My Top 10 Favourite Book Covers!

Hi all!

Today I wanted to share with you my top 10 favourite book covers from my beloved shelf. Let’s be honest – a lot of the time we buy books because of the aesthetically pleasing cover. I’m certainly guilty of this! I love how beautiful artwork can draw a reader in before they’ve even learned about the central plot. I can also appreciate that beauty is subjective. Some people prefer more minimal designs whilst others adore lots of bright colour. You may fall for the striking typography or the simple imagery. Whatever the case, a book cover is the first thing one sees before deciding to buy, making it quite an important feature. In no particular order, here are my best of the best:

#1 – THE SECRET SCIENCE OF MAGIC by MELISSA KEIL

This is definitely the most beautiful cover of them all in my opinion. Blue is my favourite colour, especially this particular shade. I love the mix of red with cute images and bold typography. This is a YA book written by Australian author Melissa Keil. I actually met Melissa a couple of months ago and we both raved about the book’s design. This story follows two incredibly intelligent teenagers, Josh and Sophia, that fall in love with the help of some magic tricks. I cannot wait to dive into this story. I’m obsessed with the gorgeous artwork.

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 #2 – HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (ILLUSTRATED EDITION) by J.K. ROWLING

The latest Harry Potter Illustrated Edition is out! I bought it immediately as I already own the first two books. How beautiful is this cover? I really love the gigantic Knight Bus on the front with the dark purples, blacks and yellows. The artwork inside is just as breathtaking. I’ve mentioned this before but I cannot wait to tell the magical story of Harry Potter to my children with the help of these books. I certainly wish I had read them this way growing up. I don’t think I need to explain the plot so I won’t. I hate that I have to wait a whole year for #4 but it will be worth it!

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#3 – GODSGRAVE by JAY KRISTOFF

I sound like a broken record but The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff are some of the best books I’ve read this year. The cover above is the sequel to Nevernight. Once again, I am drawn to the brilliant shade of blue and gorgeous images. In particular, the cat made from stars and the majestic wolf. I was lucky enough to attend the book launch for Godsgrave in September and get my copy signed by Jay. He also gave me a big poster of the same cover above which I’ve stuck on my wardrobe door. I won’t explain the plot as it will spoil you for the first book but in a nutshell, this story follows Mia Corvere, a girl who witness her father executed for treason. She makes it her mission to avenge him by joining the Red Church, a school for assassins. It’s so beautifully written, fast-paced and hilariously sassy.

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#4 – WHERE THINGS COME BACK by JOHN COREY WHALEY

Confession – I bought this book purely for the cover. The aqua/teal hue immediately grabbed my attention not to mention the striking typography within the silhouette of the bird. This was John Corey Whaley’s debut novel which received many awards and accolades. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t love it. It was well-written and the story was interesting but it didn’t blow me away. The story follows teenager Cullen Witter’s senior year of highschool. In a small, insulated village of Arkansas, Cullen finds himself dealing with his cousin’s overdose, the disappearance of his gifted younger brother Gabriel and the town’s sudden obsession with an alleged sighting of an extinct woodpecker. I will keep this copy forever purely for the amazing design.

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#5 – CARRY ON (LATEST EDITION) by RAINBOW ROWELL

The latest edition of Carry On is amazing! I love the cover so much more than the original. On the front we have Simon (left) and Baz (right) with a scary dragon in the background. The typography has a very radical, comic-book vibe to it, true to the quirky Rainbow Rowell. It’s a bit difficult to describe the plot but I’ll do my best. Basically, Carry On is the seventh book in a series nobody has ever read – meaning it takes off in Simon’s last year at Watford School of Magicks. This story is Rainbow’s version of Harry Potter fan-fiction. It features LGBT characters and many subtle similarities to HP. Simon is basically an anti-hero. He is the worst magician Watford has ever seen but since birth, he was dubbed ‘The Chosen One.’ I loved it, just like I have loved all of Rainbow’s other books. I would recommend reading Fangirl first however, which I’ll explain why in more detail below.

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#6 – FLAME IN THE MIST by RENEE AHDIEH

It’s fairly obvious why this cover made the list. Just look at it! The colours and the majestic phoenix are simply stunning. I received this book in the May edition of the YA Chronicles Box. From what I know, it is a loose Mulan retelling set in Feudal Japan. The protagonist, Mariko, is the daughter of a samurai who disguises herself as a peasant boy in order to infiltrate an evil group of bandits known as the Black Clan. This sounds right up my alley. I’m super excited to read such an exquisitely designed book.

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#7 – ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by KENDARE BLAKE

This may surprise you but I’m a big fan of horror/creepy stories. They are a guilty pleasure of sorts. I was drawn to this duology by the cover and the spooky premise. Firstly, how captivating is the design? I love how Anna stands out in her blood-red dress amongst the grey and fog. I’ve heard that the hardback edition is actually written in red text not black. This story follows Cas Lowood, who has an interesting hobby: he hunts dead people. Cas becomes mesmerised by the legend of the ghost Anna who kills anybody that enters her home and as he learns more about her tragic past, he begins to understand why she does so. When Cas becomes the first person to not be killed by Anna, an unusual romance begins to form. I cannot wait to read this. It’s perfect for the Halloween season.

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#8 – FROGKISSER by GARTH NIX

This cover is simply adorable. How cute are all the frogs, especially the yellow one with the crown? I received this book in the March edition of the YA Chronicles Box. This story follows the classic Princess and the Frog tale. Protagonist, Princess Anya goes on a quest to save Prince Denholm who has been transformed into a frog by her evil stepfather. Apparently it is a laugh-out-loud fairytale full of wizards, romance and loads of frogs!

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#9 – HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE by JENNIFER NIVEN

I’m starting to sense a pattern here. I adore this cover for the beautiful blue splotches and the minimalistic layout. If you look on the far-right, middle row, you will see a sparkling orb resembling a marble. I have yet to read this book but I know it is heart-wrenching. It follows overweight Libby Strout who feels like nobody will ever look past her size and see her for who she really is. On top of that, she is dealing with the death of her mother and looking after her grief-stricken father. One day, Libby meets a guy named Jack at group counselling who seems to have mastered the art of fitting in at school…but he has a secret: he cannot recognise faces, even his own family’s. The pair form a friendship and together, begin to feel less alone in the world. I’m ready to break out the tissues with this one. Jennifer Niven’s other book, All The Bright Places had me very teary-eyed. You can read my full review of it here.

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#10 – FANGIRL by RAINBOW ROWELL

Last but certainly not least, we have Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This cover is a lovely mint-green with simplistic imagery and typography. I just love it. There is a special edition you can buy all in pink but I prefer this one. As mentioned earlier, Fangirl should be read before Carry On. The reason for this is, the main character Cath writes Simon Snow fan-fiction which ended up having its own story. You get to read a lot about Simon and Baz in this book which sets you up for Carry On later. Moreover, Cath is a twin who is having trouble letting go of her sister Wren when they move to college. Wren asks Cath if they can live apart so they can form their own identities. This leaves Cath feeling incredibly lost and confused. Her creative writing teacher thinks fan-fiction is plagiarism, her new roommate is rude and her roommate’s cute ex-boyfriend Levi, may be interested in her. You’ll laugh and cry. Rainbow is brilliant. I highly recommend reading this story.

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There you have it. I hope you enjoyed this post. Please comment below which is your favourite book cover from my list and then your overall favourite book cover. What makes it so beautiful? Thanks so much for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

Disclaimer: This post contains links to my Book Depository Affiliate which helps fund my blog, I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own