Coolest Book Dedications

Posted On April 23, 2019

Hey everyone! Welcome to another blog post!

Book dedications are a thing that we don’t talk about much in the bookish community, but I think they’re really cool. Sure, a lot of them are pretty generic, but sometimes, they give you a real insight into what the author might have been thinking while writing the book. And sometimes, they’re just funny or unique in some other way. So today I thought it would be fun to talk about some cool ones.

I’ve come up with a list of 6 book dedications, and for each one, I’m going to talk a little bit about why I like it and what makes it stand out to me. Let me know down in the comments if you have any book dedications that you love.

1. The Selection by Kiera Cass

The dedication:

Hi, Dad!

*waves*

I like this one because it’s cute and unique. Most of the time whenever authors dedicate books to one or both of their parents, the “to Mom” or “to Dad” is paired with a deep, thought-provoking phrase about how said parent has been such an encouragement. That’s great, of course, but I like how this one comes at the same sentiment from a completely different angle.

2. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

The dedication:

To my wonderful readers:

Sorry about that last cliff-hanger.

Well, no, not really. HAHAHAHA.

But seriously, I love you guys.”

Anyone who has read this book (and, more importantly, the book before it) knows exactly why I both love and hate this dedication. It just screams Uncle Rick, and honestly, the slightly sarcastic, joking tone of the dedication perfectly matches the typical tone of his writing, which just makes it even more perfect.

3. The Crown’s Fate by Evelyn Skye

The dedication:

To Mom and Dad—

For the time Grandma fretted that I wouldn’t be able to do anything with a degree in Russian literature and history, and you told her, ‘Don’t worry, Evelyn will find a way.’

And for all the times you loved and believed in me, before and after that.

I like how this one gives you a little piece of the author’s family history. By reading this dedication, the reader gets to know the author just a little bit better, which I think is really cool. Plus, her parents sound like great people.

4. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

The dedication:

For Beth Sanderson,

Who’s been reading fantasy

For longer than I’ve been alive,

And fully deserves

To have a grandson as loony as she is

I like this one for a lot of the same reasons I liked the last one: it gives you just a little peek into the author’s personal life, and into their relationship with the person they’re dedicating the book to. It’s also just super sweet.

5. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

The dedication:

For the wicked

This dedication, when I read it, made me pause, which I think is a good sign. It’s really simple, but also really vague, and I don’t really know how to explain why I like it so much, aside from that.

6. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The dedication:

For the ones who dream of stranger worlds.

I love this one because it sounds like it could be a line from a poem, but I think it’s also relatable for anyone who loves to read. After all, what is reading if not immersing oneself in a world that’s not our own?

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There you have it! Six book dedications that I love, for various reasons. Like I said earlier, let me know down in the comments if you have any book dedications you love, and why, or if you like any of the ones I’ve shared here.

Thanks for reading, everyone, and I’ll see you soon!

-Ariel