Whether you read books constantly or prefer to skim the shelves once in a blue moon, everyone is guilty of judging a book by its cover. That is by no means a bad thing (just keep it to books and not people).

However, it is also important to acknowledge a book as being more than just its cover. It simply cannot be denied. Therefore, I propose a few other things to judge a book by.

1. The opinions others have on it

This one is a must. More often than not, the opinions of others have not steered me wrong. In fact, it has encouraged me to open up some of the books that became my favorites.

2. The author

This is another relatively reliable gauge on whether or not you will like a book. If you have read something by a particular author before, and you liked it, chances are you won’t have strong negative feelings about other books written by the same author.

3. The way it smells

New and crisp or old and dusty book smells are the best smells.

4. How it looks next to other books

I like to call myself a book hoarder. I collect them and once they are shelved, the chances of them being resold or given away are almost zero. For that reason, I cannot help but think about how a book will look sitting next to other books.

5. The character's decisions

Of course, this is one that can only happen after one has read a book, but all my fiction-lovers out there know that nothing is worse than a book full of characters who make downright stupid choices. I mean, I don’t know how many times I want to shout at the characters for simply not talking to each other. Lack of communication should be an outlawed plot device.

6. Whether it makes you laugh, smile, squeal or cry

Make me cry, I dare ya! If it makes you feel epic emotions, there is no denying it is a quality novel.

7. The sound a book makes when you throw it across the room

We have all been there. Whether you're angry or sad, when a book makes you literally throw it across the room you know it is a good one.

Books are the closest thing we humans have to magic if you ask me. They are literally one of the greatest things on this Earth, so if you’ve got the time, don’t be afraid to delve a little deeper and judge them by more than just what is on the surface.