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Covers from Jane Austen to Cover

And we’re back with our weekly Northanger Abbey recap! In these chapters our heroine Catherine experiences some highs and some lows, before relocating to a new and exciting locale: Northanger Abbey itself! 

Nearly everyone loves Harry Potter. It was only recently that I finally met someone who genuinely (and appallingly) did NOT love Harry Potter, and even then I was skeptical that we were talking about the same thing. But whether you loved the books or despised them, whether you’ve seen all the movies ten times over or never at all, whether you’re a Firebolt-owning, Hippogriff-loving Potter preacher or a certified muggle, we all have to suffer that one inevitable eventuality in life (besides death and taxes of course): holiday dinner parties. 

Say it again with me. Holiday. Dinner. Parties. 

Ugh.

There are only so many bundt cakes and bean dips that you can throw together haphazardly before everyone starts to resent you. So why not change it up? Witch, wizard, and non-magical folk alike can all take a cue from the wonderful wizarding world and make the evening a little more special with the following seasonal Potter Treats: 

Earlier this year, we were really excited to publish Andrew Knapp's first book, Find Momo.

Can you blame us?  Find Momo is collection of beautiful photographs featuring Instagram sensation Momo, and that adorable border collie won the hearts of every single person in the Quirk HQ. Especially on his visits to the office. And we can't wait to publish Andrew's second book, Find Momo Coast to Coast, due out this May. 

When it comes to Andrew Knapp… well, we love the guy for a lot of reasons. His gorgeous photographs. All the times he's brought Momo to visit us. And the fact that he's really dedicated to supporting local businesses and charities. Particularly ones that help influence the lives and welfare of animals. 

That’s why on Giving Tuesday (December 2, 2014), Quirk Books is partnering with Powells.com in the United States to donate $1 per sale of Find Momo to Farm Sanctuary and with McNallyRobinson.com in Canada to support the Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force (ASNTF).

So, please help us spread the word today and share this promotion! Animal lovers and book lovers alike can participate in making the world a better place, one book at a time.

"There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it."

So Sherlock Holmes says to Dr. John Watson in A Study in Scarlet, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first novel to introduce the famous characters. It was published 127 years ago today.

How should we celebrate the cob-pipe-smoking detective's debut? By taking advantage of the fact that, as of this November, all stories about Holmes prior to 1923 are officially in the public domain. The US Supreme Court refused to hear a copyright appeal by the Conan Doyle estate after a US Court struck down its wishes to maintain ownership over Holmes. As freely as one would rewrite Jane Austen's work, Conan Doyle's Holmes mysteries (save roughly eight) may be manipulated at will (are you getting my subtle hint, Quirk Books?)

You may be versed in the modern adaptations of Holmes—as portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr., Jonny Lee Miller, or Tumblr's #1 Boyfriend Bentobox Lumberjack—so you might know tales like The Hound of the Baskervilles and "The Final Problem". But since I know you're ever curious (and maybe need new fuel for your fanfic), I've decided to gather five of Conan Doyle's lesser-known stories (with links!) that may, true to their form, spur the inner detective and London recluse in you.

(image via Tooth Soup)

"Have you ever wondered why we talk of 'spelling'? There is a spell word implanted in the brain of every English-speaking child, the root mantra of restriction, the secret name of a mighty hidden demon: 'eybeesee-dee-ee-eff-geeaitcheye-jai-kayell-emenn-ohpeequeue-are-ess-tee-youveedouble-you-ex-wyezed'. That name and all the names it generates were designed to set limits upon humanity's ability to express abstract thought. What you see depends entirely upon the words you have to describe what you see. Nothing exists unless we say it."

I love comic books.

I’ve published poetry, plays, fiction, essays, but more than anything, I have always loved comic books. I taught myself how to read with comic books; I taught myself math and computers by using the power ratings on my the Marvel trading cards that my dad used to buy me as incentive after tee-ball and basketball games. This was around 1991, and I’d take those numbers and plug them into Excel or FileMaker Pro on our Mac LCIII and compare and contrast the traits of various characters and basically use those statistics to run my own games of pseudo-D&D/Fantasy Marvel Heroes Trading Cards in my head.