Thoughtful Alphabets surprises and delights by being not one, but two books, each of which is about twenty-six letters. Edward Gorey was enamored of abecedariums and wrote many throughout his illustrious (and illustrative) career. The Just Dessert and The Deadly Blotter were initially published as limited, very hard-to-find runs, but they have been made available in convenient mass-market form at last. Both of these books tell something resembling a story in a familiar, tidy format. Essential for any serious fan of Gorey’s silliness.

Pomegranate, 2012. Hardcover.