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Star Wars

The Return of the Blog Tour: Where to find The Jedi Doth Return on the Internet This Month!

The Return of the Blog Tour: Where to find The Jedi Doth Return on the Internet This Month!
 
Hark! Hark! A new book approacheth! We're verily excited for Ian Doescher's The Jedi Doth Return, and to celebrate, we've lined up a whole host of guest posts on some truly excellent book blogs. Find out what and where Ian will be stopping by below the jump!
 

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

Geek, Star Wars

Quirk’s Trip to Wizard World Philadelphia [Photos & Video]

Quirk’s Trip to Wizard World Philadelphia [Photos & Video]

And we're back! 

We spent Thursday through Sunday at Wizard World Philadelphia, a convention that took place just a few blocks away from the ol' Quirk Books HQ. You might have seen us tweeting out photos all weekend. If not, you should be following us on Twitter. We're @QuirkBooks. I'll wait. Got it? Okay. Let's continue.

Posted by Eric Smith

Fiction

How to Tuesday: The Many Tan Lines of Beach Reading and How to Avoid Them

How to Tuesday: The Many Tan Lines of Beach Reading and How to Avoid Them
Image via Tumblr
 
It's about that time to hit the beach, and is there anything better than sitting near the ocean, listening to the waves roll in and drinking something cold while you read under the warm sun? 
 
Alright, don't answer that. I realize many readers are the "read while listening to the rain with a warm cuppa" type, and that's alright. But we're not talking about rain clouds – it's summer! Bring on the sun! BBQ! Picnics! Sun burns! 
 
Readers face some unique and specific challenges when it comes to enjoying a book in the sun. It's a question of how to do it while avoiding the scenarios I'll describe below, all to which I've personally fallen victim to at least once. If you're headed to the beach with a book sometime this summer, be sure to change up your reading position often in order to avoid these sun burn patterns (a.k.a. Reader Tan Lines):

Posted by Kristina Pino

Cookbook: Drinks

Seven Intoxicating Drinking Games for Your Favorite Books

Seven Intoxicating Drinking Games for Your Favorite Books
 
Movies have drinking games, so why can't books? As any bibulous bibliophile will tell you, anything can be a drinking game if you want it to be (although we don't recommend turning every activity into one, because that's called bad decision making.)
 
We've compiled some fun, fast and loose ideas for literary drinking games below. These games—while intoxicatingly fun to read about—are mostly for satire purposes, and should not necessarily be seen to fruition. If you really feel the need to get drunk, get drunk on beautiful prose! And maybe a little alcohol. But only if you're of age.
 

Posted by Cassie Rose

Literary Events in Philly This Week: June 22nd – 28th

Literary Events in Philly This Week: June 22nd – 28th
 
Philly’s starting to get hot, but not too hot for its dedicated literary scenemakers. Now that the sun is out and your apartment’s all but uninhabitable, go check out some exciting upcoming readings and workshops:
 
On Monday, June 23rd, veteran sports columnist George Vecsey will read from Eight World Cups: My Journey Through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer, a new book collecting his insider accounts of the last eight World Cups.
 
On Tuesday, June 24th, Big Blue Marble is hosting its monthly Women of the World Book Club. This month, the club will discuss NoViolet Bulawayo’s acclaimed We Need New Names.
 
 
Also on the 28th, Lynn Hoffman will be giving a free reading at Musehouse from his new memoir, Radiation Days. Launch Party to follow!
 
Saturday’s going to be a big day. The 28th is the first day of the Philly Feminist Zine Fest at Christ Church’s Community House. Metropolarity invites you to join them.

Posted by Stephen Piccarella

Fiction

Not by Any Other Name: How Three Characters Will Make You Feel Great About Yours

Not by Any Other Name: How Three Characters Will Make You Feel Great About Yours
 
Major Major Major Major in the movie adaptation of Catch 22
 
Certain authors are sadistic name-givers. They hold no quarter for their brightest creations. Not only is the writer’s hero sent on a quest through the ether, but the character’s first name is exactly the same as the character’s last name. Sometimes the character doesn’t even have a “quest,” per say, but a two-bit role as a secondary companion. 
 
The technique, called reduplication, is one of the most brilliant and devious I’ve seen in fiction. So that you may go on in life enjoying the pleasure of your own normal name, here are three characters that will make you double- and triple- and quadruple-take upon reading.

Posted by Alex Grover

New Releases

Dog’s First Baby
Dog’s First Baby
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Elf
Elf
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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
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My Best Friend’s Exorcism
My Best Friend’s Exorcism
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Horrorstör
Horrorstör
By Grady Hendrix