Do you judge a book by it's cover?

How to we find these elusive books? By reading book reviews, recommendations by friends and serendipitously as we browse the library shelves, picking up those books with the most enticing or eye-catching covers. Do you judge a book by its cover?

Often, the first thing that catches your eye of a book is its cover.   It’s a big part of a books charm. Some books, despite the fact that they may contain a great story, are passed over-simply because of an lacklustre book cover. 

Other book covers attract you with their clever titles and colourful, creative images, compelling you to pick them up to see if they are worth reading.  Then we check out the author, the blurb and finally, sometimes, open the book and read a few lines.

This is where you will really find out if this is a book for you. Essentially, it’s all in the writing.  It’s in the words, the pace, the tone, the style. Do those first few lines hook you, compelling you to keep reading, past the first page, the first chapter, wanting to know what happens next? When you think about it, it’s really the most important step.

 So, this year, make a New Year’s resolution not to judge a book by its cover.  When you’re next in the library looking for a book, pick something at random, something with an unimaginative, even unattractive cover, something that looks different from your usual fare, open it, and read a few pages. You might be surprised and discover a really good read.

 Try reading the “Keep Reading” posts, found on Sutherland Library News every week. Read the opening paragraphs of anonymous books to discover, or re-discover some old favourites, books you’ve heard of (but haven’t got around to reading), and some new titles.