Judging an Author by Her Cover

After maxing out my renewels, I returned Marisha Pessl's "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" to the library yesterday. Although I had a hard time getting into this 514-paged novel, I eventually warmed up to it and felt I had found another "The Secret History." However, my reading habits started to lag big time after I read this profile on Pessl. Two problems: she's cheerleader pretty, and she's rich. (Her husband is a hedge fund manager.) This image of her in her spacious apartment literally haunted me every time I opened the book. I stopped reading two weeks ago at page 293. I might check out the book again to prove to myself I'm not so shallow. (Image via NY Times)