So, welcome to Booker T's Farm's second Book Discussion. Once you see this month's topic and remember a recent review of mine (Mutts & Mistletoe), you'll completely understand it's timely post. I hope to do these occasionally because sometimes, you just have to get things off your chest. Please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments because I can't very well have a discussion by myself.
So today I want to share with you want of my biggest book pet peeves. I like to call it........
DOG FALSE ADVERTISING
I have always noticed this to be a thing but let's be honest, I notice it happening more and more around the Christmas season. Now everyone who knows me knows that romance is not a genre I review much here at The Farm. I have nothing against it and in fact I have a very romantic husband, but I just prefer other genres when it comes to books. My main exception is around the holidays. During Christmas, I like to incorporate a few cute romantic type books because I think it's the perfect time for something lighter. The holidays can be so hectic anyways so it's nice to read something quick and chill for a few hours. And my followers also know that I do love my dog books (see the title of the blog and all the posts featuring Booker T and Cassius - it's a no-brainer people).
So let me set the scene. I'm running around doing my routine or holiday shopping. I spy a book with snow, happy people and an ADORABLE pooch on the cover. If I'm in a hurry and the book is cheap, I'll just toss it in the cart. If I have some time, I may read the back but let's be real, I'm pretty much a cover whore. So I sit down one evening and pick up said book. I show the cute pup picture to my husband who looks up from his football game long enough to say "why are you reading that? It doesn't look scary." I start reading. 50 pages in...no dog. 75 pages...still no dog. 100 pages...I'm getting pissed, where in the hell is the dog???
Here are a few books to give you an idea.
So all of these are on Netgalley right now. And I've actually only requested one. However, I have at least read their synopsis which is more than I do when I'm shopping as fast as I can because I hate most people. They all have that holiday cheer vibe, snow and dogs. However, upon closer inspection I see no indication that the cute dog hanging his head out of the truck window appears in any of the four stories in "A Season to Celebrate." The adorable lab sitting on the packages of "The Corner of Holly and Ivy?" No mention of him either. Now I've actually almost bought "Alaskan Holiday" at Walmart lately but didn't. I do think the synopsis mentions sled dogs so the huskies on the front are appropriate. "Christmas at Cape Cod" I couldn't tell you.
So see Dog False Advertising. It ticks me off. Thank heavens Anna over at Herding Cats & Burning Soup does read a lot of romance and I'm so glad. I know several times this year I've went as far as asking her if the dog on the cover is even in the book. She's been a huge help.
Another big complaint which is similar is when the dogs (or even cats) on the cover aren't the same breed or coloring as the ones in the book? Really, it is hard to find a cute beagle or basset? If it mentions a black cat, why is there a calico on the cover?
Another big complaint which is similar is when the dogs (or even cats) on the cover aren't the same breed or coloring as the ones in the book? Really, it is hard to find a cute beagle or basset? If it mentions a black cat, why is there a calico on the cover?
So any thoughts. Am I being unreasonable? Do you find me completely mad?
I don't think you're being unreasonable at all. Authors and publishers use covers to entice us into wanting to buy their books and I expect the covers to accurately portray the plot or MC. If there is a dog on the cover, I'd expect a dog to feature a reasonable amount in the book. I hate seeing a white girl on the cover if the MC is Mexican, a dog that doesn't exist in the book, an MC with red hair but the cover has her blonde etc. It really bugs me!
ReplyDeleteYep any false representation on the cover is a no-no in my book.
DeleteNope, you're not made, it's a perfectly reasonable expectation to think that the book will reflect the cover, down to the cute pooch.That would irritate me immensely too :(
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I hit upon something that bothers others.
DeleteHunh, I didn't know dog false advertising was a thing. Darn.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chuckles. I don't like it when the book cover shows a person with different colored hair or skin.
Well, now you can beware :)
DeleteNope, not unreasonable at all. I've had this happen with covers before. Even with ones that have no fog. I've read a book where the woman on the cover had red hair and in the book it was black!??? The Corgi Mysteries series I just read is true. Even mentioned in one of my reviews that the dogs on the cover are even the right colors! And I mentioned just because I've come across dog false advertising. LOL
ReplyDeleteI did recall you mentioning that. I was actually working on this post in October before I even read Mutts & Mistletoe but it only gave me more ammunition.
DeleteNo dog AT ALL? Like... not just a dog swap out like your recent review, but no one even owns a dog? :O
ReplyDeleteYep, some with no mention of the dog at all - blasphemy!
DeleteI agree, cover art on books has become like "clickbait"! My anger came out lately with covers that appeared to have people of color on them, but not in them, well one book had two black children in it, but only for one sentence! Ugh. 😩
ReplyDeleteI love it - clickbait. So very appropriate. How sad about the children. I think sometimes publishers think we're all dumb.
DeleteNo, you are not being unreasonable! It's like the publishers are lying just to get dog people to buy the book. And I honestly believe that whoever designed the cover did not read the book if they get such an important detail about dog breed wrong🤔
ReplyDeleteI know. Most probably couldn't tell us anything about the books.
DeleteI think that happens a lot and ticks me off too. Is it the publisher that is going for sales?
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I hate false advertising!! Don't put a cute little animal of any kind on the front if it's not going to be a part of the book! This bothers me too.
ReplyDeleteYes, any animal. Good point!
DeleteYou're hilarious! But I agree...covers should represent what's actually in the book. I'm against false dog advertising, too! ;D
ReplyDeleteYay, more people for my crusade!
DeleteUgh! It drives me nuts when the book cover and the actual text doesn't line up!!
ReplyDeleteYou'd think it such a hard thing to do.
DeleteIt seems a cute puppy is the go-to window dressing for a lot of cover designers these days when it comes to Christmas themed books. Normally it wouldn't bother me because they just become one of those things you see on Christmas covers like presents and mistletoe, but yes, if I were a dog person specifically looking for a dog book, I can see why it would be annoying to be misled that way!
ReplyDelete~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
You are right, if I wasn't so dog focused it probably wouldn't bother me so much. You have a very valid point.
DeleteHa! I just read one with a dog on the cover and that dog didn't come into play until the very last chapter and then was just a gift to a character. I totally thought of you and putting a note into the review for you. lol
ReplyDeleteI can always count on you to help me out!
DeleteI love Sookie and Sam too! That was one of my fav elements of that TV show :) Love those two and love their relationship. Oh oh oh now I want to watch the series again LOL see what you do to me Barb!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were a Samookie fan!
DeleteI completely agree with you. I expect a book's cover to represent the content. If there is a dog, I expect a dog. It makes me made when things don't match up.
ReplyDeleteThanks Carole!
DeleteWOW!! How WEIRD is that?! They put a dog on the cover, and then it turns out, when you start delving into the book, NO dog is to be found ANYWHERE?! I've never heard of such a thing! But then, I don't really read that many books that include dogs. However, since I'm more of a horse freak, I can relate, because I would DEFINITELY BE TICKED OFF if there was a freaking horse on a book cover, and then none appeared in the plot!! That's a REAL switch and bait, for Pete's sake!!
ReplyDeleteIf this happens again, you should just go back to the store and return the book. Maybe you can do that with any book you bought very recently. Good luck!!
LOTSA HUGS TO YOU AND THE PUPS, AND "WOOF, WOOF" TO THEM!!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)
Haha. I should, returns would drive the publisher crazy!
DeleteNot unreasonable at all! The cover is meant to both entice and inform. I do have a (short) blacklist of publishers that I won't support because I know from bitter experience that their covers are deliberately misleading.
ReplyDeleteWorst for me so far was the Still Alice edition published after the movie came out. It took me a good third of the novel to twig that the curly dark-haired woman in the text and the straight red-haired woman on the cover were meant to be the same person. A bit daft on my part admittedly, but I still think one should have fitted the other for the book!
There is nothing worse than dog false advertising (well, maybe expect for surprising doggy death). Capitalizing on dog lovers and then not delivering is unfair. This has happened to me in the past too.
ReplyDelete