I Judge Books By Their Covers: Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

I'm reading the charming and festive "Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery" right now (which, by the way, is making me crave bread and pastries like nobody's business), and it seemed an appropriate time for a cover battle!

 U.K. // U.S.

Oh my gosh, this is quite possibly the toughest cover comparison yet! If you look at these posts often, you'll know I almost always prefer illustrated covers over realistic ones -- and I really like the cheerful, Christmas-y U.K. cover, as well as the fact that it shows the village from the book -- so it should be a no-brainer. But the U.S. cover is really well-done. It's so delightfully festive, the colors work, the fonts are perfect, and I just want to climb right into that shop!

It's a difficult choice, and I'm a bit surprised at myself, but I think I like the U.S. cover just a liiiiitle bit better. It draws the eye right where it needs to be -- the title -- and then encourages you to take in the shop scene, and even hold the book close to your face to see all the details. And, while I love it, the U.K. cover is just a tiny bit busy.

My winner: U.S. cover

Do tell: Which cover do you prefer?

Autumn Aesthetic: 14 Fall-ish Book Covers

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is about fall-ish book covers! I'm a very visual person and I love looking at book covers, so I had fun putting this post together. All the books are ones I've read or have on my to-read list. I will say, it was a little harder than I expected; apparently I'm drawn to winter-themed covers -- I have plenty of those on my lists!

Below are 14 book covers that just say "fall" -- they've got leaves, branches, and autumnal hues of gold, brown, red and orange. Ah, I could just step into a few of them!

 

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Red Sister

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

Right now I'm reading "Red Sister," the first in a new fantasy series by Mark Lawrence, and it's soooo good! When I was grabbing the cover image for the blog, I noticed the U.K. cover was quite different -- perfect time for a cover battle!

U.S. <---------------------------> U.K.

It may not be a ridiculously easy cover battle for you, but it is for me. I almost always dislike fiction covers that have realistic pictures of people on them, and this is no exception. The color scheme is nice and I do like the red smears, but overall -- the U.S. cover is totally not my cup of tea.

On the other hand, I really do like the U.K. cover. If you read these posts regularly you'll know I'm a big fan of pops of red. And I'm drawn to anything that says "cold weather," as well as illustrated, artistic covers. This fits the bill for all of those! I'm not even quite a third of the way into the story, but I can say the ice is relevant and that the girl in the U.K. cover is dressed the way I've been imagining the protagonist (she's at sort of a convent/training school for people with special abilities). I could do without the tagline above the title, but other than that this cover is right up my alley!

Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: My Not So Perfect Life

I read and enjoyed Sophie Kinsella's latest British chick-lit novel, "My Not So Perfect Life" a couple weeks ago. It was fun, it was fluffy, and it saved me from my reading slump! Here's my review.

<<<U.S.      U.K.>>>

I don't have super-strong feelings about either cover, though I do like the U.S. one better. In real life, that green is extremely eye-catching -- it definitely stands out on a shelf. I like the dashes of pink and turquoise, and I vastly prefer the more artistic fonts on the U.S. cover over the U.K. one -- those look like they were pulled straight from Microsoft Word! And the U.S. cover just seems to have better flow and balance; somehow those hand-written notes on the U.K. version make it look a bit sloppy.

Both have white, pink and green tones, both have a graphic of a woman, and both appropriately convey the chick-lit tone of the book, but -- while I don't hate it -- there's nothing like better about the U.K. cover over the bright green U.S. one. The U.S. cover is my winner! Which do you like better?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: See What I Have Done

"See What I Have Done" by Sarah Schmidt -- a fictionalized account of the Lizzie Borden story -- came out this week and I'm hoping to read it soon. In fact, I have an advance-read copy that I just haven't managed to get to yet. Here's a bit of the Goodreads blurb:

"On the morning of August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden calls out to her maid: Someone’s killed Father. The brutal ax-murder of Andrew and Abby Borden in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts, leaves little evidence and many unanswered questions. While neighbors struggle to understand why anyone would want to harm the respected Bordens, those close to the family have a different tale to tell -- of a father with an explosive temper; a spiteful stepmother; and two spinster sisters, with a bond even stronger than blood, desperate for their independence. "

U.S.   //   U.K.

I like both covers! They really have quite a bit in common: a bright, eye-catching single graphic centered on a neutral background, pretty colors, and a sort of rustic feel. And they both have just a little bit of eeriness that likely compliments the grim story -- the strange orange eye of the bird, and the bugs on the partially eaten pear.

The U.S. cover appeals to me because I love anything in the blue-green colorway and that bird is just so striking against the cream background! I also love artsy covers, and the watercolor paint-drip is right up my alley. On the other hand, the U.K. cover has that gorgeous font -- and I love how the author blurbs are made to look like they were handwritten.

In the end, though, the U.K. cover squeaks ahead for the win in my opinion. I like the painted look of the background, the bite taken out of the pear, the different-sized lettering and the colors, which compliment each other perfectly. I also like that it's such a balanced piece of artwork: when I look at it, my eye takes in the entire thing rather than zeroing in on a certain point (on the U.S. cover, my eye goes right to the white "HA").

Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Darktown

"Darktown," the first in a newish historical mystery featuring Atlanta's first black police officers, is on my to-read list and I hope to get to it soon. I recently came across the U.K. version and I thought it'd make a fun cover battle! (The second book in the series, "Lightning Men," comes out in September.)

<< U.S. // U.K. >>

These covers have a lot in common. They're both very moody and stark with no real color other than brown/sepia. The title font is similar and I think the author font is the same, just bold and not bold. Not having read the book I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling they both fit well with the story, which surely deals with  the solving of a grisly crime as well as race relations in '40s Georgia.

I'm not gaga for either cover, but I do think they're both perfectly fine. Something about the U.S. version really draws the eye in -- maybe it's the white from the headlights? It guides my eye right to the title every time, whereas on the U.K. cover I always look first at that large building toward the bottom. However, overall, I think I prefer the U.K. version aesthetically. It's more interesting; I like the sideways vintage cityscape, the white/black theme going on, and the sepia tones.

Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

I haven't read the newish release "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" yet, but it sounds intriguing and I've got it on my to-read list. I had only seen the U.S. cover until the other day, and when I happened upon the U.K. version I knew it was time for a cover battle!

Here's a quick synopsis of the book in case you haven't heard of it:

"Smart, warm, uplifting, the story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes the only way to survive is to open her heart."

U.K and Canada hardcover // Canada paperback

U.S. hardback

Ok, so I haven't read the book yet and I have no idea which cover relates best to the book -- quite possibly not the cover I like best -- but this is a hands-down easy-peasy winner for me: I like the cover with the leopard (cheetah?) and the flamingo, duh! (As best I can tell, this cover is the Canadian paperback, but I'm not 100% sure on that.) It fits my cover-preference bill exactly: pretty colors, artsy rather than realistic, with an eye-catching pop.

The other two covers are fine -- I slightly prefer the U.K. over the U.S.; I like the simplicity of the white, the creativity of the matchsticks, and that awesome font. I'm a bit surprised that one takes second place since I usually gravitate toward illustrated covers over realistic ones. The U.S. cover is just a little less appealing with its kinda-boring writing and dehydrated-pee yellow and poo-brown color scheme (though I do like the blue and the fact that it looks like a painting).

So to sum up, it's the blue cover adorned with pretty writing and animals all the way for me! Which cover do you like best?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Golden Hill

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers. 

It's time for another cover battle! This time we're comparing "Golden Hill" by Francis Spufford, a novel that came out earlier this month and is set in 1700s New York City. It's definitely on my to-read list! Here's a bit of the blurb:

"New York, a small town on the tip of Manhattan island, 1746. One rainy evening in November, a handsome young stranger fresh off the boat pitches up at a counting-house door in Golden Hill Street: this is Mr Smith, amiable, charming, yet strangely determined to keep suspicion simmering. For in his pocket, he has what seems to be an order for a thousand pounds, a huge amount, and he won't explain why, or where he comes from, or what he can be planning to do in the colonies that requires so much money."

U.S.  //  U.K.

Oh my, what a glorious dilemma: I actually like both covers for once! While they're pretty different overall, they share black, pale blue and golden tones, plus images of people and old buildings. To me, they both look suitably historical, though I do like how the U.S. cover proclaims it "A Novel of Old New York." I also like the three obviously different but still cohesive pictures and the torn-pages look. But... I find the sort of wacky illustration on the U.K. cover so intriguing, and I like the font used for the title (though not so much the boring serif font used for the author's name). Such a tough choice!

In the end, I'm going with the U.S. cover by a nose. It just fits slightly better with the whole "one rainy November evening in 18th century Manhattan" vibe -- it looks like something I'd want to grab a cup of tea and curl up with.

Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: The Wages of Sin

I haven't read "The Wages of Sin" by Kaite Welsh -- it's on my maybe-to-read list -- but I couldn't help noticing how vastly different the cover versions are! Here's an abbreviated version of the synopsis on Goodreads:

Sarah Gilchrist has fled London and a troubled past to join the University of Edinburgh's medical school in 1892, the first year it admits women. She is determined to become a doctor despite the misgivings of her family and society, but Sarah quickly finds plenty of barriers at school itself. Desperate for a proper education, Sarah turns to one of the city’s ramshackle charitable hospitals for additional training. The St Giles’ Infirmary for Women ministers to the downtrodden and drunk, the thieves and whores with nowhere else to go. In this environment, Sarah gets quite an education. But when Lucy, one of Sarah’s patients, turns up in the university dissecting room as a battered corpse, Sarah finds herself drawn into a murky underworld of bribery, brothels, and body snatchers.

Definitely sounds interesting, and I love reading books set in Scotland!

U.S. // U.K.

Well, this cover battle is easy-peasy for me -- I almost always go in for the illustrated, artsy covers and the U.K. cover is lovely! I like it all -- the colors, the blood spatter, the font, the graphics. The pretty artwork combined with the bottle of laudanum and the skull and crossbones definitely pique my interest. The only thing I'm not totally sure about is that phrase: "For Sarah Gilchrist, even medicine can be deadly." I don't like sentences that start out with "For so-and-so," and it doesn't really make sense either. Of course medicine -- or practicing medicine in a historical mystery novel -- can be deadly. I wish the tagline had been left off altogether -- I think the cover is eye-catching enough that it's not necessary to have one.

The U.S. cover isn't horrible, and I do like the cityscape at he bottom. But I'm not a fan of the silhouetted woman or the plain-Jane white font. Booooring. It also doesn't give prospective readers much idea what kind of book it is.

Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Exit West

"Exit West," while not quite what I had expected going in, was one of the most unique books I've read so far this year, combining Middle East conflict, magical realism and a romantic relationship. (Here's my review.) Which cover do you like better?

U.S. // U.K.

The U.S. cover is so pretty! I love the shades of blue and purple and the almost finger-painted look of the font. And the slanted words convey movement of some sort, which does tie into the story. But... it doesn't really have anything going on. There's no picture, no indication whatsoever of what the novel is about. And, while gorgeous, the blue shades remind me of outerspace -- not a civil war in an unnamed Middle East country.

The U.K. cover is kinda bland at first glance, but gets more interesting the more you look at it (not necessarily a good thing for a book cover -- it needs to catch the eye immediately). That geometric font, though -- I love it! And I like the pop of red, though perhaps it would be more visually appealing if the background were black instead of that taupe-y color. I also like the suggestion of a doorway that also looks like a piece of paper being pulled back -- again, something that fits with the story.

This is a tough choice as neither cover is hideous but neither is really just right either. However, if we're going just off which one would most grab my interest on a bookshelf, I'd have to choose the U.S. cover.

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Shades of Magic Series

I just finished reading the conclusion to V.E. Schwab's delightful Shades of Magic series, so what better time to compare covers? I must say, if you haven't read the series yet, you should definitely check it out. It's fantasy, but it's super fun and accessible; it'd appeal most readers -- even if you don't typically read the genre. It's got magic, amazing worldbuilding, great characters, edge-of-your-seat moments.... Plus books are just fun, easy reads. Now, time to get down to business!

 U.S. // U.K.

U.S. // U.K.

U.S. // U.K.

Holy guacamole, this is a hard decision! I love both sets of covers, and I think it's fun to pick out all the similarities and differences. I adore the black, white and red color scheme, the maps, the fonts and the graphics! I think it's rare to find a series whose covers perfectly fit the story as well as these do.

Perhaps my favorite thing about both versions is that each book depicts one of the three main characters: Kell on book one, Lila on book two and Holland on book three. I do have to say, though, that the U.S. versions make it much clearer which male is Kell and which is Holland than the U.K. covers do. And while I do like the large silhouettes of the U.K. covers, I think I prefer the more detailed, almost geometric, depictions on the U.S. covers.

I really have nothing bad to say about the U.K. covers -- both sets are true works of art. But I think the U.S. version squeaks by for the win; it's just something about those illustrations, and the way the maps are incorporated. I also like that the background color is a sort of cream rather than a true white.

Do tell: which covers do you prefer? Have you read the series?

10 Beautiful Night Sky Book Covers

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) is a cover freebie. Since we just did a post on beautiful book covers a couple months back (here's mine), I decided to get a bit more specific.

I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through my Goodreads lists getting inspiration, and I may do some similar posts (like covers with birds, covers with flowers, covers with trees and branches) in the future. The winner this time, though, was pretty covers that feature the night sky, and all the books came from my read or to-read lists. Do you have a favorite cover from my selections below? I really like all of them, but my fave is probably "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry."

I Judge Books By Their Covers: The Wanderers

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

I recently picked up "The Wanderers" by Meg Howrey at the library and I'm so looking forward to reading it! The blurb likens it to "Station Eleven" plus "The Martian," and it's about the first humans headed to Mars. Can't get more up my alley than that! It'll be a bit before I get to it, though, and in the meantime I thought it'd be a great time to do a cover battle. 

U.S. // U.K.

This is an easy-peasy choice for me: I choose the U.S. cover hands down, a million times over! I love covers that feature starry night skies, and covers that have a pop of red. It's gorgeous! The U.K. artwork, though... ugh! If you cover up the bottom half, the top really isn't horrific. Maybe if the ombre title were on a different background I could get behind that part, but as a whole there's nothing that draws me to this cover. The lurid colors remind me of some clothes I wore as a kid in the early '90s, and what is with that random digital-graphic house?

Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Lincoln in the Bardo

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

I read the much-hyped "Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders a couple weeks ago, and I haven't yet written my review (and maybe won't ever get around to it) because I haven't quite sorted out my feelings about the book. On the one hand, I totally appreciated the VERY unique and creative format once I finally got used to it, and the story was interesting, but I was sorta left wondering just what I was supposed to get out of it. Definitely a different kind of book, and really a reading experience. But would I recommend it? I'm not entirely sure. What I can talk about with some authority, though, is which cover I like better!

U.S. // U.K.
Holy cow, I think we have one of the rare instances in which I actually like the U.S. cover better than the British one! I often gravitate toward botanical covers, and I don't dislike the U.K. version, but I do find the bright green to be slightly incongruous with the sepia portrait of Willie Lincoln. It's like it's both too busy and too bland at the same time: the tilted "Lincoln" and the vines going every which way make it look a bit messy, but then nothing really catches the eye either. I also don't love the mix of serif and sans-serif fonts here. (I will say, I have a feeling this one might be better-looking in person than it is on the screen.)

On the other hand, the U.S. cover is much more visually appealing to me. I like the teal tones and the eye-catching white handwriting-style font, which is a bit more clean-looking than the U.K. font. The only problem I have is that the cover gives you no idea whatsoever what the book is about. What is that scene, even? It sure doesn't look like a cemetery in Washington, D.C. However, on aesthetics alone, I'd definitely be more likely to pick up the U.S. book.

Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: All Our Wrong Todays

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

I was completely intrigued by the premise of "All Our Wrong Todays" -- ("You know the future that people in the 1950s imagined we'd have? Well, it happened. In Tom Barren's 2016, humanity thrives in a techno-utopian paradise of flying cars, moving sidewalks, and moon bases, where avocados never go bad and punk rock never existed... because it wasn't necessary.") -- but I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into. Luckily, as you can see in my review, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this novel, which is part science fiction, part search for purpose in life, and even part romance.

U.S. // U.K.

I think this is a case of less is more for me -- the bright colors and white background of the U.K. cover are attention-grabbing and modern without being too cluttered. And, after reading the novel, I like the homage that the lemon pays to the story, and there's a bit of symbolism in the spiral peel. Too, while there's definitely a sci-fi element to the plot, I'd shelve it in the regular fiction section at my library given the choice, and the U.S. cover might turn some readers off if they're not science fiction fans.

This is an easy one for me: I definitely like the U.K. cover better. Do tell: which do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Lab Girl

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

I just finished reading the fantastic memoir "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren, about her journey as a woman and brilliant scientist (as well as fascinating tidbits about trees and plants). Perfect time, then, to compare covers!

U.K. cover

U.S. cover

The U.S. cover is perfectly fine, it fits with the book, and it would surely catch my eye at a library or bookstore. I definitely don't dislike it, but I loooove the U.K. cover! Maybe because I'm obsessed with looking at the patterns and shapes and colors of leaves myself, but I think it's just gorgeous. And it's also got a little illustrated Hope Jahren! And I think the inclusion of a subtitle is a good idea, too. I can see how some people might think the U.K. cover is too busy, but I have a thing for illustrated covers and pops of red, so there's no way the U.K. cover wasn't getting my vote!

Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

I Judge Books By Their Covers: "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet"

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

This sci-fi novel was on my list last week of books with gorgeous covers I've recently added to my to-read list, and it seemed like a great time to talk about it in a bit more detail.

U.S. // U.K.

"The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" is on my must-read-in-2016 list, but I have to admit that, while I had seen the book floating around, I never gave it a second thought until I saw the beautiful U.K. cover, upon which I instantly thought, "Oh my gosh, I have to look that book up and see what it's about right this minute," only then realizing that it was the very same book I had seen before. And here we have a great example of the problem with judging books by their covers (which I totally do and will probably never stop doing): by all accounts, this is a fantastic book, but I never would've picked it up based on the U.S. cover unless I had happened upon some very persuasive reviews.

It's funny: usually when I do these cover battles there are elements that carry over between all the various cover versions, but in this case there's really not a single thing that's the same. And that's what it boils down to for me: everything about the U.K. cover appeals to me, while pretty much nothing about the U.S. cover does.

Do you feel as strongly as I do about this one? Or maybe you've got the opposite stance and you prefer the U.S. cover? I'd love to know!