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Do you remember what reading was like as a kid? Making weekly trips to the library to pick out ANY BOOK that you wanted. Intensively listening as someone read a story out loud to you and your peers. Looking in wonder at the pictures that went along with the words.

Even if you’re an avid reader now, there’s no denying that reading was a lot more enjoyable back then. Thankfully, that magic isn’t gone. Here are five ways to tap into your inner child and make that next book on your to-read list a little more exceptional.

At the end of the month, we're packing up some books and posters, and flying out to Chicago for C2E2. 

This is our first visit to C2E2 in three years, and we're psyched to be coming back. We've got a lot of fun things planned for our triumphant return, from giveaways to author panels. 

Speaking of those authors, you'll be able to catch Ben H. Winters, the Edgar award nominated author of The Last Policeman (on sale all month, btw!), on the Mystery Genre Panel on Saturday, April 27th (2:45pm – 3:45pm, Room W476). He'll also be signing advance review copies of the second book in The Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City. We'll be selling copies of the first book in the series and giving away those copies of Countdown City. 

E.B. Hudspeth, author of The Resurrectionist, will be featured on a Sci-Fi / Fantasy panel on Saturday, April 27th (12:45pm – 1:45pm, Room W475B), joined by Darth Vader and Son author Jeffery Brown. He'll also be signing copies of The Resurrectionist at our booth. Note, that the Resurrectionist isn't on sale until May 21st, so buying the book early at C2E2 is your chance to get a signed first edition before anyone else! 

As for giveaways, we'll be showcasing William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher and giving out gorgeous posters of the cover. You can also snag a super cute Planet Quirk totebag at our booth, which feature quotes from Geek Wisdom by Stephen H. Segal. 

Looking forward to seeing you all there! Check out the totebag after the jump!

So you finally bought an e-reader or a tablet. Whatever your new gadget is, you’re going to cart it with you everywhere you go. To work, school, or the dentist, that sucker is portable and by golly you’re going to port it!

It’s human nature to imagine what your favorite book characters get up to off the page: what they do on weekends, what they make for dinner, what they like to read. Which got me thinking: what would my favorite characters from classic children’s chapter books read if they were browsing the YA shelves today? Luckily for my fictional friends, these days there’s a YA book for every kind of teenager–now I’ve just got to find a way to get the books into the books.

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Sportsmanship is one of those hit-or-miss traits. Not everyone is blessed with the ability to curb their competitive streaks, and you don’t know who is simmering with bottled-up rage. Golf is a quiet sport that requires a great deal of respectful silence for long periods of time. It’s not for overly emotional people, or for those who tend to lose their tempers. It’s just not a good match. That’s why an enraged golfer is rare in this sport. If you encounter a golfer who has severely lost his cool, you’d better act quickly because you don’t know how long that pot has been boiling. To guide you through this dangerous situation, use the tips provided in The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Guide: Golf.

Note: These survival tips can also help with miniature golf, especially because no one is a professional and competitors are more likely to make fun of each other for missing the hole ten times. Just saying.

Authors have a way with words, but these authors have a way with music, too, whether acting as the opener for a band or playing in one themselves. Here are six authors that have a musical side as well.