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Quirk’s American Literary Road Trip: Route 1
It's a dream for many to take a road trip across America. Unfortunately, there are many reasons not to take a roadtrip this time of year.
1. It's freezing on the East Coast.
2. Gas isn't cheap.
3. Your personal hygiene will suffer.
4. Who the hell has time for a road trip anyway? We're not all Kerouac.
Instead, we've come up with a way for you to travel the country and remain comfy in your reading nook at home or the coffee shop down the street.
To begin, we'll be traveling from Washington to Utah – and through time. The following books cover the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
WASHINGTON
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (2012)
Compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.
OREGON
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (1963)
Mordant, wickedly subversive parable set in a mental ward.
CALIFORNIA
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (1939)
Kidnapping, pornography, seduction, and murder.
NEVADA
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (1971)
The best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page.
UTAH
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (1887)
Potent mix of serial murder, suspense, cryptic clues, red herrings and revenge.
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Maria Vicente is a literary agent intern living in Ottawa, Canada. She likes coffee, books, snail mail, and magic. You can find her on Twitter (@MsMariaVicente) or check out her website (mariavicente.com)
Posted by Maria Vicente
Ten Literary Characters Choose the Newest Monopoly Piece
Are you fed up with the current selection of Monopoly tokens? Have you tossed the board and its tiny hotels in frustration at the monotony of game play? Do you find yourself longing for a more fully diversified portfolio of silver movers?
Posted by Jessica S. Marquis
Valentine’s Day: Don’t Buy Her Something, Write Her Something!
Posted by Jo Pincushion
Visiting Punxsutawney: Five Things I Learned On Groundhog Day
I’ve seen the movie Groundhog Day about five times (which, given the repetitive nature of the storylines, feels more like fifty), but until this weekend, I’d never seen the real Groundhog Day. Now, after experiencing all the impatient waiting, sub-freezing temperatures, and rodent-related reveling of one of the weirdest traditions our country has to offer, I’ve discovered that—surprise!—movies aren’t like real life.
Here’s the lowdown on the facts and fictions of G-Day.
Posted by Blair Thornburgh
Celebrating Library Lovers’ Month: Five Amazing Libraries in the US
The Library of Congress’ Great Hall
February is Library Lover’s Month, a month intended to recognize the value of libraries country-wide. How better to celebrate this month than to spotlight several of the top libraries that exist around the country?
Posted by Jenn Lawrence
Worst-Case Wednesday: How to Fend Off Competitors for Your Date
Image via
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching- a cheerless, depressing holiday with no other way to make it through except to drink copious amounts of alcohol and have a pillow handy for crying or screaming purposes.
Just kidding!
Well, kind of.
For some, any date is better than no date on February 14th, and the despairing moments days before this holiday can lead to impetuous attempts to find a date… any date. If you are so lucky to find a date at the last minute, be aware! Dates are in such high demand during this holiday that sometimes you have to take extra care to KEEP your date – at any moment, some desperate fool may try to swoop in and nab your date out from under your nose. Valentine’s Day can be brutal, to say the least.
Never fear! Shake off those feelings of dread, because the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating and Sex has the answer to this problem.
Posted by Jennifer Murphy