Judging books by their covers

I know, I know, you’re not supposed to - but come on! Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix is gloriously over-designed until it’s supremely grabbable on a bookshelf.

It’s likely to appeal to greedy horror fans (like moi) but equally to catalogue hoarders* and graphic novel enthusiasts alike.

*…is this where I admit I’ve never been in an IKEA in my life?

I’m going to review the novelistic integrity of this later, obviously, but as soon as I saw it I knew I’d own it before long, and I made that decision without having read a word of it - so I can’t pretend I’m exactly immune to the charms of a well-designed book.

I actually found out this book existed when a Storgy review of Hendrix’s newest book, The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, popped up on Twitter. Which I mention to prove that sometimes I pick my book by reading reviews…

But mostly, it’s the covers.