On a recent family trip to the public library I was telling my husband how, against the old adage, I do judge books based on their covers, at least the ones I choose for myself. We have a great discussion about it and, on the way out, we passed a display that said “Go ahead, judge these books by their covers!” The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if I was the only one, and if it was only the cover that solidified my choice. What I’ve determined is that the title is the first thing (duh) that snags my attention. I just browse, and when something sounds interesting, I pull it out for a look. If the cover hooks me, I’m sold. I honestly don’t even check to see what the book is about. I just grab it. This has actually only steered me wrong once when I ended up with a paranormal mystery novel featuring two elderly female detectives. Not too shabby for 25+ years of reading! The people who design these covers are geniuses, really, and they have come up with some amazing images to really sell the concept of the books they represent. Without further ado, some of the enticing covers I’ve come across.

If you need more cover art or a great place to browse titles and covers together, check out The Book Cover Archive. Just try not to spend all day on there! What are some covers that have convinced you to read their stories? Did you like them?