Emma Viskic’s Top Ten Book Titles

Emma Viskic is the author of And Fire Came Down and Resurrection Bay, two dazzling crime thrillers that have taken Australia by storm. Compared to the likes of Jane Harper and Candice Fox, Viskic absolutely must be on your TBR list if she’s not there already. You can check out our full review of her latest, And Fire Came Down, by clicking here. 

Words || Emma Viskic

I’ve been thinking a lot about titles lately. I’ve only just started writing the third Caleb Zelic novel, but finding the perfect title can take a long time, so I’ve turned to my bookshelves for inspiration. Here are ten of my favourites, and why I like them.

1. The Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris: A creepy title for a creepy book. Once you realise that it’s a novel about an FBI agent and a serial killer, you know that you’re in for a lot more than the standard slash-and-chase novel.

2. American Gods, Neil Gaiman: They’re gods. And they’re American. How could you not pick up this book?

3. A Wrong Turn At The Office of Unmade Lists, Jane Rawson: The perfect quirky title for a novel about a futuristic Melbourne where maps are portals to different worlds.

4. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez: Drama, love and danger, all wrapped up in a title that promises grand themes and exotic locations.

5. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby: I’m not usually a fan of puns in titles, but this one is exactly right for a novel about love and records. It lets you know right away that the book is sharp, funny and insightful.

6. Atonement, Ian McEwan: An entire novel explained in a single word. I love the simplicity of this title so much that I briefly wondered if anyone would notice if I stole it for myself.

7. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen: A title that not only encapsulates the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, but describes the rigid world of Georgian era England.

8. The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas: Two words that make you ask all the important questions: Who? What? Why?

9. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx: It’s simple, but it pulls you into the insular and interesting world of Newfoundland.

10. Catch 22, Joseph Heller: A title so ‘catchy’ that it entered the lexicon. I knew nothing about this book when I first picked it up as a teenager, but I wanted to know what the catch was, and why it was so important.

Read our review of ‘And Fire Came Down,‘ grab a copy here, or start reading now