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04. A book with a monochromatic cover
I just finished
for this prompt. I sometimes choose books based on their covers, but more often I choose them because the story sounds interesting to me.I would recommend Riley Sager's books for this prompt, especially for anyone who likes thrillers. The ones I've read have been quite entertaining, and they all tend to have monochromatic covers.
1. What are you reading for this category? The Guardians In my personal spreadsheet, I have a note that this is a Keep It Simple option. I'm not counting the yellow and red text. 2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? Sometimes it helps me determine the 'mood' of the book. If I want something light, I'm more likely to look at the synopsis if it looks a certain way. But, essentially, its about the synopsis for me.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category? No idea.
Mod
1. What are you reading for this category?
So my thought is
, which should work as it seems to match how
in the example message qualifies (red and black colouring, white writing)2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
A cover I liked would certainly prompt me to actually pick it off the shelf and read the description on the back cover, although I wouldn't necessarily buy it.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
I think, if there can be a single colour, most of the UK editions of the Invisible Library books should work, except The Burning Page.
For this category, I started reading Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America by John Lewis. I may or may not keep this one for this prompt, as there are other good spots it would fit, but I am currently reading it for a social justice book club at my church, and the timing worked out for me to be reading it during the fourth week of the year, which is when this prompt is scheduled for.I can't say that I generally pick books based on their cover. I might think "that's a pretty cover," or "well, that's boring," but I generally pick books that sound interesting to me. The cover generally doesn't deter or impel me to pick up the book if I wouldn't have based on the description.
Optional Questions:1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
Sometimes I think a strong cover will grab you but I pick books for many reasons - recommendations / challenges/ I like the author / subject matter
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
these are a couple of my 5 star books
(would also fit title only on cover)
(took me right back to my childhood)
1. What are you reading for this category?The Last Flight
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? Sometimes, I think I mostly go by description but if I am looking at a list of books here on good reads I think I am more likely to look at the descriptions of books with covers that appeal to me. I have a feeling this cover would not have done much for me on its own but the description was really appealing.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
Mod
Grayscale may not be the most exciting version of monochromatic, but at least I can feel good that this cover definitely counts lol.
I picked Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover because it has a beautiful cover in shades of blue.
I will be reading Rodham by Curtis SittenfeldI also considered: Anyone and The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women, both on my list to read eventually
I will be reading Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
I also considered: Anyone and The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women, both on my list to read eventually
1. What are you reading for this category? I read Cherry by Nico Walker
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? Not often, but sometimes the cover art really draws you in.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
I'm about to read
. I usually don't pick books by their color, unless it's a book about design or art. I'll recommend:
,
, and
I read Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson.
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
No, almost never but I do appreciate a pretty cover!
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
I read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews:
I might be attracted by a good cover, but it wouldn't be my only reason for reading a book.
I'd recommend:
and most of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series:
1. What are you reading for this category?The Kingdom of Back
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
Ehhhh... kinda? If a cover strikes my fancy, I'll be more inclined to pick it up and give it a chance than if the cover doesn't catch my eye.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
This one???
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? I've been known to, but only when browsing in the library.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category? Not this one, it was only a 2 star book for me.
I picked
for this prompt. I hardly ever pick books for the cover. I prefer to read the blurb and then, open to a random page to get a feel for the prose.Off of my shelf, the other monochromes are
I read
after spending too much time scrolling through ebook covers from the library, second-guessing whether they were monochromatic enough. I am very much drawn to monochrome covers, although that will only make me check out whether the synopsis interests me, not read the book itself based on that.
Mod
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? Rarely anymore since I do mostly e-books
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category? Ummm- this one! It was really good if it's your sort of style
I went for grayscale in this prompt, as I'm trying to plow through my piles of unread books—none of which fit this prompt otherwise! I read Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang. Penguin Modern Classics almost feels like cheating here!I wouldn't necessarily buy a book just because I like the cover (unless I'd already intended on reading it, and preferred that particular editions to others), but if I'm browsing in a shop (when I could!), then the more interesting covers certainly make me more inclined to read the blurb.
What are you reading for this category?I read The Street Philosopher by Matthew Plampin
Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
The cover may draw my attention to a book initially, but it is the blurb that will help me make a decision on whether I will want to read it.
I have read My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout. Excellent writing, but not much of a plot!
I don't always buy a book based on its cover - I actually don't like this one! - but I do love a beautiful cover, especially with nature on it.
Would The Four Winds work for this prompt? I see other similarly colored covers in some of the suggestions listed.
I read
for this prompt. A nice cover may attract my eye, but the sypnosis is what will get me to decide to read a book or not.
I read In Black and White by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. I liked the idea that the title as well as the cover was monochromatic. The book blurb describes it as a 'whodunnit' or 'murder mystery', but it really isn't - more of a study in paranoia and procrastination. Not a loveable book, but very well written and stays with you.I don't read based just on book covers, but I would look at the blurb of an attractive cover if I was browsing (happy days).
I originally read Afropean: Notes from Black Europe for this prompt, then moved it - I would recommend it.
What are you reading for this category?I read My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. I chose it because I liked the idea of specifically using a cover with a grayscale photograph on it, because the word monochrome is so often used in reference to photography.
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
Not really. I usually chose books because they've been recommended to me or I've heard people talk about specific things they liked about them - often I put books on my list before I even know what the cover looks like. But I do think sometimes the cover sways my opinion.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
really captivated me, I'd recommend it even if you're tired of WWII historical fiction, plus I think the cover's gorgeous. 
is an old teenage favorite.
absolutely captivated me. If you like multi-generational family sagas and/or Ancient Greek dramas, I'd recommend (it's not an Ancient Greek drama). 
was one of my favorite books of the year last year, Ted Chiang writes the most thought-provoking science fiction. Very accessible, even if that's not your typical thing.
is another teenage favorite - I'm sure most everyone has read this by now.
Or What You Will by Jo Walton
I am really enjoying this book - but as many of the reviews say, it is not categorized properly as fantasy, it is instead literary metafiction, perhaps? I'm familiar with Shakespeare and the art and architecture of Florence, and have also read several of the books that are referenced, so it's a fun read for me.
Rather than deciding ahead of time what I would count as monochromatic, I slotted this one in after reading it, when I was going down the list of prompts I still had open and thought, "Oh, yeah, that looks monochromatic." 
I've read Beowulf before, but this translation was new to me. It's very readable, and still lyrical and poetic, but in a contrary sort of way, I missed the ambiance of the 'difficult' words from the first translation I read.
I was originally planning to read this book, and might still slot it in somewhere else if I can, but can't say yet either way if it's actually good:
1. What are you reading for this category? The Road
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? Sometimes the cover will initially draw me in.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category? So far I really recommend The Road. It is a pretty good book so far and I'm 60% through it.
1. What are you reading for this category?I read Flood by Kellee L. Greene
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
No. I actually never pick books based on their covers.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
I don't have any recommendations this time.
I ended up using
I am kind of guilty of judging a book a bit too much by the cover but, I do then read the blurb to see if I actually want to read it.
Probably gonna go for The Councillor or Realm Breaker
*****
Ended up going for Zodiac Academy: The Awakening
1) What are you reading for this category?The Martian, Andy Wier
2) Do you normally pick books by their cover?
I started avoiding typical YA style covers after the Twilight craze calmed down, anything that looked slightly moody like a single feather or flower. I realised when thinking about this that that makes me a book snob and I've ordered some recommended YA novels to give the genre more credit because I used to love it.
3) What book would you recommend to others to read from this category?
The Master and the Margarita, there's a lot of covers but the red cover is pretty and the book is incredible
1. What are you reading for this category?
Yep this one is a wee bit of a reach, but, considering a lot of people above are going with black is just the darkest shade and white the lightest shade of every color, I'm gonna call it that and say wow look at that red cover.2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? Nope! I am an audiobook lover so I often don't remember the covers at all.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category? I struggled with finding one that satisfied my brain on this one and wound up stretching it a bit more than I normally do....so I am having a hard time thinking of suggestions. But if you wanna play the black and white game maybe
? This is fun and always makes me smile.
1. What are you reading for this category?Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
Not unless it's for a challenge! I will say that I do check out books based on their covers if I am not familiar with the author.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
I like the black and white approach as most book covers are not completely one single cover.
1. What are you reading for this category?I read Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
I have often picked up a book to look at its details because of a cover. I rarely buy it just because of the cover.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
Another option I had was
, but the one I picked is a special for me and I read it first.
I had many options that fit multiple prompts. In the end I used The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue for this prompt.
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? No
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category? Can't think of any
Nancy wrote: "These are the two I'm considering for this one: 
I'm going through the prompts and posting what I read, vs. what I planned to read.
I read The Last Flight and I loved it.
I am reading 'The Firemasster's Mistress' by Christie Dickason.
I don't necessarily pick books for their covers but I am attracted by a nice cover.
I can recommend 'Firesong' by Joseph Hone.
I am considering:
I recommend:
1. What are you reading for this category? I read
2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover? No. Sometimes I struggle with cover prompts as not all covers are the same.
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category? Riley Sager seems to like monochromatic covers. I got into his books search for a book with a pink cover.
Drowned Country by Emily Tesh
I had a difficult time with this one. Covers are interesting but titles are what usually draw my attention. It must come from scanning library shelves where the covers do not show.
1. What are you reading for this category?I have read
Watching the Grass Grow by Diane Michaels.2. Do you normally pick books based on their cover?
I usually read books by synopsis, but I'm also attracted by covers as well.
1. Lake of Souls by Darren Shan2. I definitely am more likely to grab a book if I like it's cover versus picking up a book with a cover I don't like and reading the synopsis to decide.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Mockingbird (other topics)Concrete Rose (other topics)
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party (other topics)
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (other topics)
The Leavers (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lisa Ko (other topics)Emily Tesh (other topics)
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (other topics)
Matthew Plampin (other topics)
Jesse Andrews (other topics)
More...
would count?
The main colour is shades of orange ..."
Thanks Nancy, that's helpful.
I've barely started it, but so far it's very interesting. The two authors don't just use their own perspectives (interesting as they are); they also interviewed eight women in leadership across the political divide and refer to the interviews throughout. I'm learning a lot already.