Let’s chat about the covers that we are just drawn to.
Julie:
Here are some of the things I love most on covers and I will just want to pick up the book:
- Beautiful dresses with a fairy tale look. I don’t know why. I just love that swirly-whirly ethereal feel on YA covers. Bonus points if it is *not* a fairy book.
- Vivid colors/fonts combination. Grabs my eyes, now I must read more.
- Funky futuristic looking dystopian covers with blurred lines and abstractness. Yes please.
- Illustrated covers that look like real people. So, not models, but nicely drawn illustrations.
- Covers with an illusion. Like, you have to look again and you see something else.
Lynn:
After switching to ebooks, I don’t tend to think about book covers as much. But generally speaking, I’m more drawn to the following:
- Covers without people. Yes, I know. I’d rather look at some cool drawing or picture of jewelry or furniture, or anything else rather than some half-dressed person. I’m this way with art as well. Give me a landscape or bowl of fruit over a portrait any day.
- Conveyed action. If I’m looking at an action or adventure book about a boat or a plane or an iceberg, put that on the cover!
- Colors. I do like to see more than just black letters on a white cover. And even more so if it’s shiny or reflective.
- Special editions. Pink page ends. Maps on the inside of hardbacks. Imprints on hardback covers when I take off the dust jacket.
How about you? Are there certain aspects of cover art that draw you in, no matter what? And tune back next month when we talk about our major book turn-offs!
I’m a total sucker for pretty YA covers with vivid colors, etc. And I have to confess that I OFTEN judge a book by its cover, so …
Personally, I hate cover models. The only ones I like are from The Selection series! I usually also like more simplistic covers or hand-drawn. Even though it’s not really the cover, I really like bare, leather hardcovers. Speaking of which, I love the new Penguin classics covers (I think they are Penguin…)!
I have to admit that I do judge books by their covers. If the cover entices me I am most likely to read the what it is about. It is a bad habit.
Great topic, girls. I find myself drawn to covers without people as well – unless it’s a cover like Splintered by AG Howard. I love that cover with its vivid colors and whimsical feel. So those are two other things that draw me in – vivid colors and whimsy.
The AG Howard covers are amazing and really drew me in. So vivid and I agree on the whimsical.
I like tattoos, so I’m always partial men or women with nice tats. Colors draw my eye too. As a fan of shifters, an animal on the cover will always catch my eye too.
I definitely think we are drawn to book covers with similar aspects to what we are drawn to in life, Melanie. Like you and tattoos. Or me and not having people on covers.
Hm, I’ve never really thought about this before.
I like warmer colors, but am often drawn to blue because it is one of my favorite colors. I’ll automatically pick up a novel based on the title if it looks historical and/or steampunk-y (is that a word?).
I’d have to agree with you on the titles, Terri. And steampunk-y is totally a word!