Chatting Books Online Day 226. Today's recommended book is "Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss.
Ok, so I know I have recommended a book or two on
grammatical style previously but really if I had to choose one as my favorite to just read, not use as a reference, this one wins hands down.
I first learned about this book when my sweet husband gave it to me as a Christmas gift in 2005 (I know , he is terrifically romantic isn't he? ). Actually, I did find this gift terrifically romantic because it shows he truly gets me. A gift that is both a book and a snarky take on the proliferation of bad grammar in the world - I mean come on, could anything be better?
So that is what this is all about. It is a book that talks about the proper use of grammar, and that does so through truly readable vignettes full of wit and snark. I love it ! As the title implies the sentence "Eats Shoots and Leaves" can give you two very different pictures in your head depending on if there is a comma after Eats. With a comma you may be thinking of a mobster or a cowboy who gets his fill, kills someone in the room and exits. Without a comma you are probably talking about a Panda bear .
Another vignette talks about the author's horror when standing on a London street corner watching a bus go by with an advertisement for the then upcoming movie "Two Weeks Notice". Where was the apostrophe ? How did this get past the editors? If it had been "One Week's Notice" certainly an apostrophe would have been used, so where was the apostrophe ?
When I read this book the first time I laughed out loud. When I read it again nearly 15 years later I laughed even harder, and snickered even more. Grammar police unite and celebrate our love of language by reading this fabulous book.
We carry this New York Times # 1 Bestselling book in hardcover , it is 209 pages and currently sells for $24.00 a copy.
To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you -Now mask up and for goodness sake , use a comma when you need one!
