Judging a Book By Its Cover

So, which one did you think I would like?

or

both images via Goodreads

 

Here is the deal... 

 

Something Like Normal is an amazing book but a horrible, HORRIBLE cover.   I can totally see why a boy wouldn't want to read this, but it is a boy book.  Or at least it has a male protagonist and it is all about his experiences as a Marine being deployed to Afghanistan at 18 years old and his first time on leave.  I have no idea what the publisher was thinking on this one.  YA books are known for really embarrassing covers and this one might be the king of all embarrassing covers.  But the story, is so amazing.  Travis is suffering from undiagnosed PTSD and on his first leave at home is having trouble coping with home life.  He has nightmares and visions of his dead best friend. Travis story is one of figuring out how to cope (and a few make-out sessions, but not enough to warrant the cover of the book.) It is the story of hundreds of men and women returning from war at the age of 19.  It is manly and touching at the same time.

4/5 Stars on Goodreads

A Discovery of Witches, on the other hand, is an adult book with whiny teenage overtones.  The protagonist, Diana, started out pretty cool.  Independent woman, scholar, tenured at Yale, runner, rower, witch, all-around pretty awesome woman from my academic librarian standpoint.  But then she falls in love with a vampire and becomes a total crazy person.  When teens fall in love with vampires and become crazy, that makes sense because teens are a bit crazy.  They are new at the whole love and hormone thing.  But Dianna is late-30-something, super-educated and independent woman who, as a witch herself, falls in love with a vampire.  This is Edward and Bella on adult steroids and I really don't like to compare every vampire story to Twilight. Diana knows very little about this Matthew and is head over heels nearly immediately.  Anyway, the book was way too long and drawn out.  I see why some people really liked it and why it was a best-seller but, I won't be reading more of this series.  I have no desire to see what happens next.  But great cover!

2/5 Stars on Goodreads

So which one would you have liked?