Category: Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Suffocating Expectations

Aubrey Leaman

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My Idea: Well, with a name like Presto, what was Frankie supposed to do? Ever since he can remember, people have told him he should be a musician.

When he banged on pots and pans as a toddler, the neighbor lady would yell through the window to his mother: “Hey, would ya look at that! I told ya Frankie would be a natural!”

In first grade when it was his turn to tell the class what he wanted to be when he grew up, the teacher interrupted him with, “Oh, Frankie, well obviously you’re going to be one of those music people!”

Now as a 5th grader, the day is rapidly approaching when all of the students will get the chance to learn a few notes on a string instrument of their choice to Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Suffocating Expectations” →

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Marvel Edition

Aubrey Leaman

 

25066780My Idea: The world is ending. Every superhero has been vanquished, every villain triumphant.  Until…

Ms. Marvel appears on the scene.  She embodies the best traits of every hero before her, making her the ultimate superhero: the strength of Hulk, the fierce loyalty and endurance of Captain America, the sneakiness of Black Widow, the leadership of Thor, the flight of Iron Man, and the archery skills of Hawkeye.  But faced with the nameless power now decimating the city, will she be enough?

Goodreads Summary: “From the moment Kamala put on her costume, she’s been challenged. But nothing has prepared her for this: the last days of the Marvel Universe. Lucky she’s got the help of Carol “Captain Marvel” Danvers! Between Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Marvel Edition” →

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Fate and the Princess Bride

Aubrey Leaman

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My Idea: Is it inconceivable that a love for the movie “The Princess Bride” could result in love between two people?

Apparently not.

Told from a third-person perspective, Wren’s novel alternates between following Adam and Elle as their knowledge of the movie subtly influences their actions and movements in various ways. Ultimately, they both meet in London where they fall in love, invoking the question: how much can a single inanimate object truly influence our lives?

Goodreads Summary: “When Ozarks native Hatty goes ‘whole hog’ during karaoke, she catches the eye of Prince John. He isn’t what she expects the heir to a small European nation to be: he’s affable, witty, and isn’t put off by her tell-it-like-it-is demeanor. Their flirtation should be short lived, but a force stronger than fate—Hatty’s newspaper editor—assigns her to cover the royals. After spending time together, she and John soon begin dating, and Hatty finds herself making headlines instead of writing them.

But challenges loom that are even more complicated than figuring out how to Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Fate and the Princess Bride” →

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Your Guided Tour Through Wonderland

Aubrey Leaman

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When I saw the cover and title of this book, I knew I had to do a post on it:

My Ideas: 

And here you can see the very same roses that were once painted red…no touching, please.

After Alice came back from Wonderland, she was not shy about sharing her story. As a result, more and more little girls and even adults started to “fall” down the rabbit hole (to the point where the White Rabbit could predict when the next one was due).

As a result, the residents of Wonderland transformed their home into a tourist attraction, welcoming visitors and leading them through guided tours that include a sighting of the croquet grounds, the Duchess’s home, and of Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Your Guided Tour Through Wonderland” →

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Orpheus in the 1920s

Aubrey Leaman

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A retelling of the myth of Orpheus set in the roaring ‘20s

My Ideas: Directly descended from the legendary Orpheus himself, Orr can control anyone with a single chord on his harp. As a result, he easily climbs the ranks to perform as the very first harpist in New York’s top speakeasy where the drinks never end and the lights never die.

But then his career catapults into an earth-shattering halt when his harp is stolen one particularly boisterous night. Without the influence of the harp, he finds himself out on the streets just trying to survive—all the while searching with the unconquerable purpose of: 1) finding the thief so he can 2) enact his revenge and 3) reclaim his life.

Goodreads summary: “With more than two million copies of her novels sold, New York Times bestselling author Geraldine Brooks has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. Now, Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage. Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Orpheus in the 1920s” →

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Dinosaurs, Robots, and Dinosaur Robots

Aubrey Leaman

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My Idea: Meet the woman known simply as “Granny,” who is really anything but.

In an alternate universe where dinosaurs, robots, and dinosaur robots coexist, Granny is the cowboy version of Robin Hood. But stealing from the rich to give to the poor is the least of her accomplishments. From space age pirates to invisible tigers, Granny simply saves the world one impossible situation at a time.

Goodreads Summary: “Constance Kopp doesn’t quite fit the mold. She towers over most men, has no interest in marriage or domestic affairs, and has been isolated from the world since a family secret sent her and her sisters into hiding fifteen years ago. One day a belligerent and powerful silk factory owner runs down their buggy, and a dispute over damages turns into a war of bricks, bullets, and threats as he unleashes his gang on their family farm. When the sheriff enlists her help in convicting the men, Constance is forced to confront her past and defend her family — and she does it in a way that few women of 1914 would have dared.” Find it on Goodreads

Results: Amy Stewart’s novel looks fantastic (albeit in a different way than I imagined)!

Judging the Book By Its Cover is an ongoing series that imagines a potential story for a book based on the cover art alone.  You can read more here and here.  

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging The Book By Its Cover: The Book of Secrets

Aubrey Leaman

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It’s true that we’re all guilty of judging books by their covers…but what if we embraced that tendency to come up with stories of our own?

Thanks to Ellisaveta for the idea to make a series out of my previous post, What Happens When You Actually Judge a Book By Its Cover? The idea is to find a picture of a book that you know nothing about and imagine what the story might be like inside its pages…

My Idea: The Book of Secrets has been lost for centuries. But now, Emma is about to discover it. Continue reading “Judging The Book By Its Cover: The Book of Secrets” →

Books, Judging the Book By Its Cover

What Happens When You Actually Judge a Book By Its Cover?

Aubrey Leaman

From dark twists on Peter Pan to time traveling heists, book covers can make you imagine all sorts of things.

I chose five intriguing covers of books I knew nothing about from Goodreads and imagined what stories the pages might contain. Below are my ideas next to the actual Goodreads summary. What other stories do you think could match these covers?

Thanks to Tasha for tagging me (warning: I may or may not have taken this idea and run with it in a not-necessarily-intended way)!

1) Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Neverwhere Neil Gaiman

My Ideas: This title reminds me of “Neverland” from Peter Pan, especially with that picture of the clock tower on the cover (good ol’ Disney!). So I’m thinking this is some kind of darker spinoff of the J.M. Barrie novel (please please please).

Meet Brandy, a youth destined not to be happy and carefree for much longer… Mysterious clues and messages start to pop up around him, his name carefully inscribed on the front and inside describing things only he could ever know about his life. Gradually, they lead to the terrifying realization that he has been trapped in a place called “Neverwhere” for years. Like Neverland, Continue reading “What Happens When You Actually Judge a Book By Its Cover?” →