Thursday, April 7, 2011

Blog Hops

Want a free copy of Wings by Aprilynne Pike? Join my team on the Wings Read Along Challenge!

GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray


It's time for the weekly book blogger hops again! A great opportunity to meet new bloggers and say hi to old.

Crazy For Books' Book Blogger Hop


Book Blogger Hop

Parajunkee's Follow My Book Blog Friday.











I'm Alison. I've been blogging for ten months. I review mainly YA with a few MG books and a weekly manga feature.

On the blog this week -

Want a free copy of Wings by Aprilynne Pike? Join my team on the Wings Read Along Challenge!

GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray

Review

Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray

Manga Mondays

Fruits Basket vol. 21 by Natsuki Takaya

Questions of the Week:

Blog Hop:

Follow Friday: DO YOU JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER?

I didn't use to - or at least I didn't think I did. Covers were the last thing I considered when choosing a book. But ever since I began blogging, covers have become exponentially more important. It isn't the be-all, end-all in whether I choose a book, but it is a much greater factor.

Good Cover: Visually gorgeous and fits well with the book (especially for a girl who loves pink, although this is more maroon).


Bad Cover: This would have been a nice cover in the 1980s. Now the muted colors and the models look boring and out-dated.

50 comments:

  1. Hi hi, just stopping by to say hi! Old follower and if you have some time, please hop on over to my blog to read some of my recent reviews. I haven't been getting many comments lately and I've been crying on the inside about it! Lol.

    -Sandra from http://sandrathenookworm.blogspot.com

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  2. Yes, I surely do judge a book by the cover. Not always but more often then not. I'm known for not reading synopsis so if your cover doesn't show me what I want to know or if someone doesn't recommend it... chances are I'm reading someone else's book.

    I love your example. that is exactly how I feel.

    Please do stop by for a crumpet, find out about a new MeMe & to check out my newest giveaway :)

    Mad Scientist
    Steampunkery & Book Reviews
    Forbidden Steam  Adult- even the Mad Scientist gets naughty!

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  3. Covers definitely play a factor when picking up a book but the synopsis is what really seals the deal for me!

    Have a great weekend!
    My FF

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  4. I totally judge a book by its cover and I'm not ashamed to admit it. LOL!

    I'm going to be following your blog, please stop by mine and say hi!

    -Amanda P
    www.paranormalromance.com

    Twitter:
    http://twitter.com/#!/ParaRomance01

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  5. Covers are HUGE for me...whether they become centrally placed on my shelf or made into dart boards ;p they all make an impression lol.

    Helena @ Vamps R Us

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  6. Your "bad" cover reminds me of the Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High books. LoL. I used to have TONS of those. :-P

    Come check out my FF!

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  7. Yeah, covers have come a long way in 20 years. Now I pretty much expect something lovely on the front of every YA book I pick up. Standard-issue beauty! :-)

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  8. Thanks for stopping by. It is very easy to get dissuaded by a bad cover. I completely agree on that. Happy Friday!

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  9. I was exactly like you, I didn't pay attention to book covers before, but since I started blogging it changed a lot ;)

    Thank you for stopping by my blog Alison! I love visiting your site, it's soooo cute :)

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  10. Good examples of covers. I totally love that first one.

    Thank you for stopping by my blog. Your site is beautiful! I'm now an official stalker.

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  11. thanks for stopping by my blog! i agree the cover has to fit well with the book and be appealing..I actually own wings, and downloaded for freee. I love the wings series, and am super happy this book is getting more exposure!

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  12. It's nice to see those two cover above. My friends once made a blog which consist of covers to be compared.

    In Indonesia, some publishers always try to design great cover. Unfortunately, some of them are never really care about it.

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  13. Both Paranormalcy and Supernaturally have awesome covers. And you're right, that other one is definitely not so good. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a good weekend. :)

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  14. Hello! Old follower stopping by :) I haven't read those books but I've heard good things about them. And YES! Their covers look awesome! :D

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  15. I love the cover of the second book. haha. lol. That's so funny!

    Happy Friday!

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  16. I agree! It's since I started blogging that I'm noticing cover art. Funny though that I actually liked the 2nd cover you demonstrated more than the first cover!

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  17. Exactly. Part of my reason for choosing books with pretty covers is for my blog.

    Veiw my FF & BH @
    http://www.bookuponbooks.blogspot.com/

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  18. Good cover examples. I still like some of my retro covers though. I have the old Vampire Diaries covers and they are just too cool! That and my Forbidden Game trilogy! The new covers are definitely eye catching, but sometimes a good retro cover is good for laughs! And plus the content inside is still wicked awesome!

    Here's my Friday Hops

    Have a GREAT weekend!

    Old Follower
    Jessica@a GREAT read

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  19. Yes! I judge a book by its cover, though I don't mean to. And I've read Paranormalcy too! I didn't know what the cover to the second book looked like! It looks just as good as the first one! Happy blogging!!
    ~Sarah~
    www.abookaddictshaven.blogspot.com

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  20. Hi Alison, I'm an old follower popping through! Thanks for letting me know about the Wings download! Have a great weekend and happy reading.

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  21. Thanks for stopping by my blog, I am now a follower.

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  22. Hey Allison hoppin through on FF. Thanx for the free download!

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  23. Book covers have really come a long way! And I agree, they are very important! I can't resist the really pretty ones. lol!

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  24. Hey Alison! Thanks for the follow! Although I do judge books by their covers, I give more thought on other people's opinions rather than basing my choice solely on the book cover. Thanks again! I just added you to my reading list. :)

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  25. Love the idea of Manga Mondays!

    Yes, I often judge books by their covers, and I'm so glad when my old favorites get much-needed makeovers.

    I'm a new follower, and invite you to check out my sites and follow me as well.

    http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com
    http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com

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  26. Just saying hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog :)

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  27. I love the Supernaturally cover! It is the perfect example of the cliche "less is more".

    Check out my Follow Friday Post and some of my favorite cover designs.

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  28. Happy Friday Alison! I can't help but judge a book by it's cover, it's the first thing I notice! If it's a book I've heard a lot about and really want to read I'll buy it anyway, but if I'm just scanning the shelves, I gloss over anything that doesn't pop out at me as gorgeous:) Love the Supernaturally cover!

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  29. Hi Alison thanks for stopping by my blog. That second cover is horrendous I loved it!

    Lesley
    http://mykeepershelf.blogspot.com

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  30. I totally agree that muted colors and dated models are a bit of a turn-off. I think most people judge a book at first by its cover. I mean, that's what makes you pick it up and look at the synopsis, right?

    Old follower passing through. Happy Friday!

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  31. The cover isn't the be-all end-all for me either. But, it usually makes the first impact. After that the synopsis, title, and reviews are important. :)

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  32. Pretty covers will get a book picked up, but the description has to sell me! I'm already a follower. My FF is at Coffee Table Reviews

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  33. Supernaturally is a great cover!

    Jen

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  34. I agree with you. Vivid colour and creativity are the draw as far as covers go.

    My Bookshelf

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  35. I always judge a book by it's cover! I can't help it; I'm superficial like that, haha :) But a book is a book no matter what! Have a happy weekend!

    Crystal @ Elegantly Bound Books

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  36. I agree with you that blogging makes you think about the cover more. I'm not completely sure why, but I think because it's because we're really reading about the book, instead of actually having it in our hands to look at.

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  37. Old follower dropping by to say Have a wonderful weekend since you were sweet enough to stop by my site. See you again next Friday.

    The Scarf Princess

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  38. Definitely not the end all be all for me either, but can peak my interest and make me read more about it.

    Megan @ Read It, See It

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  39. Thanks for stopping by my blog and following! I'm looking forward to reading your blog. I often don't even look at a cover for a book, and have a bad memory for what the covers of the books I have read look like. Oh well. Its what's inside the covers that counts most isn't it?

    Aaron (Dreaming About Other Worlds)

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  40. I also consider the book cover when I post the review of any book on my blog. I choose the best book cover I could find.
    кєяo's Book Blog

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  41. Yeah, I've never thought about that before, but I suppose that before I started blogging, I didn't think about the covers as much as I do now... :L

    Have a great week!
    Bella
    My Hop

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  42. Hello! Old follower here just hopping through (late again, of course, sigh). Hope you're having a great weekend!

    And isn't the cover of Supernaturally just so danged pretty?!
    Amanda
    glowsnoveladdiction.blogspot.com

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  43. Thanks for stopping by my blog -- I'm a new follower! Your blog is lovely.

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  44. If I'm looking at books in a shop then it's often a cover that will attract me. I've picked up some great books bu judging a book by its cover, but then I've also picked up some not-so-great books too.

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  45. Hi Alison,

    Thanks for hopping by my site and dropping a comment - really appreciate it!

    I agree with you - the second cover would really turn me off. Although they are funny to look back on after their time has passed and see what we once thought was cool and what we now think looks horrible lol.

    Have an awesome weekend!
    April @ My Shelf Confessions

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  46. Supernaturally is a gorgeous cover!
    I'm more willing to give a bad cover a chance these days since a few of my favorite books have crappy covers but a great story. But yes, I'm lured by the pretty first :-)

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  47. Old follower popping in to say Hi! and thank you for stopping by my blog.

    :)

    soooz x

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  48. Thanks for stopping by my blog. :D

    I love your examples of good and bad covers. The "bad" cover definitely looks outdated, but looking at it I immediately flashed back to various books and series I read in my growing-up years: sweet valley high, babysitter's club, etc. :D

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  49. Hey there!

    Old follower here. Just wanted to stop by and say thanks for stopping by my blog!

    Wow, see I'm kinda the opposite. Since blogging I think it's become less important to me! lol Don't get me know, it's still important, but I have read a lot of books since blogging that I wouldn't have read when I was just a 'normal' reader. lol

    Happy Blog Hop!

    Lisa @ Once Upon A Chapter

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