Cover Snark (123): The One Where the Dog Knows Best
posted at Thursday, October 16th, 2014 at 8:00 AM | Cover Snark
Welcome to Cover Snark, where the people are snarky and the covers quiver in fear. Since I don’t write many snarky book reviews here on A Reader of Fictions, Cover Snark is my outlet. If you click on the title of the book, where possible, I’ve linked to Goodreads. Clicking on the cover itself will show you the cover in a larger size, in most cases. Feel free to love covers I hate and vice versa. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Shiny and New:
1. The Last Leaves Falling - Sarah Benwell
Thoughts: Where did the yellow feathers come from?!?!
2. A Different Kind of Fine (Twelve Beats in a Bar #1.5) - K.K. Hendin
Thoughts: Ummm, pretty sure that I would not be fine if I were dressed like that and maybe this person is fine like fiiiiiiine but I can’t tell. What is this new definition, I wonder?
3. None of the Above - I.W. Gregorio
Thoughts: Kind of a boring cover, but at least it’s clear about the subject matter.
4. The Night We Said Yes - Lauren Gibaldi
Thoughts: Does this sound like an orgy to anyone else or?
5. Rook - Sharon Cameron
Thoughts: Paris is not looking so hot and a bird just exploded apparently.
6. Mind Games - Teri Terry
Thoughts: Eye guess this is an acceptable variant on the annoying eye cover trend.
7. Backlash - Sarah Littman
Thoughts: Points for the cute polka dot case.
8. Rival Hearts (Rival Love #2) - Natalie Decker
Thoughts: I like how this cover is informing us that Natalie Decker wrote this book. Bestselling author of this book you are looking at RIGHT NOW. IS YOUR MIND NOT BLOWN?
9. Endangered - Lamar Giles
Thoughts: Props for the POC and the Bond reference, but this still somehow feels lacking.
10. After We Fell (The After Series #3) - Anna Todd
Thoughts: After we fell, our bodies became the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great circle of life.
11. The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden - Emma Trevayne
Thoughts: He was just trying to dig to China.
12. Written in the Sand - T.A. Foster & Mary-Kathryn Craft
Thoughts: This image reminds me of Veronica Mars back in the pre-Lily’s-death days. But also I hate the term “love affair” quite a lot.
13. Crimson Bound - Rosamund Hodge
Thoughts: *swoons* This is even better than the Cruel Beauty cover. And I love the tagline, which subverts the trope of the protective dude. And she doesn’t want to have feels, which probably means I will.
14. The Death Code (The Murder Complex #2) - Lindsay Cummings
Thoughts: Paintball’s gotten brutal.
15. Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) - Anne Blankman
Thoughts: Holy innocuous cover and title Batman! Conspiracy Queen of Shadow and Blood and Smoke and Bone.
16. Lamp Black, Wolf Grey - Paula Brackston
Thoughts: Dress Blue.
17. The Fall - R. J. Pineiro
Thoughts: Dude: “I wonder if the ground will be friends with me!”
18. Seeker - Arwen Elys Dayton
Thoughts: Can we stop with the fantasy novel cover trend of just putting up a sword and a title and calling it a day?
19. In Her Head, In Her Eyes - Yukimi Ogawa
Thoughts: WHAT IS IN HER HEAD AND EYES UNDER THAT THING? I AM TERRIFIED.
20. The Golden Specific (The Mapmakers Trilogy #2) - S. E. Grove
Thoughts: Specifically, I find that guy very creepy.
21. Omega City (Omega City #1) - Diana Peterfreund
Thoughts: They’re getting into parkour young in this city.
22. The Creeping - Alexandra Sirowy
Thoughts: No, no, girl. That’s not how you do the Creep. THIS is how you do the Creep.
23. Every Last Promise - Kristin Halbrook
Thoughts: *sideeyes tagline and cover most heartily*
24. Heat of the Moment (The Moment of Truth #1) - Lauren Barnholdt
Thoughts: I’m assuming there’s a guy down below her.
25. One Moment in Time (The Moment of Truth #2) - Lauren Barnholdt
Thoughts: One Lens Flare in Time.
26. From This Moment (The Moment of Truth #3) - Lauren Barnholdt
Thoughts: As soon as she finishes stretching, something marvelous will happen.
27. The Future Without Hope (The World Without End #3) - Nazarea Andrews
Thoughts: Hope is gone. All that’s left is earrings.
28. Three and Out (Love and Sports #3) - Meghan Quinn
Thoughts: SERIOUSLY HOW IS THIS NOT ABOUT GAY FOOTBALL PLAYERS?
29. The Stars of Summer (All Four Stars #2) - Tara Dairman
Thoughts: Is that a lobster on a leash trying to get to a hot dug?
30. Things We Know By Heart - Jessi Kirby
Thoughts: I ♥ed this up until the point when a word of the title was a symbol. However, I will always think that background where an anatomical heart transitions into an illustrated heart is genius.
31. Proof of Forever - Lexa Hillyer
Thoughts: This is like a slightly fancier version of the original Behind the Scenes cover, and there’s a reason that just got redesigned.
32. Vanished - E.E. Cooper
Thoughts: This looks just like The Pretenders, only more cut outs.
33. Made You Up - Francesca Zappia
Thoughts: Water color waterfall. So I guess her made up boyfriend is her umbrella, protecting her from the water of public opinion? Anyway, it’s cool, minus the horrible font for the author title.
34. The Truth About Us - Janet Gurtler
Thoughts: What is going on at the top of this cover? Did someone start erasing the background and get bored?
35. Jillian Cade: (Fake) Paranormal Investigator - Jen Klein
Thoughts: I’m a child, so I’m hugely amused by this.
36. Under the Spotlight (The Jamieson Collection #3) - Angie Stanton
Thoughts: Why did someone bring a spotlight out here to the forest for this? Why is the sky so orange? Debby, is this your doing?
37. Tracked - Jenny Martin
Thoughts: This cover is a lion shield with wings. BUT WHY?
38. Thor’s Serpents (The Blackwell Pages #3) - K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr
Thoughts: That font hurts my eyes somehow. Maybe it’s the way it looks against the acidic green background?
39. Those Above (The Empty Throne #1) - Daniel Polansky
Thoughts: OY WITH THE SWORDS ALREADY.
Cover Battles:
1. Famous in Love (Famous in Love #1) - Rebecca Serle
US vs. UK vs. Spanish: So I’ve actually read this one and there is no biking/kissing scene in the book. What even.
2. Behind the Scenes (Daylight Falls #1) - Dahlia Adler
US Original vs. US Redesign: Still not a total betty, but a vast improvement. It may be the cheesy cityscape that keeps this one from being as good as the matching Under the Lights cover. Also, for some reason, the font treatment does not work here, though it does on the sequel.
3. Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2) - Laini Taylor
US vs. UK Hardback vs. UK Paperback vs. Tesco Edition vs. German vs. Italian vs. Indonesian vs. Slovakian vs. Czech vs. French vs. Polish vs. Thai vs. Korean: BUGS ARE COMING OUT OF HER FACE AND THAT IS NOT OKAY. Though I do like the gay pride title, even if it’s hard to read.
4. Cuckoo Song - Frances Hardinge
UK vs. US: KILL IT WITH FIRE. I’LL SET FIRE….TO THE RAIN. WATCH IT BURN THIS THING’S FACE.
5. The Tale of Oriel (Kingdom #3) - Cynthia Voigt
Thoughts: Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?
WTF of the Week:
WTF of the Week began as a special category for one cover I saw, but was so popular it became a recurring feature. Here, I highlight covers, both new and old, that I’ve found, which, upon viewing, made me either snort or say something along the lines of “Dear God, what is that thing?” If you would like to be part of the fun and have spotted a truly hilarious or horrifying cover, submit it and your snark to [email protected] and you might be included, though I will filter through submissions and limit the number of entries per week.
1. The Road Trip (School Days-Grimm Nights #3) - Cricket Rohman
Thoughts: Woof.
2. The Spice of Life - Jake Furie Lapin
Thoughts: They’re going to have a comfortable ride in that tiny car. Especially once the rest of the clowns arrive.
3. Squirrel Mafia - Sharon C. Williams
Thoughts: This is nuts.
Don’t think I didn’t catch that subtle poke at me.
Or not so subtle.
Whatever.
*spreads orange everywhere*
Debby (Snuggly Oranges) recently posted…One Year of Book Club!
Heeeeeee, but it’s so funnyyyyyyy. No offense intended. Just pointing out that you’re spreading color round the book world.
Pfft, obvi I didn’t take offense
And ANYWAY, the book world could use some more orange, man. The only orange covers I have, pretty much, are a non-fiction marketing book and The Deathly Hallows! Do you know how hard that makes book spine rainbow challenges? VERY HARD. *sobs*
Debby (Snuggly Oranges) recently posted…ARC Book Review: Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future
Oooh, I haven’t looked to see how many orange spines I have…*reminds self that that is probably not the best use of time* But also if I were home right now, I would totally look and send you orange-spined books for Christmas. :-p
*snort* you would. xD
Debby (Snuggly Oranges) recently posted…ARC Book Review: Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future
1. Don’t eat the yellow feathers
3. I appreciate its graphic simplicity (and also its subject matter), but yeah. underwhelmed.
7. Oo I want that case!
8. AHAHAHA BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RIVAL HEARTS
10. ilu
11. OOO PRETTY BUT ALSO DISTURBING
13. Eyebasmmmmmm love the cool lush green and the swooping white stairs and the checks and the pop of red and GUSH GUSH GUSHHH
15. Pshhhh, I love this cover. So jealous of her eye color and fabulous lips and CURLS
16. Gillian laughing
17. WHOAAAA
18. BUT FANTASY IS LIKE 99.99999% SWORDS CHRISTINA WHAT ELSE COULD THERE POSSIBLY BE
19. This is so fucking beautiful that i die
20. Why is Rasputin like fucking lurking back there omk
24. HAHAHAHAH OOER
28. THREE AND OUT HOW IS THIS NOT ABOUT GAY FOOTBALL PLAYERS
30. NO MORE COVERS IN HIEROGLYPHICS PLEASE OMK. I didn’t even NOTICE the background was doing that because i find that (ugly) black heart symbol so distracting.
33. Braaaaintwinnnnnn
36. Oooo yes was definitely Debby since we know how much she loved Stanton’s Royally Lost
37. This looks really cheap.
38. I would love this but ACID GREEN AND SILVER FONT OW EYEBALLS OW
39. Okay yeah swords should no longer an entire fantas cover make but at least this one is FUCKING BAD ASS AND THERE’S SHIT GOING ON AND OMK AMAZINGGG
CB4. WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS WHY IS THIS HOW IS THIS
CB5. LOL SO PUNNY (lurve the second)
WTF2. Are you reality?
WTF3. SHARING IS NOT AN OPTION!
Gillian recently posted…Reasons to Read: Every Breath by Ellie Marney
Pshhh, obviously it was Stanton’s way of trying to lure me in, to get me to give her a second chance. WELL.
…no.
Debby (Snuggly Oranges) recently posted…One Year of Book Club!
BWAHAHAHAHA
YOU ARE TOO SLIPPERY FOR THAT
Gillian recently posted…Reasons to Read: Every Breath by Ellie Marney
1. Or the white feathers. Let’s be real. But I see where you are going with this and I chuckled.
3. I just do not often like white background covers. They look really boring on the interwebs. They sometimes are nice and shiny in person, but just look at it.
7. It’s so cute!
8. They totally meant to put Rival Love, which is the first book in the series. BAHAHAHA. I love that no one noticed.
10. I literally only included this cover because I thought of that quote.
11. ALL HE WANTED WAS CHINA BUT HE FINDS A BODY AND UGH THE PAPERWORK.
13. Is your eye okay after BASMING? And then it GUSH GUSH GUSHED? DO WE NEED TO RUSH YOU TO AN EYE DOCTOR?
15. Her curls are nice, I will grant you, but that title! Two of these words are on the don’t even list.
18. Nothing else ever happens in fantasy. That is why I hate this genre. So unimaginative.
20. GET OUT, RASPUTIN. OUT OF EUROPE OUT OF RUSSIA YOU SHOULDN’T HANG ABOUT.
24. I MEAN REALLY THOUGH
28. HOW? I MEAN IF IT WERE BASEBALL, THEN OKAY, BUT THIS IS FOOTBALL AND DUDES BANGING. IT MUST BE.
30. It is also an exceptionally ugly heart. This child must be taught to color inside the lines.
33. It was so funny because I wrote this and then went to chat and you were saying the same thing and I trolololed.
36. THAT IS WHERE I KNEW THAT AUTHOR NAME FROM. OHHHHH.
37. Yeah, Christina is not impressed with this.
38. IT IS NOT JUST ME THEN.
39. Admittedly, I do actually like this cover, minus the fact that it’s cutting through horizontal water or something. BUT I COULD MAKE A GILMORE REFERENCE AND SNARK ABOUT SWORDS.
CB4. DEMONIC COVER.
CB5. THANK YOU FOR NOTICING MY PUN. I WAS VERY PROUD.
WTF3. This cover is basically my favorite thing.
17. This is SO COOL. GOSH I wish this were a Shae book. This one. This one right here. WINNER.
Shae/Shelver @ Shae Has Left The Room recently posted…Cover Love #76
Interesting. It looks like it’s probably too hardcore of a sci fi for me, but it is pretty. I love space covers.
13. SO SO PRETTY. This will look great next to Cruel beauty. I love it when authors get similar looking covers and this will work with a lot of fairy tale retellings. I can’t wait
19. And what is she holding in her hands?
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…20 things you probably didn’t know about me – tag.
13. I love it too, but it IS going to confuse everyone into thinking they’re a series, which is the one bad thing.
19. Your heart.
1. I think the yellow ones are the leaves maybe? I really like this cover - the falling feathers, the colour scheme, the shadow of the boy in the wheelchair, the diversity.
2. It’s fine, I guess.
3. Plain, but I also like what they did here (interesting interview with cover designers and pub on Book Smugglers!)
4. LOL it does! Love the fonts though.
5. YIKES!
6. This feels like there needed to be a pop of colour. Too monochromatic for me.
7. Ohh, I like this! Feels Instagrammy and I’m digging the cellphone case.
8. The colours just seem way too heightened in this… and the pink doesn’t fit.
9. The swirly and vignette effect don’t work for me.
10. Meh.
11. What?! This is a pretty cool cover. Love the illustration.
12. Oh, yes - the episode where there are flashbacks to prom night and they are taking videos on the beach!
13. I’ll admit, not a fan of these covers for the series but I do really like the tagline.
14. The muddled colours on these covers befuddles me.
15. Not as striking as the first, but I think it still pulls you in.
17. Woah that makes me dizzy, haha!
18. It looks to me like two big puffy mitts trying to grasp the sword, hehe
19. Woah. I’m intrigued!
20. Creepy dude in the background!
21. Be careful kids, yikes!
22. I do not like but it does give me the heebie jeebies
23. Seems overdone (the title, cover, tagline…)
24-26. Reminds me of that Summer series (my mind is blanking on the full title, haha). Woah, they just released all the covers for the entire series? That’s different!
27. Those scars! *shudders*
28. I hate vignette effects. Like the font though.
29. OMG the lobster! Such a cute chubster!
30. OOOH I Like the mix of anatomical and cutesy hearts and the textured look.
31. This reminds me of another cover but I can’t put my finger on it.
32. Kinda like this except for the blue.
33. BEAUTIFUL! Doesn’t tell me anything but it IS pretty.
34. The top is super weird. It’s like bokeh effect or something.
35. Looks kinda dated.
Cover Battles.
4. HOLY FUCK THAT IS SOME CREEPY MESSED UP DOLL HEAD!
Rachelia (Bookish Comforts) recently posted…{Review} Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
1. Ohhhh, they are leaves. That look oddly similar to feathers. And I would still like to know where they came from.
4. I agree that the fonts are cute.
6. I sometimes like the monochromatic thing, but it does feel like something’s missing on this one.
8. Wrong instagram filter.
12. Exactly! And then Veronica goes skinny dipping at the end of the episode.
15. Agree.
18. BAHAHHAHA. Or two goldfish crackers made out of water bubbles.
24-26. It does remind me of the Jenny Han covers for the Summer books.
30. Me too! I just hate that <3 in the title.
35. It is very nineties.
CB4. ISN’T IT. NOT OKAY, CANDLEWICK.
I think I specifically like the cover for The Golden Specific, but it’s trying to be The Golden Compass a bit too much.
-Jon from Bookish Antics!
Jon @ Bookish Antics recently posted…Giveaway: Rooms by Lauren Oliver
Ohhh Crimson Bound is STUNNING. And I love how it matches the other one with the swirly staircase thing. Now I just need to read Cruel Beauty so I can stay on top of that whole series.
Kayla @ The Thousand Lives recently posted…ARC Review: Throwaway Girl by Kristine Scarrow
I definitely encourage reading Cruel Beauty, because amazing, but they’re actually not a series or even companions! The matching covers are brilliant, but also confusion-making.