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A Simple Guide to Organizing Your Home Library

Last summer I had to pack up my book collection to move to another state. Before then, I had no idea how many books I really had. But I kept finding more and more of them… on bookshelves, in piles, in boxes, and scattered throughout the house. They were everywhere.

I can't be the only book lover who has faced this problem (we're not people know for our asceticism). Organizing a home library can be overwhelming, and now I know from experience. So, whether you're moving or you're just trying to reorganize your living space, I'm here to help. When we're done you'll know what books you own, and be able to lay hands on just the book you're looking for. You may even re-discover a hidden gem that you've been meaning to read for years! Here are four easy steps to get started.

Posted by Sarah Shotts

Stopping by Wawa on a Snowy Evening

In honor of Wawa's 50th birthday, we're posting Stopping by Wawa on a Snowy Evening, a poem found in Broetry by Brian McGackin.

You can also enter to win a copy in the Rafflecopter below. Enjoy! 

Stopping by Wawa on a Snowy Evening

Is Wawa open? Yes or no?
We need to stop if it’s not closed
To stock up for the party. Shit!
But Wawa doesn’t sell beer, though.

I’m such an ass. I must admit
I’d completely forgotten it:
Convenience stores don’t sell booze here.
Now how the hell will we get lit?

We’ve only got two racks of beer
And one bottle of Everclear;
That’s just enough for maybe three
Or four of us. It would appear

That some of us will have to be
Spending the night alcohol-free.
I guess I’ll drink lemonade tea,
I guess I’ll drink lemonade tea.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted by Eric Smith

Six Ways to Love Your Local Library

It's National Library Week and the perfect time to shower our public libraries with love. They are amazing gateways to knowledge for everyone in the community. I'd like to thank my own local library (Rogers Public Library) for allowing me to take photos and giving me some input for this blog.

The world is changing and libraries are changing with it. When I spoke with my local library before writing this article there was a big emphasis on the changes that libraries are currently undergoing. They're expanding to include more and more digital content and electronic resources. If you haven't visited your library in a while you might be surprised at what they offer. It's time to drop by and see what's new. Here are five ways you can show your library some love!

Posted by Sarah Shotts

Worst-Case Wednesday: Family Gatherings

Yes, it's a Christmas movie, but we love it.

The month of April heralds the start of the spring and summer holiday season. And, as everyone knows, the holiday season means one thing: family get-togethers.

If you don’t celebrate Easter or Passover and get to skip those family gatherings, chances are that, between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day in May and then Father’s Day in June, at some point in the near future you will be expected at a family dinner. For some, this news might be cause for celebration! What’s better than family and good food, especially when it’s finally nice outside? BUT for others, these past few sentences may have unleashed a storm of anxiety and fear.

From outrageous relatives to food disasters, family gatherings carry the potential to go south very quickly. Before you rush to come up with a list of excuses for why you’ll be busy for the next three months, take a peek at The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Life for tips on how to survive (and maybe even enjoy) your next family visit.

Posted by Erin McInerney

A Quirky Easter Egg Hunt: Find The Eggs, Win Some Books!

Easter is this weekend. Me, I'm heading home to run around my house looking for Easter baskets and plastic eggs with my little nephews. Over the years, the difficulty in finding Easter swag at my parents' home has escalated from the obvious to the damn near impossible.

When I was five, the Easter baskets would sit in the middle of the living room. When I turned 30, they hid my basket under a loose board in the attic, which led to a lovecraftian portal to the nether realms. I found the basket, but was gone for thirty seven years in the Old Ones' time. I'm not sure where I was, but I am their king now.

But I digress. 

I've decided to celebrate here at Quirk, and I've hidden four Easter eggs around the Quirk Books website. They look that one, right there. If you find an Easter egg on the bottom of a page, there is a hidden Rafflecopter for you to enter, with some sweet bookish swag you can win.

Here are your hints!

One: It's the end of the world as we know it, and I solve crime. 

Two: Something Wookie this way comes… 

Three: Come on man, you should know this stuff! 

Four: I got a fever, and the prescription… is more cowbell. 

Good luck! 

Posted by Eric Smith

If Classic Novels Had Clipart Covers

Whither clipart? The ubiquitous, cartoonily slapdash style of grab-n-go graphics has faded into technological memory as fast as the ZIP disk (case in point: my first clipart library was stored ON a ZIP disk).

But no more! Clipart deserves to be an immortal art form, and what better way to make it so than by pairing it with deathless works of classic literature? (Don't roll your eyes—this is a Very Good Idea.) Here are seven new clipped-up covers, in all their garish glory.

Posted by Blair Thornburgh