Oddest of Them All: Book Titles

From theFebruary 27, 2013, Chicago Tribune "The oddest of them all: Unusual book titles in competition for award" by Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters.

Here are some of the books (along with their oddball titles) up for this year's 35th annual Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year:

Was Hitler Ill?-- by Henrik Eberle and Hans-Joachim Neumann
Lofts of North America: Pigeon Loft--  by Jerry Gagne
How to Sharpen Pencils--  by David Rees
Goblinproofing One's Chicken Coop--  by Reginald Bakely
How Tea Cosies Changed the World--  Loania Prior

Publishers and booksellers know full well that a book title can make all the difference in the sale of books.  A book with an unusual title can make it more attractive to the public.  I have to admit that if I'm looking through a bunch of books, I'd have to stop and pick up a book with a title like these.  Same thing when I see a band, restaurant or bar advertised with an off-kilter name.  I am more likely to visit them.  (See my blog entry at my RoadDog's Roadlog Blog from March 14th for Milwaukee's Holler House.)

Examples of ones that have sold well:  "A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian" has sold almost a million copies and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" which has sold twice that.  However, I looked in my library and didn't see either book.

I Personally Hate Pencil Sharpeners That EAT My Pencils.  --RoadDog


TOO PUNNY:  Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.



The winner, chosen by on-line voting, will be announced March 22.

Last year's winner was "Cooking With Poo," A Thai cookbook by Bangkok resident Saiyuud Diwong whose nickname is Poo.