Books on the Nightstand, Episode 10 (21:58)
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In Episode 10 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast:
- Do you judge a book by its cover? We ask: what makes you decide to buy a book? Leave a comment on our blog, or join our Books on the Nightstand group at Good Reads and let us know what propels you to pick up a book.
- We talk about the fascinating back-stories behind two new books that people are talking about: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. If we’ve piqued your interest:
- watch a compelling video trailer for The Gargoyle. Author Andrew Davidson talks about the inspiration behind the book, his writing style, and gives you a peek into the book. If you’re quick, head over to Readerville and enter her contest to win an advanced reading copy of the book — she loved The Gargoyle so much that she bought a copy to keep, so she’s giving away her ARC! The contest ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, August 1st EDT.
- Read an excerpt of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society at the NPR website. You can also read more about the book’s backstory in this Contra Costa Times aritcle.
- And lastly, two new books that we can’t wait for you to read!
photo credit:Jay Heaviside
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The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, Doubleday hardcover, $25.95, ISBN 9780385524940
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary An Shaffer and Annie Barrows, Dial Press hardcover, $22.00, ISBN 9780385340991
Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt, Knopf hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 9780307264787
Traffic (audio) by Tom Vanderbilt, Random House Audio CD, $29.95, ISBN 9780739370322
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, Random House hardcover, $26.00, ISBN 9781400063970
(all information is the U.S. editions)
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I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast…but then, I always do!
I sometimes choose a book for the cover, if it’s particularly appealing & I’m not hunting for something in particular. Mostly, though, I buy books based on your recommendations, or blogs/reviews I’ve read, or a friend’s talking it up. And, of course, I have favorite authors whose new releases I buy, sight unseen. Also, the extraordinary women in my book club can always be counted on for suggestions of books I wouldn’t normally be drawn to, but they’ve never been wrong!
As soon as I finish this comment, I’m calling my local bookseller to see if they have the Guernsey Literary book, which sounds incredible, and what I’ve read on the book’s website just has me salivating, so anxious am I to read those letters!
Thanks SO MUCH Bobbi for your extremely kind words about BOTNS and for sharing what influences your book-buying decisions. Let us know what you think of GUERNSEY as soon as you’re done!
Michael
I am notorious for picking up books because I like the cover. That’s how those TBR shelves got that way!
Lezlie
I do sometimes buy a book because of the cover art, or the reverse, sometimes a book’s cover makes me not want to read it.
I am still trying to find new ways to discover books I would not have known about, especially books off the bestseller list, and books by local authors and smaller publishing houses. This blog is a great find for me. Hoping to start listening to your podcast more regularly, too.
Lezlie and Amrita,
I’m actually happy that the cover is part of what makes you pick up a book — a lot of time and energy is spent in the publication process getting the cover just right, and there are hours of discussion around each one.
Thanks for the posts!
Guernsey is one of the best books I’ve ever read! I’m telling EVERYONE about it. The letters draw you in and move you along in the story, as you come to know each character’s unique voice. The love of reading, the love of books, the love of neighbor for neighbor, the wartime experiences, the “triumph of the human spirit”…it’s beautifully written. I want to know a lot more about these people; I want to know what happened after the book ends. I want to know what kind of woman Kit grows up to be. I want to visit Guernsey! Thanks for speaking so highly of the book; now I’m going to read it again, more slowly. My Christmas shopping just got a whole lot easier!
Bobbi!
Your comments mean so much to me… I love when a book I recommend finds readers… Your enthusiasm makes me want to read it again!
best,
Michael
Since I read mostly fantasy novels, I tend to choose new authors by publisher. If Tor is launching a new author in hardback, I will check the book out of the library. That’s how I found Jacqueline Carey and Elizabeth Haydon. Other than that, recommendations from friends and other librarians are the way I find new authors. I almost never use reviews. I was just burned by a excellent review of a book and I could only read the first 100 pages and had to stop. My rule of thumb is if I’m not hooked by a third of the way through a book, I stop reading.
I’ve never read a book only based on the cover art, but good cover art will make me read the blurb on the back.
I’ve heard and read a lot of buzz on the two books in the podcast. Gargoyle sounds interesting. I listened to The Historian and really enjoyed it so maybe I’ll give Gargoyle a chance.
Thanks for another great podcast!
Thanks, Chris. I enjoyed reading what motivates you to pick up a book. If you read The Gargoyle, I’d love to hear what you think.
speaking of books and their covers… my copy of “The Gargoyle” just arrived. My 2 year old saw the naked lady’s back on the front cover and said “ahhhhhh!” in that “discovery” way they have. She then opened the front cover and looked on the OTHER SIDE of the page, saying hopefully “boo-boo?” Too bad for her the lady’s front wasn’t there!
Tauret… that is too funny! something for the baby book?
I don’t think I actually “judge” a book by it’s cover but I would say that I pre-judge books in the sense that it’s always their attractive covers that’s first to catch my interest. I do have this habit of holding off from buying a book when I don’t like the cover I see at the store and I know that there’s another edition with a cover I like better. Sometimes the wait just kills me but I can be rather resolute on getting the cover that I want
Thanks for talking about the Gargoyle. I decided not to get it last year after reading the first two or three pages (I didn’t like the idea that he was a pornstar). But now you’ve convinced me that I made a mistake. I’ll make a plan to read it this year.