A Discussion of Book Titles

Just like the covers of books, the titles of books are fairly important to me when deciding whether or not to read something. Some titles are just absolutely perfect. They really communicate something about the book or they sound catchy and make me want to get acquainted with what's in the pages. Some of my favorite book titles of all time are:
The Heart is Not a Size
The Sacredness of Questioning Everything
Love Starts with Elle
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Love We Share Without Knowing
The Knife of Never Letting Go
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same

All of these are catchy titles that make me want to know the contents of the book or express such lovely sentiments I must read it, or are a fun play on words. I haven't read all of the above books, but the ones I have read the titles are just perfect!

A few months ago, I learned of a book coming out and I instantly loved the title. The book in question?

Impatient with Desire by Gabrielle Burton.

I loved the title because to me it communicated so much of what life is about. We are so impatient with desire. Especially when we are young, I think and when I learned the book was a novelization of the Donner party I thought it even more appropriate.

It NEVER occurred to me to think of this as a romance title until I started reading reviews. And in almost every review and in the comments people mentioned the title. It made me really sad, because I love the title, and find it...so perfect. Capturing so much longing and just....life.

I was happy to read the author Gabrielle Burton comment on Julie of Booking Mama's review about it and she says the title comes from this quote from Tamsen Donner, "My heart is big with hope and impatient with desire." I have to admit I love that quote as well.

Now I have to ask...does everyone else think it sounds like a romance book? Or did anyone just appreciate it like me? Am I the only who received the intended communication from the title?

It's strange how much a title becomes a part of a book to me. It's similar with the cover. I will often take little pauses while reading, and study the cover. Sort of like the way you sometimes sneak peaks of the people you love, memorizing the little ways they do things, committing their movements and mannerisms to heart. The cover and title of a book are the physical thing I have to hold onto of the dearly loved contents within. It's why I sometimes feel betrayed when a cover gets changed or updated.

What are some of your favorite book titles? Do you think book titles are important? Have you ever read a book you loved that had a terrible title?