I have a confession to make. I’m one of those readers who judges a book by its
cover. As I writer, that’s not an entirely desirable trait – I’m sure there are
plenty of stellar novels out there with not so stellar covers — but I can’t
stop my attraction for glossy artwork. Covers draw me like a moth to a flame. Give me a good cover and I will definitely read the book blurb. A not so great cover and I’m likely to pass without a second glance. That may come across as shallow, but as someone whose day job revolves around marketing, I understand the need for flash. So what covers bewitched me and caught my eye in 2012? I want to share a few of my favorites here.
Many of my writer friends have stellar covers which I’ve already showcased, but I’m reaching beyond that to share some I haven’t before. Take a look and tell me what you think.
A TISKET, A TASKET, MY LOVE LIES IN A CASKET
by Carla F. Cripps
Love, love LOVE this cover! The cover of this book sucked me in enough to read the blurb. I fell in love with the ideal of a vampire from revolutionary times and immediately bought it for that story alone.
BEAUTY AND THE GEEK: AQUARIAN STARS
by Nevea Lane
I read very little erotic romance but, if the story intrigues me enough, I’m happy to indulge. I fell in love with the cover of this book but resisted buying it for several weeks because of its erotic nature (sorry, just my personal taste). But I’m a sucker for a guy with long hair, have a side interest in astronomy, and enjoy a good interracial romance. Toss in a gorgeous Russian, and I caved. I’m happy I bought this book. It was an enjoyable read.
A WOLFISH TANGLE
by Sandra Sookoo
I’m not sure where I first stumbled across this book but there were several things that attracted me. First the cover….doesn’t the guy remind you of Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson in Stargate?. I’ve always been attracted to that combination of bookish sensuality and sizzling romance. When I read the blurb and realized the character was a werewolf AND from the Civil War era, well, need I say more? LOL! This is high on my TBR list and, of course, already on my kindle.
GHOST TOUCH
by Mary Winter
Erotic romance. I’m so shallow. Notice the guy with long hair? Sense a pattern here? Yes, I bought it. Beautiful cover. I gave it three stars on Amazon and Goodreads.
A CHRISTMAS PROMISE
by Amanda McIntyre
This is one I’ve been meaning to read for a long time. Love the cover, love the blurb. I will definitely be reading it in 2013. It’s been on my kindle too long. I love the blend of soft colors, the Christmas theme, historical aspect and, heck, the guy is gorgeous. What’s not to like?
CLOCKWORK PRINCE (INFERNAL DEVICES #2)
by Cassandra Clare
The cover that introduced me to Cassandra Clare. It was so utterly gorgeous (my vote for the best cover of 2012, period!), I couldn’t resist. The blurb sounded good and once I started reading, I was hooked. Big time. James (Gem) Carstairs has become one of my all-time favorite characters and, in turn, lead me to another favorite character, Jace Wayland of Ms. Clare’s Mortal Instruments series. I’m a fan for life.
BROODS OF FENRIR
by Coral Moore
I’m still trying to figure out what it is about this book cover that works for me. It caught my attention but didn’t immediately suck me in. Then the more I looked at, the more I knew I was a goner. I think it’s a combination of those glowing blue eyes and blond hair. Then I read the blurb and knew I couldn’t pass without purchasing it. Definitely near the top of my TBR list for 2013.
MICHAL’S WINDOW
by Rachelle Ayala
Another that has resided on my kindle and been on TBR list for months. I’m not sure what it is about the cover that attracts me, but it feels magical. Maybe it’s my love of King David. I’ve read a number of books about him. He holds a special place in my heart, and has long been my favorite Old Testament prophet. I definitely plan on reading this one in the coming year.
COLD DAYS
by Jim Butcher
I’ve been meaning to start this series forever. I’m enthralled by the character, and this cover (along with most of them) ROCKS! I hope to hook up with Harry in the coming year. If it weren’t for the cover that drew me in I might have overlooked this hot series.
TWO GRAVES
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
The cover is only so-so, nothing extraordinary. So why is it on this list? Because, I can’t say enough about the lead character. I waited over a year for this book to be released, just finished it this past weekend, and am already hungry for the next one. Aloysius Pendergast is not a romantic character. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child do not write romance. They write bizarre thrillers with a twist of mystery, but they are undeniably my favorite authors, and I am completely besotted with Pendergast. I know they never intended to create a romantic lead, but I am in love with this man. If I spent the rest of my life reading new Pendergast stories each day I would be blissfully happy. For that reason and that reason alone, I have to include this book on my list. The cover doesn’t rate up there with the rest, but when it comes to a man that makes women swoon, no one does it better than Pendergast. *sigh* Do I really have to wait an entire year for ANOTHER book? I’m not sure I’ll survive!
Okay, so I shared some of my fave covers of 2012. What are some of yours? —
From the Pen of Mae Clair 
What a unique blog post! I like all the covers you chose and yeah, that guy on the cover of A Wolfish Tangle *does* look like Daniel from Stargate! The erotic novel under it (I Love erotica!) well, that guy reminds me of Kai from Lexx, yum LOL! I love the cover for that one too! I read more erotica than YA but I love the cover of Karen Bynum’s Witch Way To Turn – that one is really pretty.
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Glad you enjoyed the post, Cadence. Thanks for dropping by to comment. Karen’s With Way to Turn is a very pretty cover. I remember posting that one on my Facebook page when it first came out. And I’m glad to know I’m not alone in think Dr. Daniel Jackson showed up on a book cover, LOL. Happy Tuesday!
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Pingback: My buddy Mae Clair gives us her vote for the best book covers of 2012 :) « Thomas Rydder
These are all such awesome covers! I especially like…okay just all of them LOL
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Sounds like me, L:.J. 🙂 Thanks!
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If you’re shallow, then so am I 🙂 I’m always choosing my next read based on the book cover. And sometimes the book is terrible, but I never learn my lesson. Clockwork Prince is a gorgeous cover. I have those Cassandra Clare books on my shelves but haven’t gotten around to reading them yet.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who is easily bewitched by book covers. And Emma you’ll love Cassandra Clare’s books (both series). I’m completely addicted!
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Oh, yes – book covers. I love most any cover that has sweeping ocean views – I don’t need people. Give me tall coastal grasses or a jagged mountain edge and I’m a goner. In scanning the books that line the walls of my bookshelves, there’s lots of muted colors in the blue and green family. In sharp contrast, the cover for The Snow Child is one of my all time favorites for 2012. I’m 100% convinced the cover of a book can sell a book. The years I worked as a book buyer for B&N, I was always aware of how a book would present itself on the shelf. I always liked to place new books face out for at least a month (depending on space of course) and it was always surprising to observe what people reached for.
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Sheri, I love blues and greens (actually my two favorite colors) and I also love a coastal setting or mountaintop. You definitely had it down as a bookseller. When I walk into a bookstore and see books turned face out, I’m immediately drawn to them. I also don’t need people on the cover, but I tend to go for moody atompsheric . . . a deserted road, a foggy ocean cliifside, a lone lighthouse or stormy skies. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it evokes ‘mood.’ I originally discovered John Sanford (who became one of my favorite authors) because of the cover for his novel, Heating Lightning.
And my first Pendergast novel was Still Life with Crows (the original black and red one), all because of the amazing cover. So yeah, I guess I do judge a book by its cover, LOL.
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I have to admit that book covers do attract me as well. You will love the Dresden Series. I am a bit behind in the series, but I plan to catch up this year.
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I’m glad I’m not alone about the book covers 🙂 And thanks for letting me know about the Dresden series. I’m really anxious to start it. I’ve only here great things about it and Harry 😉
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Great covers, Mae. I have to admit, I’m a bit partial to Michael Shanks from SG-1 too. These look some great stories to dive into.
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Thanks, Stanalei. I love looking at book covers. It’s sort of like going to a candy store or–better yet–a jewelry store, LOL. I didn’t stay with SG1 for the whole run but I was always a Daniel fan 🙂
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Hey, thanks for the shout out! And yes! Michael Shanks was the first person I thought of when I received that cover. Good thing I adore him, huh? 🙂 Hope you enjoy the book!
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Hi, Sandra. Nice to have you stop by. Loved giving your book a shout out. I can’t wait to read it! So I see you thought of Michael Shanks too 🙂 Hey, what a great guy to have on your cover!!!
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First, I would like to thank you for mentioning little old me! That is quite the compliment. I fell in love with that cover as soon as the cover artist sent it to me. I love the fact that a cover artist can read your work and render exactly what you were thinking. I didn’t make one change when I saw the mock-up. A good cover brings the characters to life. I must check out all the books that you’ve mentioned up there as well, the covers alone make me want them, like, now. 🙂
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Hi, Nevea! Thanks for stopping by. Your cover artist did a fantastic job! I can see why you didn’t ask for changes. I LOVE that cover. And the story was darn good too. 😀 I only regret it wasn’t longer, as I loved the characters. I’m happy to showcase a book I enjoyed.
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