Five Favorite Book Covers

I'm tired of just writing endless reviews, so I'm changing up the game a little bit today. I'm going to pick five book covers I adore - maybe not my top five ever, because I dunno if I could pick that - and list them here with a little description of why I like them, because why not?

So:

photo cred here, since someone took the time to stitch them together

What kind of list would this be if I didn't include the Harry Potter books? I'm specifically including the original US covers, because they're my covers. All of these new redesigns are just not acceptable. (Well, I do like how the spines make Hogwarts on the new ones. But I like the actual front cover images from the original covers best.)

I think I love these covers out of the nostalgia aspect more than anything else, but the artwork is still fabulous and there are elements of continuity that I like - same font, Harry doing something dangerous and stupid on most of them. Whoever realized that this series should not be recovered midway through is a genius and deserves a medal, by the way. I hate when series get redesigned midway through, keeping my covers from matching.

This cover of Les Mis also earns a spot on my list. Again, it's the cover of my edition, so there's some bias, but I like how it's got some color on it, and not the colors of the French flag. There's also no sad little Cosette from the musical's poster, so it's two for two on the creativity front.

I also like how the candlestick on the front can be representative of so much of the story. Valjean stealing the bishop's candlesticks, the fact that much of the story seems to take place in the dark, the smoke wafting that looks like it could also be the souls of the dead. Seriously, good work, cover designer.

Photo cred here

To the surprise of no one, I'm including the covers of Stephanie Perkins' novels here. I deliberately chose the recovers, too, because as you'll well know if you've read my reviews of Anna and Lola, I hated the originals with a burning passion. They looked cheap and childish, but these ones feel more dynamic and correct for the actual ages of the characters/intended audience.

I also love how each girl has a little symbol to go with her name - Anna and a heart, Lola and a star, and Isla and a rose. I understand how the symbols go with Anna and Lola, and I'm so excited to find out how Isla's works with her story and personality. Wasn't she or Josh mentioned doodling roses like that in Anna's book, too?

It's an ammo band made out of tubes of lipstick. How could I not like this cover, you guys?

I also like how this cover really fits the story. The characters are all pageant contestants, a lot of whom are blonde, but they have to figure out how to use their beauty-queen traits as weapons, making the ammo band (I know there's a real word for that) relevant as well. The cover girl even looks a little haggard, at least to me, which is also pretty true to form. Someone did a really good job creating this.

Photo credit ME! I saw no stitched ones online.

Rounding out the list with the TLOS covers, but I could easily add more. Maybe in the future?

Anyways, I legitimately love these covers, even without the Chris Colfer factor. They're all very similar in layout and font, which appeases my inner continuity freak, and they're gorgeously illustrated. All the little drawings on the sides and bottom show what the supporting characters look like (and give hints as to who's really important), and the middles have Alex and Conner doing their thing, which is the actual main plot of the novels. If I find out they're recovering these before the fourth one is published, I'm rounding up my pitchfork and torch, because these are already perfect covers.

What are your favorite covers, friends?