An ongoing notebook

The Reading Life

A notebook on reading, writing, and the long sentence.

My Earliest Memory About Books

THE READING LIFE · 3 MIN READ · May 8, 2025

I don’t have many memories of my early life. I was so focused on living the day that the first eight years are like a blur, like for most children.

However, there are a few not-so-blurry moments that jump back up clearly. Not surprisingly, some of them are related to books and reading.

The oldest memory that is still very clear is from kindergarten. On the last day of classes before Christmas Break, each student in my class received a book from the city as a present. There were a variety of books, from cowboys to tales, and multiple copies of each. I quickly spotted an illustrated edition of “Contes” (Tales)by Charles Perrault with weird illustrations. That’s the one I elected.

Our teacher decided to distribute the books in alphabetical order. Although I was early on the list, my book of choice quickly became down to only one copy when we reached the name just before mine. That student was absent, so another boy was tasked with choosing a book for him. Guess what! He picked the last copy of the tales!

To my dismay, the last copy of the book I wanted left the pile of possibilities.

Then came my turn.

When the teacher asked me which book I wanted, I said: “I wanted that one!” I can only imagine the look on my face. It was probably so pitiful! The teacher pondered the situation for a moment, then asked the boy who had selected the tales if it was okay to give it to me and to choose another book for the absent classmate. He replied that it was fine.

That day, I walked away from the École Octobre with a big, hardcover book of Tales by Charles Perrault, a smile on my face.

Today, the Tales by Charles Perrault proudly stand in my Special Book Library, alongside my Easton Press classics, and the Harper Muse editions of Peter Pan and Frankenstein. This book, which was gifted in the Parisian suburbs on a December afternoon in 1985, travelled through the Atlantic in my luggage. It is now 40 years old, and my memories are still vibrant when I look at it. This book, more than just a collection of stories, it is the symbol of my love for reading, and the illustration of the emotional connections existing between books and their readers.

How about you? What is your earliest book-related memory? Do you have memories attached to certain special books, or do you have books that are connected to particular events of your life? Last, do you keep these special books in specific places, or did you lose them over the years? I’d love to hear your stories, so feel free to share them in the comments below.

On Book Covers as Art

THE READING LIFE · 4 MIN READ · April 30, 2025

I counted them not too long ago. I am the proud owner of over 1,200 pieces of art. That’s a collection worthy of a small museum! You might think I own a castle to keep all this art safe and on display. Well no. My house is of average size, and my walls are not covered from floor to ceiling. So, “Where do you keep all that art?” you might ask. “Well, on my shelves, in my libraries” will be my answer because I consider book covers as art forms and as art pieces in themselves.

Why art pieces? Well, let’s go by the definition of art from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Art is a “skill acquired by experience, study, or observation, and it is “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” So, let’s apply this definition to book covers. Does the design of a cover require skills? Yes. Are these skills acquired? Often, yes. Is the design a conscious use of skills and necessitates imagination? Certainly. Are books aesthetic objects? I think they are, so we display them in libraries, living rooms, or museums.

Publishers and cover designers spend time designing covers. Attention is devoted to the design after the book is written because covers are the gateway to the content. We open a cover like we open a door. Often perceived as a marketing tool, they are more than that.

Covers incorporate elements of traditional art forms such as painting, photography, storytelling, or even cave painting. They consider matters of space occupation, space management, color contrast and association, composition, texture, lines, etc. There are book covers that are so iconic you could name the title even if it were not printed. Some of them are:

The Great Gatsby, book cover by Francis Cugat, 1925.
To Kill a Mockingbird, book cover by Shirley Smith, 1960
A Confederacy of Dunces, book cover by Charles Rue Wood, 1987

More importantly, a cover, like art, creates an emotional connection with the potential reader. A cover can attract or repulse the reader. They make us think, smile, or cringe. Like the proverbial cookies scream “Eat Me!” in Alice in Wonderland, the covers tell us, “Read me!” And like the cookies, chances are, the content hidden behind the cover will make us grow. A cover will capture the essence of a book and translate the written message to a visual the potential reader will look at for about 5 seconds. Covers should capture, summarize, inform, and diffuse content. So, the cover designer or cover artist has one chance to captivate and grab the reader’s attention. After the title, the front cover will either lead to the next step, reading the back cover or doom the book to be returned to the shelf.

To conclude, here are some of my favorite book covers:

The Hobbit, cover design by J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937. The simple cover promises a world of nature and adventures. Associated with an elusive title, it’s enough to pick my curiosity. This picture features a more recent edition since I do not own a first edition of The Hobbit…

The Night Circus, cover design by Helen Musselwhite, 2011. The combination of Red, white, and black makes the whole thing dreamy and magical!

Union Square Books and Co.‘s book covers feature graphic art designs that bring a modern twist to classic literature.

The Juniper Press covers. If you have never seen the Juniper Press book covers for the series, you are missing out! They are absolutely gorgeous, and when put together, the books form a whole. They are so popular that it is possible to purchase the dust covers and apply them to our books.

Harper Muse—Painted Edition. These covers are just art. One look at the cover, and we can guess the content. That’s probably why the titles are printed small!

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

How about you? What are your favorite covers? Which book covers would you consider as iconic? Or what are some terrible covers you have seen or that rebuked you? Please leave your comments below. Also, remember to take the quiz “Name That Book by the Cover” by clicking here.

And as always, happy reading!

MD Crackower

M. D. Crackower is the author of “Strategy: A Divine Blueprint for Spiritual Battles”. Available on Amazon.com.

On Choosing a New Book

THE READING LIFE · 5 MIN READ · April 21, 2025

Choosing my next read is a process. I never thought it so until I began writing this blog and reflecting on my reading life. Many elements enter that selection process before a book can find its place on my shelves.

Of course, there is more than one way to choose a book. It could spring from a recommendation by a friend, a podcast, an influencer, a critic, or an article in a literary journal or magazine. However, I am not talking about these today. If I find myself browsing at a bookstore in search of my next read, it’s different.

First, I will wander around from one aisle to another until a genre appeals to me. What am I really in the mood for? If I am on a vacation, it will be Children’s literature and YA, Heroic Fantasy, and detective novels. If I am more in a study mode, it could be Christianity, history, or cooking.

Once I have decided on an area, I will look at the titles because that’s how most books are presented to us in bookstores and libraries for space reasons: Spine first. So, the first element I will take into consideration is the title. Usually, I will pick a title that intrigues or interests me. Titles are the sales call of the world of books. Those who scream, “Read me! Read me!” or tickle my ears will get picked up. Another way is through the name of the author. Do I know this author? Have I read something else by him or her? Did I like it? Would I want to read something else? Or Have I heard of this author?

After the initial inspection, I usually return the book to the shelf or turn to the cover. I know it’s common to say: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Truth is, we all do it. If a cover is not designed well, does not convey the message, or presents certain aspects that repulse me (such as blood, weapons, vampires, or mummies), I will immediately put the book back on the shelf. We all have archetypes and experiences that talk to us and build our identity as a reader. However, the cover is what we will judge the book by first. It could be one of the most significant elements in the book marketing business. It must convey the message and summarize it in one picture. It has 5 seconds to convince me that this book is worth my time. I only have a limited amount of time to read. Do I want to waste it? The process of choosing a book is just that: judging the work of marketers. A book cover is a big gateway to reading. It will entice me or repulse me.

Step 3: I flip the book. Now that the cover, title, and author have convinced me that I should devote more than 5 seconds to the book, I switch to the back cover with its punch line, summary, author’s biography, and photography. I enter the details of the book. Is the premise intriguing? Interesting? Is it related to what I am currently investigating or studying? In the case of non-fiction, would I enjoy the story? Does it contain elements I like to read about (treasures, journeys, etc.)

If a book is lucky and has passed the initial barriers of consideration related to the plain time difficulties, then I will open it and dive into its content. Font and formatting: Is it easy to read or all crammed on one page? How big is it? Language plays a significant role, especially if I buy a book in English. Can I read it easily, or do I stumble every three words?

After that comes everything related to the peritext: the table of contents and illustrations, if there are any.

Last, when a book is still in my hands after all these steps, the hard questions come: How much does it cost? (I don’t care much for e-books and e-readers.) Will I have time to read it?

I have become very selective in 2025 about the books I buy because I realized at the beginning of the year that I own about 160 books I haven’t read. That’s about 10% of my collection. I stacked them on my office floor, and when I couldn’t put a foot in front of the other, I thought: “I have a problem. I need to read these books”. One of my quirks is that I don’t like to have a book I haven’t read on my shelves. That’s how I feel about my TBR. It bothers me. However, it does not bother me if other people don’t read their books and just collect or buy them because they like the cover or for any reason. A collector does not always read everything in his or her collection. So, to resolve this problem, I set some boundaries for my book-buying routine. I must read 13 books before I can buy one. So far, I bought three books, which is not a lot. My daughter has been fulfilling the Guardian of the Shelves role very well.

So, in 2025, I am shopping my shelves. I still noticed that the process remains the same. I never considered it to this day. These initial 5 seconds will determine whether a book will make it. It’s inconscient. I don’t tell myself step one: Title. Step 2: ….

How about you? How do you choose your books? Which steps will make/help you decide if a book will make it to your TBR or collection? Do you have any quirks in your reading life?

M. D. Crackower is the author of “Strategy: A Divine Blueprint for Spiritual Battles”. Available on Amazon.com.