Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

As a book lover, I love to look at shelves full of books. At home I have two tall shelves, books lined up spines out, and every time I look at them, I feel happy. I can get lost in a bookstore, or in a library like Wickson, just perusing the shelves and taking in the colorful covers.

A lot of thought and effort goes into creating a book cover design. Even when one is decided upon and published, there are often different covers if the author changes publishers or a movie version of the book comes out, so a new cover is created. And I admit, a cover can definitely influence whether or not I pick a book up to see what it is about.

Last year I read I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. The cover is bright yellow, which is eye-catching on its own. But the rest of the title, And Other Thoughts About Being a Woman, is written on a picture of a jar of what appears to be face cream. So clever! And the title made me smile from the get-go, so I had to pick it up.

A great title can also grab my attention immediately and make me want to know more. Several years ago, I read Stephen King’s 11/22/63. I loved the title immediately because of its simplicity – just numbers. It also grabbed me because it made me curious, even before I saw the cover images. Much like the date 9/11 will forever impact me and millions of others, the date of Kennedy’s assassination will always hold significance for those who experienced it. This alone makes the title a strong one.

If, however, I chose books simply based on an eye-catching cover or a clever title, I would definitely miss out on a lot of great books! This is the case right now, in fact. The Brews & Books club choice for February is The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by

John U. Bacon. The title did not grab me. I think I may have groaned a little inside, perhaps because all I could think of was the Gordon Lightfoot song. I expected an (ironically) dry book about boats and stormy lakes, neither of which I like.

Boy was I wrong!

This book (the audio version for me) is fascinating. It is about so much more than the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sad demise in 1975. Bacon shares stories and information about the Great Lakes, the cities and towns all around the lakes, the industries and ships and impact on the world at large. He also writes about the people and families of the 1950’s – 1970’s shipping industry. I am learning so much that the title and cover did not hint at.

The phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” may refer to many things, but when it comes to actual books, I think this is a smart approach to take. Take a chance on a book even when the cover doesn't grab you, and you may be pleasantly surprised.