12 votes

What’s the strangest thing you ever found in a book?

9 comments

  1. lou
    (edited )
    Link
    At my high school people wrote "interactive fiction" on the margins of library books. Wanna see the rest of this story? Go to page 43. There were crossovers too: this story continues in Elementary...

    At my high school people wrote "interactive fiction" on the margins of library books. Wanna see the rest of this story? Go to page 43. There were crossovers too: this story continues in Elementary Algebra Vol. 2!

    9 votes
  2. Thrabalen
    Link
    I once found a $10 Silver Certificate in a book that had been thrown away. Not major, but it was a pretty cool little piece of the past.

    I once found a $10 Silver Certificate in a book that had been thrown away. Not major, but it was a pretty cool little piece of the past.

    5 votes
  3. [3]
    aphoenix
    Link
    This story itself is beautiful, and buying a pallet of books without any idea of what to do with it is something I would also definitely do. The creepiest thing I ever found in a book was an...

    This story itself is beautiful, and buying a pallet of books without any idea of what to do with it is something I would also definitely do.

    The creepiest thing I ever found in a book was an exceptionally well-preserved, but very flat, spider. It was a good size - probably 10cm across. I think someone must have killed it, dried it, and pressed it because there was no mess at all in the book. It scared the bejesus out of me.

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      rosco
      Link Parent
      I would love to see a picture of that if you still have the book and would be up for sharing!

      I would love to see a picture of that if you still have the book and would be up for sharing!

      2 votes
      1. aphoenix
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        Alas, I do not have the book, and it was long before the days of cell phones, so I did not take a picture either. It was The Book of Lost Tales Vol. 1 and it was in my school library.

        Alas, I do not have the book, and it was long before the days of cell phones, so I did not take a picture either.

        It was The Book of Lost Tales Vol. 1 and it was in my school library.

        2 votes
  4. 0d_billie
    Link
    When I was in primary school I once got a second hand copy of an R. L. Stine book that had a bunch of pages covered in blood. That was pretty grim.

    When I was in primary school I once got a second hand copy of an R. L. Stine book that had a bunch of pages covered in blood. That was pretty grim.

    5 votes
  5. Eric_the_Cerise
    Link
    One of my paychecks from a job I had 14 years ago.

    One of my paychecks from a job I had 14 years ago.

    4 votes
  6. smoontjes
    Link
    Do excerpts from the book itself count? It has to be the weirdest thing I've ever read. From Sputnik Sweetheart: The author mentions this man's nose several other times as well, throughout the...

    Do excerpts from the book itself count? It has to be the weirdest thing I've ever read. From Sputnik Sweetheart:

    Sumire's father was an almost mythic figure to the women in the Yokohama area who needed dental care. In the examination room he always wore a surgical cap and large mask, so the only thing the patient could see was a pair of eyes and ears. Even so, it was obvious how attractive he was. His beautiful, manly nose swelled up suggestively from under the mask, making his female patients blush. In an instant - regardless of whether their dental plan covered the costs - they fell in love.

    The author mentions this man's nose several other times as well, throughout the book. I don't know if this is just some weird nose fetish on behalf of the author, if it's men writing women material, or just genuine peculiarity. Strange to say the least.

    3 votes
  7. rosco
    Link
    I bought an intro to french book from the 1960s when I lived in San Francisco. It was a beautiful little book that was originally destined to be gift it to my sister who teaches french. On the...

    I bought an intro to french book from the 1960s when I lived in San Francisco. It was a beautiful little book that was originally destined to be gift it to my sister who teaches french. On the first page of the book there was a short dedication to two children with an address in Mexico city. By coincidence I would be headed to Mexico City with my partner a few weeks later. We ended up finding the address but the family had long since moved. The current owners did get a kick out of it though.

    2 votes