Trendy Titles

Of the millions of books published in the world every year, many are bound to have the same title. However, just as flare-cut jeans come in and out of fashion, there are trends in book titles that pop up (and sometimes overstay their welcome). Here are just a few of the book title trends that have graced the world in bookish history.

The Girl –

This is a fairly recent trend, and it’s all about the mystery and allure with this one. A book titled something like Jessica with the Dragon Tattoo or Harriet on the Train doesn’t exactly grab hold of a potential reader’s interest. It is common knowledge that the Jessicas of the world are not the type to sport tattoos of dragons, and you would be hard-pressed to find a Harriet anywhere near a train, let alone on one. Best make the character anonymous and call her ‘the Girl.’ Our memoir will be aptly titled The Girl Who Read. 

The Noun of Noun and Noun

This is a highly popular trend for the past few years, primarily in young-adult books. While it is rather overdone, it still makes for a heck of a title. It also sets up the titles of sequels easily, for you merely need to exchange a couple of nouns. When in doubt, the word ‘thorns’ is a popular choice and makes for a sharp title (pun wholly intended).  Here, let’s make our own: The Publishing House of Smoke and Mirrors. Unsure about the pertinence of smoke and mirrors in a publishing house, but it sounds intriguing enough. 

Noun and Noun

The classics positively love this title recipe. It’s a lot like the previous trend, just a bit less dramatic. Rather, this one offers you a point-blank, two-word summation (or in some cases, a blatant warning) of what readers about to get themselves into. For instance, Pride and Prejudice properly presages readers to the angst-ridden battle of wits between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy that they’re about to put themselves through. Besides, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a book in possession of a title, must be in want of two nouns.

The Something in Something

Given this trend’s track record, the book bearing such a title will be the direct cause of intense emotional turmoil. Consider it a safe bet that, should you encounter a novel that hosts a title in this pattern, you are in for a doozy. Whether it’s from crippling heartbreak (i.e. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) or immobilising terror (as if we could be referring to anything other than The Woman in Black), your mental state will need a good minute to return to its normal state.

As always, thank you for reading and be sure to tweet us @AgoraBooksLDN with more book title trends!