Titles to Remember

As I sat down to rethink my book’s title, I asked myself, “What makes a title memorable.”  As I now sit here pondering that thought, I realize that the titles I remember best are from the books that meant the most to me.  Titles like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Millions of Cats, The Door into Summer, the Wind in the Willows, Exodus, Renovation of the Heart, and others.  Some are memories from childhood, others from my adult years, and certainly I can remember the book I am currently reading,

Bel Canto (P.S.)

This book has a great title.  Even though I haven’t finished it, I can tell you that it accurately suggests the theme, pacing, and longings of the characters.

What titles do you remember?  What title ideas would you suggest for my book, currently titled Eli’s Scrolls:  The Search?  I’m not in love with that title but everything else sounds equally lame.

Chronicles of Eli sounds like a fantasy.  Eli’s Quest also sounds that way.  Some authors take titles from a line in the book or a theme.  How about From Fire to Fire, Consuming Fire, Redeeming Fire.  Those are from a poem I use to introduce Part 2 of the novel:  Little Gidding by T.S. Eliot.  There’s also another title that could be pulled from that poem: The Unfamiliar Name.

On another bent, I titled an essay Bending the Soul, from Robert Browning’s Poem, Rabbi Ezra.  For my novel, I could use Bending Eli, Eli’s Bent, or Bending Fire or am I now grasping at straws, and silly straws at that?

What about a non-English title.  Shema Israel, or something similar?  Like my writing page on Facebook and request the link to my book’s first 3 chapters.  Then tell me what title you’d pick for it.  You’re sure to come up with some better ideas because I’ve struggled with titles since high school.

Happy hunting!