Book reviews: how not to judge a book by its cover
Buying a new book is one of the most rewarding experiences that you can treat yourself to—whether you are a bona fide bookworm or just testing the waters. There are simply not enough words to describe the feelings that come with reading a good book—it opens up new worlds and shows you truths about the world you are already living in. However, buying a new book is not all that simple. Unless you already have a gist of the story, or have closely followed the writer’s works, then there is basically no way of telling whether you are buying a book that is suitable to your taste. This is why book buyers usually turn to book reviews before buying a particular book. However, can all book reviews be trusted?
Judging a book by its cover. The phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” may be true for most aspects in everyday life, but it certainly holds the truest when it comes to, well, books of course. Indeed, an artistic, mysterious or exciting cover does not necessarily mean that the essence of the book would be just as captivating. Imagine yourself stepping into your local book shop and scanning the shelves for an interesting find. You will probably become attracted to a book that has an intriguing cover. Knowing the golden rule about books and their covers, you will naturally look at the book’s synopsis at the back and scan the blurbs. The problem is that the synopsis only gives you what the book is about and not if the book was written successfully. And you don’t have to be a genius to know that no publisher will include negative book comments in the blurbs.
Hearing out fellow readers. No matter how you turn the book inside out and how many summaries and excerpts you read online, the fact remains that you will never know how good (or bad) a book is until you have spent your money, bought the book and finished reading it. If you don’t have time or money to waste, and you want to make sure that you buy something worth your while, then the next best thing to do is to turn to people who have read the book.
Reviewing the review. As much as possible, read book reviews from a reputable website, such as writer’s guilds or an academic organization. After all, would you find it credible to read a 12-year-old’s book review of one of Virginia Woolf’s works? Read reviews from reputable critics, professors, lecturers or writers. Another way to gauge a book review is by how detailed it is. By detailed, we don’t mean long. Instead, the review should cover all aspects of a complete book review. For instance, if a fiction novel is in question, then the review should cover plot, characterization, language, theme, and other aspects.
A haven for readers. To make sure you are updated with the latest book reviews, it’s a good idea to register and join various online book forums such as Books Buyer. These sites can help you get in touch with other readers, and even publishers and writers.
