When it comes to book titles, we can all agree on one thing…who the heck remembers them.
Just kidding! Well 13% kidding, because my relationship with titles is basically (a) mis-remembering the title completely, (b) forgetting everything but the cover’s colour, or (c) merging it with another book’s title so I have a hybrid of tears and confusion.
I am fun.
But honestly some titles are not helping my struggles. They break the mould and don’t fit with their typical genres’ “themes”. And you know the themes I mean, right? Like how every second YA fantasy is called The Queen of Fire And Ash In The Shadows Of Thorns in The Glass Heart. Most titles help us out by being predictable.
And then we have the rebel titles. I can’t even. How dare they. So today I’m listing…
1. THE SERPENT KING
Whenever I say “king/queen/prince” I automatically think fantasy. I mean I know we do have a modern queen, who is clearly is has a dark sorcerer employed because isn’t she 200 years old?? But whatever. I do acknowledge the royalty of today. However this book is (a) not about royalty anyway, and (b) actually a CONTEMPORARY about very poor kids in a very poor town and one of them has a psycho snake-loving (literally) preacher dad, another is a fashion blogger, another a booknerd — AND IN THE END IT BREAKS YOUR HEART. No actual royalty involved.
It’s probably a metaphor, darn you, Cait.
2. MIRAGE
I SWEAR THIS WAS AN EPIC FANTASY??????
It is not. It is sci-fi. I am still rather blindsided by this and I confess I did spend the first several chapters going, “But but but wait…” However how awesome is it to have an #ownvoices Moroccan inspired sci-fi coming out in August?! I don’t even KNOW of any other books like this and I’m so happy it exists!
3. BOOMERANG
Full disclaimer: I freaking LOVE this book and you should read it and have your little heart put through a blender with me. But that aside, the title fully made me think this was going to be a good ol’ Aussie memoir or something. Or about Crocodile Dundee’s son or something?! I DON’T KNOW. There is literally no Australians as far as the eye can see here so I say. I have been robbed an opportunity.
ALSO BY THE WAY, I HOPE YOU HAVE SEEN THIS MOVIE AS IT IS A TRUE ICON OF ALL AUSTRALIANISMS.
Also his girlfriend looks very TIRED.
4. THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO
This is sci-fi, as probably most bookworms and bloggers and various literate stray cats know. But I DIDN’T. I just am used to sci-fis that have “stars” and explosions on the cover you know??? Alienated and These Broken Stars —> I get it! This one nearly sounds contemporary in my honest opinion?! *
* Which is worth absolutely nothing as we are discovering.
5. THE GLASS ARROW
Everything about the cover! The title! screams epic fantasy…right?! Surely it’s not just me???
Anyway it’s absolutely dystopian and it left me very confused in general, title aside. (Why are so many dystopians about selling women?? Like give us about 3 more years and the women will have eaten all the men and THAT will be our dystopian society ok. I can’t wait.)
6. RELEASE
I feel like I’m picking on Patrick Ness books!! But I love his stuff ok, trust me. But also I am just so confused. Basically me:
Ness Book: Here is a book called The Knife Of Never Letting Go!
Me: Nice! Contemporary??
Ness Book: no sci-fi
Me: oh
Ness Book: And here is a book called Release!
Me: Definitely sci-fi now!!
Ness Book: CONTEMPORARY
Me: [crying softly]
One word titles are just usually dystopian or sci-fi ok! I don’t make the rules!! GRANTED I DON’T EVEN KNOW THE RULES APPARENTLY.
7. THESE SHALLOW GRAVES
Zombie book right?! Apocalyptic! RIGHT?!?
Haha NO CAIT WHY DON’T YOU SIT DOWN.
This is a historical fiction, like murder-mystery, Sherlocky Holmesish escapade. Obviously. Of course. Although in my defence there is also a book called Shallow Graves which is about actual zombies. I think I get a small free pass to be screaming confusedly.
8. CHASING JUPITER
It has a planet in the title. If this doesn’t give me leave to say “hey this is a sci-fi!” and be relatively confident in my assumption, then what will?????
Anyway it’s a contemporary and I sometimes stare sorrowfully into the distance, thinking of the days when I was young and full of hope.
9. HUSH HUSH
All I’m saying is, very gently and quietly, that this sounds like a parenting book for sleep-deprived parents who are on their 3rd large coffee at 6am and start crying when someone breathes because it might wake the baby they FINALLY got to sleep in the parents’ own bed while the parents themselves are sleeping on a single handkerchief on the floor. (I HAVE SISTERS WITH KIDS. I HAVE SEEN THINGS.)
Anyway it’s a super famous paranormal. However I will point out that (a) NO ONE hush hushes in this book, and (b) I wish frikkin Patch would “hush hush” and go back to hell from whence he came. (Don’t @ me about him being an angel. I dON’T believe you.)
10. CARRY ON
Um, Supernatural fanfic?? That’s genuinely what I was thinking. And when Rainbow Rowell announced the second book is “Wayward Son” I’m like SUPERNATURAL REFERENCES!!
Anyway no. Apparently she’s never seen the show.
This is more like paranormal/magical realism, Harry Potter fanfic (DRARRY!?) but also not. It’s adorable. I love Simon and Baz and how Baz’s whole aesthetic is: “I HATE SIMON SNOW omg where is he I need to stand right next to him I need to be so close I am accidentally holding his hand oops we’re married I HATE SIMON SNOW.”
If you also are constantly in denial of your emotions at all times, clap your hands!
CLAP CLAP.
This same thing happened to me with The Serpent King! Also YA fantasy titles are all Royal Thing of Scary Cool Thing and it’s VERY samey. Radio Silence sounds kind of dystopian sci di ish and it isn’t, and Cloudwisu pretends like it’s magical reism and it absolutely is not. Times can be deceptive, but sometimes it’s fun to be surprised.
Ohh yes Radio Silence could totally be sci-fi?!? It sounds like it!
The Serpent King sounds like maybe an alternate name for Steve Irwin or something.
“That’s a knife.” Probably the single most Australian quote ever and unfortunately that movie is probably responsible for 100% of Aussie stereotypes.
Also, The Glass Arrow? Definitely sounds like a fantasy (and probably a fairly illogical one at that).
The first thing that comes to mind when I see Boomerang is that it’s probably a historical about an Aboriginal child. But obviously it has tricked me. How rude. 😛
Omg yes Crocodile Dundee is totally full of terrible stereotypes and it’s SO FUNNY 😂 Like the only ones who get to make fun of Australian stereotypes are Australians.
And the Glass Arrow is SO Fantasy-ish sounding. Gahhh. Also I don’t quite understand why it’s a glass arrow because that would not be helpful to shoot…probably a metaphor again. I’m struggling.😂
I’m not the biggest fan of Carry On, but is Rainbow Rowell for REAL naming it Wayward Son???
As in Carry On Wayward Son???
*insert an spn gif here”
I’m going to read that book from the title alone.
Anywayss! I totally think Mirage is a middle-east fantasy, probably a retelling, because it’s title and cover. And a lot of people seemed to think the same way, based on goodreads review. It’s definitely a surprise for some people haha!
SHE IS!! And I saw on a twitter Q&A that she didn’t know it was a Supernatural thing. 😱 Which happens, I mean, not everyone is caught up with every fandom. 😂 I would’ve thought at least someone on her publishing team would’ve made the reference lmao.
And yes I think a lot of us are getting thrown by Mirage.😂I mean, probably our fault for not reading the blurb?! But the cover is also not super sci-fi ish haha.
Maybe she loves the song? It’s also possible haha 😀
It’s gotta just be the song!😂
HOW CAN MIRAGE AND THE GLASS ARROW NOT BE EPIC FANTASY. THEY SCREAM EPIC FANTASY. Ugh the world lies to me everytime.
I’m ashamed to say I haven’t read any book on this list yet. The Chaos Walking trilogy is on the upper part of my TBR though because you speak so highly of it and well I want to read it before the movie comes out. I wanna feel superior when my friends shriek about Tom Holland and I’m just like, “I KNOW HOW THIS WILL PLAY OUT SO IF YOU DON’T STOP SHRIEKING I’M GONNA SPOIL Y’ALL IN 3, 2, 1…” But I’m not sure because I probably will be shrieking with them because Tom Holland. Heh.
Anyway, Shallow Graves sounds so goood. I live for everything Sherlock Holmes-ish. And Carry On is so hyped up but I haven’t read it yet. I should stop living under a rock.
I actually thought This Savage Song was contemporary and about a rabid musician or something. I didn’t read the blurb and just started reading because I knew everything written by Schwab was gonna be good. But nah it was dystopian. It made me like the genre again.
I think titles should break the mold because I want a pleasant surprise. I want rebel books that don’t follow the norms of bookish society.
THANK YOU FOR VALIDATING MY CONFUSION.😂😂I mean. Fantasy titles just have this feel to them?!? We have been betrayed.
Also like totally read Chaos Walking. I want to see the movie but I DON’T because I like the books too much (But I also like Tom Holland so like it should be good??) But he’s freaking 14 in the books and LIKE 21 IN THE MOVIES. WHY.
I don’t even know what genre This Savage Song is.😂Like I’d call it dystopian too, but it doesn’t seem to be actually set in our world?! I DON’T KNOW IT’S JUST PERFECT THAT IS ALL.
I originally refused to touch These Shallow Graves because I HATE zombie books. The original USA cover has this hand covered in dirt and looking less than savery popping out of a grave, and while the cover is gorgeous, I didn’t trust it enough to even open the book. HAH LOOK AT ME NOW. I read it in one day and not proudly own said zombie-esque hardcover edition.
it’s all lies i tell you
It’s so confusing right?! 😂I think it was just worse for me because I knew of Shallow Graves at the same time…I’m pretty sure it was the same year.😂omg
BREAK THE RULES. FIGHT THE GENRE CONVENTIONS. FISTFIGHT GOD IN FRONT OF AN EXPLODING SUN.
…Ahem.
I always think Maggie Stiefvater’s Lament sounds like it should be a contemporary, but it’s not, of course, it’s about stabby fairies.
*RUNS INTO THE SUNSET WEARING A CAPE AND SHOUTING FREEEEEDOM*
Also I agree about Lament.😂Although just the word feels so angsty-drama-queen level it can totally also work for faeries. Especially Stiefvater style.😂
i suggest Keeping Mum by Perrin Briar, it is not mystery but it does involve secrets.
That does sound like it should be a mystery!!
I agree with #1. When I first heard that title, I assumed it was fantasy, but then I saw the cover, and it looked contemporary, so I was confused. Then I read the book and loved it to death and didn’t care what it was. It’s a good book.
How is TKONLG sci fi? How? My mind has been blown….
The weirdest titles i have seen are Teeth and…no Teeth is the weirdest by far.
I know right?! It’s total sci-fi !! It’s SO GOOD THOUGH.
And omg I love Teeth.😭💛The book. Not, like, I have an interest in teeth…so talking about it is just awkward because are we dentists? Sociopaths?? WHO CAN KNOW.
Omg I was thinking “Carry On would fit well in this list” and well what do you know the next section had Carry On . Though tbh I thought Carry On sounded like a contemporary. Haven’t seen Supernatural but maybe Rainbow Rowell will write a paranormal book based on Supernatural and call it Always, that way the world is balanced.
I actually like more unique titles because they’re easier to remember than the Daughter of Shadow and Fire Blood Queen of Glass and Bone Throne of Ash (which in all honesty sounds like a Sarah J Maas book) or all those weird one word dystopia titles like Legend, Matched, The Selection, Gone, Uglies, The Giver, Delirium (wat the actual heck? Did a bunch of publishers just simultaneous agree that one word titles sound cool????)
Some titles I find really weird are
Carve the Mark: this sounds like fantasy but it’s space sci-fi that doesn’t even happen in space. Wat? I is confused?
Defy the Stars: wait, it’s not anything to do with The Greatest Showman????
This Adventure Ends: adventure=fantasy right? WRONG!
A Very Large Expanse of Sea: I legit thought this was like a pirate book or something like that at first
The Death Cure: THE CURE PART IMPLIES PEOPLE LIVE!!!!!! BUT EVERYONE JUST DIES!!!!!
😂😂 The world WOULD be balanced lmao. And Carry On is just…the weirdest title ever tbh.😂But I love the book so pfft, who am I to truly complain.
And I’m 99% sure I just titled Sarah J Maas’ next book there.😂 And I actually hate one-word titles because I can NEVER remember them. Like ask me to name the Delirium series in order? Haha haha. What’s happening. I have no idea.
Carve the Mark is also confusing for sci-fi I agree. And loooool to Defy the Stars not being the Greatest Showman.😂😂I’M DEAD. YOU’RE SO FUNNY.
Also I thought A Very Large Expanse of Sea was about pirates too…😭😭
Oh my god DUDE I haven’t visited your blog in sooo long I’m mega sorry, I’ve honestly missed your witty prose and everything so much though. How is it that you still manage to consistently post such gorgeous images and colours to go along with your text? Forever in awe at how you do it.
Also, Boomerang sounds literally amazing and despite the whole heart going through a blender thing I really want to try it! I’m currently touring around Spain for several months and feel like I definitely need a good book to chill down with in the evenings. COULD THIS BE IT??
You don’t have to be sorry!! *sends you welcome back cake* I’m so glad you enjoy my posts though you are the KINDEST.
(And omg everyone needs to read Boomerang. I am forever DEAD that it’s so underrated!)
FIRST OF ALL I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST POSTS I’VE READ EVER XD THE ONE FOR HUSH HUSH CRACKED ME UP I CAN’T STOP LAUGHING–
But yes omg the title for Mirage got me so confused! I was literally s h o o k e d when I read it. xD
AWW YOU!! 😂💛💛 That makes me so happppy that you were laughing!! (Also Mirage is just here to baffle us all. Not a single one of us knew it was sci-fi apparently lmao. The poor publishers.😂)
The exact same thing happen for me with The Serpent King, I was convinced this was a fantasy book up until I actually stopped to read the synopsis and realized it wasn’t fantasy at all. SUCH a confusing title ahaha. I also thought mirage was a fantasy book from the title. Sometimes books are soooo confusing hahaha 🙂
Lovely post, Cait 😀
IT IS SO CONFUSING! But it is the actual best book ever so I guess we can forgive it.😂
Bwahahahaha, I’m sorry and not sorry you got deceived by these books. xD
I think These Shallow Graves seems the least deceptive of the bunch, the cover looks Victorian, so I thought “historical paranormal mystery?” Close.
The Glass Arrow really looks like epic fantasy, and now I’m upset it isn’t. It makes me think of an enchanter who puts magic inside hollow glass arrowheads, and then they break apart on the target and blast a monster or whatever with a magic bomb. No idea what the metaphor could be after reading the synopsis of the actual story.
I think my biggest problem with These Shallow Graves was having it mentally mixed-up with Shallow Graves.😂I’M DOOMED I TELL YOU AHH. And omg The Glass Arrow made me think I was settling down for a fantasy and I was…so disappointed.😂
Gosh, Cait you make me laugh so hard every single time. You thought Hush Hush was a book for sleep-deprived parents?
Maybe I’m laughing right now because I should be in bed right now but I’m not.
IT SHOULD BE THO.😂I mean it could also be the title of my own memoir because everyone is SO DARN LOUD WHEN I WANT TO BE READING. *flings hand in the air dramatically*
I didn’t realize The Knife of Never Letting Go was sci-fi. Up until I read this post, I thought it was fantasy!
I can’t think of a book title that made me think the book was a different genre, although I’ve read some with titles that might be confusing if you didn’t know what they were actually about. Like My Name is Memory (it’s not a memoir about Alzheimer’s, but a contemporary love story about reincarnation) or I Capture the Castle (which isn’t a gory medieval war story, but a historical coming-of-age novel).
Patrick Ness titles are a constant surprise.😂And he writes in SO many genres it’s pretty much like: what are we going to get? WHO KNOWS.😂
I always thought I Capture the Castle must be fantasy.😂
You forgot to also mention The Girl With All The Gifts! It sounds so contemporary but it is really a zombie book!
YES. Agreed about that one too! I would never have picked it for zombies from the title.😂
The first book I thought of when I saw this post was Panic by Lauren Oliver, though that was more a misleading blurb than a misleading title, I totally thought it was a dystopian (I mean Panic could be a dystopian no?) and it turned out to be a contemporary. And I Darken kind of misled me, I was totally expecting a fantasy, I mean it sounds like it could be a fantasy and it was actually a historical retelling. I would have definitely thought The Serpent King was a fantasy! The Glass Arrow definitely sounds fantasy as does mirage. I would have actually gone for horror for These Shallow Graves though-although I guess zombies can be in horror films, so hey, not so far off!
And I Darken made me think fantasy too!! I was actually confused that it wasn’t a retelling…I thought it was a RETELLING of Vlad, not like just the historical circumstance gender bent.😂
YES with The Serpent King business. I was SURE this was going to be about some annoying boy-king who was obsessed with snakes and I almost didn’t care about it and WOW that would have been a big mistake. Also. Mirage is sci-fi!?!?! How did I not know this!? I OWN this book for goodness sake. And yet I am now about a thousand times more excited for it so that’s good.
Totally thought The Glass Arrow would contain some castles or something. I am trying to think of some more that confused me, because I know they’re out there! Plus I NEVER know what books are about, and I should probably try to blame titles more often? OH here’s one! See All the Stars. Obviously sci-fi, right? NOPE contemporary, like what even!!??!
I KNOW RIGHT?! About Mirage…like afjdksla what is going on. 😂 I legit requested it without realising it was sci-fi…so way to go @ me. I can definitely read.😂
Ok See All the Stars being contemporary sounds very rude. And tbh I never read blurbs either so if the cover/title leads me astray, I’m DOOMED. It’s obviously all on them. Not on me. for sure.
Hahah! The Serpent King fooled a lot of people! I think Patrick Ness might just be trolling you!
Omg SO TRUE. I am absolutely just losing it here with Patrick Ness titles.😂
I relate to this post SO MUCHHH! This happens to me all the tiiiime – I thought All The Bright Places was this deep, dystopian book NOPE it’s a contemporary! Gorgeous photos as always Hun 🙂
Grace Louise || http://www.gracelouiseofficial.blogspot.co.uk/
Omg really?!😂😂Okay All The Bright Places was one I didn’t mess up for once haha. But it’s such a good book!!
Your comments on Hush, Hush…I’m dead. I just died laughing XD
And I can definitely see why the Serpent King sounds fantasy. That’s what I would have expected too…but apparently not? Like IDK anymore.
I totally just roasted Hush Hush there.😂I have no shame.
Princess Academy. The book totally sounds like a fluffy princess book…and it’s actually about girls kicking some behind and scaring away big bad robbers. And about the complex dynamics of family and community and belonging. And stone magic. So yeah!
Also, The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Sounds very…witchy? Magicky? But it’s historical fiction?
AHH YOU’VE READ THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND TOO!! I always loved that book so so much. And tbh it does sound like magical realism now that I think about it.😂
Oh my god I feel you so much with EVERY fantasy title being ” A Thing of *FIRE/SNOW/SHADOW/BLOOD* and *STARS/BONE/THORNS/BEAUTY*” I’m like GET SOME NEW TITLES ALREADY JEEz. It does my little noggin in.
I also second you on sending Patch back to whence he came. What an abusive creepy stalker??? How did this get written??? What??? And then people give it to children to read??!
And yeS WHAT is with Rainbow Rowell apparently not having seen Supernatural it’s ridiculous and so Supernatural-y I can’t. I guess Supernatural and Carry On may have a similar fan base to be fair xD I love Baz too! “I am so dark and angsty and OMG LOOK AT SIMON HE’S SO CUTE” 😆
I personally really like it when books go outside of the genre mold and try to be original with their titles. I’m obsessed with blurbs though so I don’t normally get caught out genre wise except Knife Of Never Letting Go, I think I was half way through that before I realised it was on another planet!
WE NEED NEW FANTASY TITLES FOR SURE OMG. Like they are just…so…cliche.😂😂It’s nearly hilarious. Like especially when Shadow Queen and Queen of Shadows came out the same year. I mean. We have a problem, peoples, time to expand.😂
What on earth was Patch. Like why’d he fall from heaven and stop at earth? Keep on going, mate. Find your way to hell. Keep tumbling down there.
But ah ahha yes I know! I feel like Rainbow Rowell should watch some Supernatural.😂But THAT SAYING the books don’t remind me of SPN too much…it’s just so funny how iconic the song is for that show. Lmao I love Baz and Simon so much. I NEED this new book.
I usually get more confused by covers than titles. Although that may be because I generally read synopses first. There are some covers that are all dark and depressing, but then I start reading and everything is all sunshine and unicorns! I don’t know.
I have read books from cover to cover thinking they were something else. And even once finishing the book, I’m not convinced that I read the right book. I means, right up until this post I thought Mirage was a fantasy as well. So thanks for clearing that up before it comes out. You’re helping to break the endless cycle of confusion.
I should do a cover edition for this too omg. Like recently I read one where the cover is a PURE LIGHT FLUFFY UNICORN and the actual book is super uber dark.😂 Thanks for that, universe hahaha.
LOL omg this post was so hilarious Cait! It’s so hilarious how the title to Carry On and Wayward Son have nothing to do with Supernatural (although it’s probably based off the song I’m guessing). YES I would’ve made some of these same mistakes as you did, I had no idea Glass Arrow was not a fantasy! you learn something new everyday…
It’s gotta be because of the song, right?!😂 AH TITLES. Either I’m clueless or they’re trolling me.😂 (Shh we all know the answer is I’m clueless…)
amazing post i definitley agree withthese titles though for some of them i think the covers help set their genre too 😀 so seeing them both i wasn’t sure how you’d go to a genre until reading your explanationandim likeoh yeah i see it now w/out the cover!
Titles are HARD.😂Books are here to confuse us apparently. (Or just meeee lmao.😂)
I’m right there with you on The Serpent King. Literally every time I see the book, whether in a post, real life, on YouTube, I think “fantasy” and then just get confused when I realize it isn’t. Also, I’m reading Mirage right now, and I definitely thought it was a fantasy. I mean…the title! The cover! Where are the stars??? Alas, it is going great so far. 😀 If I wasn’t familiar with The Knife of Never Letting Go, I would think it was a contemporary novel that follows a protagonist after a traumatic event or something like that. Patch should have kept falling down from heaven, crashed through Earth, and landed in hell, in my opinion. I haven’t read those books in forever, but I even noticed its problematic content when I was 14. I mean… they’re making tacos and he’s planning on killing her with a knife but then they make out instead??? What is that!
I know right?! Like part of me LOVES that Mirage broke so many mould but lmao it doesn’t have a fantasy title OR cover so I’m just here drowning in my ignorance. 😂
OH. And there’s also a book called “The Forgotten Knife of Memory” which IS A contemporary about a traumatic event.😂So you can imagine how often I get that mixed up with The Knife Of Never Letting Go.😂
Tbh I am with you about Patch. Why did he just fall from heaven? Keep going, mate. Go all the way to hell. Take your attitude with you.😂
Chasing Jupiter actually sounds contemporary to me. I usually assume books with an -ing verb in the title are contemporary. But many of these titles caught me by surprise as well.
I actually like when titles break the mold. It gets exhausting when all the books in the genre seem to follow the same pattern. Especially when the title doesn’t seem to refer to anything in the book. I want to know WHY a book is given its title.
A title that surprised me was The Bird and the Blade. I was expecting it to be fantasy, but it’s historical fiction. That said, while. I like the symbolism of the title, I wish that the symbols were included in the novel itself.
Actually truuuue. The -ing words are usually contemporaries. But like since when was I ever sensible or logical.😂
And I do think breaking the mould can be good! Like most YA fantasy titles are so painfully cliche.
(Omg I seriously thought The Bird and the Blade was fantasy.😂)
The Knife of Never Letting Go is sci-fi?!?! Judging from the cover and titles I had always assumed they were magic realism. I used to think Carry On was a contemporary. I need to be schooled right now.
Just come stand next to me in all our failure.😂 We can be totally clueless together ah hahah.
I just read Chasing Jupiter!! It was such a sweet fun read . . . . until it DESTROYED me. So uh, that’s lovely. And how funny is it to read a blogpost with it within a week of reading it!
Ahhhh that’s hilarious that it was so coincidental that I mentioned it! I honestly don’t think I’ve read int like 5 years?!😂So I barely remember it except they were going to institutionalise the little brother. 😭😭 I can’t remember if they did or not. Ugh.
haha they were going to institutionalize the grandpa, but ended up needing to institutionalize the brother instead!
Omg seriously???? How did I not remember that. 😳I feel a bit ill having it in my post now…Well that one is getting thrown off my bookshelf.
wow I literally was caught off guard by ALL OF THE SAME TITLES as you??! also Mirage is a sci-fi? I still thought it was a fantasy all this time…. WHAT LIES MY LIFE HAS BEEN.
Also yes I 100% thought The Serpent King was going to be about people traveling to a temple and having to face serpents or something but clearly I thought WRONG.
Tbh I originally thought this post was going to be about book titles that don’t follow the “blank of bank and blank” or some other rule?
I KNOW RIGHT?!? WE HAVE BEEN PUNCHED HERE.😂 I’m still reeling that Mirage wasn’t fantasy lmao. 😂
Baz was the only good thing about Carry On *ducks* But so true on all these titles. Sometimes we have these expectations and they do not come true. I didn’t know Mirage was a sci-fi 😮
I actually WAY don’t remember enough details from that book BUT I do remember Simon scoffing scones at like every opportunity. And tbh?? I’m here for that. Relatable.😂
I can’t think of a book where the title doesn’t fit but I agree with every one of your examples! I tried to guess what they were about and was wrong every single time!
Your Crocodile Dundee mistake reminds me of the Superbowl ad for Crocodile Dundee (some background: the Superbowl is the biggest football game of the year and just as many people watch it for the commercials as watch it for the game so companies spend ridiculous amounts of money creating the best commercials.) Last year there was an ad that seemed to be a movie trailer for a new movie about Crocodile Dundee’s son. The leads were Chris Hemsworth and Danny McBride and there was even a Paul Hogan cameo. It looked like an amazing hilarious movie and everyone was super excited and making plans to see it and then it turned out it was an ad for Australia tourism. Everyone was super pissed because now we all want the movie! 😂😂
Anyway, I loved this post! Its a brilliant idea to write about and now I will be on the lookout for titles that don’t fit!
OMG YES I REMEMBER THAT ADD. I mean it didn’t air in Australia, but I saw it on youtube or something.😂They should’ve gone with making the whole movie. Everyone would’ve been freaking all over it.😂😂
SERPENT KING MESSED ME UP TOO! I was 100% sure it was fantasy. Like even the cover doesn’t try to disillusion you of that. And then I start and I’m like oooookay definitely not fantasy. (Still an amazing book tho)
It actually took me forever to figure out what was even ON the cover.😂But it’s such a good book so like??? I shall forgive it.😂
We’re 100% agreed on Patch!
I’m dying about Carry On & Wayward Son – I need that sequel now. 🙂
Patch is just….yeah nope.😂😂 And omg it is SO EXCITING we’ll get more Simon/Baz books!
Yes, I agree. Titles can be quite confusing sometimes! They don’t always suit the storyline expressed in the book.
I’m sure half these titles are just LAUGHING at my incompetence. 😂
Sure it’s confusing, but I think it’s excellent when books break the Title Molds. Because sometimes it can get very tiresome to rearrange the same five words for any given genre to get a book title.
I saw the world JUPITER and I was immediately like “JOSEPH, MY SOOOOOOOOOOON.” But then I saw that the book was CHASING Jupiter. Not Orbiting Jupiter. Oops. But Orbiting Jupiter also sounds like a sci-fi, and turns out to be a contemporary! So there is a connection.
The Tiger Rising sounds like some kind of fantasy about a flying tiger? Or a circus book? But nope, contemporary again. Those contemporaries really confuse me, sir.
Then we have good old Jules Verne, with Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Around the World in 80 Days, who just calls a thing what it is, plain and simple, Actually I find Jules Verne rather boring, but I have to admit his titles are straightforward.
Honestly it IS nice when titles are a bit refreshing?! Like I mean fantasy YA has such tropey titles these days it’s hilarious.😂
But omg I swear it’s the contemporary titles that troll us most often. They’re like “THIS SURELY IS ABOUT SPACE!!” and then laugh and laugh as it’s just about existential crises. (Which, quite frankly, are super relatable so I shouldn’t complain.😂)
I rarely ever go by just a title! I got burned once really bad and will never genre fit a title without seeing the cover and reading the blurb.
Had to laugh about Hush, Hush! While you severely dislike Patch I do hope you finish the series. this one [series] caused great discussion among my bookclub friends back in 2009 and 2010.
I don’t think I’ll ever finish the Hush Hush series tbh.😂It’s been too long anyway haha. I read 2 though!