|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
02-12-2022, 04:32 AM | #1 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,209
Karma: 63835638
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Norway
Device: PocketBook Touch Lux (had Onyx Boox Poke 3 and BeBook Neo earlier)
|
Books you love that others hate (or: A defence of covers with half naked men)
Several of the posts in Books only lying poseurs could claim to like make me itch to defend my favourites. That would be off-topic for that thread, so I'm making a new one.
To prevent the need for a new thread for books you hate that others love that others hate I'm fine with this thread being used to answer posts here. And even though I chose hyperbole in the heading, I'm fine with discussions about books you like that others dislike as well. |
02-12-2022, 05:10 AM | #2 | |||||
Wizard
Posts: 1,209
Karma: 63835638
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Norway
Device: PocketBook Touch Lux (had Onyx Boox Poke 3 and BeBook Neo earlier)
|
Quote:
Quote:
The presence of a half naked man on the cover tells us that at least one of the protagonists is a man, but says nothing at all about the quality of the book, and very little about the content. Dismissing a huge number books as awful based on the cover is prejudiced. It would be just a silly to dismiss all books with spaceships on the cover, or all books with guns on the cover. Note: I see a big difference between saying "I don't like this (sub)genre" and "This (sub)genre is awful". For instance, I don't like books with graphical violence, but I wouldn't describe all such books as awful, just not for me. Some recommendations of books with half naked men on the cover: Rose Lerner: Listen to the Moon I like historical novels about other parts of society than those at the top. The story of how Sukey and John learn to work together and respect each other is well written, with interesting character development. Quote:
Courtney Milan: Hold Me I like mistaken identities stories, which this is, kind of. Well written characters, not a lot of external drama, but character growth which is believable and engaging. And a transgenic shark as a memorable side character Quote:
Silas Mason is one of my favourite characters ever, across all books I've read. And Charles uses the historical setting well, with the Peterloo Massacre and the crackdown on civil liberties in England looming over the love story. Quote:
Last edited by hildea; 02-12-2022 at 05:13 AM. |
|||||
Advert | |
|
02-12-2022, 09:03 AM | #3 |
Readaholic
Posts: 5,127
Karma: 89858112
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: South Georgia
Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"
|
Authors usually have very little input on the covers. At least the ones that are not self-published. I do admit to being irritated with covers that have nothing to do with the story. The artist should have to read the book and draw the cover accordingly.
Apache |
02-12-2022, 12:23 PM | #4 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,340
Karma: 52366945
Join Date: Oct 2010
Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip
|
Quote:
Silly? Perhaps. But the visual is a way to quickly cull the herd so I can get to the kind of book I like. |
|
02-12-2022, 12:33 PM | #5 | |
o saeclum infacetum
Posts: 20,114
Karma: 220864438
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: New England
Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5
|
Quote:
And in regard to KJ Charles, I’ve mentioned more than once how much I enjoyed her take on The Prisoner of Zenda and that I read it on your recommendation. But the cover you’ve posted here is so at odds with the setting of the book that I can’t help inferring only a tangential relationship to the facts of the Peterloo massacre. Again, a calculated appeal to KJ Charles fans/fans of M/M romance and not particularly to fans of accurate historical novels. You agree that the cover’s terrible; you’re willing to suspend judgment but as with Catlady, I’m not. Next! |
|
Advert | |
|
02-13-2022, 01:44 AM | #6 |
Gentleman and scholar
Posts: 10,893
Karma: 106352331
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Space City, Texas
Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3
|
Though I haven't read one of those books, I defend anyone's right to read books with half naked men on the cover.
Though it's not my cup of tea, I have been tempted. I have seriously considered reading Misery's Return. |
02-13-2022, 01:57 AM | #7 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 6,208
Karma: 11766195
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Madrid, Spain
Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2
|
I agree with Hildea. Books you don't like? For sure. Awful books? How do you know if you have only seen the cover? I agree with Catlady, too, that covers help in the majority of the books, to identify its genre (if they belog to someone, with everything it implies).
In any case, I'm old enough to feel that the discussion about half naked men in covers is at the same level that "was Heinlein fascist"? Last edited by Terisa de morgan; 02-13-2022 at 02:06 AM. |
02-13-2022, 03:58 AM | #8 | |
Addict
Posts: 346
Karma: 10703708
Join Date: Dec 2020
Device: Kindle Paperwhite 3
|
Quote:
With e-books I don't even pay attention to covers. I hardly ever see them with the way I've got my UI set up. If buying a physical book - it doesn't really matter what the book is about if the fonts, margins, quality of the pages, etc don't suit my taste. I never got around to reading Ulysses due to the atrocious colour of the spine (I bought the book online). |
|
02-13-2022, 07:07 AM | #9 |
Resident Curmudgeon
Posts: 73,510
Karma: 126422064
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
The way I look at it is there are many books and not so much time. If a book I do not know the author and the cover is one that makes me think it may be something I won't like, I won't try it without a recommendation from someone I can trust enough.
The saying to not judge a book by it's cover is wrong. We do judge by the cover as it's the first thing we see if it's a book by an unknown author. I don't care for steamy romance type books and the covers with half-naked men and maybe holding some woman cries out steamy romance. If that's not the case, then the cover is doing the book a disservice. But I'm not going to take that chance. I'm not going to say that someone is not to read any books that I don't or may not like. You have the right to read what you want. |
02-13-2022, 09:11 AM | #10 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,340
Karma: 52366945
Join Date: Oct 2010
Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip
|
Regarding the three books hildea mentioned, if I'd seen the titles alone in a list, I would probably click on a link to check them out. The titles Listen to the Moon, Hold Me, and A Seditious Affair might indicate suspense or historical fiction, genres I like. The covers, however, tell me they're a hard no. So I appreciate that I don't have to investigate further!
As far as indicating awfulness, well, the covers indicate awfulness to me. A well-written romance is still a romance, and I simply do not like the romance genre. |
02-13-2022, 10:24 AM | #11 | |
Gentleman and scholar
Posts: 10,893
Karma: 106352331
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Space City, Texas
Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3
|
Quote:
The cover I showed was a 'joke' second cover that came with the initial paperback version of Misery. If you're familiar with what he looks like, the half naked man on the cover is Stephen King (well, the head is). |
|
02-13-2022, 01:50 PM | #12 |
Gentleman and scholar
Posts: 10,893
Karma: 106352331
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Space City, Texas
Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3
|
Not too many half naked men on the covers, but books I love that others hate are movie novelizations. Especially novelizations of low budget horror or sci-fi movies, where the author isn't hampered by cheesy sets, dodgy special effects or subpar acting. Sometimes the book will contain scenes or background details that just couldn't make it to the film for one reason or another.
Alan Dean Foster made a cottage industry of novelizations back in the '70's and '80's. But my favorite is when there's a mediocre movie that has a surprisingly excellent novelization. The Car and a movie with the bad title of The Boogens are both watchable. But their novelizations were well written, suspenseful books. luckily I have a friend that converts novelizations for fun, so my Kobo is well stocked with them. |
02-13-2022, 05:59 PM | #13 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,571
Karma: 20086276
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Central Florida
Device: Oasis 3, PW 3, 4, 5, Fire HD 2012, Fire HD 8 (8th Gen)
|
Well, sometimes great books just have cheesy covers. Ilona Andrews has the excellent series published by Avon books now, but these covers, this is hideous lol
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T3C2ZMC...ng=UTF8&btkr=1 |
02-13-2022, 06:08 PM | #14 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,571
Karma: 20086276
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Central Florida
Device: Oasis 3, PW 3, 4, 5, Fire HD 2012, Fire HD 8 (8th Gen)
|
Quote:
|
|
02-14-2022, 12:31 AM | #15 |
Running with scissors
Posts: 1,552
Karma: 14325282
Join Date: Nov 2019
Device: none
|
Not a lot of traffic but this forum on reddit has some funny excerpts:
https://www.reddit.com/r/WomenWritingMen/ |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Two and Half Dead Men | jmkwriter | Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers | 2 | 04-26-2011 05:07 PM |
My love and hate | stevierg | Amazon Kindle | 9 | 03-01-2009 01:19 AM |
Love it or hate it? | grimo1re | Lounge | 9 | 08-03-2008 05:38 AM |