I just read an article in the NY Times Book Update about this and I was so curious as to how GR members would respond. What is the oddest book title you have ever come across?

(Disclaimer: Just for fun. No offense is meant to the actual authors.)

Rose, could you attach the link for us?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/books/...

Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Nude Mice

is my favorite. What happened at the First International Symposium?

Ok for instance:

Neuroscience At A Glance
by Roger Barker

I don't think seeing this title at a doctor's office would give me confidence.

Got this book at a clearance sale about a month back -

Cromartie v. the God Shiva acting through the Government of India
by Rumer Godden

Haven't read it, but really, doesn't the title just make you want to run the opposite direction? :)

I wish I could see it on CourtTV! :D
That's a good one.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Nude Mice

is my favorite. What happened at the First International Symposium?"

and will there be a third?

I have read similar lists, and I think its a funny list. The problem is if you know anything about these topic, most the titles cease to be funny.

How can there *not* be something funny in the phrase "nude mice". Does that not create a picture that would be the opposite of nude - of mice with little suits and dresses? Which, of course, is hilarious.

Manday, I did go back and include a disclaimer in my original post that no offense was meant to the authors.

The subtitle to this one has always amused me:

Music in Every Room, or Around the World in a Bad Mood.

lol

I have a page-a-day calendar of the stupidest things ever said, and they put some book titles on there. (still no offense to the authors)

Bombproof your Horse.

By itself, that title is funny, but loses it when put with the subtitle: Teach Your Horse to Be Confident, Obedient and Safe No Matter What You Encounter. But, I think they still shouldn't have put Bombproof your Horse. A different title would've been better.

I like the name of all of Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicolson books...

1) Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
2) On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
3) Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas
4) Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants
5) Away Laughing on a Fast Camel
6) "...Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers"
7) Startled by His Furry Shorts
8) Luuurve Is a Many Trousered Thing
9) Stop in the Name of Pants

(Elizabeth--these are the DEFINITION of cheesy, girly, senseless YA, so don't even look them up!)

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (At least they're honest, right?)

I like Meg Cabot's "fat" series:
1) Size 12 Is Not Fat
2) Size 14 Is Not Fat Either
3) Big Boned

Those are just some of the fun ones on my shelves...

Sara wrote: "(Elizabeth--these are the DEFINITION of cheesy, girly, senseless YA, so don't even look them up!) "

LOL!!!!!

Now that you have piqued my interest, Sara, I might have to go look anyway...

Saw this title this morning and giggled: The Clumsiest People in Europe Or, Mrs. Mortimer's Bad-Tempered Guide to the Victorian World.

Hayes wrote: "Now that you have piqued my interest, Sara, I might have to go look anyway...

"

Some of these titles are just irresistable.
Do you think they do that on purpose?

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.

C'mon, Rose, you don't think any red-blooded full-of-hormones-teenager would actually think that worth picking up, do you?

Actually, Sara, I was thinking about my local alternative high school this morning and wondering if they needed some additions to their library. I may get back to you.

They probably don't know that "snogging" is exactly what they would like to be doing....

So it's a vocabulary builder?

Susanna wrote: "Saw this title this morning and giggled: [b:The Clumsiest People in Europe Or, Mrs. Mortimer's Bad-Tempered Guide to the Victorian World|465852|The Clumsiest People in Europe Or, Mrs. Mortimer's ..."

This could be a hidden gem!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "So it's a vocabulary builder?"

*snorts* Is it a VOCABULARY builder??? Ummm... Not unless you count made up words... I mean, there are SOME British words that she uses (and a glossary in the back), but still... She makes a lot of stuff up. Nervous breakdown = "nervy b"; Marvelous = "marvy", Very = "v" (as in "I'm v. v. v. v. excited about such-and-such"). Silly things like that.

I don't know that I would recommend those books to kids in an alternative high school. The main character is the laziest girl of all time... never does her homework... is only concerned about boys and kissing... is REALLY REALLY immature.... They're HILARIOUS, but COMPLETELY mind-numbing.

But they get the kids reading, right?

And marvy is a made up word? We used that word back when I was in high school . . .

My mother uses "marvy" all the time.

Maybe she's secretly reading those books! LOL

Were they written since the 70s? She's been using the term for at least that long!

Maybe its a generational thing. Since Susanna is near my daughter's ages, I must be near her mother's age. And we definitely said "marvy" 45+ years ago.

My mom's been using it for as long as I can remember, and probably much longer; possibly since the 50's. She occasionally uses the term "swell," too. Also "groovy."

But my favorite one of these has got to be "disreputable dungarees"!

My favorite expression goes back another generation. My mother would occasionally exclaim "hot damn!" meaning "that's really good!" and I use that too.

My favorite expressions of my grandparents were "Jesus H. tap-dancing Christ" (grandfather) and "Like a dying cow in a thunderstorm" (grandmother).

I like "bitchin'" and "crap fire and save matches" which is really just an exclamation along the line sof wow. Of course most people would sub the crap with somethng else;)

It's slang, anyway. I was reading a book the other day and one of the characters said, "Doy!" I about died laughing... I used to say THAT when I was in 3rd grade.

But that's true--anything that gets the kids reading. I hate to suggest it, but you could always read the book yourself... or at least skim it...

Sara wrote: "I hate to suggest it, but you could always read the book yourself... or at least skim it... "

Living on the edge, are we?

"Natural Harvest - A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes." It's just so wrong!

LOL!!! Surely there's a typo there!

No, it's not... I posted this one in the "embarrassing dating stories" thread... I'll go find the link, but beware it's pretty graphic!!

The dating stories are graphic too, and funny as anything...Starting from message #31 on is the link to *that* book.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7752...

Susanna wrote: "My favorite expressions of my grandparents were "Jesus H. tap-dancing Christ" ... "

That's a new one on me!! Doy too, Sara... never heard that one.

"Hot spit" was my uncle's usual expression.

A HA! I found the thread.

I was at Half Price Books today, and saw a book on display that made me laugh aloud.

How to Tell If Your Boyfriend Is the Antichrist: And If He Is, Should You Break Up with Him?

Holy hilariousness, Batman! I opened the book, and it was a series of "How to tell if your boyfriend is..." scenarios, including if he is: a cult leader, an insufferable bore, OCD, a narcoleptic, a Trekkie, etc. It lists red flags for each of these scenarios, and then helps you decide whether or not to dump the guy... hahaha... Funny stuff!

OOOoohhh... Here's the website: http://www.antichristboyfriend.com/
If you refresh the site, it will show different "How to tell if your boyfriend" scenarios... :)

Brilliant... thanks.

That's a great one, Saranicole!

Very useful to those women (we all have known them) who pick the wrong man for them over and over and over..... :D

I used to work at a used bookstore. Two titles that I loved:

People I Have Shot. (A book by a photographer of famous people)

How to Shit in the Woods (a camping guide)

My favorite odd title of books I've read is How I Paid for College: a novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater. (and the book was hysterical to boot!)

Here's a good one. And I actually own it!

A Field Guide To Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits- Carol Mack and Dinah Mack.

It takes itself so seriously, giving you detailed descriptions, the danger quotient of the creature and what to do in case you're attacked.

What to do if you're attacked?? Heehee! Awesome!

The oldest book title I have ever read, excluding some of the works of Shakespeare, is a first edition Call of the Wild by Jack London. I found it at a yard sale for .25 cents.

F.D., you did just what I did reading this thread the first couple of times. But it's not oLdest - it's oDdest.

oooops. I guess they were right, I'm too old for this stuff.

Well, like I said, I read it "oldest" several times before I finally got it.