Welcome to the Australasian Christian Writers Tuesday Book Chat. This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.
Today’s question is:
Have you ever enjoyed reading a book despite not liking the cover ?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
Let’s chat!
Yes I won a book by Molly Nobel Bull called “Sanctuary” and really didn’t like the cover. In fact if I had seen it at the bookstore I wouldn’t even have picked it up. When I read the book I learnt so much and loved the story. I wanted to read more and was hoping there would be a sequel. It was a historical set in France about religious persecution.
Your turn.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
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The one I’m reading at the moment – it’s in-your-face red, but it’s quite good so far (Seconds to Live by Susan Sleeman, in case you were wondering). Irene Hannon has a new one coming out later this year that I don’t like the cover of, but I always enjoy her books.
I know I have read books by authors I really like that I haven’t like the cover of but cos I like and know what the author writes its different.
I have not bought some books cos the cover made me think it was a heavy suspense when I found out later it was a romance. The cover was in darker covers and had what liked like someone at a grave under a tree but the colours made it really feel dark and suspenseful
Hmm. It depends on what you mean by ‘like’. I’d prefer the terms professional and amateur. There are lots of so so covers out there that I don’t notice if I like an author. As long as the cover looks professional I don’t mind if it’s a bit meh. If I’m recommended a book and it’s got a professional but bland cover I’ll still read it, but I’m unlikely to read a new author with an amateurish cover. I like quality in a book and if the cover is poorly done I assume the writing needs a good edit too.
As this is a blog for readers and writers book chat is aimed at both a reader is more likely to say I like that cover or I really don’t like it. Some of the covers I haven’t like are done by professionals. Both examples I mentions have been from big publishing companies. There are books I can tell have been self published or by a vanity press. One notorious vanity press had atrocious covers, the only reason I read the books was cos an author asked me to and I didn’t know about vanity press books.
The question can be open to interpretation. Imagine its a book on the bookshelf at a bookstore (not a self published ebook) But one that you see in say Koorong. While I tend to go by the blurb or author if I am looking at the covers I expect a cover to tell me a little about the book. Like its a historical romance or contemporary romance or its suspense etc. If the cover doesn’t grab my attention or I don’t like it I normally won’t even look at the blurb. But if it’s a book I won or its an author I know I am more likely to check out the blurb and then read it and often am surprised.
well, i have a slightly different perspective on book covers. I am totally blind, so I don’t even consider the covers, when i’m either reading kindle or audio books. I go by the synopsis usually. Also, if i’ve read an author’s book before, helps me decide.
Thanks for commenting Maria. I hadn’t thought about being blind and not seeing covers. I think you are right about the synopsis as I often will see the cover but then read the blurb. But I guess for you it cuts out relying on what you see but more what you read about the book.
Hi Jenny, yes, the book cover is mostly irrelevant once I start reading and become absorbed in the story world. Often my visualisation of the characters/setting doesn’t match the cover art. When it comes to the beauty of books, the outside packaging is nice but what really matters is the content inside the book covers. 🙂