A Detailed Discourse on the Divisions in Books

In Other Words, Chapter Titles and Why They can be as Plain as Porridge or as Detailed as a Dictionary

Chapter titles are interesting, if an author chooses to use them. They can be hints at what is to come or fun jumbles of words with some metaphorical association.

For Island Whispers, there are chapters and subchapters. All of the main chapters are dates (eg. June 1). Then, the subchapters are the names of the character who the story is following at the time (Angelica, Grant, Adam, or Monica).

Likewise, Trevor D'Silva uses numbers (Chapter 1) with subheading dates (January 03, 1946). Find out more about his book on http://trevordsilva.com/

I've never really written a chapter that has a name, but J.K. Rowling had chapter titles that focused on the key point of the chapter. The first chapter in the Sorcerer's Stone is "The Boy Who Lived",  focused on the main point of the first chapter - the introduction of Harry Potter, 'the boy who lived'. 

Rick Riordan is another writer who comes to mind as he writes very long and quippy chapter titles. In Percy Jackson, there is a chapter called "I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom." That one always makes me chuckle.

So you see, chapter titles vary and they can be quite entertaining. They also present pauses for readers, so that they can take a break (if they want to, some people get hooked and won't let it go until the end).

There are also chapter titles with bits of older prose or poetry. In the forefront of my mind, Cassandra Clare fits this description. I really enjoyed Chapter 6 of Clockwork Angel (first book in the Infernal Devices series) which has an excerpt from a poem by Christina Rossetti. The chapter actually has a name, "Strange Earth", and then it has the slip of poem beneath: "We must not look at goblin men/ We must not buy their fruits:/ Who knows upon what soil they fed/ Their hungry thirsty roots?" It's from "Goblin Market" and you should really read the whole thing, it is quite entertaining, albeit dark.

Some books will be separated into parts or books. The Forty Rules of Love has something like this "Part One: Earth, the things that are solid, absorbed, and still." Then, the book has five other parts, I think, ending with the Void. 

The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris begins with "Part 1: Death". In this instance, the chapter titles don't even have to be lengthy, they could be just one word that sums it up. 

The key factor among all "named" chapter titles is that they have some relation to the chapter that follows them. There has to be some thematic element or descriptive word that has something to do with one part of it. 

However, there are thousands of books that just number their chapters. It really depends on the book and whether the tone fits a wordy title or needs something that won't distract from the story.