You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

I was wondering who out there judges a book by it's cover? And if so what book and why?

I know I picked up Shanghai Tango A Memoir at the library based purely on it's cover. I did read the blurb before deciding to read it though.

If I'm just browsing the shelves I do look at the covers but will read the blurb on the back most of the time too. I think the covers are useful as they can indicate what the book is like to a certain degree. For example horror books tend to have dark or red covers, mystery have more brooding covers and chick books have candy coloured covers. Obviously this isn't always the case but its a useful guide I think.

When I was in Hay I did buy one book just for it's cover, it was and as you can see the cover is quite intriguing and page edges are black too :-)

Sam wrote: "If I'm just browsing the shelves I do look at the covers but will read the blurb on the back most of the time too. I think the covers are useful as they can indicate what the book is like to a cer..."

Sam and Jenny,

Did either of you read your books yet? Was it good?
I am DEFINTELY drawn to a book due to it's cover, but I always read the blurb on the back or look up reviews before deciding whether or not to read it. The last book I hadn't heard of first but was drawn to because of it's cover was .
That said, I am also turned off from books due to their covers. I have a real problem with books that use a scene from the movie- based- on- the- book as their cover. If I want to read the book, I will go out of my way to find the older, before-the-movie version. I know it sounds weird, but it's just a hang-up I have. I recently did this with Revolutionary Road. I waited a while on a bookswap site I'm a part of to get a version that didn't have a picture of Reese Witherspoon and Leonardo DiCaprio on the cover!

Jaime, yea I've read my one and it was actually very good although it was quite in depth at times, gave it four stars in the end (my review is here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...).

That doesn't sound weird, I do the same as well. I spent months looking for a copy of Schindler's Ark (the book on which Schindler's List is based) as I wanted the original title on the cover not the one the movie used. I did the same thing with No Country for Old Men and Jaws as well. So don't worry you're not alone in your oddities lol!

I read my book. It was okay, not something I would usually choose to read so maybe judging a book by it's cover is a good thing. I agree with you Jamie on not choosing books with movie covers :P I always try and buy a non movie version. I've definately been put off by book covers as well. I wonder how much thought goes into the covers. You would think that they spend a lot of time deciding.

That book looks lovely by the way Jaime. I am now going to check it out :P

Jenny wrote: "I read my book. It was okay, not something I would usually choose to read so maybe judging a book by it's cover is a good thing. I agree with you Jamie on not choosing books with movie covers :P I ..."

Jenny,

If you read it, let me know what you think. I read a bit of it in the bookstore and was taken right into it, but it will probably be a while before I actually get to read the whole thing!

Most of the time the cover catches my eye, but I always read the blurbs before deciding to read the book. Though I also judge a book based off of the title and the author.

I wouldn't BUY a book because of its cover, but when browsing in bookshops I'm aware of how much I am drawn to or repelled by certain covers. In second-hand bookshops, the orange livery of older Penguins and black of the newer Penguin Classics always catch my eye and anything with pastel colours and swirly writing tends to be ignored.

I may miss the odd one I would like, but mostly it helps me be more efficient and I'm grateful to those who design covers for aiding me.

One thing though: has anyone else noticed how many books there are with just the legs of youngish women? The Virgin Suicides is one, but there are many others around that are oddly similar, even though they're different authors and publishing houses.

Ah yes legs! Adele Parks always uses legs on the cover of her books.

There are loads of them. Next time you're browsing, whether in a real bookshop or an internet one, just keep a look out and you'll be amazed. It's not as if they're titillating (or at least not generally) and it's mostly on books that are most likely to be read by straight women anyway. Very odd.

Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie does a feature on Fridays called Lookalikes where she posts 2 similar covers from 2 completely different books. She also has a feature called Paperback vs. Hardcover to show different covers for the same book. In both she presents examples for people to comment on their preference/opinions. Kind of a neat way to look at book covers.

Molly wrote: "Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie does a feature on Fridays called Lookalikes where she posts 2 similar covers from 2 completely different books. She also has a feature called Paperback vs. Hardcover to s..."

Thanks, Molly! I am going to check this out. I love to see the hardcover vs. softcover covers.

I definitely judge a book by its cover... in fact I think it can effect my motivation to read. If a book is very dull and boring looking then it feels less like I would be reading for pleasure and more as if it would be work! An inspiring cover encourages and gives you a boost. Also, it can helpmake the genre more realistic in some ways - I like an old fashioned book to look oldy-worldy etc

I definitely never buy movie covers - that actually totally puts me off a book.

I usually make my decision to read the book on the blub, but the cover is most often the initial attraction. Also it allows one to easily seperate books into a category on first sight - it gives you the general gist of a books content before you have read anything at all.

That blog is fantastic Molly!

I just thought of something that I meant to add to my earlier post about book covers and forgot to. I love (and prefer) getting the UK paperback versions of books that I want to read because of the covers (I'm from the USA). I know it sounds wierd and I think it has something to do with the fact that I see the US version so much before I decide to read it, I like the change. Weird, I know. It doesn't even really have much to do with judging the book by it's cover as, sometimes, I don't even know what the cover will look like when I order it (I get most of the UK copies from a swap site). Maybe it also has something to do with the fact that the book has crossed continents. I know, I'm strange!

I'm currently reading the UK paperback version of Garden Spells . It's really a pretty cover!

I prefer US paperbacks to UK ones: the binding, printing and paper quality are usually much better.

Cecily wrote: "I prefer US paperbacks to UK ones: the binding, printing and paper quality are usually much better."

Cecily,

You are from the UK, right? Funny!

Yup. Maybe we should buy books for each other?

However, the British versions of the Terry Pratchett books have Paul Kidby illustrations, while the USA editions don't.

I don't really understand why different countries have different jacket illustrations though.

Cecily wrote: "Yup. Maybe we should buy books for each other?"

Sounds like a good plan!

I seem to get hooked by book covers. Once hooked I check out the book to see if it looks interesting. To me good covers and good books frequently go together. Is it something to do with quality choices?

I think the cover of a book is crucial in attracting a reader. Perhaps it is my visual arts background but when simply browsing in shop I am first drawn to a cover. I would not buy a book simply by its cover but it is the bait, the blurb and review are the hook...

I am definitely influenced by a cover. It's what first draws my attention to a book. The other bait for me is the title.

I downloaded Jane Eyre from iTunes. It was free and had no cover. I was disappointed. There were other editions of the book available, but with a price tag. I had to give myself a mental shake to refrain from purchasing a copy of the book just because it had a cover!

That got me wondering how browsing would be if all books had no cover.

A cover is like a first hint to the content of the book. When it's well chosen the reader will be charmed at the first sight. But sometimes the cover will lead the readers astray. This involves the danger that the potential reader will put the book back to the shelf. Therefore the short summary on the cover's back or inside the book has been written to ease the reader's choice to read it or not.
I myself can say that the cover catches my first interest on a book but the summary makes the decision. So don't judge a book (only) by it's cover ;)

Before I got my kindle, I would look at the cover and the title as the first thing, then I would read the back of the cover and make my choice.

After I got my kindle (and found this wonderful place) I read the description of the book and the reviews, and if I'm still interested I will download a sample. If I like the sample, i'll purchase the book

A friend and I agree that we hate to get books that have the yellow circle with the words, "Oprah's List" on it. We want people to know that we chose the book ourselves and we're not reading it just because Oprah told us to.

Susan wrote: "A friend and I agree that we hate to get books that have the yellow circle with the words, "Oprah's List" on it. We want people to know that we chose the book ourselves and we're not reading it ju..."

Admittedly, she has introduced some new and talented authors to the public. If there is a book that she has endorsed that I would like to read, I look for editions that don't have her stamp of approval on it.

I look at the cover to see if it looks scary if it is not to scary I read the blurp and if I like it I read it I also look at the cover to see if it's grown up looking if it is I don't read the blurp.

One of my favorite things to do is go to a book store and find the weirdest/coolest/mysterious book cover I can find. After that, I read the blurb. The blurb has to hook me immediately...if it doesn't, I move on.

The latest cover to reel me in was "Fated" by S.G. Browne. The art isn't so cool, but the words caught my attention : LOVE'S NOT A CHOICE. IT'S A DISASTER. I didn't even have to read the whole blurb to know that it was then mine. It was a great read, but I had some issues with it. Don't let my rating discourage you...Its a good book.

Fated: Fated

The cover is like the icing on the cake. It has to look edible so that people will eat it. :)

While it is safe to say that not all good books have great covers and not all great covers make a good book, I think covers do have an impact on some of the books I choose. I remember I picked "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris just because the title combined with the childlike scrawl of the letters grabbed my eye. The book I'm reading now ("Room" by Emma Donoghue) grabbed my attention with the four bright, crayon-written letters popping out of the stark white background. I think the covers often set the tone of the book with the use of text and color. To me, "The Lovely Bones" looks lonely and cold.

Obviously these are just a few examples that came to mind. There are many books I intend to read that may not have great covers that catch my eye, but there are a lot of extra books that I have chosen to read simply because their covers grabbed my attention.

I always by a book because of its cover... it's what lures me in. a lot of the times i'm dissapointed but once in a while i'll come across something awesome... like the Mortal Instrument series.

Carolyn wrote: "I always by a book because of its cover... it's what lures me in. a lot of the times i'm dissapointed but once in a while i'll come across something awesome... like the Mortal Instrument series."

I agree with you, a lot of times I'm attracted to the cover of a book and even if the back sounds so-so, I usually end up trying it out. I've learned a bit of a lesson from that and now I just try to look past the cover and find better books to read :)

I absolutely choose books by their covers. Otherwise I would be in the bookstore forever, reading book flaps and back covers. There are two notable ones,
and . These caught my eye for different reasons, Happiness because it was so bright and cheerful, and The Art of Racing in the Rain, because it had a dog on it and was simple. Both were great books, that I otherwise probably never would have found. Especially The Art of Racing in the Rain.

I also narrow down which bargain books I look at by starting with those with orange spines.

usually a book is judged by its cover to see if it's interesting enough. I always do that and end up with great reads. :)

I've found covers to be misleading all too often. Think, for example, of older classic books that have so many editions w/ different covers over time. That being said, the marketing team surely can tempt us, and even set up our expectations, so usually there's enough of a match we'll get by. I guess the bottom line is, if you and your wallet feel comfortable taking the risk, go for it - if you're cautious, check the reviews on goodreads first! :)

Cheryl wrote: "I've found covers to be misleading all too often. Think, for example, of older classic books that have so many editions w/ different covers over time. That being said, the marketing team surely c..."

well said

I select a book based on the cover & buy the book after reading the description. I need a book that's cover draws my attention..otherwise how would I choose?!?! There are so many books out there & I want to read books from all different genres that judging a book by it's cover and/or title has become the best judge I could ask for. The few times I've randomly selected a book "just because" hasn't really worked out for me. Covers & Titles..that's what I look for.

I do tend to pick a book by its cover or at least this is my first impulse when I am in the book store/library. However, I always check the review and often read a few paragraphs. Actually this is how I came across one of my favorite book The Elegance of the Hedgehog . There was something strange about the picture of a girl with big boots; I decided to give it a try and the rest is history. If all my choices were so perfect..

i will look at books cover first thing, so i know what it is about or at least the idea of it, but i normally read the blurb

This cover was so beautiful. I was immediately drawn to it and after I read the synopsis, I was even more interested in it. Gorgeous cover and incredibly entertaining and captivating book.

I am often drawn to a book by its cover. I think the art on some of them is so beautiful. On my goodreads list, I have chosen to show the covers, and I just love scrolling through and looking at my favorites. Of course, sometimes my favorite covers are not my favorite books.

when I'm looking for a new book, I'm usually drawn to something with a interesting looking cover, but I always make sure to read the blurb and won't buy the book or maybe even check it out from the library if it doesn't have a blurb somewhere on it.

I think I am drawn to a book by it's cover or title at first. when using goodreads.com I often click on the books with the most interesting covers but I also try to read the blurb.

There is no getting around the subliminal impact of a great cover. You only get one chance to make a first impression. It's like walking into a poorly decorated house - it's hard to see past the tacky furniture and dingy paint. Someone else comes in and paints and redecorates and voila you're ready to move right in. It's simply human nature.

- yuk; - bland; - better; - this is the one I read; - love this one.

Excellent point Ivan. However, I happen to be most drawn to the first - I would not pick up the last even though I do want to reread it someday. There are of course fashions in book-covers and we might tend to like most the ones that are akin to the ones that were in style when we were becoming more avid choosers.

I picked up 'Truly Madly Deeply' after seeing the wonderful cover. It was even nominated on Goodreads annual poll for the best cover. I wasn;t in the lease bit disappointed with the story.Truly, Madly, Deeply.

Yeah definitely when I´m looking for a new book at the library or book shop the cover is the first thing that catchs my attention.

I agree with what pretty much everyone else is saying. I am definitely attracted to fun book covers but if I don't like the blurb or don't like what I see about it on goodreads then I usually don't pick it up. One of the books that keeps catching my eye at the bookstore recently is I'm not sure why I like it so much but I do! I haven't bought it yet but I probably will soon because the story sounds good! I also like the cover of , I think it fits so well with the theme of the book and I love the colors. I'm also a sucker for cute animals, i.e. - :)

The Dewey story was cute. Too concise - I would've liked more about both the cat and the community. Fortunately for my to-read shelf, you didn't manage to tempt me with the others.