It’s no secret that books themselves make me ugly cry and sob all the time. I’ve told you some of the top books that have made me cry and there have even been more since then…so it’s clear I’m a crier when it comes to moving scenes in books. But I’m talking about something different altogether.
I have this fascination with the acknowledgements in the back of books. And I’m obsessive about reading them. Sometimes they are the pretty standard shout-outs but sometimes they make me feel an incredible surge of feelings and the swelling of my heart. And sometimes while I’m reading them I get all choked up, truly. Sometimes it’s this whole little story in it of itself to me. There’s just something incredibly personal and beautiful in some of these acknowledgements.
I mean, I think about all the sweat, blood and tears that go into writing a book and then I read these beautiful acknowledgements where authors just lay it all out and thank those who made it possible, who encouraged them, who saw it through with them even when they may have doubted it would ever happen. I think it gives me such an even deeper level of appreciation of the book I’m holding in my hands, whether or not I enjoyed the book. I feel like I get to know the author just a little bit more. They’ve bared their hearts and soul in their work and let me experience that and then I get this tiny glimpse more with the acknowledgements.
I think it’s lovely that they get to thank their family who know doubt helps them shuffle their lives around to make this possible. I love the thank you’s to their team at the publishing house, their agents and editors that poured their soul into getting the book to print — this incredibly wild journey. And I really love seeing the fellow authors who were there for the author to bounce ideas off, encourage them, etc. — so similar to how I feel with blogging and have those PEOPLE who can help me unblock creatively or encourage me when I’m down!
I decided to share with you some of my favorites because I honestly do keep track of the ones that make me tear up or just make me smile. I have a ton more that I’d love to share but then this post would be way too long!
My most favorite paragraph EVER EVER EVER in acknowledgements. I read it on the beach and just smiled so heart and swooned like crazy. SO. CUTE. *heart clutching*
I just love hearing about Gayle’s life and travel stories any time I hear her speak or do an interview and her acknowledgements are always just SO BEAUTIFUL AND LOVELY. I love how she is grateful for the travels and those she has met and what a profound impact it has had on shaping her as a person. Obviously I love that she thanks all of her readers (can I thank her for writing some of my favorite books of all time and always making me think and FEEL?). But mostly I love that last little sentence. So profound. So beautiful.
I just love how authors will put in little things about their family and I love the humor in this one. I can only imagine how much ones family contributes to the little details of the book like that.
I had just finished ugly crying because the series was over but then Cynthia Hand’s acknowledgements were just SO BEAUTIFUL. Really I wish I could show you the whole thing but there was just so much heart in it — these final thank you’s at the close of an amazing series. GAH. But I loved this one because I think it’s honestly amazing to see what kind of crazy awesome support system our favorite authors have!
You GUYS. I feel like I want to write a whole post of my own acknowledgements and thank all of my favorite authors. I am SO GRATEFUL for THEM and the way they make me think, make me feel intensely and make me believe in the power of a story.
What about you guys…am I the only weirdo who HAS to read the acknowledgements? Like really, every time. I never skip them. What are some of the most memorable acknowledgements you’ve come across? Just another reading habit I have to know about (like juggling books or reading in the car or any of the things I admitted here).
Katie (Call Me Crazy) says
Oh my goodness, I agree, that first one made me smile so big! I love all of these!
I’m going to have to pay more attention to the acknowledgments now!
Thanks Jamie!
Sarah O says
Gah you had my tearing up at the FIRST one! Damnit. But also swooning. I really should pay more attention to acknowledgements.
For me when I look at them I’m always curious to see if they name other authors. I like when authors are friends and I get a little glimpse inside their lives that way. I just imagine they’re all part of this awesome club we don’t know about.
Janita (Book, Interrupted) says
D’aaawww!! I don’t usually read the acknowledgements, but I will start. For me, sometimes, when I’m at the end of a book I don’t want to think about the person who wrote it because the story and characters were too real and I don’t want to admit that someone made them up 😛 I fool myself into thinking that this actually happened, these amazing characters exist, and I was somehow privy to their lives for a short amount of time.
DannyBookworm says
OMG! Yes! I also HAVE to read the acknowledgements! And.. I hate it when in ARC’s it’s not there yet! And… yep… it also happened to me a few times that I had water in my eyes because they were so beautiful, moving and touching!
Julie says
Nope, I ALWAYS read the acknowledgements and I get really sad when ARCs/egalleys don’t have them. I don’t generally cry at them, but there have been cases where I was included and I’m pretty much guaranteed to cry. Every. Time. It. Happens.
It’s probably a good thing that acknowledgements are at the end of the book and therefore, I won’t see it until I finish the book…probably in private.
Amanda D says
THAT FIRST ONE MADE ME HEART SWELL TO 10X THE ORIGINAL SIZE.
I normally never pay attention to the acknowledgements, but I will definitely start. I might even go back and read the acknowledgements from past books I’ve read. I had no idea what I was missing out on!
Mari says
omg i do this too! nothing like a heartfelt acknowledgement.. i love colleen hoover’s and l.b. simmons toomar
Katrina (athousand-lives) says
I LOVE reading the acknowledgments! But I think dedications make manage to move me more. I think it’s the fact that there are just so MUCH emotions in that tiny little phrase and the book is for them and it’s just super sweet. One of my fav dedications are Lemony Snicket’s, even if it’s fake. Another one is Jonathan Safran Foer’s in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close “To Nicole, my idea of beautiful” and Nicole Krauss’ History of Love “For Jonathan, my life”. And they’re married and it’s the cutest thing in the world.
Rachel @ The One With Rachel's Book says
I don’t always read the acknowledgements pages, but when I was at university I always read the dedications at the start of the books I was using for research. Turns out that Professors and Historians are pretty good at succinct but surreal statements that make you do a double-take.
Kristin says
I LOVE this post! I, too, love reading the acknowledgements. For me, it begins as a way to keep a book I loved from ending, but then I get caught up in the friendship and camaraderie and the emotional support, and it leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy (and yes, sometimes weepy) inside.
Laurie C says
I read acknowledgements, too! I always appreciate creativity, humor, and heartfelt sentiment, but even the simple, short ones can be very moving.
Johannah says
I actually don’t read acknowledgements.. sometimes I do.
But I get what your saying about thanking authors. I want to thank John Green all the time. Lol.
Reading Angel says
I NEVER EVER skip an acknowledgment and I feel SERIOUSLY let down when it’s like “thanks to everyone that helped” and that’s it…LOL.
You are not alone in your quirky quirkiness 😉
The Bookie Monster says
Your posts are always just so creative. I think I’m going to have to start reading these acknowledgements now because I definitely see where you’re coming from. I’m a little teary eyed. But then again, I cry when an Olympic commercial comes on so I’m just an extremely emotional person. I love reading the dedications, though. Sometimes they’re funny. Sometimes they’re sad. Sometimes they’re the sweetest words I have ever known. How beautiful it is that we dedicate our words to someone who made it happen. Great post!
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story says
What a fantastic post, Jamie!!!
I always read the acknowledgements, too, and love when the authors insert themselves. Thank you for sharing some fabulous ones!
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) says
Interesting! I don’t read acknowledgements most of the time, because, when I glance at them, they are often super boring. I’ve found a couple of really touching dedications, but…I can’t remember in which books, so, basically, I have nothing to add. :/
Books don’t make me full out cry very often. And, even the best acknowledgement, unless about the author’s personal experiences with the trauma I just finished reading, probably wouldn’t ever make me tear up, but those are awesome ones either way!
Kyle @ A Reader's Pensieve says
I always read acknowledgements! I love them and some make me teary too 🙂
Caitie F says
I always read the acknowledgements! Part of it is curiosity, I want to see who worked on the book. Mostly it is because they are so beautifully written and also because I love to see their gratitude.
Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
OH MY GOSH, JAMIE. I’m gonna start tearing up just reading those!!! I’m usually reeling and high on emotions when I finish a book so sometimes I can’t even handle reading acknowledgements because I’m still lost in the world of the book. I should start reading them like, the day after! Once it’s all sunk in and I can fully appreciate it more 🙂
Alexa Y. says
These are so, so beautiful. Acknowledgments are actually one of my favorite things to read in books too! I love seeing who the author chooses to thank, to highlight and what they have to say about them. They’re often very witty or meaningful or just lovely. This is a GREAT post. LOVE IT!
Sharon @ The Book Barbies says
Honestly, I usually skip the acknowledge or just glance over them, unless something really catches my attention. I read the dedication every time, without fail, though.
These are beautiful, though, and may just make me change my ways. 🙂
Sharon @ The Book Barbies says
Aaand by “acknowledge,” I clearly meant “acknowledgements.” Typing fail, haha.
Judith says
Oh my god, YES! I love to read the acknowledgments! It gives such a great perspective on how much actually happens in the process of writing a book, and it makes me feel a little closer to the authors too. And I love how the lines about their families and loved-ones make me smile and cry sometimes. I just finished Just One Day and I just LOVE that sentence Gayle wrote about her family!
Rachel says
I read the acknowledgements most of the time because I think they’re so heartwarming and interesting. I think the ones in the last book of a series are often the ones that get me choked up because they’re often the most emotional ones from the authors. This was such an interesting post. You’re so creative 🙂
Anna @ Verity Books says
And here I thought I was probably the only one who loved Acknowledgement sections! One of my favorite things is when the author unexpectedly thanks another author to whom I had no idea s/he was connected. So much fun.
In other news, I’m starting Boundless later today, so I’m preparing myself for a full on attack of Feelings, from start to Acknowledgements. o.0
Happy Wednesday!
Britt @ Not So Teen Reads says
I love acknowledgements too! I feel like the book isn’t done until I read them.
Nadia says
I thought I was the only one who did this!
I’m an acknowledgements junkie too. If I don’t read them, no matter how boring they seem to be, I don’t feel finished. I love how it they tell you a bit about the author and their journey through writing that books or series. And I agree, some acknowledgements are just too lovely to pass off, those are my favorites, because they author took the time to make their gratitude show and make it special.
I love the Stephanie Perkins’s ones.
Heidi @ YA Bibliophile says
I totally read the acknowledgements. That first one is my fav too! Kiersten White writes THE BEST acknowledgments too 🙂
Haley Gottardo says
I read the Acknoledgements at the end of Boundless. When I read that Courtney Allison Moulton is the reason why midas gets to eat jelly beans, cuz her horse Pia does that too. I was happy when I read that. I really cried alot near the end of Boundless.
BookChic says
I read the acknowledgments too! Not necessarily all the time, but most of the time. It’s just fun, and I’ve also been included in them at least three times (in Fade by Lisa McMann, Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder, and Asunder by Jodi Meadows), which is so cool. Thanks for sharing your faves!!
Lea B says
Me too!! I always read it, sometimes first, to see what they say and because I feel like it’s such a huge thing to write a book and all the people who go into getting it done really deserve the credit and someone should read it. Glad other people are reading them too!
Allison L says
Oh my gosh! I’m NOT alone! I love to read the acknowledgments section! 😀
Sana @ artsy musings of a bibliophile says
Yes, I always make a point to read the acknowledgments and they are really just so personal and incredibly beautiful. I really love the one by Perkins you mentioned. I recently read one of Gayle Forman’s guest post on the blog tour and it was about one of her travels. I found it a really insightful little story.
Kelsey @ The Lost Book Reports says
I was just curious the other day if anyone else reads them! I love your examples and like you one of my favorite parts is the other authors that they thank!
Keertana @ Ivy Book Bindings says
I loveeee acknowledgements in the back! In fact, the one by Stephanie Perkins is one of my favorites. I always tear up at the romantic gestures these authors talk about. Another one of my romantic favorites is the one in The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna and the entire Author’s Note of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is just brilliant. 😉
Heidi says
I read dedications more than acknowledgements, but I totally feel ya. The dedication in Harry Potter 7 still makes me cry.
Jenny @ Mimosa Stimulus Reviews says
I love the acknowledgements! I read one once that talked about the type of readers who finish a book and keep reading into the acknowledgements and how awesome we are. I cannot remember right now what book it was in, though.
Amanda @ Late Nights with Good Books says
I always read all of the paratext in novels – the cover page, table of contents, copyright info page, forward, acknowledgements, whatever. Anything that can help me understand even a little better about the book and the author who has created it. I like being able to put the author and his/her work into context. I do not have any favorite acknowledgements picked out, but those ones you chose are very poignant for sure!
Flippin' Fabulous says
Sometimes, I think the story the acknowledgments tell is as good, sometimes better, than the story.
That’s just my thought 🙂
-Stacey
SweetMarie83 says
I thought I was the only one! It’s like a compulsion. I love the ones that make me laugh and the ones that make me cry. When I read that one from LOLA, my heart just about burst. After reading the book I was like ‘that would never happen’ (didn’t stop me from LOVING it and *wishing* it would happen) and then I read the acknowledgments and was thinking ‘thank you for proving me wrong; stuff like that really DOES happen in real life and not just books’. SO SWEET.
“Sometimes it’s this whole little story in it of itself to me.” <–This. Yes. Love it.
Stormy says
I read EVERY dedication and every acknowledgement. Then again, I’ve always been that person who has to read every single page of the book. I actually read all the technical information that’s always in either the front of back of the book. I even read the title page, and I always look at a book’s copyright year before reading. Just always filled compel to. Of course, I also read CD liners(when I buy physical CDs),so, there is that. I can’t think of any acknowledgements off the top of my head, but I started crying when I read the dedication for the 7th Harry Potter book(and never really stopped). I also LOVE the dedication in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe–“some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again”. Just brilliant. Love them all.
Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook says
I usually glance through the acknowledgements, but what I always, always, always read are the dedications. Sometimes, like the acknowledgements, they are pretty standard. But every once in a while they feel extra special. I don’t think you read a whole bunch of Julia Quinn novels, but she always has pretty awesome dedications to her husband. They show how much she appreciates his support, but they also almost always show her humor.
Lulufrances says
Aghh I love acknowledgements *.* sometimes when I see it’s only a list of names I skip to the sweet looking text filled passages but I always have to read them! They make me feel like I’ve completed a book ! Love the ones by Marian Keyes! Great discussion, thanks 🙂 xx
April Books & Wine says
Yah, I always read the acknowledgements. I used to skip them, but then when I got really into blogging I just started reading them and haven’t stopped.
I love the one for Lola, I actually remember reading that and thinking awww how adorable.
Jasmine Rose says
I love reading acknowledgements! Sometimes they’re as fantastically written as the book itself and it kind of feels like I’m being let in on a secret :]
Hannah @ so obsessed with says
I usually read the acknowledgements, too. I get so disappointed when the acknowledgements are lame or barely say anything at all! But I love when you stumble across ones that are so sweet and perfect and lovely that they make the whole book experience that much better 🙂 LOVE that you’ve shared this quirk – and totally want to see more posts like this from other bloggers! I would love to learn more about reading quirks because it’s seriously so fascinating how people read so differently!
Ginger @ GReads! says
I always read the acknowledgements too. And I love that you put Lola’s in here b/c I remember when I read it & how it made my heart smile. When it’s a romance book & the author acknowledges their husband/partner in it.. I get so teary eyed because THAT is their true love story. I love seeing that.
I’ve had the honor of being mentioned in an author’s acknowledgements & let me just say.. It truly is an honor! I got teary eyed myself. Being a part of that author’s journey in indescribable. (In case you were wondering.. the books are upcoming: Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller & Noggin by John Corey Whaley).
Stephanie B says
I skim the acknowledgements sometimes but I haven’t read any that made me cry.
Mary says
I love acknowledments, and I read them obsessively. Sometimes I even read them before jumping into the actual novel.
Samera @ Samera Writes says
Cute post Jamie – I completely agree with the emotions that come with reading acknowledgements! I just stumbled on this post when I googled “best book acknowledgements” for a similar post I just wrote on the topic for my blog. Great minds 🙂