Mailbag, lovely mailbag

Thanks to Lauren C., Stephanie H., and Your Neighborhood Librarian, P-dog, for the following suggestions. Seen a bad book cover? Send it to me at judgeabook(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Subtitle: When clipart gets colorized.

Ah, Baen, you're breaking my heart with these asterisks and ellipses! Let's fill in our own words, shall we?

"Superb...ly humorous attempt at actual writing..."
"hugely enjoyable...as a fire starter..."
"thrilling...when torn up for guinea pig fodder..."

As Lauren says, "Perhaps I can nail a review of the art to the publisher's door like a female Martin Luther without the religious ideals or the funky hat." Tell you what, Lauren. I'll buy the hammer.

Eeeek! Those eyes are freakin' creepy!!! But what I like most of all is the blurb from Best Sellers. It tells us that this book "Invites comparison to Tolkein's Lord of the Rings" Like, "Tolkein's Lord of the Rings is awesome. This book sucks."

Ack! Where'd her nipples go?! His seem to be missing, too. Guess the "primitive societies" don't need them.

Early Phallus

I'm gonna be in Morgantown, WV on Friday so I guess we can do Phallic Phriday a little early (which is better than my normal schedule, which is doing it a little late!).

I really like the Dresden books by Jim Butcher. Imagine Sam Spade as a wizard and you pretty much get the idea. Since I'm also (generally) a fan of "high fantasy" I figured I'd give Furies of Calderon a whirl. It was, sadly, pretty mediocre, but you didn't come here for my recommendations, right? NO! You came here for bad book covers. And Phallic book covers at that! Never let it be said that I disappoint my audience.

Yeah, like that's not trying to attract 14 year-old boys.

"Naked zombie-winds are attacking! I shall smite them with my rod of steel. My pointy-headed sword will take care of that!"

Hey, when something works, there's no shame in reusing it.

"My bulbous spear will certainly take care of these water lions!"

And again.

"I'm so manly I have two!"

Ooops!

Eeek, it's been a whole week. I swore I wouldn't do that to you again, and then look what happens! Bad Maughta! No biscuits for you. Erm...me. Damn, third person fucks me up again! This always happens late on Friday.

Okay, I'm waffling because, quite frankly, I don't actually have a book to post right now. Maybe tomorrow? I promise!!!

But I do have news! Everyone once in a while things happen in my life that have nothing to do with book covers (say it ain't so!). Mostly it's weird things happening at the reference desk. You ever want to see crazy people go to your downtown library on a full moon and watch the folks who come to the reference desk. Of course, you'll be one of the weirdos hanging out in the library on a full moon, too, so watch out! Anyway, I've decided to revive an old blog of mine, I Hate Asheville. Here you will find my various musings. Enjoy!

Since I've denied you a chance to laugh at bad book covers, here's my gift to you: The enormously funny "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. It's my new "favorite" blog! No, really, it is!

Also, since I've let the cat out of the bag that I'm here in the lovely town of Asheville (note to stalkers and secret admirers: I like chocolate), I figure it's a good time to invite all my closest readers to meet me and DocTurtle (if I can convince him) at Burgermeister on Haywood Road in West Asheville on Sunday, May 4th at 1:30pm for burgers, beers, and a big ole basket of onion rings. Drop me a line if you can make it!

And finally, on a more personal note, I've recently (after thirty some odd years) discovered my dream job. Did you know there's a thing called "Publisher's Reader?" I didn't! Apparently publishing people will pay someone to read their slush piles. Holy shit! Get paid to read? Sign me up! So if any of my publishing readers have some manuscripts just dyin' to be read, let me know. I prefer fantasy and mysteries and things I don't have to think to much to read (ugh, philosophy, yuck!), but I'll read anything that's fiction. Plus I work cheeeep!

Phriday is for Phalluses

Boooooooooooooooorn Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, as free as the dolphin between my leeeeeeeeeeeegs!

Sent in by Carrie

Once upon a time, when DocTurtle and I were first gettin' to know one another, we were on the phone when he said, "Excuse me, I have to go drain my pasta." As previously mentioned, I seem to have the mind of a thirteen year old boy residing somewhere in the back of my head, so I thought for sure he was telling me he had to go pee. Or, well, that he was very excited and had to go relieve the pressure, if you know what I mean (and I think you do!).

So what's your favorite euphemism for masturbating? Is it "spanking the monkey"?

Sent in by BikerPuppy

And finally, Legolas here seems to have, er, grown a bit...

Sent in by Writtenwyrdd

Is that a sword in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?

I wish I could have found a larger picture for this because then you could see that, on the right, is a naked woman with her back to us. Her mouth is, well, "appropriately placed", I guess you could say, to appreciate Legolas's sword, if you know what I mean (and I KNOW you do!).