Book Talk: On Judging Books by Their Covers

This post contains affiliate links, which means that we’ll earn
a small commission if you make a purchase through these links.

Do you judge books by their covers? As a lifelong book fiend, many of my fondest childhood memories surround the creepy, horrific, and unforgettable covers found on R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike books, as well as the Nancy Drew series and numerous ’80s and ’90s horror series. Most often in these cases, I can easily recall a vivid cover image but only occasional titles and plot snippets. As with watching horror movies, when I actually see something that speaks to me in some way (or, in the case of films, upsets or traumatizes me), I will literally never be able to get it out of my head, and it will replay at whim like an intrusive thought (hence, why I have to be very careful about which movies I choose to watch). All of this is simply to introduce the idea that visuals, namely book covers, make a huge and lasting impression.

One of my favorite descriptors for a book I love, and one I use quite often, is to say that I “devoured” it, because I do, quite literally, take the book into my heart and mind as I read it. Just as I consume the story contained within a book’s pages, so, too, does the book consume me, especially when it’s a fantastic and unforgettable tale. Think of a favorite title that captivated you and in which you felt totally immersed while reading — that book held you within its fictitious clutches, utterly consuming your focus and imagination, to the point you likely didn’t even realize you were turning pages, much less bingeing your way right to the end.

We “eat” with our eyes first when it comes to both food and books: both sustain and enliven, nourish and satisfy, enrich and comfort. Think of food on a plate as the cover on a book; they’re both the first thing we see when debating consumption. One could argue that smell comes into play, as well — certainly for food, and sometimes for books (especially those deliciously old ones), and while I can’t make a case for taste in a literal sense, in a figurative one, it certainly applies, as well. Should I keep going and make a case for textural/tactile aspects? As a lover of non-heavy books, floppy paperbacks, and deckle edge pages, I could easily go there, as well.

But back to the main point before I get too distracted, and speaking of… Getting and holding anyone’s attention in the world today is a challenge: we exist in a reality so overrun with information and stimuli, it’s overwhelming, to say the least. Book covers are vital attractants and gateways, a break from all the noise that should immediately give readers an idea of whether a book might be a fit. Title, colors, typography, image, you-name-it, should all seamlessly combine to not only catch the eye, but encapsulate the story within while clearly conveying tone and genre, enabling books to attract the right audiences. Many factors come into play in determining whether readers will connect with, and ultimately love, books; why not give both the best chance at success?

And speaking of readers, we can only get to a finite number of books in our lives; time is precious, and readers must feel compelled to invest theirs, along with their attention, effort, brain power, and, if purchased, hard-earned dollars. Through their covers and synopses, books essentially have two chances to capture readers’ attention. An unappealing cover can be an instant turnoff that does a disservice to a good book, though, like anything else, taste is subjective. A phenomenal book can have an unappealing cover, and vice versa, so the case can be made that covers don’t matter, whereas content does. And while that’s certainly true, a book with a terrible cover may fail to attract precious readers in the first place, preventing them from ever reading the book and supporting the conclusion that the complete package (beautiful cover + excellent content) is the golden ticket. But with such subjective aspects, opinions will widely vary on every book and every cover.

So, do I judge books by their covers? Absolutely. Have I bought books solely because I loved the covers? Guilty as charged. Have I read books with gorgeous covers that weren’t for me (then kept them on my shelves for a while anyway because they were pretty)? Yes! Have I read books with unappealing covers and enjoyed them? Definitely, but it might be more apt to say occasionally, as the odds of me picking up books with covers that don’t appeal to me are significantly lower (unless the synopsis reels me in, providing I get as far as reading it if I’m turned off by the cover in the first place).

Now that I’ve essentially talked myself in circles, below are five horror titles I’ve read and loved with, in my opinion, phenomenal covers:

• Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
• Ghost Mother by Kelly Dwyer
• American Rapture by C. J. Leede
• The Only One Left by Riley Sager
• The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

And here are five titles with gorgeous covers and compelling synopses that I’m really looking forward to reading:

• Polybius by Collin Armstrong
• Thin Places: Stories by Kay Chronister
• Dark Sisters: A Novel by Kristi DeMeester
• Spread Me by Sarah Gailey
• Fiend by Alma Katsu

What are your thoughts on judging books by their covers, and what are some of your favorites?

🖤Amanda

Disclaimer

Many books featured on this blog were purchased by us; however, we do accept publisher-, author-, and other source-provided copies (both advanced reader copies (ARCs) and finished copies) from publishers, authors, and other sources we deem to be a good fit for our reading preferences and blog. Posts and reviews that feature such copies are disclosed. For more information, refer to the Disclaimer & Disclosures section.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means that when you click one of those links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission paid by the retailers, at no additional cost to you. These links will take you to books and other products that we like, trust, and believe will be beneficial to our readers. Affiliate programs use cookies to track visits in order to assign sale-related commissions; funds earned keep the Site up and running and allow us to continue to share reviews and other content. Thank you for your support!