Tuesday 8 January 2013

Bout of Books - Tuesday's Mini-Challenges

There are two mini-challenges today and they're both cover related! Over at Never Too Fond of Books, Mandi has challenged us to guess the upcoming releases from the close-ups of their covers. This is quite a tough one, and I don't think I'm going to be able to get them all. Go take a look and see how many you can get. And don't forget to email her your answers to be in with a chance of winning the prize!

On Ms. Buff, challenge number two is also all about the book covers. For this one we have to give our best and worst covers. Okay, well, I know straight away what to go for as the funniest cover I've ever seen. Check this one out:

 Love it!


For me, this cover of Howl's Moving Castle is pretty bad. This is one of my favourite books and this cover is just all wrong for it. It makes it look too childish and completely loses the fact that this is a very magical, romantic book. Thankfully, there are much better versions out there.


And for more bad (as well as just plain weird) covers, have a look at some of these. One of my favourites is:

 If I was that monkey I'd be terrified.

Right, now for the best covers. This is much harder, because there are so many amazing covers out there, and I'm sure to forget plenty. The ones that spring to mind instantly are Blackbirds and Zoo City, both from Angry Robot Books and created by the same artist. These are very clever covers:


I also love this cover of Jack Glass. It's so delicious and colourful - it makes me stop every time I see it in the shops:


I wasn't massively impressed with the story, but Hourglass has an amazing cover. It's interesting, has a very cool Magritte look to it, and it works very well with the concept and atmosphere of the book:



And three more favourites. Anna Dressed in Blood, which gets the colours and feeling just right. Cinder, which is a very striking image. And The Assassin's Curse, which is just gorgeous.



Which covers do you love? Any that make you laugh or cringe?


7 comments:

  1. OH.MY.GOD. What the hell is the thing on that first cover? *snorts* And why is Tarzan trying to seduce that monkey? And WHY does the monkey look like it's serenading him back? *shudders*

    Cool choices for the awesome cover part though (far less traumatising) - the Jack Glass one is amazing! I'd definitely be stopped in my tracks if I stumbled across it in a bookshop, it's gorgeous! I've done this challenge too, check it out if you need a reading break!
    http://musingsofabookshopgirl.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/bout-of-books-tuesday.html

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  2. Oh God, the first one *rofl* I'm bound to have nightmares because of it, now.

    I know... I love Howl's Moving Castle too, but that edition just looks awful. My edition is that one that looks like a framed painting. :)



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  3. I agree, how could they make a cover like that for Howl's Moving Castle? Such a beautiful book, but this cover is awful.

    As for the pretty ones, I agree, they're all really great :)

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  4. Hehe glad about all the Howl love. Really not sure what they were thinking with that cover. The Gaean Enchantment, though, that's pure genius! xD

    Hope everyone's having fun with the challenge and the read-a-thon! :-)

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  5. Anna Dressed in Blood is one of my favorite covers. Blackbirds is an amazing cover too. Giant Leaf Man vs. Man is hysterical.

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  6. All of those funny ones made me crack up. xD Thank you!

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  7. GREAT covers! Tarzan and the monkey -- is it about bestiality? ;)

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