Book Titles That Stand Out From The Crowd

If you're anything like me, you get confused by book titles very easily. I'm pretty good at remembering the names of books I've read, but if I haven't read them and don't own them, the chances of me messing up the book with one that has a very similar title are very high. So when a book title breaks the mould, it definitely stands out in my mind.

This post was inspired by the Top Ten Tuesday prompt: Extraordinary Book Titles. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Some popular book naming conventions I've spotted:

• [Noun] of [Noun(s)] - I've seen lots of people accidentally call City of Ghosts, City of Bones by mistake, or vice versa. I have muddled King of Scars and King of Fools on several occasions. But it's not just similar words that are the problem. There's something about the 'of' that just softens the impact of the title. 
• The [Noun] [Noun(s)] - This naming convention is everywhere, from The Hazel Wood to The Raven Boys. I personally prefer it to the 'of' option, because it feels snappier (imagine if The Night Circus was called 'Circus of the Night'), but I can't really criticise it because it's how almost all of my WIP writing projects are named. That doesn't mean it's not a bit boring.
• [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun] - This one is everywhere, and I'm not sure why! I wanted to bring up Girls of Paper and Fire to a friend the other day and I just couldn't remember the name, only that the cover was purple. This friend OWNS the book and even they couldn't remember what it was called. I think the only reason I remember Children of Blood and Bone is that I've read it, but I couldn't for the life in me tell you the names of the sequels to A Court of Thorns and Roses. 
• Generally Similar Words - The books Daughter of the Burning City, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Shadow and Bone are the bane of my existence. All good books! But if you mention one of them to me please allow me a minute to process which one you are talking about.

This is not to say that the books that follow these conventions or use similar words are bad! Far from it - a lot of the ones I've mentioned are favourites of mine. I think the reason so many of us mix up these titles is that there is an abundance of them, so that makes unique titles all the more refreshing.

Some of my Favourite Unique Book Titles

1. Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas - I love this title because it feels like part of a longer conversation. It sounds character-driven and reflects the emotional nature of the book perfectly.

2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz - It's difficult to forget a book with such a long title. I love that the title is the story - it sums it up far better than the blurb can.

3. I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman - This is a book title with personality. It's active and driven, but it also takes on a different meaning when you begin to understand the characters and how their identities are shaped by external factors.

4. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - I feel like there is more symbolism in this title than I gave it credit for when I first read it in high school. It always struck me as an unusual thing to name a book, which is what probably first drew me to it.

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab - Schwab has some excellent titles. This Savage Song feels lyrical, and Vicious is as blunt as a knife (I love that it tells you everything with a single word), but I had to highlight A Darker Shade of Magic because it was the one that first caught my attention. The title seems to suggest that magic comes in different colours, and mirrors the multiple Londons that Kell visits.

6. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - This title sounds magical and charming, which definitely reflects the fairytale-type story. I love titles that sound alive - they make me want to run away to a place with wizards and moving castles and magic.

7. A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge - Onto the books that I haven't read yet! Measuring shadows by the skinful sounds adequately spooky if you ask me, and I'm curious to find out what horrifying things it could mean.

8. The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman - This feels different to a lot of titles starting with 'The' because the thing it is describing sounds alive. I want to know - what is the Gray? Is it physical or metaphorical? Does it eat people? Or is it something else entirely?

9. The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R. Pan - I don't know why, but this title tastes like a breath of fresh air. I know this book has a lot to do with grief, but it sounds like it will be magical and hopeful too.

10. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor - This title instantly caught my attention when I first saw it. It sounded poetic, and it was only when I read the blurb that I realised Strange is a person. I love the wordplay in that, and I'm hoping the book feels just as whimsical.

Have you read any of the books on my list? What are some extraordinary book titles you have encountered?