When did subtitles get longer than the books?

Or is this what it takes to sell a book in the 21st century?

Because I'm a nerd, I keep a journal of all of the books I read (or listen to). I had gotten behind in writing my reviews, so I sat down tonight to catch up. The last three books I read/heard all had subtitles, and it took longer to write the title/subtitle in my journal than it did to write the review!

What happened to simple, powerful titles like The Grapes of Wrath and Cat's Cradle?

The most clever subtitle author is Jen Lancaster, with these gems:

• Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office
• Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie is Not the Answer
• plus two more books with really long titles/subtitles and that contain the word "ass"

(I never noticed until now that all of her books have the word "ass" on the front cover.)

The books I entered in the journal tonight:

• The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn
• Barack Like Me: The Chocolate Covered Truth by David Alan Grier and Alan Eisenstock
• I Met the Walrus: How a Day with John Lennon Changed My Life Forever by Jerry Levitan

Up next - a book with no subtitle! The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.

What have I learned by writing this post? If I want to get a book deal, I need a good subtitle.