I absolutely choose books based on all sorts of things that aren’t the reviews or the description. Covers, titles, aesthetic, topic, the interest of someone whose opinions I trust, an association with someone I care about… all kinds of things influence my decision to pick up a book. Here are some I add based on the cover and/or title:
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These are all part of a series. The first two pics are the Penguin Ink series, the third the Penguin Street Art series, then the Penguin Orange series, then the Picador Pocket Modern Classics (not sure if that’s the official name, but it’s what I call them – they’re tiny little books that are about the length of my hand and they’re adorable but also really artistic and gorgeous), and finally the Bloomsbury Modern Classics Collection. I’m a huge fan of tattoos and street art, so the first line are by far my favourite editions of any books I own.
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What about you guys? Do you tend to allow the cover art or title of a book tempt you into buying a book you might not otherwise be interested in, or are you more strict about only buying books you genuinely want to read? If you do buy books based on aesthetics, do you usually read (or try to read) them, or are you content to display them on your shelves?
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Fascinating choices. I like it.
Thank you!
Lots of interesting book covers.
Thanks!
First off … I learned so much about Harriet Tubman on the “Timeless” episode they featured her in — I may have to pick up “She Came to Slay” (great title!). Also, I might have been able to write “Why Mummy Drinks”. … yeah…
I will look that up! I watched some of the film Harriet as well as reading the book. The book isn’t the best in terms of writing, but I give it a pass on that because I think it’s a pretty good factual account of her life and contextualizes her well. Quick read, worth it if you want to learn a bit more about her!
I normally say I would not buy a book by a cover but I love the use of photography on the last four covers (e.g Kite Runner) that I might be convinced to change my mind.
Yeah, I love that series! I’m not even sure if they’re photos or paintings, but they’re beautiful either way!
I had never thought about buying a book just for the art value. With a new author, I do have to be attracted to the cover before I will pick it up to see if I want to read it.
Definitely! I know authors don’t usually have much say on covers, but I still use the cover art to get a sense of the tone and style of the book!
She Came to Slay is such a wonderful title!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-books-i-chose-based-on-their-titles/
Yes, it definitely got my attention!
I do judge a book based on its cover… mostly. It’s like your first impression. Does the image/graphics represent the theme of the story? It is easy to read? Is it pleasing to the eye? Capture my attention? All the above. 😉 I always refer back to a book I read about a wilderness guide who was competing with another guide, and the entire story was set outdoors on their adventure. The cover was a woman in a nightgown sprawled across a bed. That image had nothing to do with the story. So, in my humble opinion, I want a cover that’s going to wow me and tell me what the story is about.
That’s a really good point! I know authors don’t choose the cover art, but I do generally find that those who design them try to make them represent what the book is about, and to appeal to the type of person who will make up the primary audience for that book. If it’s done right, that is. There have been books whose covers I hated but content I loved, but I find a significant amount of the time, how I feel about the cover does line up at least somewhat to either my interest in the content of the book or my enjoyment of reading it. So I feel like it’s definitely okay to at least partly judge a book on its cover!