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Hey everybody! I wanted to make a quick video to let you know that I will upload my first
video today on BookishDays! A few weeks ago I posted my audition for that
on this channel and I'm now temporarily on the Thursday, while one the members is taking
a break, and you can click here if you would like to
watch that! This week the topic there is book covers,
and especially bookcovers we would like to change. But... I am a really big fan of bookcovers
so I thought I would also make a video about the bookcovers I DO like. Its sort of a tag
and that tag was created by the person I am replacing on BookishDays!
Circles that are closing and stuff... (note: is this even an expression in English? XD)
The first subject was name 6 covers you really like. The 1 ones are the Dutch covers of the
Harry Potter series, this is part 1, Harry Potter en de Steen der Wijzen. I could show
them all but I think these 2 prove my point. I like that there are many things that are
obviously from the books, but at the same time they leave a lot to your imagination.
You don't see Harry's face for example. I also like that they kept the backs somewhat
similar and what I especially like is that they all have a little logo with something
that reflects the books pretty well. They are also beautifull with internal pages,
they have a really cool fond and they also all have a bookmark.
Another Cover I really like is Godenslaap (divine sleep) by Erwin Mortier. It is an
already existing painting; Blauwe en Oranje Marine (Blew and Orange Waterscape) by Leon
Spiliaert. It reminds me of a sunset and this really shows the lackadaisical (Note: serisouly
google translate gave me this word and I HAD to use it!) atmosphere of the book very well.
In the other books there is a common theme, I am a big fan of very graphic bookcovers
and I think I like those because they really stand out to me. There are usually some elements,
like the cover or the image that really make me notice them and often they're just a little
bit different. One that I think is really beautiful is this
one: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I really like the fond, and the black and
white effect is really cool. The image itself against that color...
Another cover I really like is from a book I just finished, Age of Miracles by Karen
Thomas Walker. Everything in this cover is awesome! The book is about a change in the
world that makes the earth turn slower and slower around its axis which slowely is causing
the end of the world. And you can actually see the earth. The birds are very prominent
in the book, I really like the placing of the letters and the letters and the birds
also have some sort of extra plastic layer so they feel different and they also come
forward a little.
Number 5 is Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. I am not exactly sure how to describe this but
I saw it and I really like the colour. There is also something that links to the actual
story which I like and they picked a really good fond for this book, some sort of typewriter
fond.
Another one that I recently read; Johannes Cabal the Detective, sort of a steampunk mystery
and I think its really cool you can notice that with the zappelin and I think the silhouette
is really cool. The color use is also amazing, a sort of black and white contradiction but
then with the color of old parchment and the red brings a sort of dramatic effect and centers
everything beautifully *happy sigh* I really like it!
To be honest, whilst the cover has never been the reason that I bought a book, usually when
I buy a book I read the back or the flaps on the inside and usually also the first few
pages to see if I like the writingstyle, but I do think that I tend not to buy books if
I think the cover is ugly.
In my BookishDays video I talk about 3 trend on bookcovers, and especially YA books, that
I really don't like and I had a hard time to find examples for those from my own bookcase,
since I basically just don't buy books with those covers.
The cover is the first thing of a book that you see and if that already doesn't appeal
to me I tend to not look any further. Usually when I buy books they are books I've already
heard of, but for example I am pretty sure that I would have never bought this book,
Unwind by Neal Shusterman, if it had the English cover.
In the case you are interested in bookdesign, there is a really cool TedTalk and also a
longer speech by Chip Kidd: links are in the description and please let me know your opinion!
Do you judge a book by its cover? And to what extend? What kind of covers do you really
like?
And please don't forget to check out BookishDays!