We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover, but what about judging it by its title? Printed in large letters along the spine, titles are most often the first things we see and know about an unfamiliar book. An intriguing, funny, or even confusing title might be what makes you stop perusing and pull the book to look closer, before you even have the chance to look at the cover for judgement. 

In keeping with the theme I have removed all of the usual book descriptions, and just wrote a little about what I liked about each title. I haven’t read the books or even their descriptions, and I have very little idea of what they’re about. But it has honestly been a lot of fun picking the books for the display here at the library: wandering through the aisles picking books based on the vibes alone. So I would encourage you to do the same, wander through the stacks (or through our online catalog): no reviews, no descriptions, just whichever titles speak to you. 

As always if you read a book from this book list or pick out a title that intrigues you, head over to our website https://salinapubliclibrary.org/books-media/2025-reading-challenge/ and enter your name and book for a chance to win!

I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons – Peter Beagle
This title intrigued me when I first saw it among the list for the “A Book about Dragons” book list and has stuck with me since. A world where dragons are so common they’re treated as a pest, like having a mouse. 

Buried in a Book – Lucy Arlington
There is a whole subsection of mysteries (especially cozy mysteries) that love to do punny titles, so of course I had to include one of those. And of course I had to make it one of the ones with puns about books.

The Woods are Always Watching – Stephanie Perkins
Dramatic. Spooky. Mysterious. I was a little too ready for Halloween with this title, but it builds tension and suspense before the reader even opens the book.

Tell the Machine Goodnight – Katie Williams
I liked that the title is an imperative, a demand. Like a parent trying to teach their kid manners, or like someone who knows the potential consequences of not being nice to Artificial Intelligence…

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe – Charles Yu
So many of us book nerds have dreamed of being transported to our favorite fictional universe without really thinking about the often dangerous implications of living in those worlds. Living with sci-fi technology? Possibly good. Living in a sci-fi world? Absolutely not. 

How to Live in Space: Everything you Need to Know for the no-so-distant Future – Colin Stuart
Similarly, I feel like almost every one has the dream of being an astronaut living in Space; Zero gravity sounds super fun. The reality of living in space, however, is probably a lot less fun. But more likely to happen in our lifetime than sci-fi tech.   

What a Mushroom Lives For – Michael Hathaway
I have always been an avid hater of mushrooms (the food), but mushrooms (the organism) are super interesting: not a plant, not an animal. But if the title is correct, if they have rich inner lives, then I have yet another reason not to eat them. 

How I killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming – Mike Brown
Poor Pluto. It probably did have it coming, and I’m guessing the science of the book is good at arguing that, but it will always be a planet to me. 

I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jeannette McCurdy
This one isn’t entirely fair, because being of that generation, I grew up watching iCarly, and knew who Jennette McCurdy was, so it wasn’t solely picked by the title. But the title draws attention because of the flippancy regarding her mother’s passing, and draws you into what is presumably the story of the mother and daughter. 

This is How a Robin Drinks: Essays on Urban Nature – Joanna Brichetto
How do Robins drink water? Do they have tongues? Do they just scoop water with their beaks? Urban nature is a really interesting concept to me: animals that have adapted to live alongside humans but not with them.