Judge a book by its cover

[supergran71]

The size of a book attracts me. I like em BIG!!

[Karen1]

I try not to judge a book by it's cover, but with books by authors not known to me, then it's ultimately the cover that usually gets my attention initially so the cover is important.

[Maureen]

I think the cover is important. Not the most important thing, but important.

[angerball]

For authors that I know I will enjoy, covers don't matter at all to me. Covers count more when trying to choose a book at random, or by an author whose work I'm not familiar with.

[Nici]

I will always look at the cover first and if i like the look of it i will then read the blurb on the back.

[madcow]

The size of a book attracts me. I like em BIG!!

Ditto, need to know I'm getting my moneys worth

 

But if it is an author I know the cover is not important, if I am just browsing I tend to pay more attention to the blurb rather than the cover.

[JudyB]

Often it's covers that catch my eye - very often they do reflect their genre so it's an effective way of sifting through a wide choice of books. Once a cover's caught my eye then I'll check the blurb.

 

Oh another thing to consider - the title - how much does that influence anyone?

[Kell]

Oh another thing to consider - the title - how much does that influence anyone?

An unusual title will usually catch my attention. I love Christopher Brookmyre's titles, such as A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away and One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night - they reflect his kind of humour quite well.

 

Another title I loved was Bimbos of the Death Sun - I just thought it sounded so absurd I had to try it. The cover looked very sci-fi trashy (a blonde bimbo, a geeky guy and a computer), but it was very fitting to the book which was set at a sci-fi convention. And yes, it was pretty funny too (if anyone's interested, it's by Sharyn McCrumb).

 

It must be difficult to get the cover and title right sometimes - they need to reflect the story and the style without giving too much away, but with enough to grab your attention - it's a fine line.

[JudyB]

The title The Secret of Crickley Hall captured my imagination - I think it harks back to my Enid Blyton reading days!

[Fiona]

 

Oh another thing to consider - the title - how much does that influence anyone?

 

I'd say it's the thing I notice after the cover (or the spine design) I suppose. It is rather important too I suppose, it has to intrigue. I prefer shorter titles and I don't like weird ones. I can't really say actually, hmm. I guess, because I don't like comedic books I wouldn't find

 

A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away and One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night very interesting. In fact, if I read that I'd turn away. It's too long and I'm too lazy to read it. I like a title you can recall, not one where you can't even remember the book you're reading's called!

 

Bimbos of the Death Sun - And to me that just sounds stupid. I don't like comedy thingies. So I guess I just like a straight descriptive title - or at least that is what makes me pick it up to take a further look.

[Essexgirl]

The cover usually catches my eye first, and then the title, I have been known to be put off what is probably a very good book by a trashy cover or weird title

[Kell]

I thought I'd merge these threads as they're the same subject.

[Maureen]

An unusual title will usually catch my attention. I love Christopher Brookmyre's titles, such as A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away and One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night - they reflect his kind of humour quite well.

 

 

Actually that's what I was thinking about today - and was going to ask the question here. I am currently reading country of the blind, and on the cover there is a reference to his book called quite ugly one morning. His titles are all "funny" such as boiling a frog and the covers are childishly colourful - quite unlike the subject matter. They do make you pick them up though - in fact they are quite eye - catching.

[Guest ii]

I was surfing my bookmarks of literary sites, and came across this article. It's rather interesting, don't you think? Do you think he's right? What do your books and their covers say?

[JudyB]

Thanks for that ii. I work in a library so am seeing a large amount of books during the time that I am there. Since working there I have realised how much I pick up on clues from the cover - as I'm working I'm unable to browse the books as such, but have seen many a cover that has caught my eye enough to make me quickly flip the book over to scan the blurb. I do have expectations of the book from seeing the cover. It's amazing how so many books have nearly the same covers. As well as giving clues to the book's genre etc some covers are just so attractive that they draw you in and that was the reason why I read The Ladies' Detective Agency series.

[scottishbookworm]

When I get a book I don't Just go for it because of it's fancy cover.

 

I go for it because I'm a fan of the writer and allso that I'm looking forward to their next piece of work.

 

[wrathofkublakhan]

I'll confess to buying The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency for it's cover and great title.

It was almost haunting me - I'd see it everywhere!

 

Good book too!

[Kell]

I was surfing my bookmarks of literary sites, and came across this article. It's rather interesting, don't you think? Do you think he's right? What do your books and their covers say?

I do agree - many book covers these days are very similar when on a similar theme. For example, when I was in the airport a couple of weeks back, there were a whole slew of identikit covers:

 

- White/pale background

- Small child/children with/without an adult hand holding theirs (washed-out colours)

- Title in black/red in a font that looks like handwriting

 

They were ALL child-abuse or touch childhood stories.

 

ETA: I merged this thread with a previous one on the same subject, but left the redirect link in place in case anyone wondered

[JudyB]

They were ALL child-abuse or touch childhood stories.

 

I've found I can spot that particular genre a mile away because of those covers.

 

The cover isn't my only reason for choosing a book but it's useful to be able to pick up on clues when working and therefore not having time to browse (for too long).

 

I read today that Penguin are publishing a number of recently published books in the original Penguin style of covers - it's a promotion called Penguin Celebrations.

[Oblomov]

I think a lot of us do occasionally judge a book by its cover. Not for planned, serious reading of course, but for spontaneous, instinctive purchases.

 

Just picture yourself in an airport lounge before a long flight but without a book; unless you find something that is specifically in your interest in the lounge's WH Smith, there is a chance that you'll pick up a book by the front cover picture and the synopsis at the back .

[beef]

It usually tends to be the Title of a book that grabs my interest, then its onto the blurb with the cover coming in last (there is still no excuse for half effort covers). Although if it has pirates on the cover id probably buy it based on cover

[Ratna]

I look for books by author or good reviews..but I always browse around the bookstore for something new. The cover & title always catch my eye first, then I have to read the blurb..if it doesn't seem interesting I would probably pass.

[Princess Orchid]

I have to admit, there's something nice about a matte, tasteful cover, with an intriguing title. It's usually the title that gets me tho, probably as that's the first thing you see (the spine) when browsing shelf after shelf in a bookshop.

[nicnic]

I wouldn't say I choose what to read by the covers of books, but I do choose what NOT to read by them. Anything too brash or overly pink and girly puts me off and in general I'm correct in my guess that it's something I wouldn't want to read if I look at the blurb.

[LittleLijah]

I think initially it's the cover that grabs your attention but after checking out the title and blurb I wouldn't dismiss the book because of the cover.