In addition to judging by the cover, I also tend to use the cover as a quick visual marker of if I want to read the full review. This is especially true for blog posts that mention more than one book, I just skim quickly and look at the book pictures, without focusing on the text. This backfires a good bit, since covers are just so similar sometimes.
For example, these four books?
Are really just one book about some kids who can't go outside during the day, because their parents were buried in the backyard after being on life support, loosely based on Jane Austen's Persuasion 
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Seems legit.
the typography on The Death of Bees is also dreadful -- i had to look twice because i thought it said THE DEATH BEES, which sounds like a cross between the scripps-howard spelling bee and the hunger games.
ReplyDeleteI'm a total cover snob. Totally. If I'm really into the premise, it won't keep me from reading, but I get high-horsed about it.
ReplyDeleteOk Missy. Let's get something straight. I DO CARE ABOUT PLOT. I just don't care to know about it BEFORE I read the book. I know...that doesn't make any sense. ;)
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that I don't judge books by their covers but I totally do. I mean, if one doesn't read the back cover how else would a book say "read me! read me!" Also, I will totally NOT read a book if it has certain things on the cover. And those posts with a lot of pictures of books? I also scan and move on. If none of the covers appeal to me then I usually can't bother to find out what the books are about.
OMG. I'm a terrible person!!!!
LOL. I, too, will pass over a book because the cover doesn't appeal to me. Also, does it make anyone else upset when the cover is wrong when compared to the text? (As in, it was obvious that the illustrator didn't read the book.) I boil.
ReplyDeleteCovers totally influence me. Even books I know are good I'll look for in audio or ebook if I hate the cover. That's one o the reasons I haven't read Bossypants by Tina Fey. That cover totally creeps me out and I won't have it in my house. Also Bad Marie - I want to read that but I won't pick up the book because I hate the cover. I did finally get it in the ebook version.
ReplyDeleteLol-youare too funny! I try not to be a cover snob. But then I also think covers need to stand out and reflect the contents.
ReplyDelete