A book by its cover. I have always heard this bit of advice, and I have to admit, I completely disregard it. Cover art can actually tell me a lot about a book. In fact, it is the cover that often inspires me to flip the book over and see what it is about, or conversely it makes me run the other direction. For instance, if anyone is scantily clad on the front of the book, forget it. If there is skin on the front, there will definitely be skin IN the book, and if I am going to invest my time in something, it had better be worth my while. Not to mention, if a book looks really dull because of the cover, I have found that it is likely a dull book. Classics are exempt from this rule of thumb, because most of those have very little cover art. I am not saying my plan is foolproof. There is the possibility that I am missing some really great reads, but I am probably also not wasting as much time as I could be.
With the purchase of my Kindle, I find that I am even more drawn in by "covers". I receive daily emails touting free books or bargain buy books, and I could really get bogged down if I felt compelled to read the plot of each book. Instead I scroll through until I see a cover that catches my interest, and I let the rest go. I have downloaded books that once I got a few pages in, merited deletion from my Kindle, but for the most part, I have been pretty happy with most of the books I have gotten for free.
My other means of making educated book selections comes from my favorite book reviewer. There is rarely a book that I don't like, if it comes highly recommended by my sister-in-law. Check out her blog at www.bringonthebooks.blogspot.com. My kids make books a priority on their birthday and Christmas lists, because she helps them find books that match their personalities and interests. Our house is overrun with books, much to my husband's chagrin, but to me, there is nothing like escaping to another world with a good book.
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