Angela Scott
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Did you know they give an award for having the ODDEST book title? They do.

9/21/2011

 
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I have no idea how I even came across this random, yet completely funny, tidbit. But there are people you search novel titles, finding odd (and sometimes extremely funny) titles. Then they narrow it down to one and hand them an award called:

The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year.

I'm not kidding. Heck, if you can't get a literary award for your writing, maybe shoot for having the oddest title.

Keep in mind, though, titles that are believed to be purposefully made up to be funny or odd will be disqualified. So you would have to go about this carefully. Most won out of sheer dumb luck; they weren't even trying.

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Last years winner (2010) was this lovely book -----> Don't we all want our dentists to have a Genghis Khan approach to dentistry? I sure know I do! Actually, the book discusses the way to manage a dentist practice much the way Genghis Khan lead his band of warlords. Not actually terrorize your patients and yank out teeth with swords while screaming in their face. But still.

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A few other winners include the following:

--1979 Winner "The Madam as Entrepreneur: Career Management in House Prostitution"
--1980 Winner "The Joy of Chickens"
--1983 Winner "The Theory of Lengthwise Rolling"
--1986 Winner " Oral Sadism and the Vegetarian Personality"
--1992 Winner "How to Avoid Large Ships"

--2003 Winner "The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories"
--2004 Winner "Bombproof Your Horse"
--2006 Winner "The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification"

The Diagram Prize receives a lot of publicity each year. Not to mention all the attention the winning book receives. There have only been two years in which an award was not given due to lack of odd book titles. If you want to see more, click the link above.

Personally, these titles, though not winners, are pretty darn funny too:

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Carol Riggs link
9/21/2011 04:31:15 am

Haha, this is insane--and insanely hilarious! I've never heard of these awards. Love the Dog Hair subtitle, too. :)

trisha leaver link
9/21/2011 09:25:46 am

Well no -- I did not know that. Stray shopping carts -- that would make one conversation starting coffee table book

D.T. Conklin link
9/21/2011 10:27:54 am

Hahaha, I love the dentist one. Yes, because it's the Genghis Khan way. So, I'm curious, do those dentists employ elephant cavalry?

They should.

Lane Diamond link
9/21/2011 10:39:35 am

Holy cow, some of those are just plain funny. I'm trying to picture that whole Lesbian horse story thing. Hmmmm......

Leigh-Ann link
9/21/2011 10:25:02 pm

Oh this is awesome. I actually might read about the stray shopping carts of eastern North America!

Kate @ Ex Libris link
9/22/2011 03:17:23 am

If I saw that book in my dentist's office, I would walk right out again. I'm not sure want to know how Genghis Khan would manage anything! Ha!

Elisa link
9/22/2011 03:47:01 am

Sooo funny! Thanks for the laugh :0)

Julia Hughes link
9/22/2011 06:09:39 pm

I'm not surprised. My own personal fav. is Midnight in the garden of good and evil. It is a great story too! Glad we're now friends on Goodreads, look forward to your recommendations.

Julia

Julia Hughes link
9/24/2011 08:52:41 am

Angela, if you don't get on and publish your book I'm going to tell everyone about your naked ambition!! A warning next time please. You made me choke on my nighttime tea.
Julia

kelly gamble link
9/24/2011 03:21:36 pm

This was great! So glad I found your blog. Thanks!

Daniel Paul Sandoval link
9/27/2011 04:14:20 am

Oh what fun! I enjoy the potty humor.

Cassi C
10/8/2011 03:34:05 am

Thanks for the laugh! These are too fun!!

CE Schwilk link
10/17/2011 04:39:11 am

LOL Sooo funny! I've also seen/heard of "knitting/spinning with cat hair" and the like....fun stuff.

My fave is the dentist book - but having a morbid terror of the profession, I *could* see swords and screaming involved (me screaming, mostly).


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