# Books of an unusual nature **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [August 4, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141 "2026-08-04T13:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2026, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/101 "2026-08-06T21:32:12Z")
In the comic book _Watchmen_, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, issue #5, “Fearful Symmetry” focuses on the character Rorschach. The entire issue has a certain symmetry: The panel layout on the first page mirrors the panel layout on the last page. The panel layout on the second page mirrors the panel layout on the second-to-last page. The panel layout on the third page mirrors the panel layout on the third-to-last page. Etc. I really hate deckle-edged books. I have noticed that the first printing of a book will often have deckle edges, but if you come back to the bookstore a couple of weeks later, the books will have properly trimmed edges. Do the publishers really think that the @#$%^& deckle makes the thing that much more valuable? ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/102 "2026-08-08T14:44:57Z")
I had a picture book, approximately 40 pages. Each page was divided in two, this way you could combine each top illustration with each bottom illustration creating ridiculous combinations ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/103 "2026-08-08T14:52:21Z")
A four volume set, small, with leatherette covers and gilded edges, silk bookmarks sewn in. You could mistake them for the Book Of Common Prayer (Episcopalian) very easily. **The Hobbit,** and **The Lord Of The Rings.** And they are adorable! Original illustrations & maps by Tolkien. SQUEEE! ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/104 "2026-08-08T15:18:35Z")
Was it this one? > **[Making Faces book by Norman Messenger](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/making-faces_norman-messenger/466182/item/1446245/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-Q0o9w0AdfqKwih3sPJ6NEzYcGvJ-vye_xYwM8SwJSp6o_vs1#edition=2309194&idiq=7009781)** > > Buy a cheap copy of Making Faces book by Norman Messenger. Artist Norman Messenger begins the fun with eight basic characters; when readers change foreheads, eyes, noses, mouths, and necks, as many as 65,000 individual... Free Shipping on all orders... ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/105 "2026-08-08T15:53:55Z")
There are dozens of books for young children that include a finger puppet. [finger puppet board books](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=finger+puppet+books&channelId=500&clpRedir=Y&plpRedirect=mhFallback) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/106 "2026-08-08T16:36:01Z")
> **[the book that can't wait is printed in disappearing ink](https://www.designboom.com/design/the-book-that-cant-wait-is-printed-in-disappearing-ink/)** > > drawing attention to the problems facing emerging authors, the specially developed ink begins to disappear as soon as the book is opened for the first time, encouraging purchasers to actually finish the book shortly after they buy it. > ‘the book that can’t wait’ (‘el libro que no puede esperar’) is a literary work printed with ink that completely disappears within two to four months of opening the package, urging purchasers to actually completely read the book shortly after they buy it. the project was developed by argentinian small publishing house and bookshop [eterna cadencia](http://www.eternacadencia.com/) in collaboration with the buenos aires office of creative agency [draftFCB](http://www.draftfcb.com/), for an anthology of new latin american authors. sealed in air-tight packaging, the specially developed ink begins to disappear upon its exposure to light and air. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/107 "2026-08-08T19:01:55Z")
When his children were young, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote them a [letter every December](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Father_Christmas_Letters), purported to be a personal message from Father Christmas (Santa Claus). Some of these letters were quite long and elaborate, describing events at the North Pole over the previous year, and almost all contained drawings illustrating some of the scenes described in the letter. After Tolkien’s death, these letters were published in several different books. In one of the editions, each letter was printed on a separate sheet in its original handwritten form, and inserted into a physical envelope pasted onto the book page. I have a copy of this book somewhere but can’t locate it right now. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/108 "2026-08-08T21:04:29Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > I had a picture book, approximately 40 pages. Each page was divided in two, this way you could combine each top illustration with each bottom illustration creating ridiculous combinations As a kid (and it’s still around here somewhere) I had [Por-gua-can](https://www.amazon.com/Por-gua-can-Sara-Ball-Books/dp/0867241268) ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141/109 "2026-08-09T17:36:36Z")
Doesn’t look like it, but it’s been at least fifteen years since I looked at so I’m not sure [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-of-an-unusual-nature/1032141.md?page=5)