Book cover of The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names

Book description

'Who would have thought that a book about Latin names could be quite so compelling!' Alan Titchmarsh 'Nature writing at its best: insightful, entertaining and often very funny' British Wildlife Latin names - frequently unpronounceable, all too often wrong and always a tiny puzzle to unravel - have been annoying…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Naming of the Shrew as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I’ll admit that I’m fiercely jealous of this book’s title, which is clever and à propos (but now, thanks to Wright, it’s taken). But the book is also delightful.

It’s a history of scientific naming, more or less, but Wright has a ton of fun with that. He asks how plants were named in ancient Assyria and Greece, winds his way through the Middle Ages, and continues to the present day. Does that sound dry? It isn’t—I chortled at the discussion of rude Latin names (Geastrum fornicatum, anyone?), and giggled at Wright’s appropriately disrespectful take on the modern…

From Stephen's list on stories about naming and language.

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Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

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