5 strangely named science books

"Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Remember how in yesterday's post I said that strange and unusual titles manage to find me without my even trying? Today's post is proof positive, yet again, that I meant it. I came across the book A neutron walks into a bar: Random facts and big ideas about our universe and everything in it and, before I knew it, had this list below. It's a gift. A gift that I can't return and/or get a refund on and so I've learned to live with it and revel in it. And so I give you: 5 strangely named science books.

Today is the first day in our (now 3rd) annual 12 Posts of Christmas series, people! We're blogging every day up to Christmas Day with recommendations that will make you laugh, geek out, make grabby hands in trying to get your hands on them and, hopefully, make you want to share them with everyone including strange people you meet on your morning bus rides to work (Please tell me it's NOT just me who does that). Roll on the madness!

5 new graphic novels

Roschach's Journal: October 12th, 1985

Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face.

The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.

The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll look down and whisper "No."

― Alan Moore, Watchmen

Graphic novels. Comics. Illustrated novels. Comic strips. Narrative work. Whatever you choose to call them, we hold an interesting (and varied) selection of graphic novels, and we receive new titles all the time and for me, it's like Christmas every day of the year. During the nine years I've worked in public libraries, it has never ceased to amaze me how discussions about what to call 'graphic novels,' and whether or not they qualify as 'art' or 'literature' and are 'worthy' (you wouldn't believe how much I hate this type of value judgement about books) can get heated. And unnecessarily so. I remember, about five years ago, being told that graphic novels were for lazy people who couldn't be bothered to read full length novels. That took me aback. My parents had given me comics - and I mean actual comics - as a kid. I never received the impression from mum and dad that this form of reading was 'less than.' I had always been taught that the issue should never be about how people are reading, or what format they're reading in. People are still reading. That's worth celebrating. I spend a fair bit of time in the New Books lists each month, and the new graphic novels list gets a serious workout, and here are 5 that I've picked out. (That, not coincidentally, I've also requested and am working my way through at the moment). And while I'm thinking about the new book lists, they were updated just the other day. So make sure to check them out!