30 - A Book with a One-Word Title You Had to Look Up in a Dictionary

[Ellie]

Kristen wrote: "Can we use Urban Dictionary or just the standards (Oxford and Webster)?"

It just says "a dictionary" so UD counts.

[Natalie]

I'm doing Semiosis for this one, it's been on my TBR for a bit, so I'm stoked.

[☘Misericordia☘]

Blightmare, The Coelura, Maelstrom, Restoree, Neverwhere, Halcyon, Halcyon, Proxima, Resplendent, Coalescent, Daemon, Echopraxia, Blindsight, Leviathan, Conspirata, Conclave, Mélusine, The Virtu, The Mirador, Corambis, Renegade, Halo, Murciélagos, Walpurgisnacht, Burnflower. The Alienist, Pendragon, The Gloaming, Akarnae, Londongrad. Oprichnik, Happenstance. High-Opp, Slan, Incognita, Pariah (a ton of books with this title by different authors, BTW)

[☘Misericordia☘]

Titanborn (and by another author), Soothsayer, the whole series is like that, Neverseen, Everblaze, Nightfall, Lodestar, Stellarlune, Starseer, The Prefect, Aurora, Darwinia, The Chronoliths, Greg Mandel, Tome 1: Mindstar, Vortex, Axis, Nociceptor, Olandon and Rhone from the same series, Cress and Cinder, Polymath, Kukum, The Hittite, Graceling, Bitterblue, Winterkeep, Telempath, Neuromancer, Gallant, Inceptio - the whole series Perfiditas, Successio, Insurrectio, Aurelia, Retalio etc), Roma, Dominus, Domina (Biblioteca)

[☘Misericordia☘]

Also maybe names: Piranesi, Kaikeyi, Circe, Ariadne, Clytemnestra, Electra, Cassandra, The Rowan, Damia etc

[☘Misericordia☘]

The classics:
The Odyssey The Iliad The Aeneid, The Bhagavad Gita (it
s actually a single word, भगवद्गीता, should fit), Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
and modern retellings: Troy The Odyssey

[☘Misericordia☘]

If the subtitle can be skipped:
Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth
Nonplussed!: Mathematical Proof of Implausible Ideas
Outnumbered: From Facebook and Google to Fake News and Filter-bubbles – The Algorithms That Control Our Lives
The Polymath: Unlocking the Power of Human Versatility
Polymath: Master Multiple Disciplines, Learn New Skills, Think Flexibly, and Become Extraordinary Autodidact
The Polymath: A Cultural History from Leonardo da Vinci to Susan Sontag
Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Science of Networks

[Ron]

Totally forgot that this prompt said, "One Word Title". I skipped that part. LOL!

I'll see what I can find since many of the books I own are more than one word.

[Lisa Marie]

by Henri Charrière

[Heather]

I'm using a short story in a collection for this one. The book is Points of Origin and the story is called “Coterminous”. I had an idea of what it might mean, but only realized how genius the title is after reading the full definition. ("Having the same boundaries or extent in space, time, or meaning."). This is a collection of Stargate short stories, and I recommend it for fans.

[Ron]

Still having a hard time with this prompt.

I keep finding books with more than one word and within those titles are words are ones I don't know. Like with this one:

The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet

I don't know what the word 'intersectional' means so it's one I had to look up.

Having a hard time finding books with directly words I don't know.

[Lilith]

If you are a fan of Pasifika authors and writers, Poukahangatus: Poems by Tayi Tibble could work for you. I have been bingeing on Pacific Islander authors since that prompt came out.

[Denise]

I read Apeirogon. You don't need to look it up, the author defines it pretty quickly. Loved it, but it's not a light easy read

[Leona]

I looked up the word Odyssey after reading the book.

[Ron]

LeahS wrote: "SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

I googled rather than looking in a dictionary but I was still looking for a meaning, so it will have to do. SPQR stands for 'The Senate and the Peop..."

Oh nice, Leah. I had not even considered this one. I think I might do this one as well since I already own a copy.

[Diana]

I ran across a few more that might be useful

Solito
Mosquitoland
Foxglove
The Dovekeepers
Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic
and a personal favorite that won't be a found in any traditional dictionary: Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language

[Aleksandra]

My Masters in English is really working against me here. Last year I read the PERFECT pick -Clade

I've never come across the word Clade before and honest to God had to look it up. Sad I didn't leave it for this year.

[Trish]

Aleksandra wrote: "My Masters in English is really working against me here. "

Know the feeling!

However, thanks to everyone who's suggested Semiosis. I'm another person who's had that on the TBR for a while, so it sounds like a perfect solution!

[Ron]

I'm going with Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents: Adapted for Young Adults

I still don't know what the word 'Caste' means. I get it confused sometimes.

[Joanna G]

Picked up Paulo Coelho's Aleph from the library, that'll work for me.

[Jennifer W]

I found 2 books today that are 1 word titles that I didn't know. Though, technically, they're not real words...

Spoonbenders
Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques

[Nadine in NY]

Jennifer W wrote: "I found 2 books today that are 1 word titles that I didn't know. Though, technically, they're not real words...

Spoonbenders
Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Tech..."



I think I've seen "spoonbender" used as a real word, like in Penn & Teller type discussions. I have that book on my TBR ,too!! But I already read Ilium for this category

[Jennifer W]

Neither one showed up on dictionary.com, but reading the description of the book, I now know what they mean by spoonbender.

[Kristen]

[clara.lyc]

I picked up Theogony by Hesiod, it will work for me

[Jennifer W]

I finally found one that is a real word, that I really didn't know, and I did look it up. Bacchanal (view spoiler)[ a drunken reveler (hide spoiler)] It would also work for horror by BIPOC, and probably a few others.

[Amber Brianne]

I can't believe I didn't think about this before!!!!!!!!

The Anthropocene Review!!!!!!

[Angie]

I have finally settled on a book for this category: Bestiary by K-Ming Chang.

[Julia]

[Heather L]

Amber Brianne wrote: "I can't believe I didn't think about this before!!!!!!!!

The Anthropocene Review!!!!!!"

Except that’s three words, not one.

[Liz]

I chose for me pick:

Vespertine

[Kristen]

Over 400 words to learn about to help with this challenge AND you can use this book to fulfill another challenge!

[Rachel]

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

[Kristina]

It

[Kristina]

CARRIE

[Kristina]

Lolita

[Britany]

Finished Middletide by Sarah Crouch

My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Trish]

I ended up going with Linghun by Ai Jiang. A reasonably short read at 178pg.

The word means spirit or soul in Mandarin.

[LeahS]

I found this prompt a real struggle.

Finally, I found Guapa. It means 'pretty' in Spanish. A good read, mainly set in an unnamed Middle Eastern city, with a gay protagonist caught in the period between the Arab Spring and the rise of fundamentalism. I particularly liked the first third of the book - I thought the second part, set in the States was a bit weaker, but overall worth reading.

[Lauredhel]

Dani wrote: "Cornerofmadness wrote: "After looking at many lists, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this because I've yet to see a word I didn't know other than someone's name or a place name so I guess on..."

Do you know the word Tiddas? Tiddas

How about Elatsoe? Elatsoe

[Rachel]

It’s been fun trying to think of something for this prompt! I’m going for the play Pygmalion. I knew it was the basis for the musical/film My Fair Lady, but had no idea what the title referred to (although I do now!)

[Sherri]

I read Matrix. 4 stars

[Theresa]

I read Flâneuse - it's title is 1 word. It also has a subtitle to explain it - and there is a definition at beginning of book.
Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London


I also recommend Ru - which also has definition at beginning - it has different meanings depending on language.
Ru

[Michele]

I've seen titles that are names in this thread and on the list, so I'm going with Inanna by Emily H. Wilson. I had to look in the dictionary to find out which goddess Inanna was.

[Laura Ruth]

I had Fingersmith sitting on my shelf , but wound up reading Drapetomania: Or, The Narrative of Cyrus Tyler & Abednego Tyler, lovers. (Subtitles don't count, right?) It's a love story between two men, set during slavery.

http://www.lauraruthloomis.com/whats-...

[Nadine in NY]

Laura Ruth wrote: "I had Fingersmith sitting on my shelf , but wound up reading Drapetomania: Or, The Narrative of Cyrus Tyler & Abednego Tyler, lovers. (Subtitles don't count, right?) ..."



I've never heard of that word!! I just looked it up - dang, people will try to convince themselves of anything just so they can have what they want (in this case, just so white people could own slaves). The absolute audacity to try to pretend escaping slavery is a "psychological condition" - wtf

[Laura Ruth]

Nadine in NY wrote: "I've never heard of that word!! I just looked it up - dang, people will try to convince themselves of anything just so they can have what they want (in this case, just so white people could own slaves). The absolute audacity to try to pretend escaping slavery is a "psychological condition" - wtf

Yeah, the self-serving arrogance of that term is something else, isn't it?

It's a great book, BTW.

[GailW]

I read an Edith Wharton short story entitled Xingu. My only recommendation? Find out what Xingu is and then read the story. I waited and then had to read it a second time because I was so confused the first time. It's a perfect little piece of showcasing the arrogance of a group of know-it-alls in their attempt to show off in front of an author.