Books With the Most Memorable Titles

List of the Month
August 2023 (see all)
Description
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter... The Unbearable Lightness of Being... Very Far Away from Anywhere Else... Sometimes, a title just stands out. Our List of the Month this August is devoted to the most striking, most memorable book titles we have encountered. Each participant may vote on ten titles. Given the subjective nature of the list, please do not downvote titles.
1
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
38,982 members
724 reviews
4.2
24 Members
tardis, scampus, kaixo, charl08, abbottthomas, amanda4242, CarltonC, merrystar, Pathug50, Stewdar, kleh, igorken, kara.shamy, SF_fan_mae, msemmag, barefootsong, JadrankaCuculovic, asiralh, Julie_in_the_Library, DoomLuz, cleed, mombot, Delameyo, valentina_pelli06
Explanations
Delameyo: Who wouldn't want to know how to jettison oneself far away from the troubles of Earth?
4
The Left Hand of Darkness
by Ursula K. Le Guin
16,043 members
385 reviews
4
17 Members
Euryale, charl08, saskia17, CarltonC, Pathug50, sturlington, igorken, Dilara86, kara.shamy, ManWithAnAgenda, asiralh, elahrairah, DoomLuz, KaCatte, Luke.w, melorafaelas, margaretirene
Explanations
elahrairah: From the moment I heard of this book I was captivated. What did it mean? I read it expecting magic and wizards and stuff, what I got was a schooling.
5
I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats
by Francesco Marciuliano
1,132 members
54 reviews
½ 3.7
12 Members
laytonwoman3rd, mwdolls, lahochstetler, muumi, masterdeski, ReneeGKC, Bookish59, al.vick, Hope_H, KaCatte, stevejapel73, Fartomic
Explanations
stevejapel73: Well, because cats.
8
1066 and All That
by W.C. Sellar
2,629 members
51 reviews
4
12 Members
tardis, scampus, anglemark, EerierIdyllMeme, haydninvienna, merrystar, Pathug50, Stewdar, kleh, djriave, Karen74Leigh, margaretirene
9
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
by Carson McCullers
10,787 members
244 reviews
4
12 Members
puabi, kaixo, CarltonC, katemcangus, AbigailAdams26, NoPlanetB, JadrankaCuculovic, ManWithAnAgenda, Karen74Leigh, Tosta, slimikin, mombot
Explanations
NoPlanetB: Here in the heart of Summer, sweet is life to me still - But my heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill.
11
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
by Italo Calvino
12,602 members
260 reviews
4.1
11 Members
anglemark, kaixo, lizzy50usa, saskia17, CarltonC, lestrond, susanbooks, Dilara86, msemmag, mombot, Delameyo
Explanations
lestrond: The title is open-ended - as should be the description of any story.
12
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
by T. Kingfisher
1,074 members
74 reviews
4.1
8 Members
tardis, charl08, haydninvienna, masterdeski, merrystar, Doey, al.vick, KaCatte
14
We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda
by Philip Gourevitch
3,494 members
66 reviews
½ 4.4
7 Members
Moloch, Pathug50, AndreasJ, jemmatcf, Hope_H, GrimFiend1977, elahrairah
Explanations
elahrairah: This was the first one I thought of for this list. A title that stabs you in the heart straight away.
15
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
by Douglas Adams
12,260 members
120 reviews
3.9
8 Members
tardis, scampus, kaixo, Pathug50, kleh, barefootsong, cleed, slimikin
16
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
by Olga Tokarczuk
2,804 members
143 reviews
3.9
8 Members
Euryale, CarltonC, Milda-TX, Bookish59, vwinsloe, miller.max, Hope_H, cleed
17
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
78,928 members
1,434 reviews
½ 4.4
8 Members
sturlington, jemmatcf, kara.shamy, Karen74Leigh, Tosta, DoomLuz, valentina_pelli06, margaretirene
18
We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea
by Arthur Ransome
1,009 members
12 reviews
½ 4.3
6 Members
tardis, scampus, arethusarose, abbottthomas, c_why, bluemama
19
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales
by Oliver Sacks
11,652 members
211 reviews
3.9
7 Members
Euryale, lahochstetler, abbottthomas, Micheller7, EMS_24, al.vick, asiralh
20
Catch-22
by Joseph Heller
40,176 members
529 reviews
4.1
7 Members
vallis-salutis, mwdolls, Cecrow, sturlington, igorken, vwinsloe, Karen74Leigh
Explanations
vallis-salutis: Now a ubiquitous catchphrase.
21
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by Judith Viorst
14,469 members
652 reviews
4.2
6 Members
dara85, spyrunner, Time2Read2, Delameyo, stevejapel73, margaretirene
Explanations
spyrunner: I only read this because of the title.
stevejapel73: Haven't we all had these days?
22
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream: Stories
by Harlan Ellison
1,779 members
51 reviews
3.8
7 Members
Hope_H, tealadytoo, msemmag, Karen74Leigh, asiralh, DoomLuz, Fartomic
23
My Family and Other Animals
by Gerald Durrell
5,283 members
152 reviews
4.2
6 Members
tardis, arethusarose, charl08, muumi, Stewdar, Delameyo
Explanations
muumi: Most of Gerald Durrell's titles are extremely memorable. A Zoo in My Luggage? The Overloaded Ark? This title can stand in for the entire oeuvre of a master title-maker.
Delameyo: This title came across my radar because the author Gerald Durrell not only spent time in Corfu, but also travelled to my native country, Guyana and described the biodiversity and wonder he encountered. It definitely makes me wonder what kind of people did such journeys around the globe, and appreciate his contributions to wildlife conservation.
24
My Sister, the Serial Killer
by Oyinkan Braithwaite
3,443 members
252 reviews
3.8
5 Members
souloftherose, noveltea, DoomLuz, Delameyo, Fartomic
Explanations
Delameyo: Last name is similar to mine. Young African female author talking about a sensitive, yet poignant relationship in an unexpectedly sardonic way. And the cover!
25
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
by Benjamin Stevenson
1,292 members
65 reviews
3.8
5 Members
souloftherose, Bookish59, olegalCA, Hope_H, RaeCreated
26
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
by David Foster Wallace
4,841 members
73 reviews
4.1
5 Members
cpg, muumi, vwinsloe, kara.shamy, Karen74Leigh
27
Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
19,248 members
348 reviews
4
6 Members
hipdeep, rarm, lahochstetler, sturlington, sqr3cls3, rfl22338
28
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
by Milan Kundera
22,559 members
275 reviews
4
5 Members
haydninvienna, CarltonC, katemcangus, AbigailAdams26, cleed
29
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
by Fannie Flagg
8,959 members
190 reviews
4.1
5 Members
Morphidae, Hope_H, Karen74Leigh, Tosta, Kathaleen
30
Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat
by Bill Watterson
4,328 members
24 reviews
½ 4.6
5 Members
charl08, merrystar, Pathug50, al.vick, GrimFiend1977
31
Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays
by Joan Didion
4,194 members
86 reviews
4.1
5 Members
charl08, abbottthomas, CarltonC, katemcangus, stevejapel73
32
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
16,394 members
280 reviews
4.2
5 Members
Morphidae, gmathis, jannon, SF_fan_mae, ManWithAnAgenda
33
A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
39,737 members
963 reviews
4
5 Members
scampus, jannon, tshorrom, KaCatte, stevejapel73
34
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death
by Caitlin Doughty
1,114 members
50 reviews
4
4 Members
VivienneR, LibraryCin, Hope_H, Ann_R
35
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming
by Mike Brown
783 members
36 reviews
4.1
4 Members
muumi, raidergirl3, Time2Read2, Hope_H
36
Just One Damned Thing After Another
by Jodi Taylor
2,084 members
151 reviews
3.8
5 Members
tardis, Morphidae, amanda4242, igorken, stevejapel73
37
Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch
by Rivka Galchen
577 members
25 reviews
½ 3.7
4 Members
rarm, miller.max, kara.shamy, Tosta
38
Interview with the Vampire
by Anne Rice
22,968 members
333 reviews
3.8
4 Members
tina1969, Karen74Leigh, DoomLuz, Luke.w
39
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
by Charles Yu
2,274 members
136 reviews
½ 3.4
4 Members
karenb, ReneeGKC, asiralh, KeithChaffee
40
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
by James Howe
2,372 members
22 reviews
3.8
4 Members
EerierIdyllMeme, muumi, al.vick, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
muumi: I've always liked this title. Not enough to read a children's book about vegetarian vampire bunnies, but enough to smile about it.
41
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
by Ken Kesey
24,262 members
298 reviews
4.1
4 Members
mwdolls, tshorrom, mombot, Delameyo
42
Get Off the Unicorn
by Anne McCaffrey
2,242 members
14 reviews
½ 3.7
4 Members
Morphidae, muumi, masterdeski, SF_fan_mae
Explanations
muumi: This one is not just an unusual title, it's a hilarious editorial mistake. McCaffrey wanted "Get OF", ie progeny of ,"the Unicorn" and it got stupidly changed -- and it made her laugh and agree to keep it because it's funny in its own right.
43
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
by Gail Honeyman
8,946 members
536 reviews
4.1
4 Members
Micheller7, olegalCA, Tosta, Ann_R
44
1984
by George Orwell
82,452 members
1,276 reviews
4.2
4 Members
Cecrow, sturlington, velvetdex, valentina_pelli06
45
If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him
by Sharyn McCrumb
781 members
12 reviews
½ 3.6
4 Members
tardis, dara85, Time2Read2, Hope_H
46
No Country for Old Men
by Cormac McCarthy
11,162 members
292 reviews
4
4 Members
abbottthomas, katemcangus, kara.shamy, DoomLuz
47
Ella Minnow Pea
by Mark Dunn
3,976 members
260 reviews
3.9
4 Members
Morphidae, VenusofUrbino, msjudy, cleed
48
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
by Becky Chambers
5,565 members
362 reviews
4.1
3 Members
biscuits, msjudy, barefootsong
49
The Fellowship of the Ring
by J. R. R. Tolkien
55,078 members
490 reviews
½ 4.4
4 Members
scampus, kleo, kara.shamy, Ann_R
50
When Breath Becomes Air
by Paul Kalanithi
5,705 members
314 reviews
4.2
4 Members
mwdolls, katemcangus, Tess_W, kara.shamy
51
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
11,756 members
798 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
VenusofUrbino, Tosta, Eavans
52
A Psalm for the Wild-Built
by Becky Chambers
2,304 members
130 reviews
4.2
3 Members
Morphidae, saskia17, barefootsong
53
Bimbos of the Death Sun
by Sharyn McCrumb
1,080 members
35 reviews
3.8
4 Members
noveltea, SF_fan_mae, ManWithAnAgenda, cleed
54
Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand
by Samuel R. Delany
1,389 members
22 reviews
4
3 Members
karenb, paradoxosalpha, amanda4242
Explanations
paradoxosalpha: Who couldn't love this title?
55
Life: A User's Manual
by Georges Perec
3,815 members
55 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
kaixo, EMS_24, bluemama
57
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Ernest Hemingway
19,061 members
186 reviews
3.9
3 Members
RBeffa, jemmatcf, rfl22338
58
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
by Louise Erdrich
1,999 members
64 reviews
4.1
3 Members
mwdolls, perennialreader, msjudy
59
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
by Haruki Murakami
17,954 members
370 reviews
4.2
3 Members
miller.max, NoPlanetB, mombot
Explanations
NoPlanetB: “Anyway Mr Wind-Up Bird, did you notice that the ladder’s gone?”
60
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: Stories
by Mariana Enríquez
633 members
15 reviews
½ 3.6
3 Members
Yuki-Onna, sqr3cls3, DoomLuz
61
Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
by Robin Sloan
8,347 members
725 reviews
3.8
3 Members
muumi, VenusofUrbino, ReneeGKC
62
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer
16,510 members
468 reviews
4.1
3 Members
Moloch, dale01, mombot
63
Leaf by Niggle
by J. R. R. Tolkien
224 members
4 reviews
4.2
3 Members
scampus, saskia17, stevejapel73
64
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse
by Charlie Mackesy
3,323 members
131 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
perennialreader, Luke.w, Kathaleen
65
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone
by Diana Gabaldon
1,602 members
36 reviews
4.2
3 Members
rarm, Tess_W, cleed
66
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
by Dave Eggers
2,373 members
30 reviews
½ 3.5
3 Members
cpg, Micheller7, mombot
67
Books Do Furnish a Room
by Anthony Powell
436 members
15 reviews
3.9
3 Members
charl08, abbottthomas, Time2Read2
68
Like Water for Chocolate
by Laura Esquivel
11,913 members
257 reviews
3.8
3 Members
mldg, jemmatcf, Delameyo
69
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
by Yukio Mishima
3,028 members
56 reviews
3.8
3 Members
rarm, amanda4242, Michael.Rimmer
70
The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad
by Minister Faust
260 members
10 reviews
½ 3.7
3 Members
tardis, karenb, KeithChaffee
71
A Confederacy of Dunces
by John Kennedy Toole
21,477 members
477 reviews
3.9
3 Members
jemmatcf, NoPlanetB, kara.shamy
72
The Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster
17,589 members
425 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
vallis-salutis, dewasus1, mombot
Explanations
vallis-salutis: Title and author together make for an intriguing combination.
73
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
by C. S. Lewis
46,090 members
769 reviews
4.1
3 Members
scampus, dewasus1, jannon
74
Special Topics in Calamity Physics
by Marisha Pessl
6,600 members
306 reviews
½ 3.6
3 Members
EMS_24, ReneeGKC, katemcangus
Explanations
EMS_24: I have no idea what the book is about, but the title has always been intriguing to me
75
If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe
by Jason Pargin
259 members
11 reviews
3.9
2 Members
paradoxosalpha, olegalCA
Explanations
paradoxosalpha: Um, well, don't you think so?
76
Something Under the Bed Is Drooling
by Bill Watterson
4,107 members
19 reviews
½ 4.6
3 Members
cpg, Time2Read2, ManWithAnAgenda
77
Of Human Bondage
by W. Somerset Maugham
8,495 members
146 reviews
4.1
3 Members
charl08, jemmatcf, Tess_W
78
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
81,177 members
1,372 reviews
½ 4.4
2 Members
sturlington, susanbooks
79
In Search of Lost Time
by Marcel Proust
3,920 members
46 reviews
½ 4.5
2 Members
ReneeGKC, susanbooks
80
I'm Glad My Mom Died
by Jennette McCurdy
3,082 members
101 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
sqr3cls3, velvetdex
81
Far from the Madding Crowd
by Thomas Hardy
11,428 members
198 reviews
4
3 Members
susanbooks, rhbouchard, Tess_W
Explanations
rhbouchard: This has to be among the top ten. We all have experienced a "Madding Crowd".
83
The Lady's Not for Burning
by Christopher Fry
458 members
7 reviews
½ 4.5
2 Members
haydninvienna, merrystar
84
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
by Amos Tutuola
255 members
7 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
rarm, Michael.Rimmer
85
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
by Shirley Jackson
8,229 members
426 reviews
4.1
2 Members
lahochstetler, sturlington
86
Once Is Not Enough
by Jacqueline Susann
474 members
5 reviews
3.2
2 Members
mwdolls, Tess_W
87
Love in the Time of Cholera
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
27,923 members
413 reviews
4
2 Members
rhbouchard, rfl22338
Explanations
rhbouchard: Well, no better interesting title.
88
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
by Erik Larson
7,711 members
343 reviews
3.8
2 Members
tommi180744, kara.shamy
89
Cry, the Beloved Country
by Alan Paton
9,427 members
183 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, mwdolls
90
“Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!”
by Patricia Thomas
1,013 members
20 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
VenusofUrbino, al.vick
91
Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village
by Maureen Johnson
421 members
29 reviews
3.9
2 Members
saskia17, noveltea
92
It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It
by Robert Fulghum
1,748 members
9 reviews
3.9
2 Members
gmathis, stevejapel73
93
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
by Gretchen McCulloch
1,096 members
46 reviews
4
2 Members
jemmatcf, noveltea
94
Tarzan of the Apes
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
4,907 members
121 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
kleo, RBeffa
95
Bring on the Empty Horses
by David Niven
700 members
8 reviews
3.8
2 Members
abbottthomas, dewasus1
97
Fortunately, the Milk
by Neil Gaiman
3,109 members
214 reviews
4
2 Members
merrystar, Ann_R
98
A Cat's Guide to Bonding with Dragons
by Chris Behrsin
33 members
1 review
½ 3.3
2 Members
masterdeski, al.vick
99
The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare
by G.K. Chesterton
7,080 members
170 reviews
3.8
2 Members
bjappleg8, mombot
100
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse
by Robert Rankin
1,575 members
44 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
elkiedee, al.vick