'Weird Book Room' Invites You to Sit Down and Freak Out

AbeBooks (UK), an online bookseller, brings us the fabulous Weird Books Room, which features all things odd in the literary world. You may be familiar with the equally wonderful Rare Books Room, but the Weird Books Room is decidedly different. Showcasing books like Summer with the Leprechauns: A True Story, Spaghetti Art Ware: Poodles and Other Collectible Ceramics, and Ductigami: The Art of the Tape, the list is full of little unknown treasures, however strange they may be.

But the whole idea of categorizing a group of books as 'weird' raises a number of issues. What exactly makes a book 'weird'? Are the compilers of the Weird Book Room and those who suggest books judging them by their covers? Has the publishing industry's preference for catchy titles created a cottage industry for 'weird' books?

Comic Weighs in on the Debate Over Reading Online

Do prefer to read real, physical paperbound books over electronic devices? Or are you one of the Kindle, iPhone, or even laptop reading converts? Debate over whether or not ebooks provide a satisfying reading experience has been going on for years, long before the Amazon Kindle ever debuted. But with the popularity of modern ebook readers, the discussion around this topic has exploded.

Growing Pains

Before you ask: no, this is not a post about the late-80s/early-90s sitcom starring Alan Thicke and Kirk Cameron. Wouldn't it be great if it was?

Instead, we're going to be making a few changes around here in the next month or so, and I wanted to share some of the plans with you as well as make a few requests.

LeVar Burton and the Poetry of Innovation

Some days I try to write a reflection for this blog, and someone else says it better than I ever could. Today, that person happens to be none other than television personality and reading enthusiast LeVar Burton. The host of Reading Rainbow for many years and one of the stars of the popular Star Trek: The Next Generation, Burton is uniquely placed to discuss the similarities between literary and scientific creativity.