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From the classic jigsaws, crosswords, and sliders to the niche disentanglement puzzles, Rubik’s cubes, and games like Minesweeper, puzzles have been around since the dawn of humanity because people really do just enjoy solving problems. And it makes sense too as the simple idea of answering a riddle, locating all words in a word search, or decoding a cipher or rebus offers a rewarding and satisfying sense of accomplishment.

For those puzzlers out there who get psyched each January 29th (National Puzzle Day) to amp up their puzzling game or for those who simply enjoy puzzles three hundred sixty-five days a year, consider picking up one of these middle grade reads with their own puzzles, riddles, tricks, and mini mysteries. Not only do middle grade books typically allow more room for puzzles where adult and YA novels tend to limit themselves (especially in aspects like book design), but the puzzles themselves are included to be solved. There are no unguessable plot twists or undecipherable codes. These books offer playful content that are designed to engage the brain, present imaginative storytelling, and allow for a maximum sense of achievement. If that sounds like your cup of tea, get your TBR list ready for puzzling season!

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It’s the incomparable Kerry Washington’s birthday on January 31 and we are absolutely thrilled to be celebrating her on the blog. Washington has been a favorite of ours for years, starting with her iconic roles in Ray and Save the Last Dance. And while scenes from Scandal live rent-free in our brains, we loved seeing her shine the musical The Prom on Netflix alongside icon Meryl Streep. Today, we’re looking back at her literary roles. Because if there’s one thing we love more than Kerry Washington, it’s books. 

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Earlier this month was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and we spent day reflecting on his leadership and finding ways to carry on his legacy in 2021 and beyond. We continue to be inspired by the incredible activism of the Black Lives Matter movement, so today we’re highlighting some of our favorite books about the movement and racial injustice in the United States.

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We’re here to talk about when fictional opposites attract. The romcom and romance trope of enemies to lovers is – no joke – our favorite trope of all time. We love seeing people who think they hate each other realize their true feelings and actually fall in love. We really love to see it. Which is why today we’re recommending five of our favorite hate to love stories. Because if a playground prank is now a national holiday, you better believe we’re going to take the opportunity to talk about books. 

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With the new year in full swing, we wanted to set some reading goals for ourselves – and share those goals with you! For 2021, we’re challenging ourselves to look beyond our TBR and think more creatively about the kind of books we read. Read on for some of our favorite reading goals!

Thinking about starting a reading challenge of your own? Share your 2021 reading goals with us on social media! We’re on Facebook, Twitter, and Instragram. Be sure to tag us and use the hashtag #QuirkReads2021 so we can follow along.

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It’s possible to learn all kinds of things from someone’s handwriting. If we had to guess, if it slants to the left, this may point to a more private person, if there are narrow spaces between words, it suggests someone who doesn’t like to be alone, and if it is so messy that it is unreadable, the person probably went to med school…

Of course, these days, handwriting is becoming rarer and rarer, as we use computers, phones, voice commands and more for day to day communication. Typing is the way forward, and handwriting is fast becoming a lost art. However, with National Handwriting Day this month, it's the perfect time to celebrate those who still love to loop their letters or print by hand. Whether it is calligraphy TikToks, a carefully penned note, or books like these that include handwriting in their pages, script still has a place in our lives.