Ever since I can remember, I’ve always made sure to read a book’s dedication. A lot of readers probably skip right past that part (whenever I open a book on my Kindle app, it automatically shoots me straight to the first page), but I feel like I’m missing something when I do. It’s like eating a Gingersnap cookie without any ginger in it…then you’re just left with The Snap and who wants that? Not I, sir.
Why do I feel this way about book dedications, you might ask? It’s probably because writing a book is kind of like having a baby. Although I’ve never finished writing a book, I have spent twenty-five hours in labor (sans the epidural), so when I say it’s no stroll through Main Street USA, you can bet your waffles that I’m telling the truth. The process is painful, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s loOOoOoOooOoong (or at least, it was for me).
Both books and babies are labors of love; bringing them into this world takes a Herculean effort and about as much time as it would take to watch every single movie in the MCU (or in other words, it takes A DANG LONG TIME).
A book is an author’s baby; it’s their precious (insert a horrible Gollum impersonation here). They’ve sweated over it, labored over it, lost sleep over it, and embedded a piece of their very soul into it (sounds kind of like a horcrux, doesn’t it?). Whenever I think about it that way, I can’t help but wonder, “Who is important enough to this author – whom do they love enough, care about enough, respect enough – to dedicate all their hard work to?” (You can’t really do that with giving birth…“I dedicate these last twenty-five hours of torture to you, Jim!” doesn’t quite convey the same sentiment).
Sometimes a book’s dedication is heartfelt. Sometimes it’s funny or poetic. Sometimes it makes you think about life as it is, and about life as you wish it could be. Sure, that might sound like a lot to expect from something so short, but it’s true nonetheless. A book’s dedication offers us a window into who or what motivated the author to continue on through the painful, uncomfortable, and loOOoOoOooOoong process of writing and ultimately create the books that we love. And it’s the knowing that can make our reading experience taste that much sweeter.
Often before “Once upon a time…” come the words, “For my mother,” and to me, those are the real first lines of any novel. Because without mothers, or fathers, or spouses, or friends, or mentors, or even heroes – without those who support, encourage, and inspire – there would be no story.
MY TOP TEN FAVORITE BOOK DEDICATIONS
My Number One Favorite
Do you ever read the book dedications? Why or why not?
What are some of your favorite book dedications?
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God, I love this post 🥺 I truly adore reading a book’s dedication not only because it feels so special but also because it is sooo personal and heartfelt 💕 It’s like a little insight into the mind of the author that’s different from their fictional story and I just love it (I haven’t read Austenland but the dedication is HILARIOUS)
I am so glad you liked this post! And I totally agree – it’s so cool to get a little glimpse into the author’s mind! (AND YESHHHHH Austenland’s dedication slays me 😭)
I’d never really thought to read dedications, but I’ll start doing that now. The only one I remember reading was HP7, which you also have on your post. Haha. Thanks for writing this up!
I’m glad that you enjoyed this post! 💛And the HP7 dedication is a total classic that gets me in the feels every time, so you have good taste haha. Thanks for stopping by!
KATTT 😭😭😭😭😭 I WANT TO HAVE THIS POST TATTOOED ON MY FOREHEAD IT’S SO GOODDDD. And im not kidding when i say that that last one almost made me cry :(( i definitely agree with you that i always read dedications. As someone who primarily reads ebooks, the app does directly launch me to the first page and i always always go back and read the dedication because it just feels right.
Im so with rin chupeco though. Ramen is my favorite food of all time and thats saying a lot because i love almost all the food ive eaten. And i still remember that my lady jane dedication to this day 😂 Basically, all of these dedications were gold, and I love this post so much ❤️❤️❤️Also, I literally remembered a good dedication i had read before whilst reading this post, but now that I’m commenting, the quote somehow slipped my mind and I can’t remember it anymore sighhhhh.
AHHH CAITLIN YOU WRITE THE BEST COMMENTS 💛💛💛 Seriously, whenever I see your name, my face turns into the loudly crying emoji 😭 I’m so glad that you liked this post !!! We dedication-readers gotta stick together :)
Also, RAMEN IS LIFE. I love it so much, so Rin Chupeco’s dedication really spoke to my soul too. Fun fact: I almost named my blog, “The Ramen Reader” back in the day haha.
If you happen remember that good dedication sometime, I’d love to hear it!!!
I have always loved the HP 7 dedication. <3 Another personal favorite is from Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett. It says:
"They may be called the Palace guard, the City Guard, or Patrol. Whatever the name, their purpose in any work of heroic fantasy is identical: it is, round about Chapter Three (or ten minutes into the film) to rush into the room, attack the hero one at a time, and be slaughtered. No one ever asks them if they wanted to.
"This book is dedicated to those fine men."
WOW, this dedication is SO COOL. I’m totally intrigued now. I’ve never read a Terry Pratchett book before. *shuffles off to add more books to her already suffocating TBR* Thanks so much for reading!! 💛
I love this so much!!! 💛💛 I agree dedications are so wonderful and are really heartfelt messages so I always like seeing them– I can’t not read it!!
Some of the ones you have picked are AMAZING– I love the midnight star one!! And Shannon Hale’s Colin Firth one is hilarious!! And the Sherwood one is so sweet!! 😍
I like the dedication in Heroine Complex– for my mum: still my faviurite superheroine after all these years!!! And I love the one in Crier’s War– I don’t have the book and can’t remember the exact wording but WOW it was a great dedication!!
I loved this post and I’m glad you love dedications as much as me!! 😂💛
Thank you so much for reading, Sophie! 💛💛 I’m glad that I’m not the only one who stops to read the dedications. And I’m total heart eyes for the Heroine Complex’s book dedication (I’ve got the author’s newest book, “I Love You So Mochi,” on my shelf now…I wonder what that book’s dedication is???). Also, now I am intrigued about the one in Crier’s War! I’d love to hear the quote if you ever end up remembering it.
And yes, DEDICATION READERS UNITE haha 💛
Of course– I loved it so much! Nope you are not alone at all!!
Yes it was a wonderful dedication– ahh I hope it is another wonderful dedication and I love the cover for ‘I Love You So Mochi’ as well!!
Yes I found the dedication fro Crier’s War– it is ‘For the queer readers. You deserve every adventure’ and it is so sweet!!
Yay haha!! 💛💛
I adore this post! I always make it a goal to read a book’s dedication. That and the epigraph (when there is one) feel so precious and instantly make me more likely to read the story. Even when I end up not liking the book, if there is a dedication, my brain “forgives” the author and understands what they were trying to do.
Thank you so much for your kind words 💛 And I agree – the dedication, epigraph, acknowledgements, etc. help remind me that this book was written by an actual person. I think it can be kind of hard to remember that sometimes, at least for me. Thanks again for stopping by!!!
I love reading dedications! And the acknowledgements! It’s this little extra bit of the author that you get to see. I can tell why they wrote this book, or who helped them through the process, or so many other things just from reading the dedication. And every once in a while it’s dedicated to me, the reader!
I think two dedications that I remember at the moment are from
1. The House of Hades, which is:
“To my wonderful readers:
Sorry about that last cliff-hanger.
Well, no, not really. HAHAHAHA.
But seriously, I love you guys.”
2.The Gilded Wolves, which is:
“For Aman, who said:
“Say something cool about me”
Nope.”
Apparently, I appreciate the less serious dedications. Who knew?
THESE ARE SO GREAT!!! I’m actually listening to the Gilded Wolves audiobook right now and the narrator didn’t read the dedication (humph), so I’m so glad you shared this! IT IS PURE COMEDY GOLD. Also, Rick Riordan slays me. How can one man be so funny???
Fabulous post! These are great.
Thank you so much much 💛
I love this Kat!! Plus your website look is PRECIOUS! :D I always like reading dedications/acknowledgments/author letters because getting more background about the story helps me to understand the author better and even get more out of the story. Amazing post :)
THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU ARE TO KINDDDD 💛💛 Also, I totally agree – the extra stuff really adds to the experience of reading. Thanks for stopping by!!
Of course! It looks so adorable and wonderful :)
The dedication of the last Harry Potter book is too perfecttt
Isn’t it though??? I couldn’t agree more – the fact that it’s in the shape of a lighting bolt is too perfect.
This is a beautiful post, Kat! I may have teared up a bit haha As a writer, thinking of the people who believe and support me is what pushes me to finish my book. Sometimes I even draft my dedications whenever I feel a bit worn down. I’d finish my book just to have that little love note for them.
My most favourite dedication is in East of Eden by John Steinbeck:
Dear Pat,
You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, “Why don’t you make something for me?”
I asked you what you wanted, and you said, “A box.”
“What for?”
“To put things in.”
“What kind of things?”
“Whatever you have,” you said.
Well, here’s your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts- the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.
And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.
And still the box is not full.
I damn near sobbed and I hadn’t even started the book!
OH GOSH WOW. THAT DEDICATION IS ART. Like, I could write an entire book and have nothing near as beautiful as that in it. And Steinbeck just casually inserts it IN HIS DEDICATION. Like, gosh.
Anyways, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I love the fact that you write your own dedications when you are feeling stuck. Maybe I should try that!
Ah, yes, I love a book dedication! They get me so much, and it’s always a great motivator for me to finish a book because I would love to be able to dedicate a whole piece of myself to someone just because I want to. I hate that my Kindle forces me to skip to the first page of the book, which is what I miss the most about reading paperbacks/hardcovers. I like being able to admire the front page of the book and thumb through the pages to get to the dedication–having to bring myself back to the cover on a Kindle is so tedious :/ This was such a lovely post!
I 10000% agree – I dislike that the Kindle forces us straight to the first page too. I always go back to read the dedication and the other stuff at the beginning!
The last one gives me goosebumps every time! This is such a great idea for a post!
I agree that the HP dedication is just pure magic (ahaha it’s kind of like a joke…cause like…wizards and stuff). Thank you so much!💛
Oh Kat, I love this post so damn much! I am also a huge fan of dedications – as a writer, I’ve fantasized about who I would/would NOT dedicate my books to, so obviously I’ve admired amazing dedications myself. The Harry Potter one is hands down my favorite, but I love how many awesome and empowering dedications you’ve mentioned here!
Christine, thank you so much 💛💛 I’m so, so, so glad that you liked this post! The HP one is a total classic, I agree! And I love that you think about not only who you WOULD dedicate a book to, but who you WOULD NOT dedicate a book to haha. My list for the latter would be pretty long, I think haha
I love dedications too! I learn a lot about an author from them. I also love the things at the back… acknowledgements yeah those (excuse me my brain is tired). I love the wonderful ones you picked out! Woah! I didn’t realize how fun they’d gotten (or haven’t I read these books?!) ❤️
I’m so glad you like book dedications too! Aren’t they just so fun to read (especially the humorous ones)? And yes, I agree – the acknowledgements and all the stuff at the back are also great!
These are all pretty awesome! I’m ashamed that I typically skip them but now I think I’ll make a point to read them!
No need to feel ashamed! Everybody reads differently and that’s okay :) But I’m excited to hear that you enjoyed reading these dedications! Thanks for the wonderful comment and for stopping by 💛
Oh Kat, how to you always manage to put out such amazing and wonderful posts 😭 Dedications really are such a unique part of a reading experience! You’ve chosen some really fantastic ones for this post.
I especially love dedications that are part of a series because I want to suck up as much as I can for the story I’ve become so attached too!
OH WOW IVY, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH 💛💛💛 That means a lot to me. Seriously. And I agree – dedications really do heighten the reading experience (or at least they do for me). I’m glad you liked the dedications I included in this post :)
This is such an amazing post! I love this idea so much, and I love the dedications you’ve picked. This probably just makes me seem like an overly obsessive Harry Potter fanatic (which I guess I am?) but I can’t help but get emotional every time I read The Deathly Hallows dedication. 💓
Haha, I remember laughing out loud when I read the dedication for My Lady Jane! Another dedication I’m obsessed with is the one at the beginning of The House of Hades, by Rick Riordan. I don’t want to spoil anything in case you haven’t read it- but basically, Rick Riordan “apologizes” for the huge cliffhanger at the end of the book prior, and then proceeds to laugh and say just kidding. It was pretty memorable!
Again, lovely post! I just found your blog and I’m super glad I did. :)
Thank you so much, Olivia! And I’m right there with you crying over that Deathly Hallows dedication. HP FOREVER. Also, I think somebody else shared the House of Hades one with me and I WAS DYING. Like, how is Rick Riordan so funny? I first read Percy Jackson back in high school and have reread it a few times since then, and still, I can’t help but busting a gut from laughter. His humor just never gets old.
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I love this! I always enjoy reading dedications so it’s nice to hear some of your favourites 😊
This is such a great post! I always enjoy reading dedications so I loved getting to see some of your favourites 😊
Thank you so much! 💛 I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only one who reads the dedication!
[…] Why I Always Read A Book's Dedication and Why You Should Too // ft. My Top 10 Favorite Book De… […]
I LOVE reading dedications. My favourite is Jay Kristoff’s Godsgrave dedication:
WOW. That is one quality dedication. But then again, Jay Kristoff only delivers the best haha. Thanks for sharing 💛💛
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Ahhh I ADORE this post so, so much. Dedications are always so, so great to read and they warm my heart so much. I love some you’ve shared here, especially the one from Grace & Fury (need to read that book!) :)
Fantastic post!
MARIEEEE 💛💛 Thank you so much! That means a lot! And Grace + Fury was a fun read. I hope you enjoy it if you get around to reading it :)
Ahhh I love this post!!! I also always read the dedication, and grumble audibly when my Kindle app shoots right past it like a jerkface. These are all wonderful, my fave is probably Aurora Rising “For those who have yet to find their squad, this one’s for you.” I HAVE IT MEMORIZED OKAY ITS PERFECT
HOW DID I NOT THINK TO INCLUDE THAT ONE???? I loved that dedication toooooo! And the fact that you have it memorized has made me respect you even more, if that’s possible. Also, yes yes yes to the stupidity that is the Kindle app skipping the dedication haha. Also, I feel like not all audiobooks include them either…hm.
Pfft, I just have a thing for quotes and that one speaks to me. Ask me what I had for breakfast yesterday and I couldn’t tell you LOL
WOW THIS IS A MOOD. haha
Oh my goodness, I adore this post so much! I LOVE reading a book’s dedication, and am SO happy that you included the Heart Forger’s! I remember reading that one and laughing about it for a solid month – I literally took a photo of it and sent it to my sister. Reason #85 about why Rin Chupeco is a queen. Lol! It’s always so much fun to see what spin an author takes on a dedication. <3
KELLLLYYYY 💛💛💛 Thank you so much and yes a thousand times about Rin Chupeco. I follow her on Twitter, and her posts always make me happy.
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Ohh WOW. I loved this post!! I always, always read the dedications in books, and the acknowledgements, I love them. It’s like a little window into the author’s mindset and what makes them tick, and often, they make me feel a little emotional!
You’ve really collated some amazing ones here, especially the final one which made me snort out loud. :D I think I need to start making a note of the good ones I spot, because my mind is blank right now!
I’m so glad that you liked this post! 💛 And I totally agree – I love getting a little look into the author’s mind, outside of the story. It helps me to remember that they are normal people, just like me!
What a wonderful post! I have a soft spot for dedications as well, they are just so personal and often make me very emotional ❤ The one for The Midnight Star is one of my all time favorite dedications as well, it never fails to touch me and make me tear up, especially as it fits the story so well 😢
Yay for dedication lovers 💛 And I agree – the dedication for The Midnight Star is just too perfect. It totally made me emotional the first time I read it.
[…] Why I Always Read a Book’s Dedication and Why You Should too feat. favorite book dedications (Kat ☀ novelsandwaffles) […]
I always read the book dedications! I hate how how Kindle just jumps you to the first page. I always press Cover so I can start from the very beginning.
The dedications you chose as your favorites gave me the chills. ♡ Loved this post so much!!
Oh my gosh, same! I hate that Kindle does that too! And yay, I’m so glad you loved this post! That makes me so happy to hear 💛
My favourite book dedication is for the Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi. It’s basically her husband asking for it to say something nice about him and she’s like no. It’s iconic.
[…] Kat @ Novels and Waffles shares why she reads book dedications and her favorite ones. Honest to god, this post almost made me cry, […]
YES! I love book dedications. I have to read them. I like reading acknowledgements at the end too. You chose some really great ones; I especially love the one from the last Harry Potter book. I shared a dedication I loved on Instagram once…I should really do that more so I remember some good ones!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
Haha, I relate to this post so much! I’m that obsessive weirdo that basically reads every word on the book. Synopsis? Yes. Dedication? Duh. Blurbs? Gimme ’em! I even read the acknowledgments and copyright! Yet, I still DNF half the books I pick up sometimes. Oh well!
I generally read dedications but I haven’t really thought too much about it in the past. Your reasons are so valid though and thoughtful. I love the ones that you’ve included here. Some of my favourites from your list are Grace & Fury, Sherwood and For A Muse Of Fire. My absolute favourite is the Lady Jane one though!! I still need to read all of thes. Hopefully I’ll get to them soon.
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