Help title a book

E. Lockhart (The Boyfriend List, Fly on the Wall, Dramarama) Sarah Mlynowski (Bras & Broomsticks, Milkrun, Frogs & French Kisses) and Lauren Myracle (TTYL, TTFN, L8R G8R, Rhymes with Witches) are writing a book together about three girls taking a road trip through the sticky heat of Florida in pursuit of love and adventure.

They’re stuck on what title to use. I so sympathise. Picking the right title is a nightmare!

So right now Harper Teen is holding a quiz. All you have to do is read the three top titles and vote on your choice.

It takes seconds. I just voted. Won’t tell you for which—don’t want to sway the results. But, um, I sure do like the idea of lessons in badness . . .

The results will be announced 1 August.

Posted by Justine at 13:42, 6 July 2007 under Bloggery, Titles & names, Young Adult literature | 39 Comments »

Comments

Gwenda Says:

I betchya we voted the same. Bad girls to the end!

July 6th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
2. Justine Says:

It was a total no brainer. The other titles were lame. (No offense E., Sarah or Lauren or whoever came up with them.)

July 6th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Dawn Says:

I beat ya to it! Maybe. I saw the bulletin post on Myspace and voted even before you could sway me. But we must have some telepathic connection (or we’re just good at picking titles…:)) because I voted for the same one you did. I agree, the others were…not so great.

July 6th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
jenny davidson Says:

yes, it must be a setup, that one is so much superior to the others!

July 6th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Nichole Says:

wow, i’m glad i don’t have the “choosing a title” responsiblity. i really admire clever titles, but can never seem to be clever myself.

if ya like lessons in being bad, here are some fun books:

1)The Cheater’s Handbook : The Naughty Student’s Bible by Bob Corbett

2)The Bad Girl’s Guide to the Open Road by Cameron Tuttle and Susannah Bettag

3)The Bad Girl’s Guide to the Party Life by Cameron Tuttle and Susannah Bettag

I, of course, am an angel and would never dream of being bad. Oh, the lies we tell ourselves.

If only I’d found out about the first book before I’d finished school. Um, I probably would have gotten kicked out for scholastic dishonesty and then i’d have to deal with my pissed off (and very disappointed) mother.

July 6th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Diana Says:

I disagree with all y’all. I thought a DIFFERENT title was way better than all the others.

July 6th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
7. Justine Says:

Diana: There’s always one lunatic in the park . . .

July 6th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Steve Nagy Says:

Those all looked like marketing choices. Augh. Bleah. Went for Drive Like A Girl.

July 6th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
marrije Says:

I think I’ll have to pass on any book that’s called, um, the third option.

So is orangedragonfly’s baby here yet? (been away due to lots of stressy work)

July 6th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Rebecca Says:

drive like a girl. ha.

July 6th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
11. Justine Says:

Marrije: Yup.

July 6th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Dess Says:

when will you and/or scott be posting your appearances for october (the Extras tour)?

July 6th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
13. Justine Says:

Dess: I’ll put the details up as soon as we get them. At the moment all I know is we’ll be appearing together in San Francisco on the 9th of October.

July 6th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Gabrielle Says:

Ha! I voted before you posted this, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only ne who voted for what I did, from the people who commented here. I’m an Outsider (There’s supposed to be a capital O on outsider. Stupid caps.)

July 6th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Elodie Says:

Personally, I agree with Diana that the Bad Girls one wasn’t the best
(and the last one so did not fit the storyline)

July 6th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Dess Says:

was the magic or madness trilogy ever called the magic of reason? i found a book somewhere online (i forget where) that was called the magic of reason by justine larbalestier

July 6th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Dess Says:

or is one of the international titles?

July 6th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
jennifer, aka literaticat Says:

crimeny, is this going to turn into zombies v unicorns again?

*obviously* drive like a girl is the best. the other ones are ridiculous

there are 95 bajillion books called “bad girls club” or something like it, and “hello sunshine” is cutsie-wootsie like a baby unicorn in a pinafore! bah!

July 6th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
19. Justine Says:

Dess: The Magic of Reason is the name of the science fiction book club’s 3-in-1 edition of the trilogy.

Jennifer: You’re smoking crack. Drive Like A Girl is a horrible title. Most people will think it’s a book about what shitty drivers girls are. I know it’s meant ironic, but even with the most genius cover in the world it don’t read that way.

I do agree that it and How to be Bad are the only titles you’d even consider. Hello Sunshine is unspeakably bad, sounds like a hooker saying hi to a client.

July 6th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Dess Says:

lol to that justine. i agree.

July 6th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
nichole Says:

“you’re smoking crack” Oh holy jesus…Justine, I think we must be kindred spirits.

July 6th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
jennifer, aka literaticat Says:

justine: of course i’m smoking crack, but i learned it from watching you.

though i see what you mean about drive like a girl, i still think that how to be bad is too generic and like-everything-elsish.

hello sunshine sounds like it takes place in a mental health facility.

July 6th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
23. Justine Says:

Jennifer: Yeah, but my crack is only metaphorical . . .

Over on Lauren’s myspace lots of folks are reporting their votes and they mostly seem to like Hello Sunshine (shudder) and Drive Like a Girl. Le sigh.

July 6th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
jennifer, aka literaticat Says:

now i am starting to hate drive like a girl, too.

i like that i have the most passionate opinion in the world, but it is also the most mercurial.

damn you larbalestier!

July 6th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
25. Justine Says:

Jennifer: Hah! Next I will have you loving Elvis!

July 6th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
jennifer, aka literaticat Says:

(oh, i mean now i hate all of them, by the way — i’m not coming around on the other)

July 6th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
jennifer, aka literaticat Says:

i do love elvis!!

July 6th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
28. Justine Says:

You do? All else is forgiven!

July 6th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
cecil Says:

Justine, Jennifer – you guys are hysterical and I adore you both.

(I agree with Justine) (only the how to be bad one is tolerable)

Hello Sunshine made me hurl chunks when I saw it.

July 6th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
lauren Says:

We *did* consider titling it WE LOVE ELVIS, but alas, it didn’t stick.

Sounds like there’s going to be some hurling done no matter which title is picked, so I’m here to say: You better hurl chunks of SUNSHINE, ‘kay? And love us–and the book!–no matter what!!!!!!!!

Cutesy-wootsie Lauren, writing from within Sunny Acres Rehab after smoking way too much crack and giving way too many…yeah. The other.

July 6th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
31. Justine Says:

Cecil: And I now forgive you for the whole uni**rn thing!

Lauren: We Love Elvis woulda been the best title ever!

Ya know this whole convo is a beautiful illustration of all the angsting that goes on about titles. It’s so often like this. But in the end it so often doesn’t matter what the book’s title is. I love tonnes of books that I think have perfectly dreadful titles.

That crack is bad stuff, eh?

July 6th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
jordyn Says:

I made a very, very unpopular choice.
Oh well. Still LOVE the one I voted for.

July 7th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Rebecca Says:

mmm, crack. ers.

July 7th, 2007 at 1:17 am
katie Says:

well, i think there are too many books with titles centered around ‘bad’. sorry…i just do. so i voted for the driving one. hello, sunshine is very very lame. unless the people in the book are all elvis-obsessed, i’m just not sure how well the title we love elvis would fit…

July 7th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Dess Says:

justine- have you ever seen the disney movie lilo and stitch? not only is it a cute movie (the only one my dad hasn’t fallen asleep in and also my fave)but also it has elivs! they listen to elvis, dance to elvis, and have posters of elvis. very cute.

July 7th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Britanne Says:

I hope its not going to be called “How to Be Bad”…That sounds like a novel about bitchy heiresses. Ew.

“Drive Like A Girl” just sounds sexist somehow. I don’t know.

I like “Hello Sunshine”…it sounds happy, like a summer read.

July 7th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Diana Says:

Y’all are nuts. I like Hello sunshine. I”m from Florida, it’s a lovely title.

July 7th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
BRENNA Says:

You’re insane. All of you.
I voted for Hello Sunshine.

How to Be Bad? I’ll tell you how to be bad. DON’T READ A BOOK ABOUT IT. Idiots.

Drive Like a Girl? Please. There are those who can drive and those who can’t. Boy vs. Girl business is old.

The first two were cheesy as heck. Hello Sunshine is only crappy if you have crap for a brain. Crap.

July 9th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
simmone Says:

oh. i liked hello, sunshine. It reminded me of simon and garfunkel singing ‘hello, lamppost, whatcha knowin?…’ (they’ll never use it now) – I said NO to ‘how to be bad’ … that’s like code for ‘you are boring’ and drive like a girl is sexist…maybe they can just call it ‘girls in cars’ or ‘girls in cars on roads at night’ or ‘go, girls, go!’ Okay I have to retire now.

July 13th, 2007 at 7:42 am