Do you go by book covers when choosing what to read?
I have several pet peeves concerning covers. Some of them will actually drive me away if I haven't already decided to read a book because of a recommendation or because it's part of a series, for example.
One of them has been haunting me lately - the cover filled up with text. I'm not saying by any means that this is a recent invention, it seems to me, however, that it becomes more and more popular.
Of course, I understand that it's a matter of marketing.
Tell me what else the author wrote. Mention a book by someone else it reminds of. And if there is a movie, by all means make sure to use an image from it for the cover and tell me that it's now a major feature film with a big star, even better two.
If famous writers, reviewers or newspapers and magazines inform me how much they love a book without actually saying anything about it, I'm sure to love it too. Use words like "groundbreaking", "exhilarating", "impossible to put down". Oh, and let me know if it makes you cry or laugh, please.
Add some "stickers" and award information (not removable on physical copies of course) and I will love it even more.
There's just one thing - I don't. I'm not interested in what those people say, mostly because there's a good chance I don't even know them. I also don't want to know if the book is a some book club's choice or on which bestseller list it is, actually not even that it is a bestseller.
For me all of that is visually overwhelming. It possibly makes me dismiss a book without giving it a fair chance because it makes my brain explode a little. Enough for it to become a pet peeve, well, and even write about it.
As a post without a picture always looks a bit sad, but I didn't want to call out books whose covers I don't like (although I already had a list), I chose one instead that I do like. A title and a name. A bit old-fashioned, just like me.
Seriously, though, how important is a cover for you? Have you seen books you didn't want to read because of their covers, if so, for what reason?
By the way, if you write book reviews or blog posts about other book-related matters - even movies based on books - please check out "A Good Book and a Cup of Tea", a monthly bookish blog link party that I host together with Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs and Lisa from Boondock Ramblings. You can find out more about it here.
That's such a lovely question. I do think book covers are important, and there are definitely covers that make me ignore the book. Like those pastel colored book covers of light romantic reads; when I see that kind of cover I won't even check what it's about...
ReplyDeleteDo you mean the covers that look as if they were all made with Canva (I don't even use Canva and am not sure why I think that, maybe someone mentioned it?). That's one of my other "cover pet peeves". I can't tell one book from the other and stay away from them, but always thought that's just me.
DeleteI don't really think too much about the book cover. I just go by recommendations by others sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. Thank you for sharing, Kathrine!
DeleteFor myself, the book cover is important. And honestly, I don't like to go by what others think of a book, although I don't mind listening to their thoughts, of course, but it won't affect me in the sense that I will read the book...or not. Because everyone has his or her own tastes, sometimes what someone else won't like, I will end up liking.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right, Linda. Also tastes can change. I use to read a lot of modern crime/thrillers, but hardly do so anymore now.
DeleteHow very weird! I wrote a very long and insightful response, but I’m guessing I forgot to hit Publish! Anyway, I agree about too much writing on the cover…too distracting. I also judge books by their covers. Pink and teal covers are almost always chick lit. I like it but have to be in the mood for it.
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
It's funny you say that, I don't think I even pay that much attention to the colors. What I can say - mostly from the OverDrive new arrivals over the last year - is that fantasy book alway seem to have a sword on the cover these days?
DeleteOh no Cat. I am such a visual person. I need lots of color and covers are important to me. LOL. I like eye candy darn it! If I am looking at the same book online, and there are multiple versions with different covers, I definitely pick the one that appeals to me the most, which generally is full of color. I live a saturated life. Lol.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't talking about colors, but text. A lot of text isn't eye candy for me.
DeleteI don't mind a pattern or a pretty picture (not the ones, though, that seem to be on every cozy romance right now), but I'm not a fan of cluttered covers.
It’s odd, but I don’t like covers with people on them unless it’s a memoir and the writer themselves is on the cover. I’m not sure why, except that I like to form my own mental pictures of how the characters look.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I rarely listen to what “the experts” think about books. My tastes and theirs rarely coincide.
I've heard others say the same. That's one reason why the German translations of The Three Investigators have completely different covers. The illustrator said she didn't want the boys on the cover and I have to say she was right about that because the US covers show them and they don't go together with my image of them that I've had for decades.
Delete"Stickers" that are actually printed on (sometimes embossed!!) annoy me!
ReplyDeleteAgreed 100 %!
Delete