“Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover” is a semi-regular feature on Pop! Goes The Reader inspired by Katie’s feature Cover Love on her blog One Page At A Time. The idea is being used with her gracious permission.
I think we’re all familiar with the age-old adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. And you know what I have to say about that? Rubbish! Covers are an invaluable part of a book’s package. A truly great cover can tell you a lot about the novel contained within its pages. Book covers can also catch your attention and attract you to a novel you might otherwise ignore. So go ahead, judge a book by its cover – We all do it!
For the first instalment of Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover, I’ve decided to take a look at the covers of the contemporary genre, which also happens to be my personal favourite! Below please find a selection of some of my favourite covers in this genre for both the young adult and adult markets.
Now it’s your turn! What are some of your favourite contemporary covers? Did I list one of your favourites here or is there one I forgot that just has to be included? Let me know in the comments!
34 Responses
Oh! I am SO excited for this! I hate when people say “I don’t judge books by their covers.” Cause really? How is that possible?
I liked Let the Sky Fall and the follow up to that book’s cover. The color and the image fit well. Also, Wild Awake. ALthough I haven’t read it is just so bright that I’d probably read it for the cover alone. I am more recently drawn to books with awesome fonts, too.
ashley recently posted…ALA 2013
*Whispers* They’re just lying 😉 Just kidding! While I’m sure there are some people who really don’t judge books by their covers, I’m definitely not one of them. I’m a very visual person so a beautiful cover will always increase my initial interest in a novel exponentially!
I completely agree with you re: the cover for Let The Sky Fall. It might just have a place in my paranormal instalment of Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover 😛 Typography on a cover is extremely important to me as well – I think it can often make or beak the entire look.
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue One: Contemporary
Most of my favorite covers are already in here! In addition, other covers I love are: Isla and The Happily Ever After, The Distance Between Us, Golden and The Probability of Miracles! 🙂
Hazel recently posted…Book Haul #3
Oh, you definitely brought up a few I’m kicking myself for forgetting, particularly Golden (Which I just finished reading so I have absolutely no excuse!) and The Distance Between Us, as I really love its colour scheme, use of light and typography! Maybe I’ll have to do a Contemporary: Part Two post one day 😉
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue One: Contemporary
Jen, I am SO in love with this new feature that you have! I can’t think of any other covers that I’m in love with at the moment because I’m still kind of drooling at the covers that you’ve put up (in a specific color palette as well, look at you!) I definitely judge books by their cover, all the time. I pretty much never pick up a book that is ugly-looking (unless lots of hype has been surrounding it!). I love this post, I’m looking forward to more, Jen!
Jen recently posted…Stacking the Shelves (#6)
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s always a little scary to try something new but I had a blast searching for covers to include in this feature and I can’t wait to tackle other genres 😀
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue One: Contemporary
I am so bad for judging a book by its cover. If it doesn’t look at least a little bit interesting I won’t even pick it up to read the back.
I haven’t read any of the books you listed, but now I’m intrigued by Purity, Fangirl, Wintergirls, and The Princess of Iowa because they’re just that pretty!
Laureen recently posted…How To Make Friends and Monsters by Ron Bates
You’re definitely not alone! I think we’ve all chosen books based purely on their covers at least once in our lives. Admittedly, it’s a little hard not to! They’re the first thing we see and often learn about a book before picking it up, and can certainly have an impact on our initial impressions and excitement (or lack thereof) about a novel 🙂
I cannot recommend Wintergirls highly enough! If you want to learn a little more about it, you can find my review for it Here. It’s a tough, intense, emotional read, but well worth the struggle 😀
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue One: Contemporary
You love those bright colors! I like how you made a sort of rainbow – very eye-catching 🙂
Jennifer Brown has some of the best covers. I love how you can look at her books, and even though they’re not in a series or anything, you just KNOW they’re hers. I especially love Hate List’s cover.
My favorite covers tend to be a little more… quirky. I love the cover for the upcoming Dear Killer, Teen Spirit (Francesca Lia Block), or How to be a Hater, and I especially love the Georgia Nicolson redesign.
I also love darker covers, like Meet Me at the River, Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone, Hysteria, and Then I Met My Sister.
Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews recently posted…Introducing Readers’ Choice: Results
I’m now kicking myself for forgetting to include Jennifer Brown’s work! I’ve always had a particular fondness for the cover of Perfect Escape, which I own but have yet to read. I love how dominant the use of typography is on her covers and I love the warm colour palette and use of light 🙂
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Deter You From Reading A Book
I agree! Covers are important! They suck you in!!! Great list! So pretty!!!
Lola @ Reading by Lamplight recently posted…Lola’s Lounge: When A Blogger Stops Blogging
Thanks, Lola! 😀
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Deter You From Reading A Book
OH, YES!! I’m so happy i’m not the only one that admits to judge a book by it’s cover. Really love the idea behind this post as I am one anal person when it comes to covers… (graphic and photography snob!!).
So in love with ‘the museum of intangible thing’, in fact all the covers you’ve chosen are great.
Thanks for sharing 😀 x
Georgie @ What She Reads recently posted…REVIEW : WHITE CHALK
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Georgina! I’m definitely a visual person and like you, can be really particular when it comes to the aesthetics of graphics, particularly book covers. This seemed like the perfect way to touch on that passion 🙂
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Deter You From Reading A Book
Fantastic new feature Jen! I am such a huge cover snob, I find it extremely hard to not judge a cover unfortunately xP I’m glad that other readers feel the same way heh.
I love the colours in contemporary novels, they’re so bright and vibrant, particularly the summer related covers. Just stunning and especially the ones you picked out! *sighs happily* haha. I love Sarah Dessen’s redesigned covers, they really stand out for me. Also Stephanie Perkins’ books got a redesign recently and I am loving how simple they look and the covers they used *__*
Charlotte @ Gypsy Reviews recently posted…Weekly Wrap Up (15th to 21st July)
Thanks, Charlotte 🙂 I think we’ve all struggled with judging books by their covers. It’s a little hard not to, as covers often act as our first introduction to a novel!
I really love bright, cheerful colours as well which is why contemporary covers tend to rank among my favourites. They’re immediately eye-catching and many of these make me want to smile! I completely agree with you about the re-designs of both Sarah Dessen’s and Stephanie Perkins’ covers – I think both are a vast improvement on the originals.
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Deter You From Reading A Book
YES! I love when people focus on book covers. It’s one of my favorite things about books. Not that I would completely bar a book if the cover is bad, but a nice cover always helps.
I love a lot of the ones you posted. Particularly “This Song Will Save Your Life”, “The Disenchantments”, and “This Is What Happy Looks Like”. Who am I kidding? I like them all. Some of them are covers I’ve never even seen before. Like “The Museum of Intangible Things”. Never seen it before but I really like it and I feel like I need to read the book now.
You know, I feel like we have very similar taste in book covers. Haha. And hopefully you don’t mind my rambling… because I’ll probably be doing it again on the next post 😀
Lisa @ Lisa Likes Books recently posted…In My Mailbox (24) / Stacking the Shelves (18)
I completely agree, Lisa 🙂 A book cover will never make or break my experience with a novel, but it certainly does help!
I’m so glad I was able to include a couple of covers that you were unfamiliar with. Putting these posts together every week is so much fun as I get to explore Goodreads for hours! Both The Museum of Intangible Things and The Infinite Moment of Us were new to me but I knew I had to read them the second I saw their covers. Anything that beautiful can’t be all bad, right? 😉
I can’t wait to hear what you think about the next Do! Just A Book By Its Cover post! 😀
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction
Yay! I’m so glad you ended up doing this series, and this is a great post with some FAB covers! I can tell you like font treatments at lot. I do too! 🙂
And I’m OBSESSED with that new cover for Wendy Wunder’s book. Like, HOLY COW OMG SO PRETTY. lol
Katie recently posted…Review: Ashes, by Ilsa J. Bick
Thank you so much again for allowing me to run with your original idea, Katie! These posts are so much fun to put together 😀
Typography is a big consideration for me when it comes to whether or not I’ll like a cover. I think The Museum of Intangible Things is the perfect example of that – The font treatment works so wonderfully with the overall feel of the cover art and I don’t think it would have been half as effective with a different font choice!
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction
I love features like this because I’m unabashedly a judge of book covers. All of the classics that are offered for free on Gutenberg, or for cheap on ebook stores? I don’t go for the cheapest; I go for the one with the nicest cover! It might seem a bit counter-intuitive with ebooks because there isn’t a physical cover, but I’ve got to have nice covers still.
I think contemporary novels have the best covers out of all the genres. They all tend to be simpler, but more powerful in their designs. My favourite on your list is The Infinite Moment of Us, but I’ve definitely got a lot more to add to my TBR shelf now…
Nikki @ The Paper Sea recently posted…Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
I’m definitely guilty of the same thing – Even if I’m purchasing a Kindle book, I’ll always consult the cover before reading the synopsis to get a better idea of what I’m in for. For better or worse, I always tend to gravitate toward the most attractive covers.
I couldn’t agree more re: covers of the contemporary genre. Not only is it my favourite genre to read, but I also often find they have the best and most creative concepts when it comes to their cover art. Fantasy and historical fiction tend to employ a lot of the same themes (Particularly those ‘girl in large dress’ covers that I absolutely abhor) I like the simplicity of the contemporary genre’s covers and find they often employ the best use of colour, which I always look for in a cover.
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction
I’m huge into covers. I mean, I don’t like contemporary usually but some of these I want to read just because the covers are so pretty (and I’ve heard good things through reviews. I mean, I don’t just judge based only on covers)! I really think that’s one of my main attractions to Rainbow Rowell’s books. Those covers are just so cute. I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover, even though I never display them. (Strange how that works ><)
Asti (A Bookish Heart) recently posted…Bookish Review: Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
I completely agree – Rainbow Rowell definitely has some of the best cover art I’ve ever seen! While I wasn’t crazy about the cover of Attachments (Although I did like the UK cover) I adore both the covers for Eleanor & Park and Fangirl (Particularly the latter) I’ve always had a weakness for illustrative covers and I like how each one seems so personal and applicable within the context of the overall story. They’re very sweet 🙂
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction
I really like the cover for the new Lauren Myracle book. I find that my favorite covers are always contemporaries as well. Not sure what it is about them, but they are usually just gorgeous! Great new feature!
Jenni @ Alluring Reads recently posted…Book Girl’s Don’t Cry – Things You May Not Know About Me
Thanks, Jenni! 😀
The contemporary genre definitely has some of the most creative (and colourful!) cover art, which is why I think it’s my favourite.
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction
An explosion of pretty! 🙂 That new Wendy Wunder cover is gorgeous, isn’t it? And I love Morgan Matson’s US covers – we have different covers here. I just love Matson’s books. Can’t wait to read more from her.
Leanna recently posted…Reviewed by Arianne: Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater & The Hit by Melvin Burgess.
I know, right? I think I could gaze at some of these covers for hours without growing tired of them 🙂
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction
First off, I LOVE the covers you chose! I’m a big fan of minimalist covers and cute illustrations. I also really love bold colors. ..so, pretty much every single cover you listed.
I’m NOT a fan of the overdone girls-in-poofy-dresses. The dresses are beautiful, yes, but more often than not, they have nothing to do with the book itself and it’s gotten so boring and cliche,
Right now I don’t have any to add, but of course the second I post this 10 million will come to mind! 😀
Leah @ The Pretty Good Gatsby recently posted…wizards & shifters & the undead, oh my: Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson
Thanks, Leah! 😀
I’m entirely with you re: the ‘girl in large dress’ concept. I’ve never been a fan of that particular kind of cover art and tend to gravitate toward a more graphic, illustrative or simplistic look.
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction
Love this feature! Let’s be real, if books cover weren’t important/we’re not suppose to judge books by their covers, then cover designs and cover designers wouldn’t exist. Every book would just have a plain white cover with the title in the basic black font. But covers exist to give us insight into the book, after all!
Love the covers you chose! Contemporary is not my favorite genre, but there ARE some pretty covers.
Stormy @ Book.Blog.Bake. recently posted…Book Review: The Trouble With Flirting by Claire LaZebnik
Thank you, Stormy 🙂 I’m in total agreement – Covers definitely matter, and there’s a reason why so much time and effort is often put into creating them. I think a great cover can be indicative of a great overall product. If a publishing house has devoted that much time to perfecting the cover art, that tends to indicate that they believe in the novel and want to give it the best foot forward possible.
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction
Beautiful post, I love how you coordinated the colors. I almost always get sucked in by a good cover and these are so pretty. I have learned that pretty cover does not mean pretty story, though. My favorites are the first six 🙂
Alise @ Readers in Wonderland
Alise recently posted…Review: Raven Flight
Thanks, Alise! 😀
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover – Issue Two: Historical Fiction