Melville House Books

Finalists for Britain’s annual Diagram Prize for the oddest book title have been announced. According to an Associated Press wire story, the six top finalists are:

• Afterthoughts of a Worm Hunter
• Collectible Spoons of the Third Reich
• Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots
• The Changing World of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes
• What Kind of Bean is This Chihuahua?

The award, given out by the book trade magazine The Bookseller, will be decided by a public vote next month. The magazine details the finalists here.

Unfortunately, the public won’t be able to vote for a few beauts that didn’t make the shortlist, such as Bacon: A Love Story. Previous winners, meanwhile, include Bombproof Your Horse and Living With Crazy Buttocks.

Dennis Johnson is the founder of MobyLives, and the co-founder and co-publisher of Melville House.