“Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover” is a regular feature on Pop! Goes The Reader in which I pay tribute to some of the best and brightest the publishing world has to offer in the way of book cover design. This feature is 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!
While I don’t read it as often as I would like, historical fiction is one of my favourite genres of literature and one I never fail to appreciate and enjoy when I do delve into it. It also has the unfortunate distinction of having some of the most poorly and/or sloppily designed book covers in the business. All too often we would see a reliance on stock photography, more often than not with models and/or photos that were anything but evocative of the periods in question. Thankfully, in recent years greater attention has been paid to their design and we’ve seen an immense improvement in regard to the creativity and range of concepts employed. While model-based covers are still largely the norm, their use has been much more successful, either in conjunction with other forms of media and/or treatment, as in the case of The Witch Of Painted Sorrows, or through a stark and brutal simplicity, as in the case of The Life Of Objects. Some of my favourite covers this week include The Photographer’s Wife by Suzanne Joinson, The Disappearance Boy by Neil Bartlett, Funny Girl by Nick Hornby, The Witch Of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose, When the Doves Disappeared by Sofi Oksanen, The Fireproof Home For The Bride by Amy Scheibe, The Secret Wisdom Of The Earth by Christopher Scotton, Always Emily by Michaela MacColl, Missing Reels by Farran Smith Nehme and Disgruntled by Asali Solomon.
Hitler’s Canary by Sandi Toksvig ● The Photographer’s Wife by Suzanne Joinson ● The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
The Disappearance Boy by Neil Bartlett ● The Brewer of Preston by Andrea Camilleri ● Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth ● The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak ● The Game Of Love And Death by Martha Brockenbrough
The Witch Of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose ● The Petticoat Men by Barbara Ewing ● When the Doves Disappeared by Sofi Oksanen
The Fireproof Home For The Bride by Amy Scheibe ● The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman ● A Memory Of Violets by Hazel Gaynor
The Life Of Objects by Susanna Moore ● The Secret Wisdom Of The Earth by Christopher Scotton ● Always Emily by Michaela MacColl
Missing Reels by Farran Smith Nehme ● Funny Girl by Nick Hornby ● Disgruntled by Asali Solomon
Now it’s your turn! What are some of your favourite historical fiction 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!
One Response
Just all of them are gorgeous, though I really am digging When the Doves Disappeared and The Petticoat Men. Always Emily looks like it should be a still from like Jane Eyre.
Jess @ Literary, etc recently posted…Book Review: Kate Meader’s Hot and Bothered