“As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow” not only feels super pretty to me, but when I first came across the book the title struck me as hopeful. It really reflects the ongoing rebellion in Syria and how so many Syrians today, even the refugees, are holding out hope that one day their country will be free and they can return home again. It’s exquisite.
My favorite title so far that I've encountered is Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer by Wilfredo Liangco, a Filipino writer. It is a book consisting of a collection of essays about his experiences in the medical field. I think this title is very witty and I need to get a copy soon. Another one is Some Days You Can't Save Them All by Ronnie E. Baticulon. Another Filipino writer who wrote essays on his experiences in the medical field as well.
"The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" made me buy the book without knowing absolutely anything about it. With that title, it was bound to be a great book. And it was. ... If you need more, in short, it's about a 9 year old that can taste the emotions of a person through tasting the food they made.
I'm always very drawn to long/full sentence book titles myself: -This Is How You Lose The Time War -I'm Thinking of Ending Things -The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making -Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone -Pretty much all of Fredrick Backman's titles -The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender For sure there's more but that's all I got right now
My favourite title of all time has to be "Death will come and it shall have your eyes" by Cesare Pavese. It never fails to make me stop. It sounds so heartbreaking and yet so beautiful and tender I just love it
@@cheeseyrice I really would recommend it but be aware it is a poetry collection, not a fiction book! The thing is I don't know if there is a translated edition of the entire collection because the title pertains both to the collection itself and to a poem in it, but I think you should be able to find at least the poems that he wrote in English. Regarding the triggers just keep in mind that death is a really strong theme
every single Fredrik Backman book title is just top tier and dare I say painful, that's why they are chef's kiss (or is it a writer's kiss?🤭, I'll see myself out..)
He is brilliant isn’t he. He is one of my absolute favourites in terms of when i want to read for it to feel like a warm hug, i read something of his always.
He is hands down my favourite author of all time! I've read all of his books more than once, and I will read every book he publishes the minute it's released. His writing is breathtakingly beautiful, and he really has a skill in questioning how we as humans interact
I've been raving about the German title of Convenience Store Woman to all my friends, I think it's so clever! To explain the pun a bit further: "Ladenhüter" is a composite word that consists of Laden (store) and -hüter (guardian/custodian/protector). As a compound word though it has taken on the specific meaning of "a product that never gets bought, so sits in the store forever". Ladenhüterin (with an "in" at the end) is the female version of that, but that form of the word doesn't technically exist in the sense of referring to a product that doesn't sell, because that would always be grammatically masculine. When talking about "Hüter" as a human in the original sense though, adding "in" to make it "Hüterin" is the regular way to say female guardian/custodian/etc. so this makes it clear that it's a variation/play on the term and referring to a woman who quite literally is a "Hüterin" of the "Laden" (but also doesn't leave).
I'm swedish and we do composite words, I think we have germans beat tbh, but I never want to learn another language with composite words skghfja. at least swedish has largely forgotten the male/female words and we're nowhere near as strict as german, but I do love the composite words that take on multiple meanings. I think a language should either have gendered words, OR have super strict grammatical rules, OR have composite words... german having all of that is just too much. But this tidbit I will share withothers when I talk about this book. (I'm also peeved that German has gotten so much credit for having "schaudenfreude" recognized when swedish also have a word for it - skadeglädje.... but we already got smorgarsboard, ombudsman, bluetooth, and other words so i guess we have to share the spotlight)
I love "Silence of the Girls," "To Kill a Mockingbird," and "Songs of Experience and Innocence." They all seem basic or stale at first but as you read those books and do your own research there's so many levels to such simple titles
‘On earth we’re briefly gorgeous’ and ‘night sky with exit wounds’ are truly stunning titles. I also love titles that get better after reading the book (I felt that way about ‘solo dance’ by Li Kotomi. The title wasn’t special at first, but after reading and sobbing my way through the book, I thought it was perfectly chosen). Some more titles for your consideration: -Human Acts by Han Kang (it’s very simple, but I don’t think there could have been a more poignant title for what this book entails. I like it even more than the original Korean title 소년이 온다, which translates as “the boy is coming/here comes the boy”) -I want to eat your pancreas/Let me eat your pancreas by Yoru Sumino (it just an eye catcher! And while it sounds a bit weird, if you’ve read the book, I think it’s actually really beautiful) -At a distance, spring is green by Ji Nyoong (this is a webtoon, not a book, but it’s one of my favorite titles ever. Since it a story about the struggles of young adults who are in the “spring” of their life, the ways you can interpret the title both as “it’s not just green, it’s even more colorful” and “when you get closer, you stop seeing the green and see the remnants of winter” are beautiful to me) -I have the right to destroy myself by Kim Youngha (devastating book with a brilliant title to match it)
I see translated names are also in consideration, so i will add a few from my own mother tongue (Bangla) "Whistle made from a mango seed" or Aam Anthir Bhepu by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhya. Its a devastating story and the name captures the essence of the main characters' childhood. Chokher Bali - by Tagore. Sounds more poignant in Bangla but translates to Sand of the eye or Sand in the eye.
I totally understand what you mean by titles getting better after you read the book. Sometimes you just go ‘ahhhhh…that is why the title’ and its just 💯
“Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit” by Charles Bukowski is such a perf title for a Bukowski book it just feels like a gut punch and heartbreak at the same time.
"Tell Me How to Be" is a favorite title of mine. It fits so well given the book follows a mother and son figuring out how to be in the world as they grapple with hidden secrets, and it takes on a second meaning. The son is a songwriter and the line "tell me how to be" is part of the chorus in a song he writes and is repeated throughout the book as the song plays in his mind during different events. An all-time favorite book of mine!
I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson is my favourite book of all time and the way this phrase is used in the book and explored throughout its themes is absolutely beautiful. It will always hold a special place in my heart
“To sleep in a sea of stars” it just sounds so beautiful and sci-fi and I hope that’s what heaven is?? And omg “The improbable life of Ricky bird” it sounds so whimsical and full of like childhood wonder and the cover is SO colourful but the book is so incredibly HEARTBREAKING! One of the few books that has made me sob for like half of it 😭 it’s beautifully written and hopeful but so so sad
The Dutch title for Lord of the Rings is 'In de ban van de ring', which literally means obsessed with/captivated by/under the influence of the ring, but the power of the title for me lies in the way 'in de ban van' is more obsessive and dark than any of these translations, it carries this darkness that intrigues and sounds real nice too. And the Dutch title for The Very Hungry Caterpillar is Rupsje Nooitgenoeg (Caterpillar Neverenough), which became a semi-proverb :)
Still haven’t read it yet, but love the title “I Still Miss My Man But My Aim Is Getting Better” otherwise, love “You Never Forget Your First:A Biography of George Washington”, “Good Citizens Need Not Fear”, “And Soon I Heard a Roaring Wind”, and “Tell the Machine Goodnight”
One of my FAVORITE titles ever is Kate DiCamillo’s “The Tale of Despereaux the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread” it’s so enchanting and perfect for a children’s book.
AYO! I have that book and yes the title is so pretty! And the cover of the book I own is so pretty too! I don't remember much about the story as I read it when I was a literal kid but I remember enjoying the story a lot. Overall 10/10 book from all aspects.
@@sunyoun4698 I reread it a few months ago for fun and it’s still as enchanting and cute as I remember though the pacing is a bit weird, but I can excuse that it’s a children’s book still a fun read.
Persian books have cool titles too Like "Once more, the town that I loved" "Symphony of the dead" which is a great book I'll appreciate it if you read it.
My favourite book of all time is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. I remember I had never heard of it before my friend’s dad mentioned it offhandedly as something I might like when I was 13. I was weirdly enamoured the second I heard the title, like it’s simple yet so immediately enthralling. I think just the sound of the words themselves capture the story’s moodiness and romantic sense of misery perfectly, even though someone picking it up for the first time will most likely have no idea what the title is in reference to.
Right?! I was like “what the heck is a Wuthering Height?” Ugh that book was so not what I was expecting, but I still love it. Especially the ending… with him saying how could they not be at peace UGH kills me 😭😭
"ce que le jour doit à la nuit" which means "what the day owes the night ; it's the title of an Algerian book written in french which also got adopted into a film , not saying it's the best title ever but I find it somewhat poetic
needed to add mine: The Elegance Of The Hedgehog. Translated French Satire / Philosophy, bitter sweet, an ode to Japanese culture as well, and one of the best novels I've ever read.
One of my favourite titles ever, from one of my favourite novels ever, is "This Is How You Lose The Time War". It's so poetic, and at the end the title is so meaningful
One of my favourite titles is 'Smart Ovens for Lonely People' by Elizabeth Tan, it's a short story collection and each story in there is so whack I absolutely love it.
Some my favorites titles are: - A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher - I Have The Right to Destroy Myself by Young Ha Kim - The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish by Katya Apekina - An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Jamison - Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Tsujimura Mizuki - What You Are Looking For Is In This Library by Michiko Aoyama - Love Is A Mental Illness by Franco Cardiello
There needs to be a video just for nonfiction book titles! I can name several fiction titles I love, but nonfiction needs some love! Here are a few I enjoy: - The Sex Lives of Cannibals (My dad actually recommended this book to me and I was wondering why the heck he did. But then I read it and the moment you realize what the title is referencing is absolutely wonderful!) - The Only Plane in the Sky - The Day the World Came to Town - The Line Becomes a River - All You Can Ever Know I just love when the title of a nonfiction book provides enough intrigue for me to look into it further and then we come to understand its full meaning within the idea/topic it's discussing! And an honorable mention to Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. :)
Was NOT expecting my recommendation to be in here, let alone the thumbnail. Glad to see it had you acting as a fool, because same here. And for another, I adore the title (and the book) The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom. He's my favorite author, and in my opinion his writing style is exquisite, boundlessly beautiful, and almost always leaves me in tears (and I'm not a crier)!
Those are all such beautiful book titles! Two of my favourites ever is “Night on the Galactic Railroad” by Kenji Miyazawa which is a surreal but picturesque and heartfelt story about selfless love and “Smaller and Smaller Circles” by F.H. Batacan which is the first Filipino crime novel to have been written and the title references how closer the protagonists get to the truth as their investigation progresses!
Love and Other Consolation Prizes and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet are two of my absolute favorite titles by the same author, Jamie Ford. Gorgeous books about the Asian-American experience that are set in historical Seattle, WA.
"the trees grew because i bled there" reminds me of aurora lyrics especially "Suffocate me so my tears can be rain I will water the ground where I stand so the flowers can grow back again" from her song 'the seed'
Some favorites > My Lovely Wife In The Psych Ward - Mark Lukach Goodmorning Destroyer of Men's Souls - Nina Renata Aron What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding - Kristin Newman Shame Is An Ocean I Swim Across - Mary Lambert The Man Who Loved Only Numbers - Paul Hoffman The Lighthouse Keepers Daughter - Hazel Gaynor Kissing Doorknobs - Terry Spencer Hesser
Sacrificial that no one has mentioned ‘Where Reasons End’. Great title on its own, but takes on a whole new meaning when you realise it’s the very thing that both the character and the author are running from. A stunning tale about a prolonged goodbye. It feels like a honour to have read this book.
Haven’t read it but “Alone with you in the Ether” just sounds beautiful. There’s a French book I like about a cemetery keeper discussing life and death in a lyric and beautiful way and the title is: “Changer l’eau des fleurs” or “Changing the flower’s water”. It sounds so pretty.
The title of “Will you please be quiet, please” really drew me to it and I think there was something so raw and emotional about it, and the very title itself sounded like a scream.
The Minotaur takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill. The minotaur's anger has burnt out and in 20th century mid America, he is reduced to trailer trash, working in a diner and the butt of everyone's jokes. A study of isolation and marginalised characters - brilliant.
Currently my favourite title is “He Who Drowned the World” which is the sequel to “She Who Became the Sun” which is also a great title. It helps that the hardback editions are incredibly stunning too! You should do a video on your favourite book covers ever
Everyone on youtube is promoting how perfect life can be if we buy their products but honestly all I want to do at the end of a hectic day is put on my earphones and listen to Jack Speak about books, therapeutic and underrated.
I love to see how much everyone’s opinion differs! My personal favorite title (and book!) of all time is actually “Im Westen nichts Neues” Particularly the English translation by Arther Wheen “All Quiet On The Western Front” because it just give so much to the entire book and is such a key part of it. The title itself is a piece of art, not to mention the actual book…
josé saramago's "ensaio sobre a cegueira" is incredible to me. in portuguese, "ensaio" can mean both "essay" and "rehearsal", while "sobre" can mean "about", "over" and "on". the title could be translated as both "essay about blindness" or "rehearsal over blindness" and i just adore its depth.
My current favourite book title is "What you are looking for is in the library" by Michiko Aoyama. I bought it on the strength of the title and how wonderfully tactile the cover is and I'm so glad I did because it's a beautiful read. Also, "Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World" by Barry Lopez is another title that continues to echo in my head. It's a series of collected essays by Barry Lopez and is an excellent read.
This one goes without saying, but I've always thought Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was one of the all time greatest book titles. and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings!!!
There is just something about "The Solitude of Prime Numbers" by Paolo Giordano that does it for me. Every single time I think of a nice book title I think of this one.
@@LightScribe96 "The novel narrates the childhood and early adulthood of a boy and girl who were each exposed to traumatic situations that followed them into adulthood. Both are outsiders, similar to how prime numbers are outsiders in relation to the other numbers. They befriend each other, forming a special relationship - becoming very close but never romantic. Their relationship appears to have run its course, but circumstances bring them together again and while they clearly love each other, they are unable to express their emotions. This relationship is compared to prime pairs: always together, but never touching."
My favorite book title is Douglas Adams' "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul". It is the 2nd book featuring Dirk Gently (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" being the first). I just absolutely ADORE that title not to mention Douglas Adams in general!
Jack read out my list 😉 I’d like to add two more books I’ve loved, where the titles are just 4 seemingly random words. But you understand how fitting they are once you read the books! - Ink Blood Sister Scribe - Butter Honey Pig Bread Both are wonderful!
a few favourites: -Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season -Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead -Night Train to the Stars -The Remains of the Day -Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name
I used to do book reviews starting in around 2011. I worked mostly with Indie authors. The book that has always stuck with me as a 6 ⭐ read is Quilt of Souls by Phyllis Lawson, though I think she's since changed her last name. Here is the description from Goodreads. "Like many Black Americans of the mid-twentieth century, Phyllis Lawson’s parents moved from their hometown of Livingston, Alabama to the big city in search of a better life. It wasn’t long before hardships left them unable to provide. Soon, four-year-old Phyllis is plucked off her front porch, ripped away from the only family she knows, and sent to live with her grandmother Lula on an Alabama farm with no electricity, plumbing, or running water. Heartbroken by her mother’s abandonment, Phyllis struggles to acclimate to her new surroundings. Thanks to the unconditional love of Grandma Lula and the healing powers of an old, tattered quilt, she is finally able to adjust to her new life. In Quilt of Souls, Lawson documents her childhood growing up with the incredible woman who raised her and the powerful family heirloom that served as the cloth that would forever stitch their lives together. With its tales of family, despair, freedom and hope, the true story behind this deeply personal memoir serves as the inspiration for quilt of souls website, where individuals share relics and stories from their own family histories." Phyllis is an amazing woman and this book read brilliantly. You learn about how black people were treated and the fear they often lived in. All through the eyes of an inquisitive child. I HIGHLY recommend it BC it's not only about supporting a black woman but it's so educational and interesting. I believe my original review said it should be mandatory reading in schools.
Please make a video where you read these and see if they live up to their titles! Although maybe it's secretly a ploy to get you to read more Backman (Every Morning... and Beartown especially). Every morning is super short, but when the title hits, it hits so hard. And the Beartown series I didn't know how to describe to people because I've never read a book like it. He is incredible at writing about nothing and absolutely everything at the same time. He is constantly calling back and connecting a web of characters and stories and repeating phrases in unexpected ways that stab you in the heart or make your heart grow four sizes. But it's his simplicity that cuts so deeply to the truth of living
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” is probably one of the most wholesome books ive ever read in my almost 15 years of living. and the title to me is the most interesting book title ive read in a while
Doesn’t quite fit the brief of sentence titles, but “Wow, No Thank You” by Samantha Irby one of my favorite titles. Also the dedication page reads “This book is dedicated to Wellbutrin.”
I think for me personally “Almond” is my favorite title! It’s amazing if you think about what the book is about because it’s about a guy with an abnormal amygdala so he can’t feel emotions and maybe the book title will seem random but then I think about the fact that they also call the amygdala (which is a part in our brain) our almonds because it is shaped like an almond
double tap. I liked seeing this style of video on the second channel = viewers giving you some recommendations, in return for all the awesome recommendations you give us. Really adds to the vibe of bookish community and makes you feel more like a real librarian lol
By Grand Central Station I sat down and wept is inspired from The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot, I guess. The line from the poem is, "By the waters of Leman I sat down and wept.."
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" by Aimee Bender "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon These are some of my fav titles 😁✨
- “picture us in the light” is sooo breathtaking & represents the coming of age theme of the book so well - “when we were infinite” has this sad & nostalgic feel to it that once again fits its themes so well like kelly loy gilbert is a genius - “if you could see the sun” is such a pretty title (& although i don’t think it matches the tone of the book very well i still love it) - “this place is still beautiful” is about about 2 sisters reconnecting & finding joy in their hometown which is so so fitting for the title - “the astonishing colour of after” is such a gorgeous gorgeous title & fits the theme of the book so well
Here's a list of a few of my favorite ones, Jack: -Love in the time of Cholera -Catalog of unabashed gratitude -Bury my heart at wounded knee -Paul takes the form of a mortal girl -A swim in a pond in the rain -I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki -At Night All Blood is Black -The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night -Time -The myth of Sisyphus -Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret -This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own -Chicken Soup for the Soul
There's a selection of Raymond Carver's best stories that's been published in greek and it carries the title "Rooms where people are howling and hurting each other"
Your love of books that make you cry, as well as a previous mention of loving Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove, makes me surprised you have not yet metioned Backman's Beartown series. You WILL most definitely cry. And, the final book will require at least one entire box of tissues. Also, when I recommend these books to others, I tell them that if at the end, they are not in love with a certain character, I can no longer know them. I stand by this. Backman's character development is simply amazing. He just GETS people. He gets all of our imperfections, and struggles, and so much more. I would love to hear your opinions on this beautiful series. I think just about every possible trigger warning happens over the course of these books. Backman will completely shatter, crush, and stomp on your heart many times in these pages. But, he will gently mend the pieces back together again. Yes, the scars will still be there. But, sometimes scars are something to be proud of. Something to show what you have survived and overcome. A symbol that you are stronger than the thing/s that tried to break you.
In addition to be being a literature lover, I am also a classical guitarist. There is a gorgeous 20th century piece entitled, "A Closed World of Fine Feelings and Grand Design". Ain't that grand!
Hey Jack, I’m so grateful I found your channel. It’s brought me back my love for books and I feel like a teenager again who used to be giddy with excitement about reading just about anything. I think I’m closer to who I was a decade ago, like I’ve found an old friend again. Thanks a lot for being here!
I love Danielle Evans “The Office of Historical Corrections” but by favorite title is her first short story collection “Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self”
Ah "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" is such a beautiful title i feel like i need to read that one!! I think two of my favorite short stories titles might be "Last Night I Dreamt of You" by Baha' Taher (this is the translated title) and "The Thing Around Your Neck" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
I'm scared I might have missed these in the video, but I can't not make a list -All Quiet on the Western Front -A Midsummer Night's Dream -We Have Always Lived in the Castle -East of Eden -Play it as it lays and some portuguese language appreciation, because we're just really good at titles -Eu receberia as piores notícias dos seus lindos lábios, "I'd receive the worst news from your beautiful lips" -Pequena Coreografia do Adeus, "Little Choreography for Goodbye", or "Goodbye's Small Choreography"?? I just can't translate this one properly -O Peso do Pássaro Morto, "The Weight of the Dead Bird" -É Sempre a Hora da Nossa Morte Amém, "It is always the hour of our death, amen" -Se Deus me chamar, não vou, "If God calls me, I won't go" -O Livro do Desassossego, "The Book of Restlessness" -Autobiografia Precoce, "Precocious Autobiography" there are SO MANY more, I just couldn't remember
The original German title of “All Quiet on the Western Front” is, imo, absolutely devastating and impactful. In German, the book is titled “Im Westen nichts Neues,” which translates to “Nothing New in the West.” Set in the midst of WW1, this title might imply that at the war front, nothing new or significant is occurring. However, within the novel, the protagonist, a German soldier, portrays the horrors, cruelties, and violence of war. It delves into the trauma experienced by these mostly young soldiers and how it permanently alters their lives, provided they survive. In my opinion, considering the current political climate not only in Europe but worldwide, along with the resurgence of populism everywhere but specifically in Germany, the relevance of this book has never been more apparent.
