Judge a book by its cover

[Michelle]

How do you choose your books? Do you have particular authors you look for, or will you try anything new? And if new, do you go on recomendations, the story line, or a nice looking cover?!

 

I will try anything by Stephen King, James Herbert or Stephen Laws. I'm following the series from Jean M Auel, and read every J D Robb book. There are other authors I like, but won't automatically read everything of theirs.

 

I have been trying to broaden my horizons, and so am always on the lookout. I like the reviews on Amazon, because they're both good and bad, and will sometimes follow recomendations from friends. There has to be a good description on the back of the book, to grab me.. and I must admit, I do like a nice cover too!

[Debbie]

I too have been trying to broaden my horizons, and I will read recommendations or just something that catches my eye and the jacket blurb sounds interesting.

 

I have also recently worked through the Richard and Judy book list, and really enjoyed most of them!

 

Debbie

[Freewheeling Andy]

My favourite of the Richard and Judy ones so far (although, to be fair, it's the only Richard and Judy one I've read - I do have the Time Traveller's Wife sitting in my pile-of-books-waiting-to-be-read) is David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which I think is extremely wonderful and lovely, and that everyone should read it.

[Freewheeling Andy]

Oh. I forgot the main bit, didn't I?

 

I choose books on all kinds of basises (bases?). Primarily on recommendations, and on whether I know the author. Sometimes, Daunts' style, topographically - if I know a book is about a region, or by an author from a region, that I'm fascinated by at that period, I may tend towards it, and then read the first page, look at the blurb, and decide.

 

Sometimes I decide on genre, but I mainly read "proper" novels, along with some history and travel stuff, so the genre isn't a very good way of defining things.

 

But the recommendations of friends I trust (and particularly my mum) seem to be the best way.

 

Except when I go for things almost at random. See them in a shop, or mentioned in the paper, and think "That sounds good". That happened with Haruki Murukami, Ismael Kadare, and most recently David Mitchell.

[Michelle]

I do have the Time Traveller's Wife sitting in my pile-of-books-waiting-to-be-read

 

I started that one last night.. will let you know how it goes.

[Louise]

I normally like to stick to the same author or at least the same genre but more recently I have been trying new books and to be honest its more to do with recommendations and nice covers than anything else.

 

If the plate at the back grabs my attention I will buy a book too!!!

[tidypijin]

:coffee: I've been a lover of crime, thriller and forensic books for years. I've ploughed my way through Patricia Cornwell Scarpetta collection and 15 books later it has to be said the earlier books are best - Elizabeth George's Inspector Linley set are growing - 14 at the last count - the books and the characterisations are lost on the BBC series. I found David Lindsey in the early 90's and his hero Stuart Houston is OK but many of his books are stand alone thrillers some in the police procedural genre. I moved onto Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen and Mo Hayder having met some fellow genre lovers at another book site on the internet and a recent find has been Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks and most recently I've been dipping into Ian Rankin's Rebus. My love of the genre has developed from pinching my dad's crime thrillers as a teenager and as the years go by my tastes just get darker and more involved. I'm fascinated by the science behind the CSI type stuff and police or military procedural.

 

I read a lot of psychology books as background to my job as human resources management trainer. If anyone wants some recommendations feel free to ask. I also have a fondness for WWII stories and WWI Poets like Wilfred Owen. This stems from 'O' & 'A' level studies which sadly have left me cold towards Dickens and with an irrational dislike of Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" although I do like some of his other works. Who can resist revisiting childrens classics like Winnie the Pooh, The Chronicles of Narnia, Beatrix Potter and Enid Blyton boarding school series Malory Towers and St. Clare's?

 

I'm open to recommendations from girlfriends and colleagues on many subjects; tend to shy away from the hype surrounding bestsellers for ages - I confess I've not read Harry Potter (although the first 5 books were bought for me for Xmas 2004); and can spend hours browsing in bookstores making choices on the strength of covers blurb or by reading a few pages and getting a feel for the writer's style and narrative flow.

[Acesare*]

Like I've said before, I used to only read books by Steven King so if I see one of his it's mine. On a bored day I borrowed Popcorn by Ben Elton from my Dad and now I own all of his, and it was through liking Elton that I tried David Badiel and Robert Llwellyn (I found those 2 funny on TV, so thought their books might be too).

 

Most of the books I've enjoyed in the last 3/4 years were from my former partner's massive book collection. I knew I needed some new material to read so he started chosing books I might like for me.

 

I haven't actually bought any new books for a long time - I keep getting the desire to re-read this book, then that book, etc, but I guess I either choose because I know the author, or if the cover is attractive and the blurb sounds good.

 

I don't read books if they're really popular - I'm odd like that!

 

Jo xx

[Maureen]

:coffee: I've been a lover of crime, thriller and forensic books for years. I've ploughed my way through Patricia Cornwell Scarpetta collection ..... Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen..

 

 

 

Hurrah! Someone who likes my kind of fix!!

 

I will definately try out the other authors you mentioned, when I am looking for my next books. ...you may also want to try out Val McDermid and Jeffery Deaver.

[Kell]

There are certain author's who I eagerly await for the publication of their next book (Pratchett, Christopher Brookmyre, Kelley Armstrong) & I snap them up as soon as possible after they hit the shelves.

 

There are other authors I don't buy every single one, trust to offer up something pretty good & I know there's an excellent chance I'll like what they've got, so i'll gravitate towards their section (Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert).

 

There are genres I tend towards, so I'll also head in their direction (fantasy, horror, thriller).

 

Other than that, I'll sometimes go for something that's been recommended to me, or I'll wander round the shelves looking for a cover or title that grabs my attention. Then I'll read the blurb on the back. If it still looks interesting, I'll buy it (or borrow it from the library, if that's where I am, but mostly buy).

 

I'll admit there are some covers which I find particularly off-putting - the original covers on the Pratchett Discworld series are hideous (I can't stand those horrid, gnomish-looking creatures on the front - they're just ugly to look at), but his later covers are much more attractive & either way, I know the content will send my heart & mind soaring (so I just don't look at the nasty covers - LOL!).

 

Our branch of Ottacker's is particularly good as they seem to actively encourage their customers to spend time flicking through books while in a comfy seat or having a coffee, so I can spend an entire Saturday morning or afternoon in there, taking my time over my purchases.There's also always someone on hand to help if you need to do a search for something specific, but they'll never bother you needlessly - they just let you get on with it - bliss!

[sf1818]

I love forums like this one. You can get tons of really specific information across a wide variety of genres. Fantastic resource. So the descriptions and the reviews that I read on forums are my reason for buying a book.

[Mamacita]

I have authors that I really like.

 

Anne Perry--I'll read just about anything by her.

 

Robin Paige(pseudonym for husband and wife writing team Susan Wittig Albert and Bill Albert)-- I love their series.

 

Haywood Smith--A dear, dear friend and wonderful writer who started out writing these incredibly detailed historicals and has recently launched into mainstream women's fiction (she calls it "anti-romance")

 

But occasionally, I'll see a book cover that intrigues me, so I'll flip it over and read the back cover blurb. If I'm still interested, I'll buy it.

 

I got interested in Debbie Macomber simply because she's a knitter, like me, and wrote a 2 part series about a woman who opens a yarn store.

 

Also, as a writer, I read the market. Since I'm writing mainstream women's fiction with (I hope) strong alpha-type females, I like to read about them. So, I'll often go on recommendation to read this book or that.

[Inanna]

If its an author I love I'll get my hands on the book as soon as its released.

Sometimes I read what the blurb on the back says, other times I'll read what reviews there are, though I find that that generally makes me more and more confused as people have such different and often conflicting opinions :?

 

One of the genres I do enjoy are romance books, but not the slushy, sugary sweet kind (as in Danielle Steele), but ones with a really good story line in them, sort of like Nora Roberts & Sandra Brown (her latest ones anyhow), but one thing that drives me mad is when they have awful covers on them.

 

At the moment I have read my way through the 'Highlander' series by Karen Marie Moning which, whilst is a romantic (think sizzling rather than slushy) book, also incorporates time-travelling, Druidism and the Tuath De Dannan in its story which I love, but the covers are just too awful for words. Think Mills & Boon, big beefy man etc :shock:

 

If I hadn't already read one of hers, the covers probably would have sent me running, so I do think that a good cover sells the book as well!

[Leah]

I typically stick to the authors I know and love. Every once in a while I'll pick up something new that's on a discount rack, but other than that I don't tend to stray from the authors I like. Every once in a while someone can convince me to try someone new. That's how I got hooked on Diana Gabaldon. I got hooked on Stephenie Laurens because the cover caught my eye and I was looking for a really good historical romance author at the time. I got hooked and slowly managed to get all but one or two of her books. My mom turned me on to V.C. Andrews and even if I don't like the book I still end up with them and I will read it from cover to cover just because of reading everything that has ever been written under her name.

 

Now I did pick up a book recently based on the cover and the inside flap sounding really good. I picked up Hades' Daughter by Sara Douglass. Not sure if it'll be any good but I'm hoping, but of course I also have to find time to read it and as I seem to be reading slower and slower lately it'll be a while. Grr...

[Maureen]

I used to stick to tried and tested authors, BUT since joining here I have tried new ones. Ones which I would have never dreamed of trying before.

[Guest Anonymous]

I usually decide from prior books of the author, or through recommendations from others - I see this is going to be my downfall here, LOL

[Angel]

Maureen wrote

 

I used to stick to tried and tested authors, BUT since joining here I have tried new ones.

 

Great to hear Maureen

 

I love a wide variety of authors and so keeps me open to ideas and styles

[Tash]

I buy all my favourite authors books as a priority. I don't think I've ever bought a book based just on its cover.

 

When I find an author I like, I try to get hold of all their work. This is an expensive method as I find more authors all the time!! Author recommendations are something I go on alot also.

 

Having read some reviews here today, I think my author list could be expanding somewhat....I'll blame you lot when the bank statement comes in LOL

[Wraith*]

Do you? I know you're not meant to but I always do. The cover of the book is the one thing that attracts me to it if I don't know the author.

 

So would you read a book with a dull cover?

 

I should add that as soon as I get anu hardback books home I throw the dust covers away anyway so it just ends up plain lol.

[kitty_kitty]

i would but i do tend to pick up books by differnt authors on the strength of their title or cover

[aromaannie]

I have discovered a few new authors that I'd never heard of before by the book cover & title

[Kell]

Bonny book covers attract me, but if it's a book by an author I already know I like, I'm less likely to be put off by a crummy cover (although I may wish it looked nicer than it does). For example - I hate the Josh Kirby covers on the Terry Pratchett books, but all the earlier ones had those horridly grotesque, bulbous little beings sprawled all over the covers - ick! It didn't stop me buying them though.

 

If it's an author I've never heard of, I'm more likely to pick it up and read the back cover blurb is it's nice to look at in the first place.

[Icecream]

I will read books I know or have had recommended as well despite the cover. For books I do not know I do have a tendancy to skan the shelves for an appealing cover. There is often a certain amount of judging one can do by looking at a cover, but I think I should do a bit more than skan the shelves as I am probably missing out on a lot and there is only one way to tell if a book is good or not.

[Fiona]

That saying is true and false. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but with the hundreds of available books out there the cover is important now. When I'm just browsing with no purpose or intent, then I go for covers that attract me and I avoid covers which represent books I wouldn't like to read.

 

Womensy books with hand bags and shoes and flowers and y'know - womensy books I avoid like the plague. I simply don't like those books. I get annoyed when the re-fashion books like Pride and Prejudice into insipid womensy covers because I'd never have anything like that.

 

I wanted to buy the Princess Diaries the other day actually, but the front cover was so incredibly girly with make-up and stuff all over it etc, I was considering buying and ripping the front cover off. I'm vain. Wouldn't be seen dead reading a pink book.

 

So it's a yeah but no but - I do select books possibly because of their cover. I have to make decisions, I cannot look at EVERY book in the bookshop so obviously I go for the ones with covers that attract me. I'll look at the blurb then and if that interests me, I'll take a peek inside and choose.

 

It isn't the deciding factor, but because I'm more likely to pick up books with interesting covers then those which I do not find appealing, then I'm more likely to buy them.

 

Good titles are also attractive but again, when I'm browsing I don't always read every title. So it has to stick out at me for me to actually read it. Again, cover is important.

 

Also, things that effect my book buying choices -

 

 

I rarely look at the top shelf because well, I'm lazy and it'd give me neck ache. I look at books eye level, maybe one row above and a row or two below. I very rarely look at the top shelf or very bottom shelf because I'm lazy. I might do a quick glance but that's it.

 

Also, if the books are packed too tightly into the shelf and I can't get it out - I'm lazy. I won't bother because I know I won't bother to put it back in. So unless I'm looking for that book/author in particular, I won't pick it up.

 

I wish bookshops would only have books kinda... in the middle section of the wall. Because I really don't look upwards - especially if I can't reach up there anyway! Maybe that's why I don't read authors with surnames beginning with A so much?

[wrathofkublakhan]

Pam Anderson looks interesting until you look under the cover.