Cover Trend: Post-Its

Here's a trend I've noticed... covers with post-it notes on them. I could swear I remember more books with post-its on the cover than just these. Are there more titles that I've left out?

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things - Ann Aguirre

The Last Time We Say Goodbye - Cynthia Hand

The Boy Problem: Notes and Observations of Tabitha Ready - Kami Kinard

All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven

Sarah Simpson's Rules for Living - Rebecca Rupp

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze - Alan Silberberg

Cover Trend: Maps

Here's a trend I've noticed lately - maps on the cover.

No Place to Fall - Jaye Robin Brown
     Good girl Amber has to choose between art school and her family.

Paper Towns - John Green
     A classic manic pixie dreamgirl adventure story.

Royally Lost - Angie Stanton
     A boring family vacation in Europe turns exciting with a hint of romance.

Last Stop This Town - David H. Steinberg
     One last exciting night in New York, before high school seniors move on.

Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave - Jen White
     Abandoned children try to travel home. It's like a modern version of Cynthia Voigt's Homecoming.

Cover Trend: Eggs

Here are some YA titles with eggs on the cover!

Scrambled Eggs at Midnight - Brad Barkley
     Two teens constantly on the move find romance amidst the turmoil of their unstable parents.

The Other Half of Me - Emily Franklin
     A teen girl searches for her sperm donor father.

Twerp - Mark Goldblatt
     A teen bully is offered redemption when his high school English teacher offers him a writing assignment about his life.

Thumped - Megan McCafferty
     The sequel to Bumped.

Bumped - Megan McCafferty
     A high-energy, funny, dystopian novel about a future where teen girls sell their bodies to older infertile couples.

Eggs - Jerry Spinelli
     Two kids deal with the loss of their parents.

Valentine's Display

Just for fun, I thought I'd put together a Valentine's Day display in my library's teen area of books featuring hearts on the cover. Here are a few to pick from:

The Future of Us - Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Sweet Little Lies - Lauren Conrad
This Lullaby - Sarah Design
Triple Shot Betty's In Love - Jody Gehrman
The Lipstick Laws - Amy Holder
Tangled - Carolyn Mackler
After the Kiss - Terra Elan McVoy
The Glimpse - Claire Merle
Recovery Road - Blake Nelson
Twenty Boy Summer - Sarah Ockler
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith
All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin

Top 10 Covers

This week's Top 10 Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is Top 10 Favorite Covers of books you've read. Here are mine:

Wow, I guess I have a thing for dark blue covers with a splash of red! One important thing about a cover is that it promises what kind of story lies within, and I think all of these do that very well. 

As far as The Selection goes, there are dozens of "girl in a pretty dress" covers, but I really do love this one. Sidekicks, written by the same guy responsible for the Word Girl tv show really grabs your attention with that roundhouse kick. Bunheads and Lost Voices - no secret as to what those books are about: ballerinas and mermaids, respectively. The thing that I like about Divergent's cover is that it very subtly reminds readers of Catching Fire - you know it's going to be an exciting dystopian right away. 

I like the swirling red effect on Vesper. The Raven Boys is one of those covers that the internet simply cannot do justice to. You must see it in person! The white background has a light pearlized effect, and the darkness of the raven's wings hides all kinds of details. Daughter of Smoke and Bone was one cover that I didn't know what to make of, at first. I wondered if it took place in New Orleans, since the mask reminded me of Mardi Gras. What you can tell from this cover is that the book is going to have secrets (it totally does) and that it's going to be awesome (it definitely is.) 

I like that The Time-Traveling Fashionista features an illustration, not a photo, and that she looks so carefree. It's right on the edge of being a mature middle-grade read, or a young YA and I think that comes across. Finally, Pink is another cover that grabbed my attention because of the stark contrast between the pink and black - a lot like what the main character goes through in the book!

Cover Flip video

Author Maureen Johnson is calling for fans to re-imagine book covers, making "girly" books appeal to guys and books for guys look more feminine. Here's a Huffington Post video about it:

New Harry Potter covers

I'm so excited to hear that Kazu Kibuishi has been selected to create all new covers for the 15th anniversary of Harry Potter. I love seeing different artists interpret the series in different way. This new cover may even rival my favorite version so far, the Signature covers, featuring J.K. Rowling's signature and a simple image on a cream background. Seeing the 10th anniversary edition cover, with Harry gazing into the Mirror of Erised by Mary GrandPré, the same artist who did the covers for all the American editions, was also a special treat, but I have to say, I'm even more thrilled with the Kibuishi design. I like this moment - when Harry and Hagrid go shopping for school supplies on Diagon Alley. Hedwig's wings, spread behind Harry make him look particularly angelic. I'm glad they kept the iconic Harry Potter jagged lightning font. And those bored wizards milling around in the background totally complete the scene! I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the Kibuishi covers.

The Eyes Have It

Couldn't help but notice... a number of cover designs that employ an eye on the spine of the book, staring out at the reader.

Here's the list:

Zero - Tom Leeven

Extras - Scott Westerfeld

Breaking Up is Really, Really Hard to Do: A Dating Game Novel - Natalie Standiford

Bound - Donna Jo Napoli

The Tension of Opposites - Kristina McBride

Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead

Ask Me No Questions - Marina Tamar Budhos

Dawn - Kevin Brooks

Candor - Pam Bachorz

Daughter of Smoke and Bone sequel

Ah! The cover for the sequel of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor has been revealed! I love it! Days of Blood and Starlight fits with the feel of the first book, perfectly. I can't wait to read it.

Fiction > Reality Book Covers

Wow! I'll credit this brilliant idea for changing the way I think about book covers, forever. New cover that I don't like??? I'll design my own!


These are so brilliant and funny!

Started as an in-joke on Twitter, a graphic designer came up with this set of simple, colorful designs, along with instructions for how you can print this up at your local FedEx or Kinko's. They all carry some variation of, "Go Away, I'm Reading." What a great way to finally achieve uniform looking bookshelves. I think set 3 is my favorite, which offers, "At Hogwarts, BRB," "In Narnia, BRB," and "In Forks, Send Help," among others.

Cover Trend: Globes

The Other Side of the Island
by Allegra Goodman
Razorbill
September 2008

In a post-apocalyptic future, Honor thinks she's being sent to an island paradise in the sky. Could this book be ever so slightly similar to The Time Machine by H.G. Wells?

The Patron Saint of Butterflies 

by Cecilia Galante
Bloomsbury USA
April 2008

Agnes and Honey, two best friends, have been raised on a religious commune. What happens when their families try to leave the cult?

Elsewhere
by Gabrielle Zevin
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
September 2005

A girl finds herself in heaven, where life is lived backwards, until one is reborn on Earth.

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball
by Risa Green
Sourcebooks Fire
August 2010

Contemporary fiction about a girl who is bequeathed a magic (or is it?) crystal ball when her aunt passes away. It reminds me, just a little bit of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Are We There Yet?
by David Levithan
Alfred A. Knopf
July 2005

Estranged brothers are forced to take a trip to Italy together.

Matched
by Ally Condie
Dutton Juvenile
November 2010

In a dystopian future, Cassia starts to question if she wants to continue to live by the Society's rules.

Pure
by Julianna Baggott
Grand Central Publishing
February 2012

A disturbing dystopian future, where citizens must either be trained as soldiers or serve as live target practice. Meanwhile, a group of "pures" have hunkered down inside a dome. Sounds riveting!

Any that I missed? Let me know in the comments.

Cover Trend: Purple Dress

I started putting together a Cover Trend post noting which covers feature pretty dresses. But these days, that is like... all of them. So, let's focus a moment on Beautiful Purple Dresses which seem to be a Thing for 2012.

Jessica Rules the Dark Side
by Beth Fantaskey
Harcourt Children's Books
January 2012

The sequel to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. At first glance her dress looks nearly black, but it's definitely dark purple.

Darkness Falls

by Cate Tiernan
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
January 2012

Sequel to Immortal Beloved.

A Breath of Eyre

by Eve Marie Monte
Kensington
April 2012

Emma Townsend magically travels to the world of Jane Eyre.

Dreamless

by Josephine Angelini
HarperTeen
May 2012

The sequel to Starcrossed, a re-telling of the Helen of Troy story.

Hemlock

by Kathleen Peacock
Harper Collins Children's Books
May 2012

A werewolf, paranormal, love-triangle, murder mystery story.

Endlessly

by Kiersten White
HarperTeen
July 2012

The third and highly anticipated final book in the Paranormalcy trilogy.

The Demon Catchers of Milan

by Kat Beyer
Egmont USA
August 2012

About an American teenager whose life is changed when she learns she’s a member of an ancient Italian family of demon hunters.

Cover Trend: Coffee

Coffee cups! And some tea cups too. Not all of these stories are about coffee.

The Latte Rebellion
by Sarah Jamila Stevenson
Flux
January 2011

When high school senior Asha Jamison gets called a "towel head" at a pool party, the racist insult gives Asha and her best friend Carey a great money-making idea for a post-graduation trip. They'll sell T-shirts promoting the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-race students. Seemingly overnight, their "cause" goes viral and the T-shirts become a nationwide fad. As new chapters spring up from coast to coast, Asha realizes that her simple marketing plan has taken on a life of its own-and it's starting to ruin hers. Asha's once-stellar grades begin to slip, threatening her Ivy League dreams, and her friendship with Carey is hanging by a thread. And when the peaceful underground movement turns militant, Asha's school launches a disciplinary hearing.Facing expulsion, Asha must decide how much she's willing to risk for something she truly believes in. -from Goodreads

The Espressologist
by Kristina Springer
Farrar Strauss Giroux
October 2009

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right? With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers. -from Goodreads

Why We Broke Up 

by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
January 2012

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped. -from Goodreads

Slice of Cherry 
by Dia Reeves
Simon Pulse
January 2011

Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around. It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities… -from Goodreads

Better Latte Than Never
by Catherine Clark
HarperTeen May
2008

There's nothing more annoying than working in a coffee shop inside a gas station—and not being able to drive. And having to deliver coffee to your bus driver. Kamikaze Bus Driver sips his coffee, then charges back into traffic before I can even take a seat. I reach out for a seat back to hold on to, but the bus swerves and I fall onto the end of a seat that's already taken, right into the lap of none other than Mike Kyle. I'm shocked. Mike's never been on this bus before. This runs against the laws of nature. I'm just so stunned I can't help blurting, "What are you doing here?" completely impolitely. Then I realize I'm still sitting on his lap. -from Goodreads

How to take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend
by Janette Rallison
Putnam Juvenile
June 2007

Sixteen-year-old Giovanna Petrizzo finds it hard enough to fit in. Three years since her family moved to Texas, she's still the newcomer compared to everyone around her. It doesn't help matters when her twin brother, Dante, takes on the mayor's son by running for class president. The least she could expect, though, would be for her boyfriend, Jesse, to support their cause. But Jesse's apparent defection triggers Giovanna's rash emotional side, and before she knows it, she's turned Jesse from the boy of her dreams to the ex-boyfriend she dreams of winning back. -from Goodreads

The Language of Impossible Dreams 

by Sarah Ockler

Simon Pulse
August 2012

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been. So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life... and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done. It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last... -from Goodreads

Confessions of a Triple-Shot Betty
by Jody Gehrman
Dial
April 2008

Geena can’t wait to spend summer vacation with her two best girls: her friend Amber and her cousin Hero. All three are working at the Triple Shot Betty coffee shop together, but the moment Amber and Hero meet, the claws come out. They hate each other on sight. Geena’s dreams of a girl-bonding summer fl y out the window, and then threaten to disappear completely when a few cute (okay, drop-dead gorgeous) guys come along to woo the Bettys. But all is not what it seems, and in a story of mistaken identities, crazy summer high jinks, and enough romance to make Shakespeare proud, Geena and her friends learn that when Bettys unite, they can take on the most powerful force in their world: a hot guy. -from Goodreads

Death by Latte
Linda Gerber
Puffin
September 2009

It was only a few weeks ago that Aphra Connolly’'s life changed completely. She had been living a quiet existence on her father’s secluded island resort, until Seth Mulo turned up and stole her heart . . . and provided information that led her to find her mom in Seattle. But the reunion isn’t quite what she expected. Aphra’s mom, Natalie, doesn’t seem happy to see Aphra, and Natalie’s boyfriend, Joe, insists that Aphra go home. Even worse, Seth shows up, only to ask her to return the ring he gave her the previous summer. At least Natalie’s hunky neighbor is sympathetic. But when Joe is found dead at a nearby coffee shop, Aphra discovers her whole trip to Seattle has been based on a lie. And now someone just might be trying to kill her... -from Goodreads

 

Gingerbread
by Rachel Cohn
Simon Pulse
June 2003

After getting tossed from her posh boarding school, wild, willful, and coffee addicted Cyd Charisse returns to San Francisco to live with her parents. But there's no way Cyd can survive in her parents' pristine house. Lucky for Cyd she's got Gingerbread, her childhood rag doll and confidante, and her new surfer boyfriend. When Cyd's rebelliousness gets out of hand, her parents ship her off to New York City to spend the summer with "Frank real-dad," her biological father. Trading in her parents for New York City grunge and getting to know her bio-dad and step-sibs is what Cyd has been waiting for her whole life. But summer in the city is not what Cyd expects - and she's far from the daughter or sister that anyone could have imagined. -from Goodreads 

Coffeehouse Angel
by Suzanne Selfors
Walker and Co.
August 2009
When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions. And he won’t leave until he can reward Katrina’s selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Now if only she could decide what that might be... -from Goodreads

Know of any that I missed? Let me know in the comments.

Cover Trend: Curled Up in a Ball

Here's something that I've noticed. Books that feature a main character curled up in a ball.

Juliet Immortal 

by Stacey Jay 

Delacorte Books for Young Readers 

August 2011

Romeo and Juliet with a vampire twist. Juliet is a vampire-hunter, Romeo, a vampire. I've heard this compared to Dracula in Love by Karen Essex. I really enjoyed Jay's irreverant, Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer-inspired You Are So Undead to Me series, so I think this one will be fun.

Ash 

by Malinda Lo 

Little, Brown Young Readers 

January 2009

A lesbian re-telling of the Cinderella story. I loved the society of Huntresses and I'm looking forward to reading the prequel Huntress.

Haunted 

by Joy Preble 

Sourcebooks Fire 

February 2011

This is the sequel to Dreaming Anastasia. Historical fiction/paranormal, sounds kind of awesome.

Crave 

by Melissa Darnell 

HarlequinTeen 

October 2011

Savannah Colbert is half-vampire, half-wizard and struggles with forbidden romance! Sounds like my kind of book.

Can you think of any that I've missed? Let me know in the comments.

Cover Trend: Smoky Eye

Here's something that I've noticed. New books that feature a dark smoky eye, or at least a lot of eyeliner.

Teeth: Vampire Tales
ed. by Ellen Datlow et. al.
Harper Collins
April 2011

An anthology featuring a number of very famous authors: Neil Gaiman, Melissa Marr, Cassandra Clare, Garth Nix, Cecil Castellucci and Holly Black.

Cleopatra Confesses
by Carolyn Meyer
Simon & Schuster
June 2011

Historical fiction, should be pretty self-explanatory.

Through Her Eyes
by Jennifer Archer
HarperTeen
April 2011

It sounds like Tansy sees ghosts in her family's rural Texas home.

Babe in Boyland
by Jody Gehrman
Dial
February 2011

Teen advice columnist Natalie decides to go undercover and disguise herself as a boy in order to understand them better.

Cryptic Cravings
by Ellen Schrieber
Harper Collins
May 2011

The latest in the popular Vampire Kisses series.

White Crow
by Marcus Sedgewick
Roaring Brook Press
July 2011

Two girls become friends in an atmospheric gothic town that is slowly falling into the sea.

Dead Rules
by Randy Russell
HarperTeen
June 2011

An interesting and unique take on the afterlife, when Jana dies and is separated from her true love Michael, and how she copes with being automatically enrolled in Dead School. Naturally, she's hoping he'll commit suicide ASAP so they can be reunited for eternity.
I have to be honest, this doesn't sound like my kind of read, but I do love the cover.




Know of any that I missed? Let me know in the comments.

Cover Triplets

It's common enough to find the same stock photo used twice, sometimes with a different treatment on two different covers. But here's a sample of the same photo being used three (possibly four)  times.

The Vespertine
by Saundra Mitchell
Harcourt Children's Books
March 2011

In 1889 Baltimore, Amelia discovers she has the power to see the future -- but only at the moment of sunset, or the "vespers" of the evening.

Dark Angel
by Eden Maguire
Hodder Children's Books
August 2011

Love triangle! Tania and Orlando's perfect relationship is marred by the meddling of Zoran, a hot rockstar, maybe with fae-like powers?

The Goddess Test
by Aimee Carter
Mira
August 2011

This is the cover for the Australian paperback version.
Kate thinks her mother is dying of cancer, and finds herself Persephone-like, engaged to Henry, King of the Underworld.
While the American cover seems more Grecian, this actually may be more acurate to the book, where the Greek Gods force Kate to wear corseted dresses for some reason.

Forgiven
by Janet Fox
Speak
June 2011

Any chance this is from the same photoshoot? It sure looks similar.
Kula runs away from rural Montana to experience big city life in San Francisco.