The Feel of a Good Book

Have you ever bought a book simply because you liked the way it felt in your hand? Not because the description sounded interesting, or because the cover looked cool (because, let’s face it, we all judge a book by its cover) but because it just simply felt like a good book? Or, when looking at a book doesn’t do anything for you, but the moment you pick it up you just have to buy it?

I stopped at Target today to pick up a few things and since I have a ridiculously long list of work to do, I naturally felt the urge to take my time and wander through the books and dvd section of the store (where I extremely disappointed to find all the $4 Pulp Fiction dvds sold out). I noticed Silver Linings Playbook on a shelf (the book not the movie)(although the movie was on that self; apparently you can get $5 off the movie at Target if you buy the book with it) and decided to take a look at it, because while I really want to see the movie I honestly have very little idea what it’s actually about. The minute I picked it up I knew I probably wasn’t going to put it back on that shelf; I just kind of fell in love with the feel of the book.

Now some of you may be thinking that it probably has something to do with that picture of Bradley Cooper on the cover (I’m looking at you, Rosie) but to be honest (and some of you may already know this about me) I hate movie-tie in editions of books. I hate that publishers capitalize on sales by slapping a picture from a movie on the cover – nine times out of ten the original cover is much better more artistic and feels better to the touch (I have this tangible thing about books, I’m much more likely to buy a physical book if the cover is not glossy – if it is glossy I’m much more likely to just get the ebook – I can’t explain it). Also, some publishers will raise the price of that book just because it’s a movie tie-in. True story. The cover of Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts eating gelato on the front cost more than an original copy of the book.

But Silver Linings Playbook is only part glossy, and the binding is perfect – not so tight you feel like you’re going to crack the spine in order to open the book, yet not so loose you’re afraid of pages falling out. It has that feeling of being a favorite book well-worn and read repeatedly, even though it’s brand new. I just picked it up and it felt like the perfect beach book. Not that I’ll actually read this at the beach (though if I am reading it when I go I will certainly take it with me) but it just felt like a good summer read in my hand. Reading the book hadn’t even been on my radar before I touched it, but now it’s near the top of my summer reading list.

There was another book that I had nearly the same reaction to when I picked it up, but I resisted the temptation as The Perks of Being a Wallflower had already join Silver Linings Playbook in my cart. The Promise of Stardust sounds like a complete tear-jerker, but again I loved the way the book felt when I held it. I’ll probably be adding a copy of that to my collection as well at some point this summer.

Thank goodness summer break is coming soon, because my reading list is getting very long very quickly!