I stopped by Barnes and Noble last Saturday in hopes of purchasing one of a few books I've wanted to read for a while (unfortunately, they weren't in stock. Phooey), but I spotted a book cover that turned in to one of those Oh-My-Gosh-I-Have-to-Read-This-Book moments. The thing is I hadn't even read the inside of the dust sleeve to check out what the substance of the book was all about. But I knew, absolutely knew, I had to read it. It wasn't even a question of is this book going to be good or not, it was a question of Oh-My-Gosh-I-Have-to-Read-This-Book. And just because of the cover I was whooped.
By golly--I judged this book by it's cover--and the judgement was GOOD!
Anyway, I know I'm making this sound like I snatched up the book, raced to the cash registers, zoomed home as fast as I could, curled up in my bed, and devoured every single last page in one setting, but I didn't buy the book. Wow, if that wasn't anticlimatic, you say. I'll explain...
Why I didn't by the said book is my practical side won out telling me I don't really have the money to buy a book right now cuz I'm trying to save money. The practical voice in my head (I'm not crazy, promise. Although I am an author and do have characters talking to me) said: "You have other books at home that you haven't read that you can read."
Darn my practicality winning out.
However, I did learn something supercool about my iPhone's GoodReads app. That being: I can scan the bar code and *boda bing bada boom* it shows up on my to-read shelf. Brilliant.
Anyway, you're probably wondering which book it is that captured my attention so intensely. I will tell you now, or rather show you...
Seriously, isn't the cover for "Splintered" by A.G. Howard amazing? And the thing about the cover is (at least this is how it is in hardback version) it has this sort of shiny sparkle to it. Just thinking about the art gracing this book's cover makes my tongue salivate.
I add the GoodReads synopsis just for your reading pleasure; it seems like an interesting Alice in Wonderland basis for a story.
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
Anyway, I hope the book shines out in content as much as the cover displays in vibrant colors and, well, bugs.
Has a book ever made you breathless like this book did to me? Do you buy books just because the cover awed you? I have to admit many of the books I have read have followed that scenario. Book covers sell books, at least I think so. What's your opinion on book covers?
Writing Jewels
