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Book Expo America 2014: Photos & Video!

It should come as no surprise that Book Expo America was, as always, a truly awesome time. We love that convention. Spending time with our friends in the publishing world, meeting bloggers, and hanging out with new fans… it's really hard not to have a blast. 

Posted by Eric Smith

June’s Quirk Perk: Old Man Drinks by Robert Schnakenberg for $3.99!

Old Man Drinks by Robert Schnakenberg: $3.99!

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBookstore

Forget boring mojitos, put down that tired cosmopolitan, and stop sipping that ridiculous appletini! It’s time to embrace Old Man Drinks-the cocktails your grandfather would remember from his nights on the town, way back during the Eisenhower administration.

Posted by Eric Smith

June’s Quirk Perk: Stuff Every Dad Should Know by Brett Cohen for $3.99!

Stuff Every Dad Should Know by Brett Cohen: $3.99!

Amazon / Kobo / iBookstore

On the heels of the successful Stuff Every Man Should Know and Stuff Every Husband Should Know comes the most important volume yet in Quirk’s handy guides to practical manhood: Stuff Every Dad Should Know. It’s full of the indispensible hands-on wisdom that all fathers need in order to instill that comforting sense of “dad awe” in their children, including:

Posted by Eric Smith

Ten of Our Favorite Tight-Knit Literary Siblings

Love them or hate them, brothers and sisters are here to stay—at least in books. They can be the source of conflict, competition, or comfort but, more often than not, when siblings team up they’re pretty much unstoppable. They’re peppered pretty liberally across genres and you doubtlessly have your favorites, but here are my personal top ten families:

Posted by Alyssa Favreau

A Pinch of Dune, A Dash of Lord of the Rings: Important Spices in Literature

The spice must flow.

I remember reading “how people lived in the Middle Ages” books growing up and aside from wanting pretty desperately to be a knight, I remember thinking how bland the food must have been. I mean, it was only the nobility who got those cute little salt dishes. (You pick up the salt with your pinky! We should bring that back!) Everyone else just got boring vegetable stew. And it really didn’t seem fair.

All of this to say that anything that can make food flavorful, from turmeric to thyme, cinnamon to cilantro, is a good thing in my book. Literature is peppered (ha) with these plant-based substances, and since tNational Herbs and Spices Day [June 10] is approaching (what, it's a thing!) let’s take a look at some of the standouts that do so much more than season:

Posted by Alyssa Favreau

Worst-Case Wednesday: How to Treat Sunburn

Use this, you guys! (Image via Birchbox)

While some people are able to step outside and flourish in the sunshine, there are those of us who manage to get sunburned in the time it takes to walk to the car. 

There is nothing worse than forgetting sunscreen and finding yourself red and in pain.  While there is no magical cure to sunburn, there are luckily some tips and tricks that make it slightly more bearable.  If you’ve ever found yourself on the losing end of a battle with the sun, read on for The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook’s advice for how to ease the pain.

Posted by Erin McInerney