Sunday 10 July 2011

Cover Girl - the Art of Buying Books


When I'm in a bookshop, there are two things I look out for: an intriguing title and eye-catching artwork. I know the old saying don't judge a book by it's cover but, as hard as I've tried, I just can't get this to work for me when I'm shopping for something brand new. I don't pay as much attention when I'm out for a specific title or am browsing second hand shelves; they can have some amazing gems so I usually seek something different there. But elsewhere, especially in adult and young adult fiction, it's got to grab me. This is one of the reasons why I'm not much of a reader of crime or science fiction novels because most of the time I dislike the artwork. The titles might interest me enough to pick them up and start reading the back, but I've got to admit it's not very often I stroll over to those sections. Maybe you should let me know what I'm missing, crime/sci-fi fans?

Meanwhile, here's a farout take on an eye-catching Sophie-would-like-this cover:

I doubt I would've found this book had it not been for the magnetic title and the hysterical cover art! I didn't buy it in Waterstones because it was full price (a whopping £10), but amazingly I managed to find it brand new at a charity shop for a meagre £2.99! I was psyched... for sure! If you ever come across the book, take a peek inside - there are maps and illustrations galore! It's on my reading list at the moment; I'll probably pick it up when I'm in good need of a hearty laugh. :-)

So how about you? Do you shop for books in a similar way or are you a content-first kind of person?

7 comments:

Leah said...

I hate to confess to it, but I also judge books by their title and cover. Frequently listening to Audiobooks has helped me with that much more, though, because I look more for good content that can keep me awake :)

Sophie said...

Very true! I've purchased all my audiobooks with the same thing in mind. :-))

Kate Evangelista said...

Covers are a large part of my selection process, especially if I don't have a particular book in mind to by. I read mostly YA, so that's book cover galore right there.

MeikkiBeibi said...

I absolutely am the "cover and title girl" as well.
First thing I see are cover arts and then titles, it's almost like a mental thing to look through half shelf for covers, then same for titles.

I do like mysteries and fantasy as well, if you want quint mystery go for Sujata Massey's Rei Shimura Series and if you want fantasy Lord of The Rings is classic, Neil Gaiman's Stardust is superb. ;)

Anonymous said...

I always look at the covers first! Even in the library when picking out Children's books or books for myself. If the cover isn't interesting, I normally don't bother reading the synopsis or looking inside the book. Sometimes I do, but not as often as I put them back if the covers aren't interesting to me.

Natalie Valdes said...

I always look for the most beautiful covers, and THEN read the book to see if it is of interest to me. Covers are very important! lol, it's not fair but pretty covers just captivate you.

Sophie said...

Phew! It's good to know I'm not alone - it makes me feel guilty sometimes, LOL.
Niina, thanks for the recommendations! I've got LOTR on my list at the moment but the other two I haven't checked out yet. I'll go do that now!
:D

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