When it comes to purchasing books—or even choosing something to read off a library shelf—how much influence does a volume's packaging have on your decision?  Will beautiful cover art entice you to buy?  How about an intriguing title?  The TTT topic du jour, Top Ten Titles/Covers That Made Me Want to Read/Buy the Book, has me considering what attracts me to a book.  I couldn't think of any specific titles or covers that made me want to read a certain book STAT, but there are a number of tropes that I always find appealing (check out this TTT list I made about them in 2019).  If these themes are reflected on a book's cover, it pretty much guarantees I will at least give it a second glance.  

Before I dish about that, though, let me encourage you to join in the TTT fun.  All you have to do is click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for some quick instructions, create your own list, then spend some happy hours spreading love across the book blogosphere.  It's a good ole time, I promise!

Top Ten Cover Tropes That Will Always Catch My Eye 

1.  Spooky old houses.  I love me an ancient and mysterious old pile teeming with hidden passageways, dark secrets, and ghostly haunts!  

2.  Broody landscapes, especially when they involve a sinister forest or moody seascape.  Atmospheric reads are my favorite.

3.  Covered wagons and people in pioneer clothes.  My proud Mormon Trail and Oregon Trail pioneer ancestry seems to have predisposed me to love a good trek story. 

4.  Books.  Show me a fun book stack or a tantalizing peek into a library or bookstore and I'm pretty much sold.

5.  Something is not quite right.  A cover that shows something ordinary with just the tiniest bit awry is always intriguing to me.

6.  Quaint small towns.  Even though I live in a ginormous suburb, my heart will always pine for tiny hamlets bursting with beauty and quirky folks, like the place where I grew up.

7.  Historical fiction featuring people looking away from the camera.  Yes, I know this cover trend is a little annoying, but I still love it.

8.  Food, especially desserts!  Sometimes you just want to lick a tasty cover...No?  Just me?

9.  Transportation, especially trains, ocean liners, and planes.  These vehicles hint that there is an adventure-filled journey just ahead.

10.  Warm, glow-y Fall or winter scenes.  I live in the Phoenix area.  What can I say?  I'm starved for seasons!