Monthly Archives: April 2017

Today I’m going to be talking about what makes me pick up the books that I do.

We’ve all heard it, don’t judge a book by it’s cover… but it’s so hard! I mean, they’re right. Some covers I’ve fallen in love with and the story within them weren’t my thing. Then there were covers that were lacking, in my opinion, that I absolutely loved! So, it is true that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but at the same time, that’s the first thing you see. So, I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say the number one thing that draws my attention when at a bookstore or browsing books online is the cover. The cover art is the first thing I see and I either instantly hate the book because the cover doesn’t jive with me, or I am in love with the book and then proceed to look at the synopsis.

However, there have been times where the cover hasn’t tickled my fancy but I notice the author and it gives me pause. Like most bookworms, we tend to be loyal to our favorite authors. I’m well aware that authors, at least the traditionally published ones, do not really have a say in the covers/titles/synopsis of their books. They write the material within and the publisher wraps it up in a pretty little package for the readers to enjoy. So there have been times where a cover has turned me off but the author themselves drew me back in.

Another thing that may grab my attention is word of mouth. If I hear about a book enough on the blogosphere, chances are I’m going to pick it up. That’s happened to me a bunch of times. I wasn’t blown away by the cover, the synopsis left me iffy, and I didn’t know the author. However, I kept hearing about these books over and over and over. Finally, I gave in and decided to give them a chance. Turned out that I’ve fallen in love with the majority of the books I’ve read this way. Maybe it’s because I went in with low expectations and a clean slate as to what to expect. All I know is that I’ve learned to listen to my fellow bloggers and readers when it comes to what they recommend and talk about.

And last, the biggest thing for me that sells me on a book is the synopsis. Ultimately, I’m not getting the book for the cover art or so that I can say that I have “so-and-so’s” book on my shelf. No! I get it because I want to read the material within all that good stuff. While the cover art is always a plus, and books with pretty covers get featured on my shelves by having their covers facing outward, it is not all there is to it. Sadly, a lot of book tend to get overlooked when I’m browsing the shelves in a store because I see the cover first and unless it catches my attention I skim over it. However, when it comes to blogging and getting review requests, I’m forced to kind of read the synopsis first and look at the cover second. Regardless though, even when it comes to my favorite authors or a gorgeous cover, I still read the synopsis and that helps me determine if I’ll read.

What makes you want to pick up a book and read it?

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