Oddest Book Title

The Bookseller's annual Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year award has drawn a record number of submissions, prompting custodian Horace Bent to create a "Very Longlist" for the very first time, reports The Bookseller. Bent, who blamed social networking site Twitter for the rise in suggestions, received a total of 90 submissions—almost three times as many a last year (32).

"Although Bent received a record number of submissions, he expressed frustration at the reciprocal rise in the number of ineligible submissions. He told The Bookseller: 'The adage that everyone has a book in them may well be true, but that doesn't mean every Tom, Dick and Harry out there can bash a few words out on a keyboard and then upload it to Scribd with a humorous title like: The Historic Adventures of the Purple Waffle Iron on His Horse Made of Asparagus, and then think they have a chance at winning my prestigious award. I refuse to ackowledge such submissions'."

Bent has pared down the list of competing titles to the Very Longlist of 49 titles, with The Origin of Faeces, The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin, Is the Rectum a Grave?, and Peek-a-poo: What’s in Your Diaper? vying for this coveted award..

The shortlist will be announced by the judges on February 19. The public can then vote on their favorite through March 21. The winner with the most votes will be announced on March 26.

Here are my favorite of the Very Longlist...
–How YOU Are Like Shampoo: For Job Seekers
–Briefs for the Reading Room
–Planet Asthma: Art and Acitivty Book
–Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes
–Afterthoughts of a Worm Hunter