Random Book Prize Opportunity: Judging Books by the First Thirty-Five Words of Their Back Cover
Last week we judged books by their covers. This week you can judge by micro-sized excerpts from their back cover description (or their cover jacket description, in some cases). We've got copies of all four of the books with excerpted summaries below. Just tell us which book you'd most like to read based on the excerpt and you'll get a chance to win (not necessarily the one you choose, though–you shouldn't judge books by [small excerpts from the back of] their covers!)
The contest is closed now; we've identified the mystery books below, for the curious.
Mystery Book #1: All sixteen-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school–and life in general–with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick… (Going Bovine by Libba Bray)
Mystery Book #2: My stomach lurched with dread. I felt like throwing up. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. Crazy. Chest thumping, I hurried into the bank and stood at an ATM in the vestibule. There was… (Bank Job by James Heneghan)
Mystery Book #3: So here I am spending spring break in California with my best friend, Junie. Our chaperone is a teenager, like us. And soon I’ll get to hang out with the coolest, cutest boy in the… (I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barrie Summy)
Mystery Book #4: Fifteen-year-old Sarah Greene’s father—chef by day, camera buff by night—choked to death on a piece of steak. It was the best day of Sarah’s life. But in the aftermath of his death, Sarah… (Leftovers by Heather Waldorf)
Mystery Book #1? Mystery Book #3? What's your choice? The contest will close on Monday, August 30 (a week from today).
Alan H. is a web librarian at Toronto Public Library. He always tries to read at least a bit of the back cover summary before judging a book. Honest.
32 thoughts on “Random Book Prize Opportunity: Judging Books by the First Thirty-Five Words of Their Back Cover”
Mystery book numero four, for sure.
From what I can’tell thusfar, it’s a potentially funny story with an uncoventional plot. And I’m a total sucker for both.
It’s hard to single out a book, but I would go for mystery book #4. I can relate to Sarah and her feelings towards a paren’t, and I am curious to find out how much of an effect her dad’s death has on her life.
I read mystery book #1 a few months ago. :O
I would definitely read #4. It sounds funny, and I like funny. =)
I really want to read Mystery Book #3.
It sounds like a typical book that I would read. But then again its hard to choose a book from a few sentences.
Mistery Book #2 sounds intriguing, but #4 definitely has my vote.
Defintaely Mystery Book # 4, a chef dies from eating steak HAHA IRONY
I would like to read Mystery Book # 1, sometimes facing life-changing situations brings out the most amazing aspects in a personality
Mystery Book #3 PlEASE!!!!
=)
I would say Mystery Book #3…
I wish we were allowed to know the titles of the books, though… :p Oh well… do we get to know them after the contest is over?? (please say yes)…
I’ll reveal the titles after the contest closes, don’t worry!
#4 sounds the least cliche/teenager angst/typical romance, compared to the other book excerpts.
I would pick #4 for the same reason as Alfea.
I would like to read mystery book number #4. Judging by the description, I would guess that the mystery book number #4 is kinda like a father/daughter, friendship, or a survival kinda book( which is pretty nice to read). Infact, it’s very catchy, and kinda make curious to find out what’s going on in the that seen..
definitely the one I wanna read 🙂
Mystery Book Number 2 FTW 😉
Definitely number two or three!!!! Looks awesome!
I would chose Mystery Book Number 4 because it seems like there’s more to the story then simply Sarah’s father choking to death on steak, and I like books where everything is not as it seems initially.
I choose Mystery Book #4! sounds cool 🙂
I would choose Mystery Book #4 because the excerpt sounds most interesting to me!
My choice is number 2 ;D
Mystery book 2 or 4, because the other book 1 reminds me of a Jodi Picoult book due to “Cameron” being sick, and book 3 is just the type of book I’m not interested in because its excerpt gives it off as a predictable, stereotypical “teens book”.
i would pick mystery book #1
mystery book # 2 is my pick 😀
Honestly, Book #1 and #2 seem very interesting reads. However,#1 would definitely be my first pick. Firstly, because it seems realistic. And based in the exerpt from the back of the book, I think it’d really encourage people to be a little more serious about life than just taking it like ‘With little Effort.’ I don’t think LIFE should be taken with little effort unless you really want to live a meaningless life. I’m really interested in how the boy’s views are changed in the novel.
Definitely Mystery Book #2! The first one sounds like a dying kid story, and I’ve already read a lot of those, the third one sounds like a vacation gone wild story, another common genre, and the fourth sounds like the girl is dealing with her father’s death, and perhaps is going to meet strange and unknown relatives. All these feel common to me, but I think this is the first time, no wait, scratch that, the second time I’ve read of something that sounds like a guy breaking into an ATM machine.
Mystery book #3 sounds interesting
i would read book #4
Mystery book #1! I think I’m drawn to slightly bizarre circumstances, and that one seems like the one most likely to contain a hint of the supernatural.
I say Mystery Book Number… THREE!!
Firstly, I have always dreamed of going to Calafornia with my friends and just chilling on the Beach or something and I’m sure the book would describe how it may feel. Secondly, Cute Chaperone means romance novel? Personally I think the books going to be amazing but judging a book with just a few lines is pretty hard!!
I would have chosen mystery book number 1 if I didn’t know that it’d probaly have a sad ending, so i;m going with mystery book number 4
I’d pick mystery book number 4 because it sounds interesting
book #3 and book #4 sound the most interesting to moi! 🙂
I would choose to read mystery book number 2 because it sounds interesting to me and seems like one of those short YA books by Orca book publishers (I can’tell by experience of reading them).They always start off with that style. For instance, I have one book called House Party by Eric Walters and the excerpt from the back is ” I followed them into the living room and was met by a mass of people. My sudden courage seemed to deflate. How could I ever get this many people to leave? Just then I heard the sirens.” They always have a lesson in them and are well written to accommodate the teen audience.. I enjoy reading them, especially when I am looking for a quick read.
Mystery number book 1 seems sad and I have read enough sad books over the summer. On the other hand, mystery number book 3 appears to be a romance novel; which honestly I don’t read. As for mystery book number 4, it’s about dying/comedy and I have read a similar book called Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks. The storyline is similar because Martyn is a fourteen-year old boy whose dad dies and instead of feeling bad about it, he learns he can profit from it and decides to hide the death. Overall, I would prefer to read mystery book number 2.
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