One Word Title

[Laura]

Do you think it's "cheating" to choose a book that has a single word title, but then a multiple word subtitle? Any suggestions for one word titles? (Actually, I just thought of one: Hiroshima by John Hersey.) But I'll start a thread for this anyway. :-)

[Jen]

You can't go wrong with Shōgunby James Clavell. It's still one of the best novels I've read.

[Melissa]

I just read Blankets, a graphic novel by Craig Thompson, and loved it. Would highly recommend.


I'm also currently reading Tinkers by Paul Harding. Short, beautiful little book.

[Linda]

Katherine by Anya Seton
Divergent (or Insurgent) by Veronica Roth
Holes by Louis Sachar
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Ulysses by James Joyce
Beloved by Toni Morrisson
Paris (or London) by Edward Rutherford
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov
Dune by Frank Herbert
Emma by Jane Austen
Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

[Mamie]

Emma by Jane Austen!

[Rachel]

From my library:

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
Most books by Ian McEwan
1984 by George Orwell
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Depth by Lev Rosen
Quiet by Susan Cain
Pulse by Julian Barnes
Americanah by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie
Snow by Orhan Pamuk

[Nancy]

The late James Michener wrote a slew of books with one-word titles. I looked him up on Amazon and gave up counting after finding 10 of them!

Also: these are all books I've read (not all of the Michener titles). My to-read list has a lot more, but I don't want to recommend things I'm not familiar with.

Shogun by James Clavell
Serena by Ron Rash
NW by Zadie Smith
Hild by Nicola Griffith
2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (sci-fi)
Byrd by Kim Church (Booktopia author)
YA trilogy by Ally Condie: Matched, Crossed, and Reached
Longbourn by Jo Baker
MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
Dracula, Bram Stoker
Horns by Joe Hill
Fever by Mary Beth Keane
Canada by Richard Ford
Doc, Mary Doria Russell
Bloodroot by Amy Greene
Room by Emma Donoghue Ishe also wrote Astray, which I haven't read)

A lot of prolific mystery/thriller writers have written books with one-word titles.

[Kristina]

"Stoner" by John Williams is a beautifully written book! Originally written in 1965 (tip!) but reissued again in 2012. And no, it is not about a drug addict, it is the last name of the protagonist, William Stoner. However, quite heartwrenching!

[Nancy]

Kristina wrote: ""Stoner" by John Williams is a beautifully written book! Originally written in 1965 (tip!) but reissued again in 2012. And no, it is not about a drug addict, it is the last name of the protagonist,..."

I've read that one too. I didn't include it on a post of one-word titles because I thought it might be too obscure and hard for people to find. However, I agree that it's well worth reading.

[Nancy]

Laura wrote: "Do you think it's "cheating" to choose a book that has a single word title, but then a multiple word subtitle? Any suggestions for one word titles? (Actually, I just thought of one: Hiroshima by Jo..."

I wondered the same thing. A lot of nonfiction books especially seem to have subtitles. I guess we can make our own rules.

[Amanda]

Laura wrote: "Do you think it's "cheating" to choose a book that has a single word title, but then a multiple word subtitle? Any suggestions for one word titles? (Actually, I just thought of one: Hiroshima by Jo..."

"Chains" by Laurie Anderson would be a good choice for "one word title", and it would fit several other categories on the bingo cards as well. It would also work for the "set during a war or conflict" category. Also, it's for grades 6-10 so would work for "middle grade reading." Oh, and it's part of a trilogy. The story is set during beginning of revolutionary war and is about a 13 year old girl's fight for freedom.

[Chris]

Ru by Kim Thuy is beautiful. It could also count as a verse novel. Or a novel by a Canadian.

[Rachel]

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell for something fast paced and funny.

[Kristina]

"Atonement" by Ian McEwan is a great book!

[Lauren]

Tender by Mark Childress is a great read about the young Elvis Presley. Very well done and moving.

I second the James Michener recommendation. Centennial would have to be my favorite.

[Sue]

I'm reading a new collection by David Gates, his first book in more than 10 years. I read his first book, Jernigan when it came out in 1991. It's bleak - a sort of suburban dystopic with a dislikeable, self-destructive main character - but I loved it.

[Cora]

Delicious! By Ruth Reichl was one of my top 5 books that I read last year. Plus I heard about it from the podcast. A girl is working for a cooking magazine when it goes under. She is the lone employee left in the mansion that housed the magazine's office in order to fulfill the magazine's money back guarantee. It's so fun.

[Jody]

Hi Cora, I love Ruth Reichl's books, but thought they were all biog/memoir category. This sounds like fiction - al least I don't remember this happening to Ruth! Do you remember the title?

i>Cora wrote: "Delicious! By Ruth Reichl was one of my top 5 books that I read last year. Plus I heard about it from the podcast. A girl is working for a cooking magazine when it goes under. She is the lone emplo..."

[Cora]

Hi Jody-

Delicious! is her first novel. I hope she writes more in the future, because it was so great.

[Brian]

I'll go you all one better: one of my all time favorites is a one letter title: e by Matt Beaumont. Told all in e-mails, it's a very adult, very British comedy about a fortnight in the life of a manic London advertising agency. It's the most successful recommendation I've ever made; I convinced something like ten different people to read it and only one of them didn't enjoy it.

[Valerie]

have you read the sequel? Equally hilarious.

[Brian]

Valerie: Yep! Loved it.

[Melissa Wiebe]

Middlemarch by George Elliot
Persuasion by Jane Austen

[Melissa Wiebe]

Middlemarch by George Elliot
Persuasion by Jane Austen

[Gina]

Cora wrote: "Delicious! By Ruth Reichl was one of my top 5 books that I read last year. Plus I heard about it from the podcast. A girl is working for a cooking magazine when it goes under. She is the lone emplo..."

I just finished that last month and LOVED it.