Let's Talk: Book Covers

Let's Talk is a new weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

Question: What books can you think of that have covers better than the content and vice-versa?

I've seen this question around a lot lately, so forgive little old me if I'm beating a dead horse here. I'm self-professed cover slut. Anyone who reads this blog even somewhat regularly has probably deciphered that by now. I think covers are as good as any great piece of art. Heck, I even have a framed art print of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and I've blown up poster-sized framed pieces for my someday future library with the almost hubs (hey...a girl can dream!)

The fact of the matter is that while there are tons of books that perfectly match the greatness of their covers, there will always be those few anomalies. What am I talking about, you ask? Well, have you ever seen an incredibly gorgeous book and bought it simply because of that, only to find that the book was bland? Or, perhaps you bought a book even though the cover was particularly lackluster, and it just blew your mind. Trust me, anyone who reads as much as we do has experienced this at least once. It still boggles me how it happens. However, I figured I'd point out my top one of each of these anomalies.

In which an incredible cover hides a hot mess:

Guys, I so desperately wanted to just love this one. This is seriously one of the most beautiful covers I have seen in my whole life. From the fierce determination in the models' eyes, to the water splash, to the juxtapositioning of the dryness on the cover - this whole thing just rocks off the shelf. Truly, this novel excites a reader to buy it. Unfortunately, the prose just falls flat in comparison. It has everything going for it; a hit genre, a great premise and even a pretty good writing style. It just didn't match up and, frankly, it bored in comparison. A couple other novels that hit the same unfortunate stride? Witch & Wizard by James Patterson. Halo by Alexandra Adornetto.

In which a lackluster cover hides a work of brilliance:

Ok, guys, I honestly never gave this one a second glance until a blogger mentioned that the cover didn't do it justice a couple weeks ago. In the middle of a book funk, I decided to see if the blogger was right. Well, needless to say, she was. The writing, as with the author's other novels, is sweet and simplistic, but there's such humour, sincerity and light to this story. It was candid and real throughout - totally approachable in a way that made me WANT to read it. And yet, because of a lackluster (at best) cover, I didn't give it a second thought. Here's my two cents: Give it a go. You might just love it like I did! A couple of other novels that hit the same unfortunate stride? Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin.