Discussions,  Let's Talk Bookish,  Memes

Let’s Talk Bookish: Good Covers vs. Good Plots

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I’m participating in another Let’s Talk Bookish. I think this is a really interesting topic, so let’s get into it.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and is hosted by Rukky and Dani @ Literary Lion where we discuss various topics and share our opinions. Today’s topic is Good Covers vs. Good Plots (suggested by Krupali @ Musing of Souls).

When you pick books to buy, what is more likely to sway you: a good cover or a good plot?

Covers are usually the main thing that make a book catch my eye. They’re what make me pick up the book in the first place. I’ll check the synopsis and if it sounds interesting, I’ll read the first couple of pages to see if it would be something I’d like. In the end, it’s mostly always the plot that decides whether I buy the book or not. I already have a ton a books in my room, and not that much space, so I don’t want to buy something that I know I won’t read, just because I think the cover is pretty.

When you choose to unhaul books do you sometimes keep bad books if they’re pretty?

Not usually. When I unhaul books, it’s typically books that I read and enjoyed, but probably won’t read again or don’t mean something to me. Or of course, if the book wasn’t great. I keep my favorite books, obviously, and other books that are special to me, like books from my favorite authors, or ones I read when I was younger, that really brought me into reading.

Do you love a book less if the cover is ugly even if the story is good? 

I tend to separate the cover art and the actual content of the book when it comes to whether I liked the book or not. The cover does play a small role in how I rate books, but it’s not necessarily a huge part. Of course, if the cover is supremely ugly, then I may like it less. But if the book was the most fantastic, meaningful, and inspiring story I’ve ever read, than it most likely wouldn’t matter what the outside looks like. I try to focus on the book itself, when seeing if I liked a story or not. If I’m taking to someone about the book, I may mention if the cover is really pretty or if it wasn’t my taste in art.

Do you like covers less if it turns out the story inside isn’t very interesting?

No, not usually. I can still appreciate the cover art even if the story itself wasn’t very interesting.

Would you rather have a shelf of good stories or beautiful covers?

Good stories, most definitely. Good stories and beautiful covers would be even better, but unfortunately, we can’t always get that. Still, I’d rather have a bunch of books with well written, meaningful stories in them, then have books with gorgeous covers but meh plots. It’s very aesthetically pleasing to have a lot of beautiful covers to look at, but I think I care more about the story inside.

Conclusion

Overall, I tend to care more about the story itself in a book then the cover art. This doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the graphic designers who make the book covers. Because I whole-heartedly do. I love to appreciate the hard work that has been put into creating a cover that will catch people’s eye and pull them in. That’s what a cover is for; to intrigue people and make them want to learn more about the story. And I have been known to stare at a book cover for a very long period of time because of how beautifully designed it was.

And. . . now I’m just rambling on about covers, so I think we’re going to stop here.

What do you think about good covers vs. good plots? Do you lean towards one more than the other when deciding about books?
Chat with me in the comments below!

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