How to know a good book
With the appetite of readers growing by the day for good books, shelves are getting more and more stuffed with the good the bad and the ugly. Gazing at the so many authors and their products especially when they are unfamiliar, your next line of thought is, how can I tell which one will be […]
With the appetite of readers growing by the day for good books, shelves are getting more and more stuffed with the good the bad and the ugly.
Gazing at the so many authors and their products especially when they are unfamiliar, your next line of thought is, how can I tell which one will be worth the effort or just a waste of money?
From individuals who have dedicated their time and invested their monies over years into buying and reading books, a couple of tips were proposed which they have tried and have found in true on every occasion they have applied it.
Remember the saying, ‘never judge a book by its cover’? Very true and should be applied all the time. According to Aurora Payen, “Authors rarely have any say about the illustrations gracing the fronts of their works. Assume you’ll be reading what you’re seeing and you’re probably in for a big disappointment. The most amazing designs and the most awful writing, or vice versa, are too often paired together, even on those occasions when the illustrations do accurately depict the characters and story within. In the end, however, its the words you’ll be spending your time with, not the art.”
Another tip is for you not to limit yourself to the special displays. That a book is set aside or on the front rack does not mean it is a super piece. It may the favourite of the shop owner or a bestseller and fast money spinner. “If you stick to the genres that interest you, you’ve got a 50/50 shot of picking a good book off a special display. But remember not to stop there. The best books are the hidden gems, the ones that mean something to you, not just the world at large. Those are the ones likely to be tucked away on the shelves among all the other ordinary books, with nothing to make them stand out except your persistence in finding them. Always remember, the most popular books aren’t always good, and the good books aren’t always popular.
The best idea in the world, they say (as depicted in two or three paragraphs) means little if the author can’t carry it through. Summaries, if well written are enticing and tell a lot of the author and the book’s content. In the write up, ‘Buying a good book’, you are advised to read the summary of the book with a jaded eye as poor writing, slow pace, one-dimensional characters – none of these hidden traps are likely to be detected by reading a summary. To make matters worse, some of the most well-written, intriguing works present themselves terribly when limited to a brief note on the back cover. A truly deep and complex tale isn’t likely to lend itself well to a few sentences. Read the summary. Weed out the works with ideas you couldn’t care less about. But don’t let the summary make the decision for you.”
Pry a little further by reading the first page of the book it is the best way to tell if you’ll enjoy the book or not. Although some people do not entirely agree with this notion as some books get interesting after the first few pages or even the first chapter. Question is why do you have to read that far to start enjoying the book? Ask yourself these questions as recommended by experts: Does the first sentence grab your attention? Do you feel like the person you’re reading about is real? Do you care about what happens next? A good book isn’t something you have to work at enjoying; it’s something you’ll enjoy whether you want to or not. Done properly, it’ll have you from the first sentence. If you don’t mind books with boring bits, don’t let a slow start deter you. If you want something that’ll keep you reading till dawn, make sure that’s what you’ve got.