Tuesday Top Ten: Hilarious Book Titles

Some YA book titles are humorous indeed, and others are unintentionally hilarious. I have a strange sense of humor, so you may not find these funny. I, however, think they're quite amusing.


10. Burger Wuss by M.T. Anderson
M.T. Anderson is a very versatile author, writing award-winning historical fiction, thought-provoking science fiction and this humorous little book about self-acceptance, love and burger wars.









9. How They Croaked: the Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg
This book not only has a humorous title but a killer (pun intended) cover. I haven't read it yet, but it's high on the to-be-read list. An irreverent title for a not so irreverent subject. Hilarious.







8. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
This book's been around for almost ten years, and the title still gets me. Mackler is known for her thoughtful stories and strong female characters, and this one is no different.







7. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Not only is the title humorous, but the book is too. Each chapter riffs on popular tunes such as Tiny Dancer, and manages to incorporate them into the goings-on. Very clever, Ms. McBride. Very clever.







6. Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
This entire series has hilarious titles--how appropriate for a loony, hilarious protagonist such as Georgia Nicolson. I've been laughing for a decade over these books and am sad they've come to an end.







5. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
This first and best of the current mash-up craze. Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorite books ever, and I have a weird affinity for all things zombie. How could I not laugh at this title or the contents therein?







4. P.S. I Loathe You (or any Clique titles for that matter) by Lisi Harrison
I must admit, I've never read any Clique novels. Mean girl stories really aren't my thing. I do, however, enjoy a sort of wry amusement at the bad puns that accompany each volume of this series. What's next--Rainbow Spite?







3. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
I always manage to get a chuckle from patrons to whom I recommend this book and they are unfamiliar with the series. Another humorous title for a humorous book.







2. Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer by Van Jensen
Who better to slay hordes of evil vampires than a wooden boy whose nose becomes stake-like with each lie he tells? The concept is genius and hilarious.












1. I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil, and I Want to be Your Class President by Josh Lieb
A story that's not quite as hilarious as the title, but good fun all the same. Oliver Watson should have a meeting of the minds with Cadel Piggot and Artemis Fowl. That's a mash-up I'd like to read.





What book titles do you find hilarious?

Tuesday Top Ten: Books I'd Want on a Desert Island

It's Tuesday! Time for another top ten list (inspired by The Broke and the Bookish). From here on out, my lists will consist of books I can find in the teen department of our Library, since I practically live there and they're pretty much all I have time to read nowadays. They're so fabulous, though, that I don't mind at all.

And I'm counting series as one book because really, how fair would it be to be marooned on a desert island with just Vampire Academy, City of Bones, or Uglies? One would go mad not being able to read the story to its completion. So pretend I duct-taped a series together into one UBER BOOK. Fair enough?

YA Books I'd Want on a Desert Island

10. The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven: Not all of the scenarios may be relevant to my predicament, but heck, it's better than nothing. Without it, I'd say my chances of lasting more than a few days are 100 to 1.








9. Lord of the Flies by William Golding: If I'm stuck on this island indefinitely, Ralph and Piggy's misadventures will serve as a cautionary tale for those days when I start to wig big-time and feel it necessary to put a pig's head in charge.









8. The Far Side Gallery by Gary Larson: Stave off your own impending insanity by laughing at someone else's. It's genius! Gary Larson's one panel cartoons are completely loony and a nostalgic throwback to when I was a carefree teenager. They're also a great distraction from my inability to catch fish.







7. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford: Here's another designed to keep me laughing and my mind off of my situation. Carter is such a lovable goofball, and his own predicaments are hysterically funny.









6. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: One of two must-have romances. It's easy to be swept away in the saga of Scarlett O'Hara. And its huge size, meaning many happy days of reading, is an important bonus.








5. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: It's bleak. It's dystopian. It's a bummer. But it's also a testament to courage and a "never say die" attitude that fills me with fierce hope. It's also wonderfully written making it a hell of a read.








4. The Shadow Saga by Orson Scott Card: Bean's story crackles with intensity and is almost as good as Ender's own series (see #3). The complexity lends itself to multiple reads which is perfect desert island reading.








3. The Ender Saga by Orson Scott Card: I am fascinated by these tales and find a new philosophy or rationale to ponder with each successive read. I also have an intense yet complicated love for Ender Wiggin, who is one of the more fascinating literary characters ever created.







2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: The second romance on this list and the greatest romance novel as far as I'm concerned. As soon as I finish reading this book, I want to start over right away. A perfect choice. And Mr. Darcy will make an appearance on a future Top Ten list, so stay tuned.







1. The Bible by God: If ever there was a time to read and contemplate the message of the Creator, it's now. Even folks who aren't religious turn to God in times of great stress or despair. If being stranded on a deserted island is not a time of great stress or despair, then I don't know what is.






So what do you think? Am I doomed or do I have a chance to survive with all my mental faculties intact? What would you bring?

Some good reads...

The May book recommendations are up.

Read anything good lately?

Tuesday Top Ten: Childhood Faves

My first Tuesday Top Ten is a fail. It's Wednesday! In my defense, it was crazy busy at the Library yesterday. I'll do better next time. Promise.

The sassy, smart ladies at The Broke and the Bookish post a weekly feature of bookish lists which I find informative and entertaining to read. A list nerd myself, I wanted to join in the fun. My lists will focus, for the most part, on YA literature since that's pretty much all I read these days. And it's not just because of the job either. It's more of a preference. Have you READ a YA book recently? We've come so far since the Sweet Valley days of the 1980s.

I'm starting at their starting point: childhood favorites. Obviously, these won't be YA books, although I did start reading those at a younger age than is probably normal. No, these will be the books that I checked out a million times from the elementary school library, or had my own well-worn copy lovingly stored on the bedroom bookshelf.

I'd love to hear some of your favorites too.


Childhood Favorites


1. Are you there God, it's me Margaret by Judy Blume: Any girl who wants to know more about what it's like to get her period should read this book. Sure, it's a bit dated (belts? yikes!) but pre-pubescent fears and curiosity are timeless. And who doesn't love Judy Blume?







2. From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg: Run away and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Use coins from the fountain to buy food and the fountain itself to wash up? Uncover a fascinating mystery about an angel statue that's begging to be solved? Sign me up!







3. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis: One of the greatest series for children, and adults as well. Mrs. McVey, my fifth grade teacher, spent the entire year reading these 7 books aloud to the class. I begged my mother for a box set of them, and I have those books to this day. I have problems with the new(ish) "chronological order" in which they're published, but that's a topic for another post. My favorites in the series? The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.




4. On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder: And all the other Little House books for that matter. This one was my favorite though. Laura Ingalls was a great childhood friend. She would travel through time and accompany me on my outdoor adventures, and I would show her the marvels of modern day. But somehow we both preferred the rustic simplicity of her day.






5. Nancy Drew mystery stories by Carolyn Keene: Another childhood friend, Nancy Drew was the smartest girl I knew. There was no clue too subtle, no puzzle so unsolvable that Nancy couldn't save the day. Mom would force me to go outside and get some fresh air and sunshine, and a Nancy Drew book often would come with me. We'd go hunting for clues hidden in gnarled old trees or buried under rock gardens and behind storage sheds. Good times.






6. The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White: White's other books, Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, are much beloved by children--myself included, but it was The Trumpet of the Swan that resonated most with me. A brave young swan overcomes his inability to make a sound, saves the life of a human camper and falls in love with a beautiful young swan named Serena. It was a lovely story, and I cherished it.







7. Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary: Ms. Cleary has written a large number of children's books and created a host of lovable characters including Ramona Quimby, Ralph S. Mouse and Ellen Tebbits. The one I loved the best was Henry Huggins, the first in a series of books concerning Henry's amusing adventures on Klickitat Street with his trusty dog Ribsy and friend Beezus. I desperately wanted to live in a neighborhood as realistically idyllic as Henry's.







8. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein: I'll bet that most people who grew up in the U.S. during the last 30 years can recite at least a bit of a Shel Silverstein poem. Silly rhymes, silly illustrations and outlandish situations were Silverstein's calling cards, delighting hordes of young children. Say it with me now: I cannot go to school today said Little Peggy Ann McKay...







9. Charlie Brown's 'Cyclopedia by Funk & Wagnalls Inc.: Mom bought these for my sisters and I when we were very young. We pored over them again and again for years. More fun and accessible than the World Book, the subtitle of this set was "Super Questions and Answers and Amazing Facts." What kid doesn't love super questions and answers and amazing facts?







10. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl: One of the many instances in my life where I've seen the film before reading the book; no matter. The book was brilliant, and fun, and a little bit scary. But chocolate and imagination can cure most ills, of that I'm quite convinced. Dahl's dark sense of humor may not be for every child, but I felt right at home with Willy Wonka and his fabulous factory.






There are SO MANY more books I wish I could have included, but alas, it's only a top ten. What do you think? Did you love some of these books too?

The poetry contest deadline draws near...

The poetry contest deadline draws near,
You still have a few days yet, so no fear,
Put pen to paper or fingers to keys,
To create some tight verse that's sure to please.
The winners will see their creations online,
and score some cash too...ain't it divine?

April 25th is the last day to submit,
Have a question? Here's a 'lil tidbit,
407-623-3300 is the place to call,
Or go online, you know the addy y'all.



I know you can do better than that. ;)
Here's what you need to know.
Good luck!

Enclave

by Ann Aguirre
YA SciFi Aguirre A
272 p. 2011 SciFi
Grade: A+

Enclave had me steadily reading from page one. There are so many twists in the plot that you can't put it down for too long. The ending is open, allowing the reader to end they story how they want to [The Librarian Chick: or leave room for a sequel, of course].

Reviewd by TLC member Heather R.

April's book is Anna and the French Kiss

The monthly recommendations are up. Have a look see.


Whatcha been readin'?