March 30th, 2009

I Heart… The Book Cover Archive

Most epic find of the day/week/month… The Book Cover Archive. I’ve already spent way too much time browsing and oogling over all the beautiful book covers. Almost makes you want to reconsider “don’t judge a book by its cover”, does it not?

I’m about 3 weeks away from graduating university and while I’ve been fortunate enough to have had really awesome reading lists this year, I cannot wait to read something that I chose and not something I’m forced to read. This website is entirely unhealthy for me as it’s starting to make me reconsider all the books on my “To Read” list.

Here are some favourites from the website:

Jane Eyre The Neighbor Rant

The Glass Castle
I read The Glass Castle last summer, and I would vouch for it in an instant. Great book. :)

Wasps in a Golden Dream Hum a Strange Music

Under the Clock

The Neighbor

I was hesitant to include this one because the lack of “U” is killing me. (Insert twitch here.) But it’s still insanely cool looking (negative space makes me happy) despite the use of American spell check.

The Mayor's Tongue
Random type faces placed haphazardly and in varying sizes also make me happy. (See: exhibit A, exhibit B, and exhibit C.)

Sunset and Sawdust

Street Haunting

Rant

Chuck Palahniuk’s Rant is also an excellent book. (Very graphic, but still excellent.) This has got to be one of my favourite book covers of all time. I remember seeing at for the first time on the shelf: I saw it from the opposite wall and made a bee-line straight to it.

Protobiography

Nausea

Jane Eyre

I wish my copy of Jane Eyre was this gorgeous. Though I suppose the reason mine was only 99 cents has something to do with that… schucks.

In the Woods

Hotheads

Authors of the Storm

A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers

8

And hand-full of ‘honourable mentions’. Yes, I fail at narrowing things down. I think I did well though; I initially downloaded over 100 covers.

Book Covers - 3 Book Covers - 2 Book Covers - 1

Have you ever bought a book based solely on its cover? I’ll admit, I’ve done it before. The only one I have a precise memory of was The Cranberry Queen. I don’t remember who wrote it, but it was terribly dull; I hated it. It had such a pretty cover though. Can’t win ‘em all, I suppose.

Krissy

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5 comments · jump to comment form »

Ally » 30 March 2009

I must say that I do often judge books by their covers… I can’t help it. Pretty covers are just so much better. These are gorgeous and I am now extremely intrigued by this website.

(reply to this comment)

Helly » 30 March 2009

Wow, this website looks awesome. I’m weak when it comes to book covers, some of them are just SO gorgeous.
Random note: argh, sometimes American spelling bugs me so much. I can’t look at that ‘neighbor’ cover for more than 2 seconds. D:

(reply to this comment)

Krissy replied on 4 April 2009...

You share my disdain for the lack of “u”s in American spelling! Haha. Words just look so weird without the “u”. Throws me for a loop.

(reply to this comment)

Manda » 30 March 2009

I ALWAYS judge a book by its cover. I shouldn’t, but I do. The cover and title are ALWAYS super important.

It’s a gamble, sure, but sometimes it pays off. Except for this one time when I bought “Faded Blue” by Melody Carlson (I think that’s the name?) and it was the BIGGEST WASTE OF MONEY EVER and I donated it to the library cause I couldn’t look at it after I read it, it was so awful.

(reply to this comment)

Krissy replied on 4 April 2009...

I’m usually a book hoarder (I hate getting rid of them even if I only semi-liked them), but like you, with my disasterous experience with The Cranberry Queen… it had to go. It made me sad seeing it there and knowing how much I despised it. Fortunately, I got in in the dollar bin (possibly why it sucked… the dollar bin is NEVER worth it).

(reply to this comment)

Tess » 30 March 2009

I suppose I am of the few that judges a book by it’s summary, and summary only? :P Covers don’t matter – I have a book with Fabio on it…FABIO – but I admit, if they’re really pretty, I might take a gander. :D

(reply to this comment)

Alice » 5 April 2009

I’m with Ally and Manda, I definitely judge a book on what cover it has, then move onto the summery. I think bad coveres really put readers off. This place is brilliant, Krissy you find the best websites, I am going to get addicted to this like we heart it. XD

I felt exactly the same when I finished university, I loved the books I read but it was soooooo refreshing to be able to choose a book myself to read.

(reply to this comment)

Krissy replied on 5 April 2009...

I think I’m already overwhelmed by the idea that I get to pick the next book I read. I’m scared, Alice! lol I have so many choices and I don’t know what to do!

When there isn’t a specific book I’m looking for and I’m just browsing, the cover will definitely attract my first too.

(reply to this comment)

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