A ‣ Blurbs

A blurb is a short text, usually printed on the back cover of a book, describing what the book is about and sometimes including quotes from critics. Here are some examples.

Woman of Snow is a poignant¹ chronicle² of childhood in a small American town. Nora Delaye is the youngest child in a… read more ›

The third novel by this acclaimed³ writer, this is a compelling⁴ tale of mystery, love and betrayal in a lugubrious⁵ setting reminiscent of the… read more ›

A macabre⁶ and chilling⁷ account of an unsolved murder that tears a village apart… read more ›

A page-turner⁸ full of brilliant moments of insight⁹ and an unparalleled depth of feeling, this is a gripping¹⁰ and enigmatic¹¹ tale that unfolds in… read more ›

A breathtaking¹² achievement, a journey of self-discovery that enchants and saddens, with a combination of wry¹³ humour and evocative¹⁴ scenes of life in… read more ›

Jim Lawless, the eponymous¹⁵ protagonist¹⁶ of Arkrow’s latest novel, is a confused young man seeking a meaning in life. It is an engaging¹⁷ tale, which… read more ›

¹ /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ moving and sad
² description of a sequence of events
³ praised by the public
⁴ very interesting and engaging
⁵ rather dark, mournful and gloomy (lugubrious is often used of people too)
⁶ /məˈkɑːbrə/ often cruel or disgusting, concerned with death
⁷ causing great fear
⁸ powerful story that keeps you interested
⁹ the ability to understand what something is really like
¹⁰ so interesting or exciting that it holds your attention totally
¹¹ mysterious
¹² amazing
¹³ in the face of a bad situation
¹⁴ which arouse memories or images
¹⁵ who has the same name as the title of the book
¹⁶ main character
¹⁷ pleasant and interesting

B ‣ Some other types of books

A journal is a written record of what you have done each day, e.g. a learning journal. It is also a publication containing academic articles, published at regular intervals, e.g. every three months.

Memoirs /ˈmemwɑːz/ are a written record of a person’s own life, typically by a politician or military figure.

An encyclopedia is a book or set of books containing articles arranged in alphabetical order, dealing with the whole of human knowledge or part of it.

An anthology is a collection of, for example, poems or short stories by different authors.

A manual is usually a technical book with instructions, for example, a car manual.

A logbook is a book that records events, times, etc., for example, all the journeys made by a lorry or ship.

C ‣ Other expressions for talking about books

I’m reading a book about the history of Ireland. It’s compulsive reading. [difficult to stop once you’ve started; formal] Or It’s one of those books you just can’t put down. [informal] It’s very informative. [gives a lot of useful information]

Nancy Riley’s novel about mental breakdown, published in 1950, was ahead of its time. [contained ideas that no one else had yet thought of or discussed at that time] Her 1955 book Exciting Careers for Women was a product of its time, though the ideas seem tame and old-fashioned, even genderbiased, now. [a reflection of that time]

Bertram’s latest novel is not a difficult book; in fact it’s rather lightweight. [not complex; slightly negative connotation] It’s good bedtime reading. [nice to read in bed] His last one was heavy going and I just couldn’t get into it. [difficult to read] [become involved/ engage with] Nonetheless, his books always attract a wide readership. [number of people who read them]