Wahoo! I just got my pre-ordered, autographed copy of the latest collection of Unshelved comic strips! This is the fifth collection they've put out, each one full of the weekly web strips plus extras, and they're all great fun.

This book does present a slight problem in labeling: the inside front cover is illustrated with photos of the bookshelves of the authors of the strip, and since it's so much fun peering at the pictures trying to see which books they have, I don't want to cover them up. But I'll work something out.

As with previous collections, this one touches on some heavy issues in among the lighter ones; some Homeland Security agents make an appearance at one point, for example. And this book's got some new features too, such as the in-color selection of "Book Club" strips, each of them focusing on a specific title. This series has motivated me to buy quite a few books, as much to read them as to be able to post a link to the specific Book-Club strip in my journal entries! Here are a few of the book-club books that I'd already read or that I'd dashed out to buy:

The Colour of Magic
The Stupidest Angel
The Lightning Thief
We'll Always Have Parrots
Joel on Software
The Big Book of Irony

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Note: The pre-ordered books come with autographs and a sketch of one of the comic strip characters; mine has a sketch of the ever-cheery children's librarian, and in addition to the signatures it extends the "Read Responsibly" title into "...but not too responsibly.". Heh!

Previous collections:

Unshelved Vol. 1
What Would Dewey Do?
Library Mascot Cage Match
Book Club

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book inside the MIT Museum during a (fabulous!) private birthday party with a "nerd" theme. [As a dedicated computer/D&D/BookCrossing nerd I figured it was more than appropriate to release some books there {grin}!] No idea whether one of my friends picked it up, if someone on staff took it, or if it wound up in the lost-and-found, but whoever ends up with it, I hope they enjoy the book!

Cute, definitely cute. Making a note of several Book Club recommendations that look worth a try. Found it at the Google holiday party at the MIT Museum; plan to leave it in the Google office in Cambridge, home of a large part of the Google Book Search team.

CAUGHT IN CAMBRIDGE MA USA

I found this book in the Google office earlier this year. I was charmed because despite many Bookcrossing releases, this was my first truly random catch! :)

It took me a while to get around to reading this, because it seemed funny but not wildly engrossing, and this estimation turned out to be accurate. I would have read it sooner if I'd realized the last third of the book consisted of book recommendations by the characters, which was the highlight for me and which sent me to Amazon to look up a few books I hadn't read. I'm going to re-release this today in the Bally's Gym in Porter Square.