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We’re officially in spooky season and we couldn’t be happier. Not only does it mean shorter days and perfect conditions for reading horror novels during dark and stormy nights, it also means our love for Mary Shelley and Frankenstein isn’t super out of place. (We love her year-round. You’ve read Monster, She Wrote, right?) So today, we're celebrating the strange experiment that Dr. Frankenstein got up to with books that we’d love to “Frankenstein” together. But proceed with caution! Dr. Frankenstein’s experiment was also his downfall.

Image by Dave Tavres from Pixabay

Today is Back to the Future Day and in celebration of one of the most culturally significant science fiction films, we at Quirk have decided to make a reading list for George Mcfly (Crispin Glover), who eventually makes a space for himself as a science-fiction novelist and seems to have very distinct tastes.

It’s Snoop Dogg’s birthday this weekend and we can’t help but wonder if he already has a copy of Stuff Every Cannabisseur Should Know on his bookshelf. He could’ve written the entire book himself if he wanted to. He’s just that good. (Sorry, Marc Luber.) And so instead of giving Snoop a hard sell on the latest in our Stuff You Should Know series, we’re putting together a birthday reading list – one best enjoyed after a visit to your favorite cannabis shop.

So. You’ve braved the horror section of the bookstore and found the right book to scare the bejesus out of you. You take your book home and nestle into the corner of your comfy, cozy and safe sofa. By the end of chapter one, your once beautifully manicured nails are now gnarly nubs thanks to your incessant nail biting. The question now becomes this: how do you survive getting through the rest of the book without inflicting any more harm to your body?

We can’t all be excited independent readers. For some of us, reading feels too much like school. (And some of us really loved school.) Or maybe the weather is getting us down; not enough sunlight, not enough warmth. (While some of us really love cuddling up with a warm blanket, lighting some candles, and getting cozy with a book.) Whatever the reason, it’s perfectly normal to get grouchy around reading. Here are some of our favorite surefire recommendations for reluctant and grouchy readers.

What's up next on the TBR list for the author of For Your Consideration: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? Let's find out!

Hey Tres! If you were stranded on Mars and could only have one book to read, what would it be?

American Gods. It's so rereadable and, maybe most importantly given the situation, it's pretty long.

What's your fandom?

Power Rangers is the big one. I literally never stopped watching it growing up until it temporarily went off the air in 2009. It's always meant a lot to me and I'm still pretty keyed into the fandom of it. And then there's Star Wars but like, duh, I'm a person with eyes who watches movies. Of course I'm a part of the Star Wars fandom.

What book is up next on your TBR?

I'm currently in the middle of making my way through Power Rangers: Shattered Grid, which was a big comic crossover event that went down last year. After that though, I've got a book I'm really excited about lined up: The Ceremonies by T.E.D Klein. Last year my bud Steve Foxe wrote a list for Paste Magazine outlining some of the best horror novels of all time. A couple of days later Stephen King reached out to him on Twitter totally unprompted and recommended he check out The Ceremonies as it wasn't included on the list. He said it's "the Moby Dick of horror" which is high praise coming from him. A few weeks ago I found a copy in a used bookstore so I'm stoked to finally give this one a shot—feels like the perfect October read. 

If you were a Quirk book (not your own), which one would you be?

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix. I'm a horror movie nerd who grew up playing in punk and metal bands. Seems like an obvious call.

You wrote a fill in the blank post for the Quirk blog where the reader is invited to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's birthday party. What would you do if you were invited to an epic birthday party thrown by The Rock?

Die of excitement before I ever got to attend.

What is your favorite fact about the The Rock that you learned while writing For Your Consideration: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson?

Oh man, I really love the story about how much work he put into vocal training to sing "You're Welcome" in Moana. 

Rank your top five movies starring The Rock.

I'm doing a version of this that only allows for ONE Fast & Furious installment because otherwise it'd be a really boring list.

5. Pain & Gain
4. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
3. Central Intelligence
2. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
1. Fast Five