At work, I often get asked about the types of books that I read and I find it hard to answer. Instead I point to some of the most satisfying books that I have recently read and the most reliable authors. I really do read a wide range of books but I also have my favourite authors that I regularly return to, safe in the knowledge that they always impress.
People tend to come to me for suggestions as they know just how much I love reading and I regularly end up lending out my books to colleagues. It’s brilliant when I recommend a book and the friend comes back raving about it. Such a reaction came when I recently suggested Nine Perfect Strangers to some colleagues.
Here are some things that I look for when choosing a book:
1) A catchy or intriguing title.
It really does influence me and many of my friends. I often make the choice to buy a particular book based on the title alone. ‘Exciting Times’ is one such book that I bought purely because of its name. ‘Writers and Lovers’ is another. Who can fail to be intrigued by ‘A Cat, a Hat and a Piece of String’?
2) A promising premise.
When I read a blurb on the back of the sleeve or read a compelling summary on a bookseller’s website, I get sucked in. An uncertain or complicated premise may quickly put me off. Some are instantly tempting and others give just enough insight to make me want to explore a book sample.
3) A review or recommendation from a friend.
Just as others come to me for suggestions I love to hear what my friends think about books. Recently a work mate suggested reading Beth O’Leary’s ‘Flat Share’. I am currently totally loving this novel and am pretty sure I will be a long term fan of Beth’s.
4) An author I trust and admire.
Hence, I just finished another book by Becky Albertalli. It is called ‘Leah on the Offbeat’ and my review will come soon. She is one to watch and I am also currently watching a TV show called ‘Love, Victor’ which is based in Becky’s Creekwood, the small town in which ‘Love, Simon’ was set.
Things that don’t concern me so much:
1) The Book Cover
Too often I have found the cover doesn’t match the quality of a story. Often brilliant novels have weird or unimpressive covers. Equally, well designed covers don’t ever obscure bad writing. ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ is a popular saying that stands well with me.
2) A few one star reviews.
Who cares? People always want to rain on others’ parades.
3) A dull first chapter.
So many of my favourite stories have seemingly dull introductions which are necessary in setting the scene. They then go on to unravel wonderful and intoxicating stories, nevertheless.
So these are my thoughts about why books attract me personally. I am not bothered so much about pictures on the cover. For me it is all about intriguing ideas and solid recommendations.
If you enjoyed this post you may also like a previous article that I wrote about my favourite authors. Check it out here.
I’m the inverse. Book covers really affect my decisions to buy them, especially if they’re from an unknown author (to me). I don’t bother about covers when I already know the premise and just want to read the story.
I love this post so much! I have almost the same considerations but book covers especially on Instagram, and the rating do influence my choice. My top two considerations are usually the genre and the author. There are some authors that are on my autobuy list and I don’t even bother reading the blurbs for their books because I know they’ll be awesome. Thank you for sharing this!
I have an auto buy list too. Thanks.
I totally get that. Thanks for reading.
I also look at the book covers when I buy books and if its recommended by a lot of people
Yes word of mouth is vital. Thanks for reading.
Great post! I think recommendations from others are definitely very influential to me, and can even push up a book that’s already on my tbr. I also have some great auto-buy authors! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
I go more for the title. I do love a stunning cover though.
I know lots of people do. I have read lots of rubbish books with good covers and plenty of amazing books with plain covers. Thanks for looking.
It’s very true, the title of a book can be an instant hook, especially if I misread a word in haste, haha! Loved your reasons for picking a book 🙂
Thanks for commenting.
Loved this post Jamie! I’ve got The Flat Share but haven’t started it yet – would you recommend?
J E M M A ♡ | https://www.ohhjemma.com/
So far, it is great!
I think I’m more of a visual person (ironic really as I’m partially sighted) the first thing that interests me is the cover then I look at the other details about the book. Flat Share sounds very intriguing I must admit!
It is good.
What a great post! It’s always fun to know how others select the books they read. Book covers are the first thing that grab my attention and make me read the blurb but book titles can pique my curiosity about a book as well. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading.