fox, president of the Friends of the Somerville Public Library, put together the phone booth and revamped it into one of the tiniest and most intriguing libraries in the city. Its bright red paint job makes it hard to miss, and the clear flip-up covering protects books from the weather while also acting as a browsing window for passersby. Several little signs taped up on the payphone instruct people to “take one, leave one,” but that rule isn’t set in stone—a sticker on the top shelf also suggests “heck, just take one,” so hey, you’re free to do whatever your heart desires. Just take a book, enjoy it, and maybe leave one for someone else to enjoy, too; it’s good karma. As a bonus, this little library is right across from a bakery in Ball Square in Somerville, so you can totally go grab a cupcake or something and then browse the payphone’s book selection. That’s something that I never thought I’d be writing, but there’s a first time for everything, right?

Want to see if there are any shops or libraries like these in your area? Check out littlefreelibrary.org! They have a list of hundreds of little free libraries all over the world, so you’re bound to find one nearby.

Posted by Allison Racicot

October 21, 2013

Cookbook: Drinks

Drink the Rainbow: Skittles-Flavored Vodka

Skittles flavored vodka. I repeat, Skittles. Flavored. Vodka.

Recipes like this are why it’s great to be a grown-up: sure, fruity candy is tasty, but wouldn’t it be better if it were…boozier? This is a great and inexpensive gift for friends who need a pop of color on their bar, or just a fun and easy way to fancy up your cocktails at home. Best of all, it’s as simple as pouring things in jars—but it’s a two-day process, so plan accordingly.

Posted by Erica Dreher

October 17, 2013

Cats, Dogs

Eight Adorable Superhero Costumes For Your Small, Comic Book Loving Pet

“Fetch me another bale of alfalfa!” – Chinchilla Thor

When it comes to Halloween costumes for small critters like ferrets, guinea pigs, and hamsters, your options are somewhat limited. As an owner of an adorable bunny (who was featured in Quirk’s craftbook Microcrafts) and a chinchilla (who has yet to make his published book debut, Margaret!) I feel the pain that small animal owners experience around Halloween.

I mean, everyone else gets to dress up their larger pets, their cats and their dogs, in various costumes. I watch them all get posted to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… all with a rising jealousy in my heart. What about me? What about my need to take pictures of my pets looking adorable?

After fiddling around Etsy for a bit in an attempt to find Halloween costumes for small pets, I found a treasure trove thanks to this blog post. Let me introduce you to Marmota Cafe, an Etsy shop opperating out of Washington, D.C., who seems to specialize in great costume options for tiny, furry friends. All the costumes run from $9 to $18, and are designed with the comfort of your small pets in mind.

Have a look, and prepare to smile.