If you fancy yourself an etymologist, then I’m guessing you’re already an expert on the origins of many words. But what about the ampersand (&)? The pilcrow (¶)? Or even the octothorpe (#)?

Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks by Keith Houston is a book that uncovers the origin stories of several punctuation marks, from common to obscure. Each of the 11 chapters covers a different mark specifically, with side-stories about other marks thrown in along the way.

I don’t want to give too much away, but the ways in which these symbols came into being are sometimes humorous and often surprising. This isn’t some dry book about type; it’s a fascinating and entertaining ode to the many ways culture and history can shape our language, even down to the tiniest details.

You can get it from Amazon in Kindle format ($13) or as a hardcover edition ($18).