The Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett
Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand
Where the Sidewalk Ends- Shel Silverstein
The Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul- Douglas Adams
The Deep End of the Ocean- Jacquleyn Mitchard
Like Water for Chocolate- Laura Esquivel
The Mermaid Chair–Sue Monk Kidd
- This one’s pretty great too.
These titles are bold, potent words, evoking an emotional response. I mean, The Pillars of the Earth? What a grand sentence! Just reading these titles, several of which I haven’t read, I feel something shift, and wonder, and turn to stare.
I brew up an insecurity attack about my books as I lie in bed with yet another bout of insomnia. Blood Orchids is on the verge of coming out, and it’s a scary time. This me thinking about what it is that makes a truly great book–and in this day and age of instant gratification (e-books! webzines! apps !) and the bulk of people with the attention span of a gnat, a great title is the perfect start.
What are some of your favorite titles? How did they impact your choice to buy the book?
One of my favorite titles is from a recent book: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.” Love the book as well!
Love it! Thanks for commenting!
‘Attention span of a gnat’ – you’re on to something there. I’ve been teaching for 14 years and that’s probably the biggest difference I’ve noticed in students: their attention span gets shorter and shorter. Or maybe more correctly: their attention span for reading and listening does.
I think reading is a great way to train our brains to focus, which is just one more reason I’m looking forward to Blood Orchids.
Yay! Can’t wait for it to come out, myself!