Monday Mind Game…. Be Honest… Do You Judge a Book by Its Cover

question-marks1Seriously….  It is an age old statement… a sort of urban legend if you will…  “You can not judge a book by its cover.”

Uhhhhh….. Who said that?  Certainly not the “they say” we hear so much about.  You know the ones.  “They say” it can’t be done.  “They say” that milk is bad for you and eating fish causes you to get webbed toes….  Ok, not to get side tracked here.

I admit when browsing my favorite book stores looking for that next hidden treasure, that diamond among the coal… I do notice the cover.  The cover, much like meeting a person for the first time, is the initial introduction.  While the cover is not the sale, it is what causes me to stop – look at the title and flip to the back to see what it is about.  The cover… is art.  It is what I hope to showcase in my own library… big beautiful books.

The cover makes me wonder what it holds inside… where will it take me?  Is it a scene of a far away land?  An eerie looking building?  It it footprints in the sand and you have to wonder who’s they are and where did they go?

I have on occasion even purchased a book at a sale because of the beauty of its cover.  (I know, I know… insert gasp here.)  Merely eye candy.

This is just me talking about book browsing.  If someone suggests a book to me or I read a good review about a book – the cover doesn’t mean a thing.  I go out and find a book based on that review, and think highly of the reviewer who found a book that didn’t necessarily shout “Pick me!”

The questions I present today is – do you (and be honest) ever judge a book by its cover?

About Sheila (Book Journey)

Bookaholic * Audio Book Fan *Bike Rider *Rollerblader *Adventure Seeker *Want To Be Runner*Coffee lover *Fitness Fan * Movie junkie

Posted on June 23, 2009, in Book Topics. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.

  1. I ALWAYS judge a book by it’s cover. If the cover looks really nice and artsy or really fresh and bright then I automatically pick it up. For a fresh cover example, Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel. Or The Chosen one by Carol Lynch Williams, and any cover by Sarah Dessen. There are books that I have read that the cover isn’t the greatest. But if I buy a book and I am looking the cover always draws my attention, I don’t find myself anywhere near the Harlequin romance novels because the covers do not draw me. But if my mom gets them, she reads them and then gives them to me.

  2. (posted on Book Blogs by my friend Lori):

    Hey Sheila, great blog re-do. I was looking at the titles of the books and was thinking “I read that…I read that…I read that “etc, etc, etc. And yes, I have judged a book by its cover, but moreover, by its title. I have often bought a book just because it had a great title and I didn’t read the synopses in the back. Most of the time it has worked for me but once in a great while I have run across some real clinkers.

  3. I have to admit, i do judge a book by its cover. I may be overlooking some great reads! But if the cover looks interesting along with the title then i’ll grab it. :0)

  4. *raises hand* Guilty! I have picked up and read many books that didn’t have a nice cover and I liked most of them. But if the cover is any good, it will stop me in my tracks and make me pay attention to what’s inside.Also, I tend to study the cover before I read the book and if I don’t really care for it, it often makes me wonder if I’ll care for the story.

  5. Wow, I love your blog! I’m so glad I discovered it today. I have become a subscriber.

  6. I’m affraid that I usually judge a book by its cover when I want to give it as a present. But I remember I bought a book because the cover was great and so was the book! I didn’t deserve it…
    I also discovered this blog today, I’m enjoying it very much.

  7. It does get my attention which is I’m sure the point but I probably go more with the title. If it jumps out at me I’m likely to check it out although a lot of times I do the searching online at the library’s website so I’m not always getting a look at the cover. Would Be Witch by Kimberly Frost got my attention since I just want to read it because of the cover.

  8. YESSS Sheila, I do! I love cute girly ones and also covers that are different, like spooky stuff…if the cover is too simple and doesn’t catch my eye I pass right by it, unless I heard good things about the book. Good question!

    -Eleni

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