Tag Archives: Book Covers

Apr

Cover Love | Ombré

I’m a sucker for ombré anything but give me an ombré book cover and it’s something I will stare at for hours on end. It’s an instant way to attract me with some cover love and a fun trend I’ve noticed on some recent releases! Sometimes it’s fun to have a blog post that’s just here for your viewing pleasure and you don’t need to read or think about the contents so here are just a few of my favorites for no other reason than for you to view them all in one place!

IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE by Christina June | Goodreads

GEEKERELLA by Ashley Poston | Goodreads | Review

WE ARE THE ANTS by Shaun David Hutchinson | Goodreads | Review

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins | Goodreads | Review

THE LOVE THAT SPLIT THE WORLD by Emily Henry | Goodreads | Review

LOVE LETTERS TO THE DEAD by Ava Dellaira | Goodreads | Review

THE INFINITE MOMENT OF US by Lauren Myracle | Goodreads | Review

Which ombre covers are some of your favorites? What cover love am I missing?! I tried to pick more straightforward ombre instead of cloudy effects because there are soooo many of those (which apparently I should make a separate post for)! I could just stare at these all day.

Mar

Redesign Reactions [9]: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Welcome to Redesign Reactions, where we talk about books, covers, and what happens when new cover designs take over a series!

On this edition of Redesign Reactions, let’s talk about
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

The paperback version of CARRY ON is coming out in May and the cover got a redesign! I feel like most paperbacks come out with new cover designs and I like the marketing behind this decision! It’s a chance to give the book a fresh look, grab new readers who weren’t grabbed by the original cover, and collectors will want to add these new beauties to their collections. Let’s take a look at the new paperback cover for CARRY ON!

OLD COVER: Rainbow Rowell is a BIG name nowadays, so I remember being very disappointed when the original cover reveal happened. Messy silhouettes? Funky type that also looks disorganized? Yellow and light blue and red? It was all just so boring and pretty lack-luster for a Rainbow Rowell cover. I’ve loved the simple and yet adorable covers of her previous books and I understand that CARRY ON is very different and doesn’t need to look the same, but this was a total miss for me.

NEW COVERS: When I saw the new cover for CARRY ON my first reaction was YEAHHHH!! Okay, so I still haven’t read the book (oops), but this is everything I was expecting for a major author with an epic new book coming out. Dudes! Wands! PURPLE! A dragon! A badass scarf and blazer and this is the kind of typography I was looking for! It still looks a little doodled and hand-drawn but it’s not sloppy and all over the place. It’s more structured and placed much better.

Which do I like better? It’s a np-brainer for me. Literally EVERYTHING about the paperback cover is more appealing to me and that’s what would draw me in if I knew nothing about the book or author. I think this redesign was a slam dunk!

So tell me! Which design do you like better? Take the poll below and let me know in the comments which you prefer and why! I’d love to hear your reactions!

[bctt tweet=”Which covers for CARRY ON do you like better: Original or redesign? Take the poll at @bookaddictguide!” via=”no”]

Oct

Redesign Reactions [8]: The Wrath and the Dawn Duology by Renee Ahdieh

Welcome to Redesign Reactions, where we talk about books, covers, and what happens when new cover designs take over a series!

On this edition of Redesign Reactions, let’s talk about
The Wrath and the Dawn Duology by Renee Ahdieh

If you’ve been keeping up with the bookish happenings lately, you’ve seen the announcement for the new covers for Renee Ahdieh’s Wrath and the Dawn duet! I was totally taken by surprise because I didn’t even know this was in the works, especially since WRATH was already out in paperback, but it’s a fan-favorite with so many people that the internet was all abuzz with the changes! The design is quite different than the original so let’s take a look at them!

OLD COVERS: I really loved these when the books first came out! I enjoyed the WRATH cover more because I really liked that rich pink/red and the shape of the cut-outs on the cover. The merch that was offered with it (like the scarf) was just so stunning and I loved the design! Plus it was fun to see the full image of Shazi on the side cover. I wasn’t as excited for the ROSE cover. Blue is my favorite color but I think I was looking for another rich and exciting cover versus a light, powdery blue. I also didn’t like these cut-out shapes as much.

NEW COVERS: When the announcement happened and I caught a snippet of the full image, I actually wasn’t impressed with the new covers. Once I went to go see the full covers, especially side-by-side, I think I actually do like them so much more! At first I didn’t like the font because it felt a bit outdated but then I thought about how the overall feel really gives it a sort of antique vibe and how the new font, images, and color scheme sort of open the appeal up to such a variety of audiences.

Which do I like better? The original covers scream YA, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s clearly a young girl with her hand on her hip, looking a little sassy, which Shazi is but that’s not really capturing the tone of the novels well. The new covers bring some new to the table, appealing to an adult audience (in my opinion) and conveying a darker tone with the color scheme and selected images. It’s a much more stoic image of Shazi and the facial expression better conveys a girl who has been essentially sentenced to death instead of a sassy girl who’s up for some clever YA banter (not that I have anything against that. Banter is the best). I think the new covers are the winner for me and I’d actually like to own these books in the new covers instead of the originals!

So tell me! Which design do you like better? Take the poll below and let me know in the comments which you prefer and why! I’d love to hear your reactions!

[bctt tweet=”Which covers for The Wrath and the Dawn do you like better: Original or redesign? Take the poll at @bookaddictguide!” via=”no”]

Aug

Redesign Reactions [7]: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Welcome to Redesign Reactions, where we talk about books, covers, and what happens when new cover designs take over a series!

On this edition of Redesign Reactions, let’s talk about
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Yes, yes, I know this is a super old redesign but with EMPIRE OF STORMS coming out SO SOON (omg, it’s really almost time!), I thought it would be fun to revisit this cover redesign. I got into the Throne of Glass series a little later than others. I didn’t pick it up until HEIR OF FIRE was coming out. Long story short, I had tried THRONE OF GLASS and was A) not a big fantasy person yet (how is that even possible) and B) not in the right place for it so I had returned it back to the library after time ran out with the promise to try again. When I tried again a few years later, I couldn’t believe what I had been missing out on! I totally binged the first three books, but that meant that I hadn’t gotten to discuss this cover change since I wasn’t in on it from the beginning! So let’s chat:

OLD COVER: The old cover was kind of cookie-cutter YA. The girl on the front was an average YA-cover girl who looked WAY too sweet to be arrogant and vengeful Celaena Sardothien. This girl looks more like a protected princess who’s pretending to be a warrior but she doesn’t really come off as tough. Also my biggest thing with this cover is… Is it just me or does this cover girl bear a striking resemblance to author Sarah J. Maas? Maybe not so much now that we all “know” Sarah but when I first picked up the book way back in 2012, I totally thought the cover model looked like the author.

NEW COVERS: I wasn’t totally in love with new cover when I first saw it because I wasn’t prepared for an artistic rendering of Celaena since I was used to this more photographic image of a cover model… But obviously these covers are much more appropriate for the books and the characters! (Side note: I love them now. I was more unsure of what to expect when the cover change happened and it took me a second to get used to!) These covers continue the series and each one depicts something that directly correlates to the book, which I always LOVE. Celeaena is always so badass in these covers and the whole vibe really just fits. I think most people are fans of the new covers but I’m curious to see if there are old-cover fans!

Which do I like better? For me, it’s the new cover(s). The overall feel and vibe from this artwork really just fits the book so well and the attitude (and hair color) totally makes a difference. I also just LOVE that there’s a back view of the picture on the back cover (as in, actually seeing this image as if you were looking at it from the back) and the back cover image features Celaena in one of her dresses so we still get a pretty girl in a pretty dress cover but in a totally different way. I think it’s so clever and I love that we get to see the dresses from the back, and warrior Celaena takes precedence on the front covers.

So tell me! Which design do you like better? Take the poll below and let me know in the comments which you prefer and why! I’d love to hear your reactions!

[bctt tweet=”Which covers for Throne of Glass do you like better: Original or redesign? Take the poll at @bookaddictguide!” via=”no”]

Jun

15 Young Adult Books for Readers with Wanderlust

Summer is the time I’m always thinking about vacations and the travel bug hits me hard! I have yet to travel internationally besides when I went to Aruba on my honeymoon but if I can’t do the actual traveling, I’ll happily travel through someone else’s trips in a book!

Typically, I think of travel books as contemporary romances but there are also so many amazing places to visit that are featured in other genres as well! Today I’m sharing some of my favorite travel destinations found within my favorite books!

15 YOUNG ADULT BOOKS FOR READERS WITH WANDERLUST

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is still one of my favorite contemporary romances of all time. I remember when I first read it I knew nothing about France (much like Anna) but it was amazing how easily I slipped into this setting and now I MUST go to Paris someday.
Locations Visited: France

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

WANDERLOST by Jen Malone

I just finished WANDERLOST not too long ago and it was really cute! I’d say it’s a great recommendation for fans of ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS too. I kind of love the books where the main character has no idea what they’re doing in a foreign country because that would so be me.
Locations Visited: The Netherlands, Italy, Monaco, Austria

GOODREADS | AMAZON

JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman

I related a lot to Allyson in JUST ONE DAY so it’s a book I really connected with! It was one of the first books I read where The Netherlands was such a prominent setting and it sounds absolutely beautiful! I’d love to visit someday.
Places Visited: Paris, London, The Netherlands, Mexico

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

SUMMER OF SLOANE by Erin L. Schneider

SUMMER OF SLOANE had me itching to go to Hawaii! We considered it for our honeymoon but ended up with Aruba instead. I still really want to make it out there! Maybe for an anniversary trip…
Places Visited: Hawaii

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

MEANT TO BE by Lauren Morrill

MEANT TO BE is just plain adorable and I adore the hate-to-love romance. It brought a new side of London to my attention and I’d love to experience it as well!
Places Visited: United Kingdom (London)

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

NANTUCKET BLUE by Leila Howland

Ahh, beachy summer days. I’m not a huge beach person but Nantucket had me longing to soak up the rays. (Which is a bad idea because I burn so easily!) The touristy-town feeling of the book had me reminiscing about vacations!
Places Visited: Nantucket

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

MYSTERY/THRILLER

DANGEROUS GIRLS by Abigail Haas

I read this book before I had actually been to Aruba so I wasn’t familiar with the setting but now I want to re-read it since I’ve been! Although I definitely did not see the inside of an Aruban jail (thankfully).
Places Visited: Aruba

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

WITH MALICE by Eileen Cook

WITH MALICE is split between the states and Italy, where the “incident” took place but I could just picture myself taking tours around Italy! (Even though I’ve never been there)
Places Visited: Italy

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

THE CONSPIRACY OF US by Maggie Hall

THE CONSPIRACY OF US was a lot of fun and I loved the jet-setting, political thrills! I pretended the characters would run into Anna and Etienne (from ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS) while in Paris but alas. That didn’t happen.
Places Visited: France, Istanbul

GOODREADS | AMAZON

FANTASY

THE CROWN’S GAME by Evelyn Skye

THE CROWN’S GAME is a take on historical fiction but the setting is Imperial Russia. I never knew I was so interested in Russian history and culture but with the books I’ve been reading that are set there, I’m totally hooked!
Places Visited: Imperial Russia (historical fiction with fantasy elements)

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater

Thisby is a fictional place but it feels so incredibly real. It feels like a combination of British and Scottish islands but also has a hint of a historical feel, like 1940s or 1950s.
Places Visited: Thisby (fictional island reminscent of British and Scottish towns)

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

SHADOW AND BONE is another Russian-inspired fantasy world and this one was inspired by csarist Russia. I love the influences throughout the book and it made me want to learn even more about the history and culture!
Places Visited: Russian-inspired fantasy lands

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN by Renee Ahdieh

The setting in THE WRATH AND THE DAWN was so beautiful and vivid. I could absolutely picture the desert atmosphere and Renee Ahdieh really brought the book to life with amazing imagery and sensory attractions.
Places Visited: Arabian Nights-inspired fantasy world

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE by J.K. Rowling

Who doesn’t want to visit London after reading the Harry Potter books? When they even create attractions based on the books, it just makes me HAVE to go see it for myself.
Places Visited: Magical London

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

Prague was another place I never really considered before just because I didn’t know much about it but after reading DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, I totally need to visit. It sounds so rich in history and the buildings and architecture seem amazing!
Places Visited: Prague

GOODREADS | AMAZON | REVIEW

Do you have a bit of wanderlust? What are some places you’ve been to or want to travel to? Which books inspire you to plan a vacation or two?

May

Redesign Reactions [6]: The Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver

Welcome to Redesign Reactions, where we talk about books, covers, and what happens when new cover designs take over a series!

On this edition of Redesign Reactions, let’s talk about
The Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver

I’ve had my ups and downs with the Delirium Trilogy but DELIRIUM will always hold a special place in my heart for being one of the first dystopian books after THE HUNGER GAMES that I really, truly fell in love with. It opened the doors to more dystopian and consequently, more young adult (there really wasn’t any adult dystopian that I could find so I inhaled all young adult). I was actually really excited to see the redesign for some new paperback editions of the series! It was great to see the series move away from the cut-off face trend and I really like these bright and beautiful colors.

OLD COVERS: The old covers were great for their time, I think. It was a trend that was in and these books were one first big series that I personally read and so I think they were sort of trendsetters too. I don’t quite like how all of the covers look side-by-side like this because there’s not a good pattern to how Lena’s face is cropped (one side cut off, then the other, then not a cut-off but just a different angle), but I do love the flowers that frame her face and how the colors of each cover are different but work well towards an overall collection. They don’t necessarily create a specific color palate but they don’t clash and I actually like the teal with the orange and red.

NEW COVERS: I actually really like these new covers! I had no idea they were in the works and just happened to see them the other day and I’m really impressed! I like that it’s sort of minimalistic with just a heart as the main focus but the heart on each cover is made up of different smaller elements that seem to relate to the books. The shadows and shading are a nice touch to really add some texture as well as focus and I really like how the colors work together in an overall scheme! I love that shade of teal on the DELIRIUM cover and I really like that PANDEMONIUM changed from an orange scheme to more gray/dark purple/dark blue. I also appreciate that while they’re totally new covers, they do still have (generally) the same color schemes to really tie into the original hardcovers. (Although this DELIRIUM cover is actually the first redesign of the very original which also looked totally different.)

Which do I like better? I’m totally into the new covers! I really, really love them and I like how it’s bringing the series into the latest cover design trends. I think this seems a lot easier to transcend throughout the years and remain a design that will age well. I don’t know why but I am totally digging the shades of teal/aqua and the raspberry sort of red. There’s just something about them that’s so appealing to me!

So tell me! Which design do you like better? Take the poll below and let me know in the comments which you prefer and why! I’d love to hear your reactions!

[bctt tweet=”Which covers for The Delirium Trilogy do you like better: Original or redesign? Take the poll at @bookaddictguide!” via=”no”]

Apr

11 Colorful Covers You Need For Your Shelves

I’m a sucker for bright, colorful book covers. They instantly draw me in and these gorgeous arrays of color really brighten up my shelves! I keep all of my contemporary books together and it’s insane how much brighter they are compared to the rest of my bookcase (can you spot them below?) and I love the pop of color they bring!

Below are some of my favorite rainbow-y, colorful, bright, and cheery covers. They’ll make any bookcase stand out!

11 COLORFUL BOOK COVERS YOU NEED FOR YOUR SHELVES

1. OPEN ROAD SUMMER, THE START OF ME AND YOU, and WHEN WE COLLIDED by Emery Lord

I just adore Emery Lord’s books and these covers really make them that much more beautiful! I’d love them no matter what the covers looked like but I’m so happy each one is so bright and attractive!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

2. FIRST AND THEN by Emma Mills

This cover is stunning — and you need the hardcover so you can peek under the dust jacket too! The hearts are embossed on a royal blue cover!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

3. DISSONANCE and RESONANCE by Erica O’Rourke

Purples, blues, and greens are my favorite colors and they work so well together! I love this series from Erica O’Rourke and these covers incorporate my favorite color combinations!!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

4. LOVE LETTERS TO THE DEAD by Ava Dellaira

I love the fade from dark to light and the dreamy, purple and pink clouds. Any fade or ombre pulls me in!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

5. THE LOVE THAT SPLIT THE WORLD by Emily Henry

These colors! I love the contrast of the night sky and the colorful sunrise (sunset? I think sunrise). It’s very neat how the silhouette of the girl pulls them together too! (Or rather, splits them apart?)

GOODREADS | AMAZON

6. SUMMER OF SLOANE by Erin L. Schneider

The bright yellows, oranges, reds, and pinks just scream summer! This book made me yearn for summer days and I immediately wanted to hop on a plane to Hawaii! (I wish.)

GOODREADS | AMAZON

7. WILD AWAKE by Hilary T. Smith

This book was such a whirlwind and I love how the colors feel so representative of the story! I absolutely finished this in one day (really almost one sitting)!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

8. MEANT TO BE by Lauren Morrill

MEANT TO BE was just plain cute! It was such a feel-good book with a nerdy girl, and adorable romance, and a story that spoke to me. I’ve always LOVED these colors on the cover!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

9. CREWEL by Gennifer Albin

I’m still bummed this series ended up with a cover change after book one! This swirl of colors instantly caught my eye and I totally fell in love with it.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

10. UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

This series is still one of my favorites and had one of the most solid series-enders I think I’ve read! I love the ethereal feel of the cover and each one in the series has a great swirl of light.

GOODREADS | AMAZON