Books, covers, and judging

The number of books there are to read in my house has dwindled to an appalling level. While I was providing critical care to my darling, I needed something, nearly anything to read.

I had this from the conference I went to this summer. I nearly abandoned it there because I am over vampires (nearly, I just have to watch about 6 more episodes of Angel and then I'm totally over vampires) but it's a hardcover book. I have loves for books and hardcovers in my possession are rare.

So I picked it up. And I read it. And I enjoyed it.
Because it's funny. Not so much comic funny but clever funny. Here's the thing though: this cover appeals to me not a bit. Not a tiny, single bit. It doesn't look like the story of a soap opera writer who has the ability to tell you how you'll die or the prince of darkness or a devoted (male) vampire slayer. Or her little dog, Jack Bauer.

This cover needed a dog. That's what I'm saying. The dagger (OK, it's a stake with a cross on it...that makes sense), the tattoo (which is really a band of some sort, which doesn't makes sense at all, the dragon part...a bit), the dress, the lounging sprawl...they don't have much to do with this story as far as I can tell. They seem to say historical romance. This isn't.

Maybe this is why we aren't supposed to judge books by their covers?