We've all done it. I book cover or title catches our eye, we don't know anything about it, and we shell out the money. More often than not these titles turn out mediocre, but sometimes judging a book by its cover can pay off.
1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: I bought this one shortly after it was released, pre-blogging, and didn't know much about it. What I did know is that I liked the cover and the title intrigued me. Lucky for me, it turned out to be one of my all-time favorite read.
2. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery: I think Europa is really good at crafting book covers that I want to buy. Again, I was lucky this one turned out to be a smart and unique read.
3. Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin: This one turned out to be an over-the-top argument for veganism, but I still learned a lot and haven't drank milk since.
4. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salmon Rushdie: This was a fantastic book and I'm glad the cover and title reflect that.
5. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd: I enjoyed this one when I was younger, but I'm not sure how I would feel about it today.
6. Driving With Dead People by Monica Holloway: This one was a so-so memoir, but the title was cool.
3. Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin: This one turned out to be an over-the-top argument for veganism, but I still learned a lot and haven't drank milk since.
4. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salmon Rushdie: This was a fantastic book and I'm glad the cover and title reflect that.
5. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd: I enjoyed this one when I was younger, but I'm not sure how I would feel about it today.
6. Driving With Dead People by Monica Holloway: This one was a so-so memoir, but the title was cool.
7. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly: Awesome cover. Awesome story.
8. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano: This was interesting enough, but I think I liked the cover more than the story it contained.
9. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik: Loved this title: I bought this just before going to Paris, hoping I could learn something about an American in Paris.
10. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: Again, my 16-year-old self loved this one. Not sure how I would feel about it now.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
Too bad about Solitude of Prime Numbers being a bust. It sounds like an interesting title.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see your current thoughts on The Lovely Bones. I read it in college and hated it, though I could see it being a book younger me would have liked.
My 14 year old self loved The Lovely Bones too ... I think I would hate it now, haha.
ReplyDeleteI agree about The Elegance of the Hedgehog. The title and cover drew me in too.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even think of Time Traveler's Wife. I love that cover!
ReplyDeleteSO EXCITED to see The Book of Lost Things on your list. I put it on mine too. It is one of my all-time favorite books. Just so, so great. I walked by it at my local Target (of all places!) for several weeks when it was out on the shelves, starting at how incredible the cover looked. It just BEGGED to be read. When I finally got the book, I couldn't believe all of the stories housed within the main story. It's awesome, just like you said.
ReplyDelete~Asheley
A good cover is definitely a plus. I think that's why self-published and e-books never entice me. They always have very cheap looking covers, or just a picture they've downloaded from somewhere. You don't even notice how much of an impact covers have until you see a bad one. And a great title like The Elegance of the Hedgehog doesn't hurt either.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure anybody loved Paris to the Moon the way I did and I don't know why. Maybe it was all about timing.
ReplyDeleteI love quirky book titles. Here's my Top Ten list.
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ReplyDeleteI love Europa editions. I'm also a sucker for Melville House and Penguin (especially classics). Sometimes I'll buy a new version of a book if I feel like I"m not reading it because of the cover.
ReplyDeleteCome visit my list at The Scarlet Letter.
Fantastic range of books -- I agree -- they're all catchy covers! (I totally judge a book by cover, shamefully!)
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