This is my first time participating in Top Ten Tuesday, which is a really popular meme floating around the book blogosphere created by The Broke and the Bookish, where bloggers create a list of ten items pertaining to that week’s theme. Past topics include Top Ten Inspiring Quotes from Books, Top Ten All Time Favorite Authors, Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List—simple and fun book-related lists, basically.
It looks like I picked a good week to start with because this week’s theme is “Top Ten Tuesday Freebie: Your Choice of Topic.” What I ended up doing was scrolling through the list of previous TTTs and was inspired by “Top Ten Books Whose Titles Or Covers Made Me Buy It” from October 2011 (wow, what a long-running meme!). I chose this one because of how I recently purchased Two Serious Ladies for its cover art. So, Two Serious Ladies would be my number one pick.
For the next three, I absolutely love the fonts and color schemes. They are all simple yet beautifully detailed at the same time.
- The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I also really love silhouettes and hand-drawn illustrations on covers. I definitely purchased all three of these books based on their covers alone. I didn’t even bother with reading the back copy. I haven’t read any of these particular books yet, but I know Wonder got rave reviews.
- The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell
- Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The final three are all random wild cards. I found Silver Princess, Golden Knight on Book Outlet, knew it was completely obscure and potentially a total flop, but bought it because of the magnificent bird/human/angel hybrid on the cover. Some high-fantasies have cheesy covers, but this one is breath-taking.
- Silver Princess, Golden Knight by Sharon Green
- Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
- Whirligig by Paul Fleischman
Did you participate in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday? What was your freebie pick? I’m so curious to see the topics that everyone else chose.
First of all, your blog is gorgeous! Second of all, I am *such* a sucker for a beautiful book cover. I haven't read The Night Circus yet, but it's totally one that I bought because it looks so pretty. (And it's supposed to be just as beautiful on the inside, I really need to get to it...) I'm really intrigued by that cover for The Imperfectionists too -- have you read it, is it any good?
ReplyDeleteMy Top 10 is here -- I did 10 books that made me a better writer. :) Welcome to the TTT!
Thank you so much, Christina! I haven't read The Imperfectionists yet, but I can highly recommend The Night Circus. Really gorgeous and magical.
DeleteFreebie weeks are always fun! I totally agree that all the covers above are gorgeous. I think covers are actually getting more spectacular design wise or maybe I have just been noticing them more lately. The only one above I've read is The Night Circus and I found it as beautiful as its cover!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stephanie! I shamelessly judge books by their cover all the time, and I also think book covers are becoming more and more stylized and beautiful lately, especially in the last 5 years. And we're definitely in agreement about The Night Circus. Beautiful.
DeleteThe Night Circus has always been gorgeous to me, mainly because I love carnival/circus stories that are a tiny bit creepy/strange. I don't know of any book I've bought just for the cover, but I do like the cover to have at least a little to do with the book. I've been seeing some book covers and after reading the book wondering how in the world they got the idea for the cover.
ReplyDeleteMy Top 10
I think the same thing, Savannah! Especially books that have girls in ballgowns on the cover when that has nothing to do with the plot at all.
DeleteGreat covers! Sometimes they really draw you in!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my TTT.
It's true. Face-out marketing at book stores really works on me, haha. Thanks for stopping by, Lauren.
DeleteI completely forgot to put Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and I think you just made me check out The Aviary. Funny that we should pick the same topic.
ReplyDeleteCovers can be so deceiving though.
What a strange but pretty cool coincidence! It's true, some beautiful covers can be selling a not so-great-book.
DeleteI tried to comment on your post, but it wouldn't let me for some odd reason. I love that you posted about The Guest Cat, because I saw it at Barnes and Noble the other day, and I was totally going to buy it based on the kitty cover alone.
I really like black/white/grey covers. I think they can look so beautiful! :-) Great list! My TTT
ReplyDeleteSimplicity can be key, especially if it compliments the plot really well. Thanks for stopping by, Chrissi. I'll check out your TTT as wel!
DeleteI agree with you that book covers can make or break a book and you selected some good examples. I think Miss Peregrines...cover is still drawing in readers several years after it was first published.
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I've had Miss Peregrine's on my shelf for a few years now. No real reason why I haven't read it yet. Maybe I'll pick it up in October for some spooky reading time. Thanks for stopping by, Anne. I'll check out your TTT as well.
DeleteI love the Avery and Night Circus cover. I've read Wonder and really enjoyed it so hope you get a chance to read it soon.
ReplyDeleteIronically my post is on covers too! When Bad Covers Happen to Good Books
I really should move Wonder farther up my TBR list. I checked out your post, nice list!
DeleteGreat topic! I think anyone who says they don't judge books by their covers is just lying, because we all do it! I'm always drawn to really simple covers, especially ones with pretty typography, and a cover with a person on the front is an immediate turn off. I do love the cover for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, though - I really need to read that soon!
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I hate covers with girls in ballgowns gazing off into the distance. HATE!
DeleteSo many gorgeous covers here! I adore The Night Circus, and the cover art is absolutely stunning. I'm terrible for picking up books because of their covers, so it's always fab wen the insides live up to the expectations set up by the cover!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT
Thanks, Rosy! Pretty name, by the way. :) I checked out your post, loved your topic.
DeleteOhhh, I haven't even ever SEEN some of the editions of these books but I WANT THEM. hehe. I love cover judging. I'm not even ashamed about it. It's just liking art, right?! I adore that cover of Where Things Come Back and the Aviary too!! Here's my TTT!
ReplyDeleteHey Cait, that's a good explanation of it-- just liking art. I LOVE your post. Hilarious!
DeleteWonder knocks me over every time I see it.
ReplyDeleteHere's mine: Best Moving-and-Starting-Over Books!
Such a great cover. So simple, so powerful.
DeleteI did a similar topic - top covers on my TBR. I LOVE book covers and so pick books based on them! Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Night Circus and Wonder are ones that have caught my eye before. Monstrous Beauty is one I want to check out now. Great list!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Grace! I will definitely check out your list.
DeleteAll these covers are gorgeous especially the font on The Imperfectionists. I like silhouettes so much too like the Halo books by Alexandra Adornetto have gorgeous silhouette covers but the stories are so bad /sobs into the sunset/
ReplyDeleteMy TTT was on the sequels I need to start sooner or later and the plan was to make myself realize that I need to be productive and read them already but who knows if that will happen lol
hahaha, oh I know exactly what you mean. My TBR gets bigger and bigger all the time. Thanks for visiting, Ju. I really love your blog!
DeleteThese are some fabulous covers. I don't know if I could purchase a book for that alone, though! I HAVE to read back cover copy before I buy. I did love THE NIGHT CIRCUS and MISS PEREGRINE'S. WONDER was just okay for me.
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Then you have much better self control than I do, Susan. I'm such a sucker for a pretty cover.
DeleteI checked out your TTT post. I would definitely want to be in a sixth grade class that you bought the books for!
Yeah, our topics were similar I love the night circus and miss perigines book covers as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Ashley!
DeleteFabulous topic choice! I LOVE these covers! Quite a few of them are new to me, but I want them too! Especially Whirligig, that is so unique! Great list :)
ReplyDeleteShannon @ It Starts At Midnight
Whirligig is a great little book. I love how the cover art looks like it was painted on weathered wood.
DeleteSuch a great idea for a book. No matter how often you decide not to judge a book by its cover, you can't help it! Some books I bought because of their covers - This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson, Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch, 11.22.63 by Stephen King. They were all pretty good, though. Of your list, I would have bought Whirligig, the others I have already read or heard of. Was Whirligig worth the buy?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Priya! Yes, I'd say so. I bought it and read it I think 7 years ago, but I remember loving it. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteThe Imperfectionists cover is AWESOME! I would buy that one on sight too. and I Love the Whirligig cover. Very unique and interesting!
ReplyDeleteLove the covers of these books! I try not to judge books by their covers but I have to admit that the colors and designs on the cover definitely make me want to read or not read a book! I loved the Night Circus and the cover is perfect for the book. Great topic!
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