Grammar doesn't have to be a tool of the oppressor! 

Language itself is constantly evolving, and that's a glorious thing. Think of inclusive pronouns and -x suffixes that reflect a fuller specturm of gender and sexuality; Merriam-Webster's constant additions to the dictionary; creative tags on Tumblr that create their own syntax. Think Twitter memes and creative vocabulary and doge speak.

Around here, every day is National Grammar Day. It was established in 2008 by Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (yup, that's a real thing, sort of; a librarian just told you so!). Brockenbrough wrote Things That Make Us [Sic], among many other books for all ages.

In honor of this "holiday," we present a handful of books that celebrate language in all its complicated glory.

Nonfiction:

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss

Subtitled "The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation," and featuring adorable pandas on the cover, this book opened up the field of irreverent grammar books 15 years ago. 

A World without Whom by Emmy Favilla

Generational differences often prove to be strong dividing lines in battles over language. This guide, created by the global copy chief of BuzzFeed, leads readers down a funny but informative path with rules, cheat sheets, and tips.

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer

Another experienced copy editor offers lighthearted but legitimate guidance on writing in a volume that manages to be a handbook, a style guide, and a memoir, all in one.

Yes, I Could Care Less: How to Be a Language Snob without Being a Jerk by Bill Walsh

Walsh, a veteran copy editor at the Washington Post, brings a curmudgeonly gruffness to the genre, outlining his own personal pet peeves and grouchy facets of word nerddom. (Speaking of writerly curmudgeons, Bill Bryson has also written about the English language in a similar vein.)

The illustrated version of Elements of Style

Artist Maira Kalman lent her quirky, one-of-a-kind style to the 1918 Strunk & White classic, creating a much more lighthearted (but still concise, comprehensive, and compelling) look at grammar and writing. 

Fiction:

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Women are only allowed 100 words per day in this eerie novel about sexism and the dangers of authoritarianism, where counters track women's words and deliver electrical shocks if they exceed the limit. 

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Another story about the government controlling its citizens through language "novel in letters"—this time, by banning letters from the alphabet.  As more and more letters are outlawed, language gets progressively ridiculous until Ella decides to try to stop the slide in a surprisingly funny journey.

The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon

In this dystopian future, a pandemic "word flu" is afflicting the whole populace, and people are gradually losing the ability to speak... and technology is to blame. 

Lexicon by Max Barry

Poets are warrior-spies and wordsmiths are sorcerers in this satirical thriller about the power of words.

Online:

No responsible sampling of creative grammar could leave out two online giants: The Oatmeal and Hyperbole and a Half, which both offer hilarious and memorable language lessons.