Mental Floss

LISTS

We've compiled 24 books from a range of genres that deserve a spot on your to-read list.

From sci-fi and horror to heartfelt memoirs and enthralling non-fiction, the Mental Floss Summer 2022 Reading List has something for everyone.

mentalfloss .com, Rachelle Saint-Louis
That pesky little exclamation mark can play havoc with news headlines.

Punctuation can be a headache, even when it's just inside a name. Here are eight brand names with problems caused by those important little marks.

Arika Okrent




Area 51: keep out.

Area 51 has been strongly associated with alien sightings and secret government studies for decades. Here are a few facts you might not know about it.

Claudia Dimuro




A beautiful Birman cat.

The Birman looks kind of like the Siamese’s fluffy cousin—even though the two probably aren’t closely related.

Kirstin Fawcett
Cats aren't the curmudgeons you've been led to believe. That still doesn't mean they like bowties.

From the mysteries behind their meows to what all that purring is about, we're breaking down some myths about our feline companions.

Kerry Wolfe












George Michael performs during his "Faith World Tour."

The idea of pop stardom fundamentally changed in the 1980s, in part because of George Michael and his blockbuster solo album debut, 'Faith.'

Kenneth Partridge




The Philip K. Dick android.

Learn more about the fascinating mind behind 'Blade Runner,' 'Minority Report,' and so many other standouts of the sci-fi genre.

Katie Dancey-Downs

When The Price of Salt was first published, it gave LGBTQ+ readers something they had never encountered before: a novel that didn’t punish its main characters for being gay and allowed them at least the possibility of a Happily Ever After.

April Snellings