Share your favorite cover art! All comments on this post will be entered for a signed copy of Kelly Creagh's Nevermore!
Last time I posted I was hoping that by November 6 (it seemed so far away! that I'd be able to reveal my cover. And my wish came true! My beautiful cover (see below) has been all over the internet thanks to the amazing network of book bloggers with their cover reveal posts and waiting on wednesday posts (which are posts where they talk about upcoming books they are excited about, who knew?)
Anyway, being in cover heaven caused me to think more than I usually do about covers (and I can say that I probably think more than the average person about covers, I'm completely excited about my foreign sales, because it means the book will have even more covers! Covers in France, Germany and the UK). For me covers are certainly a form of art. I've always loved artistic expression, but I've never moved past the rudimentary understanding gleaned from art history classes in college, though I enjoyed those survey classes. And most people who know me have heard the sad story of how the museums were on strike when I visited Paris, (I got to walk past the Louvre, I mean, that's the same as going in, right?).
So, I've always been a person who looks at and admires art, but one thing I LOVE about cover art is that it's a visual representation of a story...and of all the forms of artistic expression, story is my far my absolute favorite. And books themselves are my favorite item to collect. In a few years I'll be ready for the apocalypse, I'll just need to be sure I have a lifetime supply of contact lenses. (click this for an object lesson in irony from The Twilight Zone)
So, imagine my giddiness when I learned, not only did I have a beautiful cover, but in the words of one of my more knowledgable friends, that my cover artist, Sammy Yuen, was "a really big deal." With just a little googling, I discovered his portfolio, and so so many of my favorite books and covers. Here are some examples...
Wow, that's art. All of these works of art are on my bookshelf, except Behemoth, which was released with a different (less beautiful cover). Sammy also designed the covers for all of Ellen Hopkins' books (great examples of branding), Holly Black's first three books, and many other beautiful covers. I feel completely fortunate in my cover, and sharing the same artist as some of my favorite books/covers, all I can say is wow!
Some other beautiful covers that have blown my mind lately...
I LOVE this cover (and the book and the author) because it's so different, I love the colors and the way it glows.
This one is from GreenWillow, and it is so beautiful, in fact I saw where it was voted THE most beautiful cover on at least one Goodreads poll. It's even more beautiful in person, and I really enjoyed the book.
I love all of Cassandra Clare's covers, but I particularly like the new ones for Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince.
Green is my favorite color, and this beautiful, and in my mind under-appreciated book is just gorgeous.
Check out the sidebar of the blog for my fellow blogger's beautiful covers, I was going to add them in here, but I realized I was getting picture crazy.
Lastly I have covers from Kelly Creagh, whose Nevermore I promised to give away in my last blog post, I'm completely in LOVE with her Polish cover.
This is the one I'm giving away. I love the colors, very elegant.
This is her newest foreign cover and I'm salivating over that Raven. Wow!
Okay, so all you have to do for the chance to win the signed copy of Nevermore is post your comment, share a picture of your favorite cover, or just tell us about it! Next month I'll be giving away a one of a kind annotated copy of my Masque of the Red Death ARC (if you can't wait until next month I'm giving one away on my personal blog at bethanygriffin.com next week!)
19 comments:
LOVE your cover Bethany! That's gorgeous! Love the red and black, and the tagline is great too.
I'm currently a huge fan of the cover for Anna Dressed in Blood!
Great idea to post about covers - you shared a few that I hadn't seen yet. Yours is stunning! Other favorites on my bookshelf are Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter which is rich and exotic, and Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly which looks dangerous and intriguing with the older portrait flipped upside down, beside the current-day face.
I loved the Anna Dressed in Blood Cover, but loved the Girl of Nightmares (2nd book) even more. See if I can post pics in the comments..
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b209/bfaith1071/girlofnightmares.jpg
Hmm, well, I couldn't do it using photbucket. Which is sad because I love actually seeing the covers.
Love your cover. How exciting!
I really loved the cover for Janice Hardy's THE SHIFTER and it's what decided me to buy the book. Good covers can really draw you to a book as well as being gorgeous.
Bethany, you already know how in love with your cover I am and I love the covers that you chose. However, there is one cover I am floored by and I have NO.IDEA.WHY. Honestly, it makes no sense. I have not read the book, have heard mixed reviews about it, but every time I saw it, it just did something to me. So, about a week ago, I was in Sam's club and FINALLY allowed myself to purchase it. I have never bought a book just for it's cover, but alas, it has happened. It's the cover for the book Matched that I'm in love with. The only thing I'm upset about is that I bought it in a soft cover and somehow I think it looks even more gorgeous on the hard cover. I've apparently got issues. But there you have it. My favorite cover. :D
These covers are stunning! My current favorite cover is Exiled by Rashelle Workman. It's amazing! Just finished making my own book cover today.
Melanie, I've bought WAY more embarrassing books than Matched due to the covers! I actually enjoyed Matched, and the cover had that pretty glowing quality, I love that.
I'll have to look up Exiled, and I've seen the Shifter, but I don't remember, I've heard it's a great book, though (I haven't read as much MG since I stopped teaching it, which is a shame, I do love a good MG).
My Fav cover besides that beautiful work of cover art you just posted for yours is Nevermore!
:)
Bethany, i really enjoyed Shifter. It's a great, fast paced read. The sequel is great too. I'm going to buy the third book in the trilogy that recently came out. I highly rec it.
All of those covers are really gorgeous! I'm a big fan of the Shiver cover. I love the heart shaped leaves, the metallic blue, the raised lettering, the blood spatter on the i, and the wolf waiting in the background.
I love YOUR cover, bethany! One of my favorites is Brenna Yovanoff's cover for The Replacement. I also love the cover for Adios, Nirvana. It is so eye-catching and looks like something you want to have in your hands! (obviously, I'm also crazy about my own new cover that I just got to share today, haha!) :P
Elissa, I love Brianna Yovanoff's newest cover, it's so gorgeous it makes me want to go back and revise my blog post to add it...and also so excited for your cover!
I love your cover, Bethany, and can't wait to see it in person!! One of my favorite book covers lately is If I Stay, beautiful book outside and in!
You're right. Covers are the first invitation to read. They should be inviting and you picked some great examples, including your own. I guess I can't really beat the covers for the Harry Potter books. Somehow they convey magic and sweetness and dark things to come in such a powerful way.
Congrats on having the ARC in hand, Bethany, it really is a pretty cover and a great book. I look forward to buying my own signed copy and placing it on the Shelf o' Friends.
I'm drawing a blank on YA covers I especially like. I'm more inclined to skip books based on covers that I don't like. I do, however, enjoy the artwork on old Sci-fi paperbacks.
Bethany, I forgot to say anything about the artwork on the back of your ARC, but I really like it. The hazy red city captures the story's foggy mood.
Those are all gorgeous covers!!!
I'm almost finished Entwined, and I have to say I bought it because of the cover. Loving the story, though, too.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm still working on getting us a signing. The lady hasn't called back, so I just have to perter her. :)
I'm absolutely in love with your cover, Bethany! Great post!
Post a Comment