NancyKWilson@aol.com
As an artist I appreciate seeing the beautifully designed covers that are prevalent these days; quality of color saturation is superb, the imagery is captivating, and bookstores are more colorful than ever. But I would never, never, never, buy a book/read a book, because of its cover.  It is the substance of the written words that makes the book worth the read.

shelly3@charter.net
My favorite book cover is on M.F.K. Fischer's The Art of Eating.  I love food, reading about food and beautiful depictions of food.  Her cover picture displays the most simple (apple) and the most succulent (oysters) of foods.  I have also enjoyed Diane Mott Davidson's culinary mystery book covers.  They depict an ordinary table or such of food with undertones or overtones of murder and mayhem.

Janjan33@aol.com
Yes, the cover of a book has a huge influence on me.  It's what attracts me when I see a display.  Stolen Lives had quite a cover.  

ElizaJane202@aol.com
Yes, I do believe it does. If the cover isn't that interesting the back has to be. The Refuge by Jasmine Creswell.

Wcpainter@aol.com
Usually I buy authors I'm familiar with, and there's enough to keep my reading shelf full forever. But, if I'm "browsing" the bookstore, it's the cover that will attract my attention to take a closer look. I don't know of anyone who pulls out books randomly, unless they're researching a topic. There are two books that come to mind that attracted me by their covers --- and they turned out to be great choices! Michael Zadoorian's SECOND HAND and Matthew Kneale's ENGLISH PASSENGERS. If you haven't seen the latter, it's a beautifully rendered painting of a ship at sea, upside down! Both have cover art that's relative to the story line. The most effective use of cover art I've seen are in Martha Grime's novels: HOTEL PARADISE, COLD FLAT JUNCTION, and her novella THE TRAIN NOW DEPARTING. All three make use of Edward Hopper's art and reflect the books' themes beautifully.

Woofie53@aol.com
I have to say yes it does affect my decision to read/buy a book. I mainly buy books at the library or at garage sales. I have gotten some good books that way. I also check then out at the library. Most of the time it is the cover that will attract me to a book. I think 95% of the time I have been right. Generally, if a book cover has appealed to me, the book description does too. I have been wrong a few times, but not very many. I can't really say which books have a great cover because there are a lot of them that do and a lot that don't.

Conwarn@aol.com
If I don't know the author, I may read the blurb because of the cover, but generally I make assumptions about books based on the title. Lord knows how many excellent books I may have missed because of this practice.

Nana1248@aol.com
Never judge a book by its cover.  It's what's on the pages that count.

JDitz33492@aol.com
I think a book with a great cover is the hardback version of Jeffery Deaver's The Coffin Dancer. It's sort of a hologram. Was a great read also.

Cairo1953@aol.com
A fancy book cover initially has me selecting the book from the shelf.  I view it as just "good advertisement."  However, more importantly, is the brief description on the inside jacket that truly influences my decision making.   The New York Times book review section is a great source of info in helping me select a good book, along with terrific websites, such as "Book Reporter." Some of the dullest book covers can be found on many of the greatest English literature classics that were ever written.  So as the old saying goes, "You Can't Tell a Book by It's Cover."

Ells50@aol.com
I was captivated by the cover of  The Dress Lodger. Its use of color on an otherwise bleak page is extremely effective.

RonnieHW@aol.com
No, I never judge a book by its cover.  I usually see if there's a reviewer inside giving a recommendation.  I've come to realize who gives an honest opinion and who's a stinker.

DCCJ1@aol.com
Even though I admire covers that catch my eye, in no way do they affect my decision to buy.  If I were greatly influenced by covers, I would have to buy almost every book published.

Sulebol@aol.com
Absolutely!  The cover art by Cynthia von Buhler on Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove's Household Gods was what first caught my attention.  Being fascinated by anything having to do with ancient Rome, I decided to give this book a try.  Boy, was I glad I did.  This was a fantastic read!

LiylyAnn@aol.com
I tend to always judge a book by its cover.  I found some of my favorite authors that way.  Since I read a lot of historical romance novels the cover is a big decision on who I will purchase.  Maeve Binchy always has great covers to her books.  The latest cover of a book that I thought was most interesting is Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris.   

JGB41056@aol.com
Yes, but I always read the back first to set my decision in concrete. I bought a book from David Drake and although the cover had nothing to do with the book I read the synopsis and that helped me decide.

HOSTOPRHLadyj@aol.com
This is a hard one to answer - if it is an author known to me then the cover plays very little in the purchase but if it is an unknown to me then the cover can dissuade me from purchasing. The author whose covers most impress me are those of Julie Garwood - fashionable but not flashy or vulgar.

M2451@aol.com
I hate to admit this, but when I want something fun to read I go to the bookstore and just look for brightly colored book covers with goofy pictures on them.  This method has helped me discover Carl Hiaasen, Janet Evanovich, Laurence Shames, Donald Westlake and Elmore Leonard - all mystery writers with a definite flair for the absurd.  Now I even use a similar method for serious reading - I'm hopeless.  My favorite covers have flowers on them - I think the latest was about tulips.  As an English major, I am a complete disgrace.

DThomas201@aol.com
My reading choices are based on those authors I must read.

RAVEN0555@aol.com
Covers often get my attention (which is the same reason commercials still persist in employing beautiful women to drape themselves over cars and otherwise handle merchandise), but I have never purchased a book solely due to the cover image. (Nor dated a woman for that reason either, by the way.) I have, however, made a purchase based solely upon cover blurbs. For example, I am currently reading Bentley Little's The Walking solely because brief blurbs by both Stephen King and Dean Koontz activated my curiosity.

Nankm@aol.com
Definitely. If there are bright red and blacks on the cover I usually won't even pick it up. It took me a long time to buy Grisham's first paper back because of the figures on the front.  I am such a big Grisham fan I buy his hard back the minute they hit the stand.  I did not like his latest The Painted House, however  the cover appealed to me as well as his name on the cover.  If there are close views of eyes and faces they don't appeal to me.  The author has to be recommended to me by you, a friend, or someone I consider in the know before I will purchase a book with these types of covers.      

dure47@aol.com
I love Historical Romance novels, Scottish Highlanders, Irish love stories, and if the cover suggests such a book with a man and a woman on the cover embraced and the man is strong and handsome that will melt the woman's heart. I will read it especially if the back snippet suggest a twist and turn in the relationship where she has a strong will, and the man will rescue her and take her away, even though she at first thinks him to be a barbarian. I love those kinds of books. The book has to have a build up to sex. I do not like books that read a lot of sex in every chapter. It has to be a love story that leads to marriage.      

LEELANE1@aol.com
Does a cover affect your decision to buy a book? Of course the cover of a book has affected my decision in purchasing a book.  That is one of the ways I discover new authors. Which book has a great cover?  Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

JoyZoo@aol.com
I almost never buy a book because of its cover since I can't keep up with the work of everyone who is writing now whose work I love.  I usually know which books I want to buy and go to buy titles when they come out in paperback.  Having said all that, I do love the sinister cookie jar covers on Diane Mott Davidson's books.

ILENESTEPH@aol.com
Absolutely NOT.  The author is the number one deciding factor and the content/story line is the second. I can't even remember the covers of some of the best books I've read!

RitaTolson@aol.com
Yes, the book cover often changes my mind about reading a book.

DZLif@aol.com
Yes, when I am in a bookstore a cover probably does effect my decision to buy a book, if, in fact, indirectly.  It must be one of the many factors along with author, reviewers, and friend's recommendations that subconsciously push me to choose that book, among thousands of others, to look at more thoroughly. When I am shopping online, a cover has far less effect.  Online I am usually looking for a specific book in which I am already interested.

NFrazelle@aol.com
Very rarely !  I'm topic/series/referral oriented ! Have always thought the Binchey books had good covers (inside as well!) and I particularly liked the cover for Scarlet Feather.  The maps inside a cover are often helpful as well ie., George's In Pursuit of A Proper Sinner.

houck@CSTCC.CC.TN.US
Yes, the cover does influence me, unless the author is one I read regardless of what the book looks like.  I am reading Ann Patchet's Bel Canto, and the cover is tastefully elegant, as is her writing. Shelf appeal is important and the cover art should relate to the content/plot of the story.  Illustrative examples include The Girl with the Pearl Earring and Prodigal Summer, both with beautiful covers that illustrate the subjects of the novels.

PPartri727@aol.com
I am certainly"enticed" by many book covers into looking further at and in the book to then determine whether to read it or not. Of course, I have certain authors who are automatic reads but others are not. One such is the somewhat biographical book by Sergio Troncoso entitled The Last Tortilla and other stories. The cover was very intriguing, I picked it up and next thing I knew, I was at the counter. This is much the same way I became a fan of the books by Wilbur Smith.

suzen@mediaone.net
If I am in a bookstore and just browsing then, yes, the cover will catch my eye. If a book has been recommended as a good read it really doesn't matter what the cover looks like.

cleas@earthlink.net
Definitely! I know that's an awful way to make a decision but the marvelous retro-sexy cover of Tipping the Velvet (by Sarah Waters) won me over and introduced me to a lovely new writer (I'd read the positive reviews but they didn't do the trick. In fact, I thought I wouldn't be interested). I'm so glad it did. Sometimes, as well, I think that publishing houses tip their hands about marketing --- I mean, you can tell when something is going to be a light "beach read" if it's got a metallic or cut-out design. Same for romantic novels (florals) or, obviously, any mystery/thrillers (guns). What they chose to put on the cover is often effective shorthand for what is inside. So it's not totally subjective -- it's reading the publisher/marketing symbolism! The semiotics of publishing? Then again, I picked up both Rose Tremain's newest Music and Silence and one of Anthony (Kitchen Confidential) Bourdain's older mysteries, Bone in the Throat, despite rather dreary designs -- so I guess the name of the author is still the most important part of the cover!    As an author it has made me very picky about cover art. I don't have much say (the publisher does!), but I always make sure that the art is appealing -- and both my name and the title are easy to read!!   Curious to read others' comments -

PJBAXA@aol.com
I look for books by authors with whom I am familiar, but I am also drawn to books by their covers.  My most recent favorite cover is The Girl with the Pearl Earring.  This book caught my eye from across the store, and even though I knew nothing about the author, I bought it without a second thought. And it was wonderful; I couldn't put it down and was sad to finish it. Vermeer's portrait is so compelling, the book was irresistable.  I frequently stopped reading and  closed the book just to study the cover.  I think that cover design was a perfect match to the story.

Cipsi2@aol.com
Does a cover affect my buying a book?  Only to the extent that I like what I see written on the back covers and the inside covers.  An interesting/exciting/intriguing cover may catch my eye but it doesn't count for much more than that as far as I am concerned.

Kreckmd1@aol.com
The cover will attract further investigation of the book. Author, date of publication, genre, reviews, synopsis, introduction, etc.  John M. Barry's Rising Tide had an excellent cover.  The recent good ones include Sides' Ghost Soldiers and Bradley's Flags of Our Fathers.

chrisch@rhythm.com
Being an aritst, seeing a cool cover to a book, does add incentive to buy a book.  But this factor is only considered after I look at who the author is, then read the blurb to see if the story is interesting. The cover to the paperback version of Michael Chabon's Kavalier and Klay is AWESOME!  It really adds to the "flavor" of the book.

DalyJobDoc@aol.com
Mostly, no. While most of my book selections are usually by subject and author (most reading is non-fiction), a bad cover can dissuade me from a particular book, especially when choosing a fiction title.  An illustration which is inappropriate is one example, and others are those trying too blatantly for emotional or commercial appeal, trying to 'hook' me, which I consider offensive and insulting.  However, even then I often pick up a copy and scan a few random paragraphs to see the quality of the writing, the dialogue, and other details, since I do not want to unfairly convict a writer for the publisher's error, or miss a good read.

GtieriB@aol.com
I love books with beautiful covers even though I've learned that a great cover does not mean a great story. My favorite cover is on Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingslover.  The flyleaf is gorgeous also. Another favorite cover is the Red Tent. Both of these are also great books.

hcomet12@msn.com
Snow falling on Cedar

JSkold4728@aol.com
I haven't had a book cover make me want to buy or read a book but I have had some turn me off a book. Any cover that shows too much gore or "bodice ripping" definitely turn me off.

MUSEUMJANE@aol.com
I had to buy Girl with the Pearl Earring (author something like Chevalier?) for my book club, and found it to be an excellent read.  I would have bought it for the cover anyway. I also liked the cover on Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter. I am happy to have this exchange with you.   I enjoy the informal content of your book letter.

Nana1248@aol.com
While a book cover might make you look and stop at a book, it's what's in the book that's all important.

WTHRGUESSR@aol.com
Yes, the cover can help draw my interest to look at a book, with the desire to decide if it is what I want.

Teach529@aol.com
Often covers do inspire me to buy the book, though sometimes I am disappointed. I liked the look of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' novel, This Heart of Mine, because it looked so inviting. It was a pleasure to read and I have since purchased a couple of her previous titles.  I tend to be drawn to books whose covers have beach scenes or relaxing scenic views on them. I think it's because I view reading as a great way to escape or unwind.

JBark4me@aol.com
No,   I don't think that a book cover makes that much difference.  However, I must admit that when I am deciding to buy a book for a potential read or not, I have been found perusing the back of book jackets.  These have led me towards the check-out line more than once.  And I will also note that books with jarring colors on their book jackets tend to make me shy away from a potential interest.  So, maybe I am influenced more than I realize.  Would hate to think that all those artists who labor so diligently to catch my attention are working in vain.   

SJN1@mediaone.net
Cover art rarely affects my decision to buy....unless there is a cat on it and then I won't buy it! I do enjoy the cover art on Steve Hamilton's, The Hunting Wind and Stabenow's Midnight Come Again.

Sheldune@aol.com
For example Girl with a Pearl Earring,

Glorrybe@aol.com
No, I get my reads from the library, but when I occasionally buy one it would not matter because I take the paper cover off when I put it on the shelf.  I buy for the author.

KBWOW@aol.com
Bee Season has a wonderful cover.

GinDon911@aol.com
Yes, and no.  The cover is often what makes me pick up a book and look at it, if I am unfamilar with it.  The liner notes, content etc make the decision, but the cover is often what makes me pick it out from a row of books in the first place, especially when I am browsing with no set book buying in mind.   Ya-Ya Sisterhood was one such book, had never heard of the author, had no idea of the contents, but because the cover caught my eye, I picked it up, ended up buying, reading, and loving it.

karen4191@home.com
"You can't judge a book by its cover", but cover art can surely grap your attention in a crowded marketplace.

Gidgemnstr@aol.com
Absolutely. My fiancee bought me NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman based on the cover - it's beautiful and fascinating.  And it's an illustration of a sewer under London. It might be hard to believe that could be beautiful but it's gothic and richly detailed.....you can smell the torches burning. I think it's the best cover I've ever seen.

EDMARYMOM@aol.com
I can't name a book with great cover right off the top of my head, but the cover certainly influences my decision to read the book.  It's the first thing I see, if it doesn't look interesting, I doubt the book will be.

ModaChika@aol.com
Of course covers are essential to me.  I only look at books which catch my attention and draw me in.  Otherwise, I don't really give books a chance.  I like bright covers, exciting and original, or really great titles.  If they have that, I'll read the back and if it excites me more, I'll pick up a copy!

PBelt104@aol.com
If I hate a book cover, I won't buy the book, usually won't even pick it up and look at it.  And there are very few covers I've liked in the last ten years or so. I've started going to the library instead of buying books.

Shell725@aol.com
If it's an author I know, the cover makes no difference to me.  But when browsing the bookstore, covers definitely attract me to a book, but it's the blurb that makes me decide whether or not I want to look at it further.  Then I usually read the first paragraph or two if it's an author I'm not familiar with.  If I like their writing style, I'll buy it.  I don't have a favorite cover, but I think the cover should have something to do with the story and not just be a solid color or a flower.  It should give the reader a hint as to the storyline or the characters or the time period.

cariba@tc3net.com
Absolutely a book's cover affects my choice to buy a book.  I tend to scan new release tables and with fronts out for viewing, I pick up the ones that attract me.  Front porches, chairs by lakes, coffee cups on tables all grab me.  Oh, and lighthouses, too.  I don't necesssarily buy them; I read the descriptions and base my purchase choices on that, but I definitely pick them up depending on what style the front cover has.

bookflo@webtv.net
The book cover does not influence me one way or another.  I follow the author.  Have many favorites and am always looking for a great first novel.

Whimsey03@aol.com
I love a good book cover and have been known to purchase almost exclusively on the basis of the dust jacket. That is what happened recently when I walked into the book store and saw My Dream of You by Nuala O'Faolian. The emerald green and gold cover is beautiful and caught my attention. Of course the brief book summary on the dust jacket made it interesting, but what really caught my eye was the cover. While not the sole reason for shelling out 20 bucks, the cover is a part of the book's design that I really enjoy.

Patty2213@aol.com
I never used to look at book covers, I always read the inside jacket, until I moved to my new home town 4 years ago.  One of the librarians at our small local library would always show me the covers, and say this is a good book.  She became a friend and a mother to me, and made me feel welcome and loved.  She passed away a year and a half ago, and from her I learned to look at book covers, and I will never look at one again without thinking of her.  She gave me many gifts, but that was just one.

MeemaaLyn@cs.com
A bookcover might induce me to look at a book more closely, but reviews and recommendations from friends will encourage me to read it. The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman had a catchy cover - it was an interesting, disturbing, but engrossing story.

Zandru8@aol.com
Absolutely.  Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett has a gorgeous cover, and Einstein's Dreams, by Alan Lightman is a nice little package.  

MADEIRI@cs.com
If it's an author that I really enjoy reading and always read their next book when it comes out --- no.  The cover does not matter since I already know the book will be good. If it's a new up-and-coming author, then yes.  The cover and inside jacket description must attract my attention to want to read it.

BEVBOOKS@aol.com
Yes, absolutely!  The cover is always the first thing that catches my eye, and speaking of eye, I think the new Douglas Clegg paperback "Naomi" has absolutely the GREATEST cover.  Couldn't resist that one.

LynnShadow@aol.com
Cover affect buying --- no. I flip a page in the book, read it and decide that way if I want to buy or not.

rlecomte@renogazette-journal.com
I'm likelier to take a book out of the library based on the cover than to buy a book at the store. Books are so expensive that I need to know something about it before I buy it. The Secret History by Donna Tartt had one of the all-time great covers. The cover seduced people into reading that book. The most annoying covers are those that feature naked women. What's the point?

JWells7908@aol.com
Yes, YOU CAN JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
I've noticed in the last few years that when I go to bookstores, both new and used, that a book's cover will attract me before I even read its title. The texture of the cover (sleek, smooth), its coloring (usually complementary odd colors, like dull-orange and raw umber/green. The trade-paperbook, larger-than-before-paperbacks, and also Vintage imprints, attract me as do the orange-backed Penguin Books Classics. I am SELDOM DISAPPOINTED by this prejudicial judgment.

cindilou@pulsenet.com
The cover of a book has nothing to do with my purchasing a book, as I am not going to read the cover! As always, the words therein are what matters. In many cases, I have knowledge of the book beforehand, therefore making the cover itself of no importance. In only one case was the cover of interest to me, and that was with Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. In this case, I had heard of the book, thought I would like it, and went to purchase it. Upon seeing the jacket cover, I was intrigued even more; however, I purchased the book, not because of its cover but because of the story itself.

MARGOU5253@aol.com
I will often pick up a book because of the cover. At least I read the book jackets and decide whether or not to buy. Covers I especially like are shades of gray, misty scenes. Others are great masters. I liked the covers of John Adams, Fortune's Rocks, and Girl with a Pearl Earring, all of which I bought. And how about The Dying Animal--shazam! Great cover, bought the book, a real shocker for one not easily shocked. But Roth is a great writer. Keep up your noble efforts.


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