Should you judge a book by the cover?

DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER

Everyone has heard the saying; "Don't judge a book by it's cover." But how correct is this statement.

What the quote is trying to say is that you shouldn't judge someone or something just from their appearance. But it a world of free speech and expression, does this stay true. In relation to to people, don't we choose and buy clothes that represent us. Don't we cut/style our hair and even get inked to express our views. I'm not saying if a girl wears a short skirt she's asking for it. No. The quote is trying to state that you need to know why the person is expressing those views. Let's take the idealised fictional character; dark brooding guy that hates everyone and we find out he had a tough childhood. What the man is trying to express is hatred and making the audience hate him. He wants you to stay away. Some may say he's misunderstood or he doesn't understand social behavior. You may be right, but what about books.

In a world where visual is so dominant, you have to understand we are taught to look at an image and analyse it. So is it wrong if we look at the cover and judge it on it's visual? It is a product isn't it? If there is a dragon on the cover, is it wrong to be shock when it's about the relation between mother and daughter, with no supernatural element?

Why I raise this topic is because I have read books that I picked up because I like the cover.

I picked up both these books because I liked the cover. I had read Clare's previous work and thought maybe her new series might impress me. I had no idea who Palma was and questioned his work. One disappointed me so much I had lost faith in the author, the other made me see storytelling in a new light. While both have similar artistic vibes and both title deal with time/clock, they're completely opposites. I enjoyed The Map of Time and was glad I picked it up just by looking at it. It is a little known book and should be read by more. Not something I can say about Clockwork Angel. No offense to people who like the book, great if you do. It wasn't for me. I didn't believe that the characters were true to their time period or their situation and for me it was like... City of Bones... in London. This was my experience with two books with similar covers but different outcomes.

Another book I chose, based on the cover was Anna Dressed in Blood. 

And once again, I was pleased. I found another book cover I liked and DID research, realised that book wasn't for me and saw other books by the author. This was how I found Raven Boys.

This is my process of looking at random books. Cover, Title/Author and Blurb. I'm not saying that all books with good covers are good, or books with boring covers are always bad. No. What I'm saying is that it's not wrong to judge a book by it's cover. Going back to people, we dress in a way to express. We see someone with a shirt with a reference or quote you identify with, you can start up a conversation. My friend had a shirt with her favourite drama on it, another girl (random) came up and said she too loved the show. And they discussed and found out they had similar interest.

So authors and publishing companies... or however makes front cover, put effort and creativity. It is a product your trying to sell to us. Tell the story with the Title and the Cover. Those are the two things we see. Don't give me vague one word titles with a girl on the front. Anna Dressed in Blood, what do you see.

-Haunted House
-Blood
-White
-Mist
-Night time

And what do you get out of the title plus the cover. This seems like a ghost story about a haunted house with this girl who is covered in blood. And won't you know, that is part of it.

So I analysed the cover and came to a reasonable judgement which wasn't incorrect. Yes, there is more to the story. You like the cover and you pick up the book and you turn it around. You read the blurb.

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. 

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

I found it interesting and brought the book. I'm currently reading the sequel and am enjoying it. I have chosen two books, based on their cover, and liked both. To me, if an author/publisher can put effort in their cover.... they might have put effort in their book. I'm not saying we should all be superficial, I'm just saying sometimes... the eyes don't lie.

DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER

Its okay have a view on a book by analysing it's cover. 

The Raven Boys and Australia's Most Deadly

Took a photo of Kevin the Koala and my copy of The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.

It was at first for Maggie's Bookplate Giveaway, but then realised, after reading the actual thing, that it was only for the US.

Sometimes leaving in Australia... sux. It's boiling hot in Christmas, no one ever comes to Australia, during the same season the north is flooding and the south is burning. Cyclone season and bush fire season are the SAME season! Death is every where you look... no seriously.

While America learns about their Presidents and History, and the English learn about the Monarchy, Australia learns about what bug/animal will kill you.

Did you know Kangaroos kill??? They do, no jokes.

So before I die from Australia's nature life, I shall post this picture of one of the safe animals of Australia. By safe I mean 'too lazy to kill you.'

p.s. They are called Koalas, not Koala Bears. No one calls them Koala Bears.... that just crazy.

The Raven Boys - The Book That Gave Me Hope...

I haven't always been a reader. Hell, I used to hate books and reading. That was until a 'friendly' competition began with my sister, which she was unaware about, and I picked up a book... Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. 

Yes, that was my first book at the age of 15. Then, I followed with a little bit of Mitch Albom and a lot of Harlan Coben. However, I was 17 when I picked up Twilight, and I must admit... I was hooked. This was before a) the movies, b) the crazy fans and teams and c) Breaking Dawn.

Anyway, after all of the previous statement there was a VOID left in my book worm. I kept picking up by trusted Coben and Albom, but nothing in the YA (Young Adult- Teens) Department. I picked up the Mortal Instrument Series, but didn't enjoy it, neither with the Clockwork Angel.

Then everything with Vampires, Werewolves and Angels came out and my VOID was getting bigger. I love angst, but not in the 'we can never be together, but i pine for you and still let stupid things come between us like the second guy, whom I don't deserve'. Even when I tried to look for some relief with pure human stories, Beautiful Disaster - with its 'I broke up with you cause you're controlling, but I love you when you're controlling, but won't tell you and continue pining for you as you pine for me as well', I only started hating my genre.

They say never to judge a book by it's cover.... sometimes... it's okay. The first time I judged was with The Map of Time, which is another story, and it was awesome! And then I judged with Shiver, which I have yet to read. Anyway as I tried to research the author I found her latest work, The Raven Boys.

THANK YOU FOR FILLING IN THE VOID!

There are not Vampires, Werewolves or Angels R
The main female lead isn't a shell of a character R
Secondary characters are developed R
Male lead isn't perfect in reality nor in female lead's eyes R
Friends are.... friends and family is... family, meaning they act like it R
There is angst R R R R R

There is soooo much more I could say about this novel.

Thank you, Raven Boys, for giving filling The Ultimate VOID.

d*c

The Raven Boys 
by Maggie Stiefvater

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. 

There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve. Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him. 

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. 

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. 

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

The Raven Boys... the next big thing. Pick it up and have a read, before the trend starts. For more information head on to Good Reads and Maggie Stiefvater's official website.

Enjoy the book.

- I'm the Misery Chick and... I'm going to cry in a corner now.

"I can't bring all my books with me on my trip...
now I have to buy them all over again on my kindle."

Podcast #1 - The Raven Boys Discussion

This was supposed to go in the Raven Boys entry, but decide to post in on it's own. This is my first time creating and posting a podcast. It's only a testing element, if I get better, might post more. It's very dodgy quality, no editing, no script and was feeling under the weather, but it was fun talking about The Raven Boys in detail... WARING SPOILERS.

Anyway, this is me just rambling about The Raven Boys, the plot, characters and what I expect from the sequels. Also, once again, sorry about the quality and the low sound... don't have fancy equipment.

Hope you enjoy it.





Song list
Henrietta - Composed by Maggie Stiefvater, Kate Hummel & Matt Montoro.
The Old Fashioned Way - Luna

The Ultimate Void - Introduction.

Misery Chick's Ultimate Void

First entry in the void would be discussing, just that... The void itself. Why is this delightful blog called the ultimate void and why I'm in it. 

Ever felt like something is missing? Every felt like you were in another universe and no one understood? Ever have something to say, but wasn't that important, but needed to be said so you felt complete? Ever felt like you were being sucked into a hole, deeper and deeper? Ever felt like something was missing, felt incomplete. Ever felt complete but then afterwards asked... what now?

Welcome to the Void...

The Void is that aftermath or the mourning period. A dimension where you and only you are. It is hard to get out of the Void or even fill it. Sometimes it isn't even you who is trapped, but a side of you. The geeky side, the nerdy side, the crazy fan girl side, the professional work-acholic side, the love-sick puppy side etc. 

I've been in the Void for many reasons and will discuss them with each post and how I get escape them, if I can that is. 

- I'm the Misery Chick and now... I'm going to cry in a corner...  

“I don’t have enough chips for my dip, 
but if I open another packet of chips, 
I won’t have enough dip for my chips.”