The Deluxe Transitive Vampire, believe it or not, is a book on English grammar.  (It’s subtitled The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed.)  As such, it’s a lucid explanation of parts of speech and basic syntax, with entertaining examples, whimsical illustrations, and a vivid (if somewhat bossy) voice.

Even so, I found my interest flagging  about two-thirds of the way through.  I guess that even for a grammar nerd like me, the topic is more of something I look up when I have questions than something I want to read about.   Still, this book is a valiant effort to make a dry subject live, and I may keep the book around for those times when I get asked grammar questions and can’t think of any examples at all, let alone ones that might shed light on the subject.