Uncovered (118): A Little Something Different

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? While it isn't always the marker of a good book, it certainly helps when I am making a decision at the bookstore. Uncovered is my weekly post that pays homage to great book covers. Each week I'll talk about one of my current cover loves.

This week's cover love goes out to A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. I don't know much about this book except that it seems like a quirky romance. I really like the cover though. It looks almost like an embroidery sampler or a drawing from a sketchbook. Unfortunately I can't really see the small details of it so I am not sure how the image is made, but it looks like it's a sketch style drawing. I really like this one because it looks a little handmade. Blue and red are two of my favorite colors together and I like how the red pops next to the dark blue. This is a cover the invites you to look closer so you can see more of it and pick up the small details. The cover includes books, coffee and tiny squirrels, all of which I am a fan of. I also like how the title is framed by the branches so that it stands out on the cover.

This looks like a very cute book and I'd definitely pick it up based on this cover.

Uncovered (117): Falling Into Place

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? Uncovered is a weekly post where I show some cover love. Hope you enjoy!

I was hopping around Goodreads recently (as one does) and came across the cover to the upcoming novel Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang and immediately fell in love with it. First, it's illustrated so it already gets points in my book. I love how the title tells its own story in the way that it's written and drawn. The color palette is great and I love how the red pops against the greenish background. If you read the synopsis of the book, this cover makes a lot of sense.

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

I think a lot of covers these days can be pretty generic, trying to appeal to a mass audience, and not saying much about the book. I like that this one tells a story and invites the reader to find out more about what that story is.

Unfortunately this one does not come out until September, so I will have to wait until then to see this cover in person. But I am adding it my wishlist now so I don't forget about it. Is anyone else looking forward to this one?

Uncovered (116): I'll Give You the Sun

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? While it isn't always the marker of a good book, it certainly helps when I am making a decision at the bookstore. Uncovered is my weekly post that pays homage to great book covers. Each week I'll talk about one of my current cover loves.

This week's Uncovered post is all about I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. I fell in love with the cover the second I saw it. It's a very simple cover but one that pushes all of my buttons. I love a good rainbow and this is a beautiful rainbow hued cover. I love the simplicity of it and the radiating lines give the cover a feeling of something bursting or exploding. The title is front and center and I like that the blurb and author's name follow the lines of the color rays and don't interrupt the flow of the cover.

There's not much else I can say about this. It's very simple but extremely pretty and eye catching. I can't wait to get this one!

Uncovered (115): The Swan Gondola

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? While it isn't always the marker of a good book, it certainly helps when I am making a decision at the bookstore. Uncovered is my weekly post that pays homage to great book covers. Each week I'll talk about one of my current cover loves.

Happy 4th of July to all of our American readers. Hope you're enjoying some nice weather and a BBQ or two. This week on Uncovered, we have The Swan Gondola by Timothy Schaffert, a type lover's dream. I saw this at the bookstore and fell in love with all of the wonderful type on this cover.  I really like how the words are framed in the banners. This reminds me of an old time flier or advertisement. The two swans on the bottom of the cover add a little something different so that this isn't just a cover full of type. I like how they are mirrored images of each other and how their curves give the cover a slightly softer look and help break up the text. Below is the synopsis for The Swan Gondola.

On the eve of the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair, Ferret Skerritt, ventriloquist by trade, con man by birth, isn’t quite sure how it will change him or his city. Omaha still has the marks of a filthy Wild West town, even as it attempts to achieve the grandeur and respectability of nearby Chicago. But when he crosses paths with the beautiful and enigmatic Cecily, his whole purpose shifts and the fair becomes the backdrop to their love affair.

One of a traveling troupe of actors that has descended on the city, Cecily works in the Midway’s Chamber of Horrors, where she loses her head hourly on a guillotine playing Marie Antoinette. And after closing, she rushes off, clinging protectively to a mysterious carpetbag, never giving Ferret a second glance. But a moonlit ride on the swan gondola, a boat on the lagoon of the New White City, changes everything, and the fair’s magic begins to take its effect.

From the critically acclaimed author of The Coffins of Little Hope, The Swan Gondola is a transporting read, reminiscent of Water for Elephants or The Night Circus.

Sounds slightly magical and very unique. I have a soft spot for circus and fair settings. There's something very weird and cool about them. I think this sounds pretty interesting and I hope to add it to my bookshelf soon.

What do you guys think? I'd love to know!

Uncovered (114): The Farm

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? Uncovered is a weekly post where I show some cover love. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Friday again. I never get sick of Fridays. I hope you are all having a good day so far. Today I am heading out to Las Vegas for the ALA Annual Conference. I am really excited because I am going with a bunch of bookish friends and this is going to be like a mini vacation for me since I'll actually be out of town with nothing to do but relax and talk books. Follow me on Instagram if you'd like to keep up with what I am doing over the weekend. I am sure I'll be taking lots of bookish pics.

So today's cover love goes out to The Farm by Tom Rob Smith. I really liked Smith's Child 44, which is a really creepy and well written suspense novel about a serial killer. This is his newest book which just came out last week. This is another one that I saw at the bookstore the day (I totally troll bookshops for, well books, and for covers to feature on the blog). I like how this is done with a double exposure and the effect that it creates. The grainy image of the farm in the background is creepy and definitely gives this one a slightly ominous air. The figure in the foreground also grabs your attention and you have to wonder who it is and if they're up to good or not. The great, eye catching red-orange shade on the cover also makes this one stand out on the shelves.

I don't have much else to say about this cover except that I like it a lot and need to read it soon. Hope you guys liked today's pick. I will be out of town so you may not see me on the blog for a few days, but I'll be back soon. :)

Uncovered (113): The Girl in the Road

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? Uncovered is a weekly post where I share with you a cover that I am currently in love with.
Hi, everyone and happy Friday! This week's Uncovered post features The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne. I saw this one at Mysterious Galaxy the other day and just fell in love with it. My friend said that I am attracted to it because it has hot pink on the cover, which is probably true, but there's a lot of other stuff I like about this cover as well.

I love how bright and graphic this cover is. There are tons of patterns and textures that may seem random but go together so well. The pink snake is beautiful and I really like how it creates movement and interest on the page. The typography is great, too. The even lettering gives it a slightly off kilter look. I did not know anything about this book when I saw it but it made me want to find out more. If you don't know about this book, here is the synopsis:

Meena, a young woman living in a futuristic Mumbai, wakes up with five snake bites on her chest. She doesn't know how or why, but she must flee India and return to Ethiopia, the place of her birth. Having long heard about The Trail -- an energy-harvesting bridge that spans the Arabian Sea -- she embarks on foot on this forbidden bridge, with its own subculture and rules. What awaits her in Ethiopia is unclear; she's hoping the journey will illuminate it for her.

Mariama, a girl from a different time, is on a quest of her own. After witnessing her mother's rape, she joins up with a caravan of strangers heading across Saharan Africa. She meets Yemaya, a beautiful and enigmatic woman who becomes her protector and confidante. Yemaya tells Mariama of Ethiopia, where revolution is brewing and life will be better. Mariama hopes against hope that it offers much more than Yemaya ever promised.

As one heads east and the other west, Meena and Mariama's fates will entwine in ways that are profoundly moving and shocking to the core. Vividly imagined and artfully told, written with stunning clarity and deep emotion, The Girl in the Road is a true tour de force.

Doesn't it sound intriguing? And once you know a bit about it, the snake makes a lot more sense. This one had a blurb by Neil Gaiman on the back, which made me want to read it even more. The image above isn't as bright and beautiful as the original. I took a quick pic at the bookstore to show you.

It's much more vibrant in person and the pink is very pink and the cover is a soft cream. Gorgeous all around. I am going to have to get this on my bookshelf soon.

What do you guys think of this one? Does this cover intrigue you?

Uncovered (112): The Bees

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? Uncovered is my weekly post where I wax poetic about a current cover I am lusting after.

This week on Uncovered I have The Bees by Laline Paull. I spied this bad boy at the book shop this weekend and fell in love. Some people don't like bees but I find them to be such interesting insects and they are so eye catching with stripes and distinct coloring. This reminds me of an old B movie poster for a movie about killer bees. I love how the bees looks like they are bursting out of the cover and they really do look like they are swarming. The online image of this cover does not do it justice. In person, it has an awesome texture and has gold, metallic. I took a picture of it since I knew that I would not be able to show you how beautiful it is without a real picture.

The lighting isn't great but you can see how shiny it is. I like they chose s simple font, which I think emphasizes the chaotic nature of the bees. Yes, I definitely need this book my shelves. What you do guys think - awesome or icky? Let me know in the comments!

Uncovered (111): A Darker Shade of Magic

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? I do it all the time and Uncovered is a weekly post where I share a cover I am currently lusting after.

Hello and happy Friday. Things have been pretty busy here this past week. If you haven't noticed, we have a new blog design. I really like the new look and it'll probably still around for a while. The Fault in Our Stars came out this week and I have plans to see it on Sunday. I am not a crier by nature so I don't expect to cry during it, but I'm going to bring tissues just in case.

Today for Uncovered, I am featuring the upcoming novel from V.E. Schwab, A Darker Shade of Magic. This is a great looking cover. I love the bright red/orange and how it contrasts nicely with the rich black. I like the ying/yang composition and the smaller detail of the maps within the circles. I can't see it at this size but I am wondering what they are maps of. I like how the figure seems to be straddling both worlds or walking between them. It kind of gives me an idea of what this book may be about. The font is also cool and reminds me of and old map or book.

Pretty pretty! I definitely want this one on my bookshelf next spring. Hope you guys liked today's pick. Go see The Fault in Our Stars and report back!

Uncovered (110): The End Or Something Like That

Hello and happy Friday! This week has really flown by, which has been pretty great. I love the weekend! I know I did not get a review up this week but I am hoping to have one tomorrow. This week's Uncovered book is The End Or Something Like That by Ann Dee Ellis. I just saw this one the other day at Barnes & Noble (yes, I totally troll BN for covers to feature on the blog) and this one caught my eye. I love papercutting and, while this is not as intricate as some, I really like it. It's simple and interesting enough to not be boring. It also has a lot of depth when you see it in person. It doesn't look flat like some papercutting can look and has a real three dimensional quality.

From the description, this book sounds like a contemp YA that deals with grief and friendship. I am not sure I am getting that from the cover, but it sure is pretty.:)

That's my cover for this week. I hope you all have a fun, sun and cake filled weekend!

Uncovered (109): A Thousand Pieces of You

Hello and welcome to Uncovered, a weekly post where I wax poetic about a cover that I think is beautiful. Who says you can't judge a book by its cover?

Hi, guys! Happy Friday! I am looking forward to the upcoming long weekend. This week's cover was a special request by Alethea. She picked A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray, which I agree is a freakin' gorgeous cover. I love everything about this cover. Mirrored image covers are pretty popular right now and I like how they've used it here to juxtapose two very different landscapes. The sleek, modern high rises are a stark contrast to the ornate and colorful palaces of the bottom image. I like how the colors used also match each landscape, with cool blues and greys for the more modern city and bright oranges, pinks and purples less modern city. I really like watercolors as well and they are used to great effect here. This book is about different dimensions and worlds, which I think you get from the cover.

Overall, extremely excited about this one. I may have to place a pre-order for it. Let me know what you think of A Thousand Pieces of You in the comments below. :)

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Uncovered (108): The Vault of Dreams

Happy Friday, everyone! So I've been a total blogging slacker this week and did not have a review. Sorry about that. My boss is on vacation which means I am covering for him which just leads to me being too tired to do much blogging when I get home from work. I am taking part in Bout of Books, too, and haven't made much progress. But its still fun to participate so I'll keep chugging along.

For this week's Uncovered, we are going into the slightly creepy with the cover for The Vault of Dreams by Caragh M. O'Brien. I am loving this cover for its simplicity and because it is so eye catching (pun intended). This eye is pretty scary since it's staring right at you but it's also framed to look like I think a map or ship's navigation system. I also love the colors and pattern in the eye. It looks abstract up close but is most definitely and eye when looked at further back.

That's my pick this week. Let me know what you guys think of it in the comments. And if you're going to the Ontario Teen Book Fest tomorrow, come say hi if you see me. :)

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Uncovered (107): House of the Rising Sun

Who says you can't judge a book by its cover? Uncovered is a weekly post featuring one of my current cover loves. Enjoy!

Hi, everyone. Happy Friday! I fell in love with the cover to House of the Rising Sun by Kristen Painter the moment I saw it. I love the beautiful painting that Melani Edelon created for this cover. It's dark and beautiful. I think the woman is beautiful and I love her red hair. If you look closely you can see freckles on her face, too, which is a nice detail. Genre covers can often look cheap or cheesy and this is none of those things. The colors are gorgeous and I love how the yellow pops against the dark purples.

After writing this I think I may need to pre-order a copy of this book. :) Hope you all liked today's picked. Have a great weekend!

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Top Ten (Twelve) Tuesday: Top Ten Covers I'd Frame As Art

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week focuses on a different topic and you make a top ten list from it! This week's topic is: Top Ten Covers I'd Frame As Art.

You guys know that I am a total cover ho, so I had to participate in today's topic. There are so many beautiful covers out there that I had a hard time choosing and ended up with 12 picks instead of 10. Hope you enjoy!

My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland - I had a hard time picking which Dan Dos Santos cover I loved best but this is one of my favorites. But seriously, anything by him would be frame-worthy.

Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - Love this gorgeously stark and simple cover. Reminds me of a fairy tale.

Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig - I am a huge fan of Joey Hi-Five and again, I think any of his works would be worthy to put up on my wall. This cover for Blackbirds is one of my favorites though as I have a thing for wings.

The Peculiars by Mauren Doyle McQuerry - This book has gone through several cover changes. I think I just saw a new one a couple of weeks ago. I am not sure why though because the original is drop dead gorgeous. I am a huge fan of Cliff Nielson (who also does The Mortal Instruments covers). This cover is beautiful and a bit ethereal. Love it.

Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore - Love the homage to Henri Toulouse-Lautrec with this gorgeous cover by artist Aly Fell.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - Paper art is another favorite medium of mine when it comes to cover art and I love the art deco styling of this as well as the black and white them with just the pop of red.

The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane - I don't know if this cover uses papercutting but looks like it may. Either way I think this is a really beautiful and striking cover. Love the unusual colors used as well.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - I like all of the covers in this series but I think that Shadow and Bone might be my favorite. I think it perfectly captures the tone and themes of the book.

Mean To Be by Lauren Morrill - This cover looks like a modern movie poster. Love the colors and the happy vibe that it gives.

Snow White by The Brothers Grimm - I have been a fan of Camille Rose Garcia for a while now and love this cover she did for the illustrated version of Snow White. It has that pretty/creepy thing going on that I always fall for and the colors are bright and saturated. This would be beautiful on any wall.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma - Ethereal and slightly creepy, this cover looks like it would fit right in as part of an exhibit on modern photography. Love the composition of this as well as the colors.

Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour - this photo reminds me of summer days and vintage photos. It has a dreamy quality that I love and would be beautiful framed.

Phew - it was pretty hard to pick just twelve. If you want to see more of my cover picks, check out my weekly Uncovered feature. 

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Uncovered (106): Everything Leads To You

Hi, friends! How are you? Man this has been the longest and craziest week ever at work. Seriously I have been so overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work I've had. I will be so glad when the weekend is finally here. Thanks for checking out this week's Uncovered, a weekly post where I show you a book cover that I am currently lusting over.

This week's cover is Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour. As you guys know, I am a sucker for text heavy covers and I love that this one looks hand drawn. I love that it's not just straight across and instead, actually helps create movement and shape on the cover. The author's name, especially, looks like it's forming wings on the girl. I like that the girl is facing away from the front so that I can imagine my own character instead of a model. It also makes the book a little more mysterious since we can't see her face. I really like how soft and washed out the colors are, giving the whole thing a very vintage photo vibe. Gorgeous cover and I can't wait to read it!

What do you guys think of this week's pick? Yay or nay - let me know in the comments below. Have a wonderful weekend!

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Uncovered (105): Jackaby

Hi guys! Happy Friday to you. I don't know about you but this week has gone by so slowly for me. I am super excited that it's finally Friday and that the weekend is almost here. I'll be at the Pasadena Teen Book Festival tomorrow if you're there so come say hi.

This week's Uncovered post is about Jackaby by William Ritter. I found this one while browsing Edelweiss the other day. Yes, I totally troll review sites for new books and great covers. This cover immediately caught my eye. The double image profile short has been done before but I like the style and they all seem a little different. This one has a very vintage look with the hazy image style of dress. I like that the blue is bright but not too bright and the splash of red is a nice accent. This is a historical detective story ala Sherlock Holmes and looks like it's going to be a really good read.

Have you guys seen this one yet? Are you sick of profiles or do you dig them like me?  Thanks for stopping by today. Have a wonderful weekend and hope to see you in Pasadena tomorrow.

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Uncovered (104): Smart

Welcome to Uncovered, a weekly post where I show you one of my current cover loves. Enjoy!

Hello and happy Good Friday, everyone. Do you guys get the day off or an early day? Sadly I don't and am at work right now. But I hope that it's a quiet day at least. I am really excited about the weekend. Last weekend was crazy with the LA Times Festival of Books and this weekend is WonderCon. I am probably only going Saturday in the hopes of not killing my bank account. We shall see.

Today's Uncovered book is Smart by Kim Slater. I didn't know anything about this book until I spotted it, I think, on a blog recently. And I immediately added it to my TBR list because of this gorgeous cover. I say it all the time but illustrated covers are my favorite and this is a really nice one. I really like the muted but still colorful shades on this and the handwritten style of the font. There are a lot of little details that I am just dying to see up close. It almost looks like a treasure map with the X marks the spot.  Love the whole thing.

Smart is a mystery involving an autistic boy who is also an artist. I haven't read too many books featuring autistic protagonists so this one should be pretty interesting. I am hoping that there are illustrations inside, too. That's my pick this week. Let me know what you think of it in the comments below. Hope you all have a happy, candy-filled Easter!

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Uncovered (103): Reckoning

Hello and happy Friday, all. I love the weekend! This weekend I am looking forward to going to the LA Times Festival of Books. It's going to be a weekend full of good books, food and friends. Follow me on Instagram to keep up to date on my bookish (and other) exploits.

Today's Uncovered is Reckoning by S.J. Harper. This is the second book the urban fantasy series by authors Samantha Sommersby and Jeanne C. Stein.  While I love urban fantasy, I don't always love the covers. They can be really cheesy, though I think publishers are trying to make them less so. I really liked the first cover in this series and I like this one just as much. I like the unusual stance of the character's back to the front of the cover. She's strong and capable and it looks like she's holding the guns correctly. I'm no expert but it's funny sometimes when I see covers where a character is awkwardly holding a weapon. Her tattoos looks great and I really want her hair. I love how the fiery sky gives the whole thing a really ominous look and the overall cover just screams awesome urban fantasy to me.

That's my pick this week. What do you guys think? Do you love the cheese factor that's sometimes found in UF covers or are you looking for something different? Let me know in the comments. Have an awesome weekend!

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Uncovered (102): Rooms

Happy Friday, everyone! I've been slacking a bit on my Uncovered posts, so I apologize. But I am back this week with a new pretty cover. Rooms is the upcoming release from Delirium author Lauren Oliver. I like this one a lot even though there's not much to it. Branches always give off a creepy forest vibe, which I think goes well with the ghost story plot of this book. The fractured image is also a bit unsettling. I can't tell from just this image but I wonder if the branches are paper cutouts. That would be cool. Sorry my description of this cover is pretty lame. All I know is that I like it and I would give it a second look on the shelf because of the cover.

What do you guys think? Do you like text heavy covers as much as I do?

In other news, this weekend is Yarn Crawl LA weekend. Yes, if you didn't know, I am a pretty avid knitter so it's going to be fun. I am also helping to host picture book author Salina Yoon at Unwind Yarns with her book Penguin in Love. If you happen to have kids and are in the Burbank are, please stop by. Event details here. I am also looking forward to seeing Captain America: Winter Soldier this weekend.  I am excited about the movie but I am really excited about seeing the opening sequence which was done by one of my all-time favorite artists and writers David Mack. I am going to have to fit that in somewhere this weekend. I've babbled on long enough. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

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