Top Ten Tuesday | Cover Love

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, where book bloggers are invited to share their top ten lists centered on a certain theme.

This week’s theme was book covers, which is one of my favorite things to talk about! We’ve been majorly blessed with some gorgeous book covers lately. While we all know the age old phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover,” it’s no secret that a book cover does make a huge difference in whether or not we pick up a book. A bomb book cover is the easiest way for me to get a teen to check out a book at my library!

I’m focusing on gorgeous book covers featuring characters of color. Diversity and #OwnVoices stories mean a lot to me, especially as a biracial reader who couldn’t find characters who looked like me when I was growing up.

I love seeing these characters get the spotlight they deserve and am excited to share my favorite upcoming 2020 covers:

 

1. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson: This YA contemporary about a queer black girl running for prom queen sounds AMAZING and I love how happy she looks on the cover! I know a lot of the teens at my library will immediately pick it up when they hear the title, too.

2. I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee: A fat girl fighting to break into the world of K-pop? Yes, please! I’m so jealous of Skye’s outfit (and confidence, tbh) on this cover and I already know the k-pop obsessed teens at my library are gonna flip over this one.

3. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna: Loving the teal & gold tones on the cover of this West-African inspired YA fantasy!

4. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar: This YA romance about two queer girls with rival henna businesses has been on my TBR since it was announced, and this illustrated cover with a pink background made me even more excited for it!

6. Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena: Another stunning YA fantasy cover with rich, lush colors! This one is inspired by Indian history and myth and has a forbidden romance.

6. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: Okay, I’ve gushed about this one before but it deserves even more love! I love that this book & its cover put a trans POC teen front and center (and even shows Felix’s top surgery scars on the cover).

7. Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar: This cover is stunning & heartbreaking at the same time, and I love that it looks like a painting. I really liked Aida’s debut, and if there’s anything the book community has learned in the last few weeks, it’s that we desperately need more #OwnVoices stories of immigration like this one, which is middle grade.

8. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson: Tiffany is by far one of the most popular YA authors at my library  and I am LIVING for this cover! Her books are so captivating and are always major page-turners. This cover is simple, elegant, and just straight-up perfect.

9. Run Rebel by Manjeet Mann: Novels in verse are always a big hit for me, and this YA contemporary about a girl who uses running as a way to resist sounds amazing. I love that even though we don’t see Amber’s full face, you can feel the sense of resistance and defiance in her stance on the cover.

10. Tigers, Not Duaghters by Samantha Mabry: A story of sisterhood, grief, and ghosts. I was already intrigued by the beautiful cover–there’s just something about girls staring straight at you (not turned away or hidden) on a cover that feels so powerful. One of my best friends recently read this and highly recommended it to me, so now I can’t wait!

 

What’s your favorite book cover style? Illustrated? Abstract? Photo-style? Tell me all about your faves!