Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is books with honorifics like Doctor, Mrs, etc. I went back through my booklists all the way to 2018 to find enough titles. First up, though, a tease!
Another times, [Franklin] was playing with his equal, the Duchess of Bourbon, who made a move that inadvertently exposed her king. Ignoring the rules of [chess], he promptly captured it. “Ah,” said the duchess, “we do not take the Kings so.” Replied Franklin in a famous quip: “We do in America.” BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: AN AMERICAN LIFE, Walter Isaacson
(1) The Island of Dr. Moreau, H.G. Wells. Wells dips into SF/horror with a Frankenstein-like tale.
(2) The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch, Jonathan Gotschall.
(3) Ms. Adventure: My Wild Explorations in Science, Lava, and Life, Jess Phoenix. A geologist’s globetrotting memoirs.
(4) Dr. Johnson’s London, Liza Picard. A social history of 18th century London.
(5) The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ernest Gaines. The story of a woman who was a child when slavery ended, who lived to see the peak of the Civil Rights
(6) No More Mr. Nice Guy, Richard Glover. A self-help men for book advising them to stop living for the expectations/judgements of others, especially those disposed to look down on them to begin with.
(7) The Prince of Frogtown, Rick Bragg. A memoir-biography of Bragg’s troublesome father.
(8) The Awakening of Miss Prim, Natalie Sanmartin Fenollera. A cozy-philosophical novel about a librarian who moves into a village where everyone is interested in a humane life.
(9) Becoming Mrs Lewis, Patti Callahan. A novel about the relationship between Joy Davidman & C.S. Lewis.
(10) Every Man a King, Bill Kauffman. The story of a disgraced pundit who moves back to his Upstate New York hometown and tries to find meaning in his life again.
Reading Freely 
The Awakening of Miss Prim looks interesting.
It’s a favorite!
I feel like there might have been a film version of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman?!
Yep! Back in ’74.
It was my suggestion for the topic this week and I’m loving all these choices! I’ve seen Becoming Mrs Lewis on a few lists this week and I like the sound of it.
Here’s my list: https://portobellobookblog.com/2025/07/15/top-ten-tuesday-15th-july-2025-books-with-honorifics-in-the-title-toptentuesday-amreading-bookrecommendations-tuesdaybookblog/
Thank you for the prompt and the visit!
I had to search in the way-back files this week, too. I also had to have a big debate with my hubby about the question “Are Mr., Ms,, Miss truly honorifics.” Ha, everything around here is about precise language.
During the French Revolution, the thought-police attacked them on the grounds of being honorifics, and wanted to replace them with Citizen — just as in the Bolshevik takeover, they were attacked and “Comrade” put in their place. So I think it’s safe in saying they are, even if in contemporary English we don’t habitually think of them as such.
Ernest Gaines is the author that most strikes me, but it’s his book A Lesson Before Dying that I genuinely admire. The Isaacson biography of Benjamin Franklin is excellent, and I’ve read and reread Dr. Moreau over the years.
I am largely finished with the Franklin biography, and am presently working on the conclusions section. Wonderful work. Will be reading more of Isaacson. Have you read any of his prior works? May try the Elon Musk one next, since EM is such a….singular figure.
His biography of Leonardo da Vinci, which I also read, is highly recommended.
Good stuff! I love Miss Prim!
this was a fun and easy prompt this week! Great job!
What a great list! I’ve seen Becoming Mrs Lewis on so many lists this week. I have to check this one out. Plus a few others on your list have my interest.
Great selection!
Here is mine: https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/07/15/top-ten-books-with-honorifics-in-the-title/
Wasn’t No More Mr. Nice Guy also a movie title? I’d like to check these all out. Thanks for this list!
Evidently, from 2018! Not one I am familair with.
Interesting list, Stephen. I have not read a single one of them, though I have heard of some.
Thanks for visiting my post.
I had expected to love Miss Prim, but I actually ended up only liking it. I am curious about Becoming Mrs. Lewis.
You have some of the most interesting books on your list. The only one I’ve familiar with is Becoming Mrs. Lewis.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!https://readbakecreate.com/a-royal-family-found-in-book-titles/
I haven’t read any of these, but I’m definitely interested in reading BECOMING MRS. LEWIS.
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com