Thursday, June 4, 2015

Odd Books At Book Expo


One of the best books I came across at Book Expo America was Everybody Craps… So Why Not You?  It’s a parody of potty-training books, written for parents who can share in the common frustration over a little one who won’t go near the toilet.

The book, by S. M. Torres, is published by Kumquat. Its opening line is “It’s good to take a crap!”  It talks about the poop habits of others.  It notes how grown-ups crap alone and read newspapers.  It tells us rabbits make little craps throughout the day because it eats a lot of fiber.  It speculates owls crap at night because it’s dark and no one sees.  Apparently, owls are self-conscious about taking a dump.

The book notes how cats clean up after their poop, but dogs make others clean after them.  It’s amazing how much could be written about poop – and how often we’ll be drawn to reading about it!  But the book is cute, the illustrations delightful, and the words straight to the point.  I shit you not.

But the catalog of the weirdest books that I was given at BEA has to be the one from Cider Mill Press, which is celebrating its 10th year of “innovative gift book publishing.”  Just look at some of the titles featured in its catalog:

The Official Fart Book
The Official Barf Book
The Complete Excuses Handbook: Women’s Edition
The Little Black Book of Erotic Questions
Watch Out For the Idiot Behind Me: The Ultimate Bumper Sticker Book
Stoner Snacks
Weed-o-Pedia
Little Penis: Oh, The Places You’ll Growl
Bi-Curious George: A Parody
Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook
Teach Your Dog To Speak

But their best offering is a selection of self-inking stamps, with ink, and 16-page booklets.  The stamps provide “the unprecedented ability to deliver your message loud and clear” according to the catalog.  These stamps feature such slogans as:

Bite Me
Shut The Fuck Up
Eat Shit
You Suck
Fuck You

Many publishers feature books with personality.  But Kumquat’s poop book and Citadel’s eclectic collection really offer some wacky books.

Perhaps the book with the raunchiest title to have its own booth was in the independent author section where Heidi DuBois promoted her provocatively titled: Open Wide: The 4D’s – Dating, Divorce, Dentistry, & Dildos.

Heidi, a divorced mom and dental hygienist by day, sought to get out of debt by accepting an offer to get in on the ground floor of a new business – selling sex toys in people’s homes. She postured herself on the floor of BEA with a sex-kitten confidence, assertively pushing her book. It should do well.

BEA is always good for seeing what books are coming out soon, and based on some of the books I got hold of, I predict another fun and interesting season awaits book lovers.

Did You See These Posts?

March In A Parade For Authors: Our True Heroes

When Books Can Talk To Us At Book Expo America

Drink Up At The Book Pub Crawl And Get Drunk On Books

Book Marketing Advice You Fin On A T-Shirt


Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2015

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