February 22, 2022 is a palindrome day in the m-dd-yy format (2-22-22). It falls on a Tuesday, the second day of the week in many cultures around the world. This has prompted the media to call the day Twosday.

Palindromes are words, numbers, or phrases that are identical when read in reverse order i.e. madam, nun, level, radar and you might even be lucky enough to have a name that's a palindrome...Hannah, Bob?

Aibohphobia is the (unofficial) name for an irrational fear of palindromes. And yes, it's a palindrome too!

If you're intrigued by this, you can also check out these two book titles which are palindromes too, to celebrate this Twosday.

MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood

MaddAddam

This trilogy of Atwood's finishes with this final book MaddAddam where a mad scientist working for an evil corporation releases a virus that wipes out most of humanity. Toby, a survivor of the man-made plague that has swept the earth, is telling stories. Stories left over from the old world, and stories that will determine a new one. Listening hard is young Blackbeard, one of the innocent Crakers, the species designed to replace humanity. Their reluctant prophet, Jimmy-the-Snowman, is in a coma, so they've chosen a new hero - Zeb, the street-smart man Toby loves. As clever Pigoons attack their fragile garden and malevolent Painballers scheme, the small band of survivors will need more than stories.

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Seveneves

Quite simply astonishing. Labeled as speculative science fiction, this is actually an all inclusive, wonderful colossus of a read so if you haven't tried sci/fi before, please don't be put off by the genre. The first sentence, so simple and yet so shocking, grabs your attention and plunges you straight into the story. Not too far in the future, the earth learns it’s on the brink of life extinction and there is a comparatively short length of time to prepare. Set in three parts, the first two deal with before and immediately after the crisis, the third book speeds forward to five thousand years later. It feels as though the author has seen the future and is allowing the reader to bear witness to this cataclysmic event in human history. Not only is this story a widescreen mega blockbuster, with great dexterity the author zooms in and concentrates on individuals lives and feelings. The techy and scientific elements are understandable, stimulating and weave through the story making for a fascinating read. Although this is a large book and offers a setting on an epic scale, it doesn't feel as though this should be the final curtain, there is plenty still to offer in this breathtaking and arresting new world, according to Liz Robinson.

In 1986, Lawrence Levine wrote a palindromic novel of 31,957 words, Dr. Awkward and Olson in Oslo. In 1980, David Stephens wrote a 58,000 letter palindrome “Satire: Veritas”. 

Wow. Another palindrome. We might not check out Levine's or Stephens' tomes but we might be diving into MaddAddam or Seveneves to celebrate today.