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Book Covers: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly | S4Ep10
487 Plays2 months ago
It's time to judge books by their covers! We run through a list of well known book-covers from the romance, ya and fantasy genres and deem if they're good, bad, or straight up not fun to look at. We also discuss if the books cover matches the tone and overall vibe of the story.
To see some of our favorite books covers follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod
Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books
Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz
Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Theme - Judging Book Covers
00:00:04
Speaker
Hey guys. Hey guys. Welcome to bring your own and catch all bookish rest of the time podcast. I'm Brandy. I'm Kendra. And I'm Kayla. And today we're gonna be talking book covers. We are going to quite literally judge some books by their cover. Just kidding. We're just going to judge the book covers. We're not going to judge the books, really. But we're very excited about that. We're going to talk about our favorites, some that we don't love, and some that you guys submitted for us to chat about. But before we get started, what are we reading?
Current Drinks and Reads
00:00:37
Speaker
What are we drinking? I am drinking a Red Bull, Amber Edition, sh Strawberry Apricot, Apricot,
00:00:46
Speaker
Apricot. Apricot. Yeah. Yeah. However you you pronounce that fruit that I've actually never had. I've only ever had like flavored apricot things. Have you ever had apricot jam? Yes, I have. I have. But I've never had like the fruit. I don't even know what it looks like. um Got this at my local QT. Kayla, are you proud? QT. Oh, yeah. I forgot they expanded into Texas.
00:01:10
Speaker
Yes, they did. Well, they've been here for what every time. caeb we like yeah like are a lot cut to I know. I know. I just forget. Lucky's and I'm like, no, they are you trump it's just like our, it's just our personal favorite gas station. It's not, I know it's mostly Midwest States. Yeah.
00:01:26
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, they're everywhere here now. It's actually crazy. Um, so I'm drinking one of those and I am reading swept away by Betheliary. I know I've been going back and forth on it. If I was going to start that or one dark window, but yeah, she did the record but taylor looks exasperated. Yeah.
00:01:45
Speaker
after i finished swept away i will start one dark window.
Audio Slumps and Reading Habits
00:01:49
Speaker
Kayla though should be so happy so proud that i did not start one dark window already because i have had no time to read so she just would have been sitting here like yeah thinking i hated it because i i barely read swept away i'm only like 20 and enjoying what i've read so far um and then i started an audio um what's the book called hold on I don't know. i I forget the name of it. It's on it's own PRH. It has a long title. Oh, The oh the Seemingly Impossible Life of Love Life of Amanda Beane. That is such a long title. But I just started it on audio last night. I got 14 minutes in. So like um no opinion yet. But the narrator so far seems to be really good. um So yeah, thank you PRH audio for the free audio book. Thank you so much. I love you guys.
00:02:36
Speaker
Love you guys. I really liked that audiobook. i To me it wasn't a perfect book, but I had a good time with it. So I hope you like it. I am drinking again. I got one of my sparkling apple ciders back out um this time around because I really enjoyed the one I had last time.
00:02:55
Speaker
and okay guys i think i'm in an audio slump or something because i have not, number one, nothing has been really catching my attention and i've only finished one full-length novel this month on audio which for me is like nothing like very rare you know like i normally will have finished like four or five by this time and i like the last audiobook i read was uh caribou stone audible original and it like three hours of listening time it took me like four days to finish not because i wasn't enjoying it but just because like i just haven't wanted to listen which one did you do yeah i did sweet talk oh did you like it
00:03:39
Speaker
Yeah, I thought it was cute. I mean, I ah thought it was cute. That's my favorite of her so far. Oh, really? Yeah. Of the the shorts. And then um maybe this time is my second favorite. um Maybe this time is so good. I probably would have liked it more, honestly, if I just like wasn't in the slumpity slump that I'm in. And so I'm just kind of like, I don't know what to do. I've never been in an audio slump before. It's weird. Yeah. Maybe you just need to listen to some music.
00:04:04
Speaker
maybe yeah it's just like weird because i'm like so i'll be like sitting there and i'm like i'm bored i want to listen to an audiobook but then like i can't find anything that i want to listen to so like i just don't and then i just end up sitting there and watching tv all night which was fine which is probably yeah maybe i don't know slow dance by rainbow row
00:04:27
Speaker
And then what I'm physically reading.
00:04:32
Speaker
I'm actually not physically reading anything right now, either. I just finished Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonham Young, which I really enjoyed. But i yeah, I don't know what I'm going to do next. We shall see. I feel like I kind of want to pick up fantasy or something, because I haven't read one in a couple weeks. But I don't know, guys. Maybe I'm just in slumptown right now. I don't really get in slumps that often, to be honest with you.
00:04:56
Speaker
But I feel like I'm approaching one. Yeah. Well, well.
00:05:05
Speaker
I am currently drinking my usual say it with me gay. Actually, I held it up and I was like, I know. What the fuck is that?
00:05:21
Speaker
I'm having some, what's the light blue one? Some Glacier Freeze Gatorade. I'm sick if you can't tell by my nasally, nasally voice. I'm on, I believe, the upslope, hopefully, so I have just been trying to get a bunch of fluids going. But I am currently reading, I just started The Wedding People.
00:05:41
Speaker
Yeah. Thank God. Literally five minutes in. I'm like five minutes in. So ok yeah, I just like sometimes I'm like if I I'm gonna I know I only have like 10 minutes before I can go do anything. I'll start it just so mentally in my brain. I've started that book. You know what I mean? So I just started. I'm very excited. I actually got to pick that for my school book club. I've been doing like a book club with them. I told I told them.
00:06:08
Speaker
Okay. I was like, everybody has said that this is quite a heavy book. Like it's a bunch of people who typically read Lipthik in that crew. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So I did say like people mentioned there's a really heavy, you know, conversation. We looked at the trigger warnings on Storygraph. So I'm very excited about that one. I'm also re-listening to Bella Donna, like to fall
Judging Books by Covers
00:06:30
Speaker
asleep at night. That's like my nighttime reread book.
00:06:34
Speaker
Which has been really fun because I'm gonna do like a reread of all three of them over the next couple of weeks and I am I Haven't really made any progress physically reading in the past week or so just because it's been a really really busy week at work um So I am I'm back to reading first time caller. I became Orson, but I quite literally have not opened that book in a week, so it's Trucking along hoping I can jump back in soon Have you enjoyed what you've read so far? I really have. Yeah, I really have. I'm like 40% in and I paused it because I really wanted to read Promise Me Sunshine because Kendra and Lomi were losing their minds. So I read that one and I read that one in like three days. And then I had to read the novella for our last episode, The the Monster novella from Maya.
00:07:27
Speaker
Um, and so I finished that one last week, Saturday, and I literally have not opened a physical book since then. So I need to jump back in, but I really have been enjoying it. I would say that I was more
YA Cover Appeal
00:07:40
Speaker
instantly gripped with business casual. Like I was hooked so early for business casual, but who knows if that's because like, I was so excited for Charlie. Yeah. And like, you knew those people. Yeah. they Yeah. Mm hmm. So but I am really enjoying it. I love the premise. I think she does like a really good job of like setting it up. um So I'm just getting to the part right now where like I feel like things are really about to start rolling. I'm like 35 or 40 percent in. So, yeah. OK, that's good. That's good beautiful. Now, that is a beautiful cover. Beautiful cover. Yeah. Speaking of, should we just jump right in? Yeah, let's do it now, you guys.
00:08:18
Speaker
Do you judge books by their covers? Actually, when is like the last time you've solely bought a book based on its cover or read a book based on the cover? You knew nothing about it because I haven't had an experience like that in a long time. Yeah, it's been a long time. I think now, you know, being on the Internet the way that we are being in the bookscram, book talk space, what have you. It's really hard to do that now because I usually know something about the book.
00:08:47
Speaker
before I even find it in a bookstore. you know like I usually know something. It's rare for me to not either know the author or maybe know at least a piece of ah what the book is about or I've not heard about it from other people, from other mutuals or people that I follow. So it's really rare for me to find something that I've never seen before. you know who
Cover Art and Story Alignment
00:09:10
Speaker
And then be like, oh my gosh, I love or hate this cover.
00:09:13
Speaker
yeah I had an an experience semi like this, like I was already having to pick from a curated selection of books because it was a Penguin Random House audio book, but a dark and drowning tide. I clicked on that to read about what that book was about because the cover was stunning. And that was in July that I read that one. Yeah. So I mean, but it was already something that like here are the books of the month, you know. Yeah. So it was. Yeah. Only kind of like that.
00:09:43
Speaker
Yeah, actually I think mine was ready or not. It was in January. I was on PRH's app and I was looking for something to read. And then I saw this cute adorable cover and I read it fell in love with it and changed my life. So yeah, it's been a minute, but like I would say in store. Oh my gosh. It's been.
00:10:04
Speaker
forever, but that's how I used to like pick my books. I would see a nice cover and then I would like maybe flip it over, read some of the description and then I would go home, read it and then never talk about it with anyone. yep um So yeah, it's been a while. Yeah, that it was such a thing. Like my parents were big readers growing up. So we would go to the bookstore and I would just sit in the YA section and pull out books and look at the cover and then, yeah, read the back.
Book Cover Trends and Originality
00:10:31
Speaker
Crazy. I think as a whole, because like we're not going to touch on like a lot of YA books, if any at all. I think YA kind of kicks everyone else's ass when it comes to covers. Stunning. It has been for so many years. I mean, there are atrocious YA covers out there. um But I think more often than not, YA has just like amazing covers across the board.
00:10:54
Speaker
Why do you think that is? I actually don't know. Maybe there's some science behind like you need to look pretty to catch a teenager's attention. I also think because so much of YA focuses on like individuality it's probably easier to like center a cover on like one person than it is like on like a relationship because like I'm thinking of so all the boys I left before Jenny Han like you look at those covers and you think it's just a story I like them they're people covers but you think it's just a story of like this girl and you can tell she's going through like something because she's like sitting in her room like contemplating or whatever but like I never thought they were roman well I guess based off the title I thought they were romances but like it's just her
00:11:35
Speaker
It's not her and Peter or her and whatever the other guy's name is. Yeah. What do you guys typically look for in a cover in order to call it a good cover? Oh, I think art style is like really huge for me on covers. I think that if there's really stunning art, then I'm like 10 times more likely to to pick up that book.
00:12:01
Speaker
Yeah, I want it to like be a representative of the actual story rather than a pretty
Evolution of Cover Designs
00:12:10
Speaker
cover. And sometimes like you don't know that until you get into the book. But sometimes you know just by looking like, OK, this is probably going to be related to the book. I don't know. I think of um you know Ugly Love by Colin Hoover. yeah i forget It's gotten a new cover now that has flowers on it, gag.
00:12:29
Speaker
one the old one with the water that's a great cover because it's one of those where like you finish the book and you look back at the cover and you're like what the fuck is like wrong like that's it's a brutal cover yeah those ones are always fun yeah when you like don't understand magnolia parks is one and we'll talk about that later but yeah there's so much stuff on there that you don't get until after you finish the book yeah you know probably completely changes your perspective on the cover those are always yeah yeah i really love people on covers. I took them for granted, truly. But looking back, I'm like, I miss I miss some models like so many models are unemployed. Because the cartoon cover epidemic that has taken over the world. I think it's so interesting thinking about the different trends of covers and because like when I first joined
00:13:23
Speaker
or was like on book talk. I wasn't actually like making content when I was like on that that side of the algorithm for a long time. It's so interesting looking back and seeing what was popular then versus what's popular now or like what people just decide that they don't like anymore versus what they like now.
Cartoon Covers Debate
00:13:38
Speaker
You know, for a while it was so much like, I hate people covers, I hate people covers. So then authors were coming out with discreet covers. And then it was like, I liked all the cartoons. I want the cartoons now. It's, I don't like the cartoons actually. ah So it's just like it's just so interesting like the the basically circle I feel like that but it goes in of trends. I feel like a lot of that just comes down to like and being original too you know what I mean like because I agree like we're gonna talk more about cartoon cover soon but if there's a quote-unquote cartoon cover that's using an art style that's like really unique and different
00:14:11
Speaker
or the yeah the cartoons are posed in a really unique way or the color scheme is really beautiful like I think that they're all the originality is like what sticks with me and I think about when you're saying Kendra the real people are on covers like I think about the original Callaway sisters covers I love those covers yeah sense of nostalgia obviously But I love that they're all in the same series, but they are different color schemes, wildly different colors. yeah You know, they tell you something about the book, but like they all have matching fonts and they're all the same size. Like they're very obviously a series, but each cover is really unique. I also think like maybe people like didn't enjoy
00:14:52
Speaker
models on covers because like indie romances really blew up I would say since 2020 versus you know what they were before and a lot of indie strictly lived online like you weren't buying the physicals it was just people like scrolling KU so like they had to really stand out and be like if you want to read sex here's his naked man halfn naked man on the cover and like you knew exactly what you were getting into but then those books became really popular and bookstores started carrying them and I think people didn't want like sure I don't know that's when people didn't want them you know yeah um and like there is a whole conversation of like discrete covers of like if you have
00:15:30
Speaker
family around or friends and you don't want them to see that I understand but then we moved into like flower territory of like discreet covers and I hate that I hate that so much Yeah, I think that there is also part of the real people on covers versus cartoon debate too is because like a lot of people obviously have different tastes. and So like if there's just like a dude on the cover of like a book, I'm trying to think of ones like even like Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark, the original model male cover. I'm like, who's that man? That's not Callum. Like, who are you? Why are you here? But what's funny is that I think that gave me a really good like jumping off point to form him in my head, you know, like,
00:16:09
Speaker
So I would just take what she was describing and then compare it against who the model was. And also I think like making it black and white, like that really helped with like the tone. Like I love the original covers. I don't like the new ones. I don't like the new ones either. And but like Nero in that series, I'm like, that's Nero. Like, oh, that's Nero. Day two, I'm like, oh, in Sebastian. I'm like, oh, Sebastian. Yeah. Sebastian. I'm very lucky that i I have those covers. Me too. I'm grateful for that.
00:16:38
Speaker
What are some trends in covers right now that you guys are seeing a lot of? Either that you like or you don't like? Like in cartoon and I think cartoon like I would say like cartoon slash illustrated because there are some book covers I would say like Carly fortune is a good example of this where it's like illustrated um but that's like I've don't see that artist's style mimicked a lot I think it's just that artist and I've seen her work with other people but flowers, which I hate if you haven't listened to our yeah, I know the disdain. Yeah, I go off. um What else is going around now? One that's like really popular in erotica right now that I ah hate and some like
00:17:23
Speaker
indie covers, not necessarily just erotica, but like a single object in the middle of a cover. And like that's it. Like I think of Katie Robert, apostrophe s her last name is Robert, Katie Roberts, um Dark Olympus series that has just like an object and then black cover. And then Sarah Kate also has that with the Fallacious Players Club. It's like a gem.
00:17:48
Speaker
Oh, and like the heel. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't like that. Me either. And i that's an exact exact example of what you were talking about of like the original covers are like half naked dudes or women in bondage clothing. Like ah there's a reason that, you know, Barnes and Noble is like, let's rework some stuff. I get it. But I don't, I don't love that. Yeah. Something that I think a lot of fantasy and romance books are doing also is paying a lot more attention to things other than the cover, like the spine and the pages. So a lot of people are doing now where the spines match up to create a picture, which I think is fun. I like that. I
US vs UK Book Covers
00:18:26
Speaker
love that. I think that's so fun. The sprayed edges I can live with or without. It doesn't
00:18:31
Speaker
yeah really matter to me, especially because like I've seen books that have sprayed edges where it's like a totally different color that doesn't actually match the vibe of the book. I was just thinking of, because I read an arc of this book, so I have a paperback arc, it's called A Fire in Sky by Sophie Jordan.
00:18:48
Speaker
And I saw like the released hardcover version in store. The the cover is like navy blue with like a little bit of red. But the side of it was this bright teal blue. And I was like, what are we doing? It was just so random and weird. And I was like, that's ugly, actually. I think another trend in romance is the big title covers, like where the title is the cover. So the text is really big. Alyssa Sussman, we were talking about her last night in our group chat. because like were like, where's her next book? So I went to go look it up. Do you guys remember the original cover for her next book? It was in the style of her first two books where it had like the cartoon people and like yeah different blocks. Yeah. Like that's a good way to put it. So it got changed. Now it's all text and like with these two little like objects on them to, I guess, like, yeah, represent the story. But I thought that was really interesting.
00:19:38
Speaker
I do think I like that new cover. I liked her old one because I really love her covers already. um So I don't know if I would prefer that over what the original one was, but I do think I would prefer a title or a cover that is all title rather than having like meaningless stuff on it, which is not what Alyssa Sussman's was. But if you know that trend moving forward, I do think I I don't mind the whole title covers.
00:20:02
Speaker
Yeah. You know what I'm so interested in is the science behind US versus UK covers. Oh my god. I am so curious as to what like the different audiences are when like publishers sit down and they like look at a US cover. I don't actually know if this happens. I'm just curious like They look at a US publisher and UK publishers like, no, the UK audience wouldn't like that. We got to do this. You know, like I want to know why, like what is the difference? Like sometimes they're the exact same, but like the fonts different or sometimes they're completely different. Like i why, you know? Yeah. Emily Henry is a good example of that where they like change it almost completely. I would love to know like publishers, like who they think is pickier because in my head I'm like, oh, the UK people have to be way pickier because we get like the shit.
00:20:46
Speaker
And then they're probably like, no US is way pickier. And then I would love to know which one sells more, because it has to be like a science behind it. Yeah, like the Abbey covers, I know they're the same, except they change the font. I'm like, why? And like the background, because isn't your shoe in the UK? It's a green. I'm green. Yeah. I don't know what part of your world looks like, actually, the UK cover.
00:21:08
Speaker
I care. I don't think I've ever seen it. and I know just for the summers for sure the same, just different font, but I don't know. Yeah. Let me look it up.
Cartoon Covers - Merits and Drawbacks
00:21:16
Speaker
Yeah. That's something that I've always been so curious about.
00:21:19
Speaker
Yeah, it is always funny like every once in a while if it's a book I love and I see the UK got better covers I'm like, ah you guys went because like I was just talking about I don't love Katie Roberts dark Olympus series for the UK US covers but the UK covers are Stunning and they're actually changing all of the US covers to match the UK covers. Oh, that's good Yeah, I looked it up part of your world is the same. Okay Which then and I'm like, why did I truly get like such a, maybe they hate red. I was going to say like, what do they got against red? Too much USA. They're like red. Fuck. No, America. No.
00:21:54
Speaker
So odd. Yeah, it's interesting. One big thing that is a huge debate that will just we'll just jump into right now is is cartoon covers. And I know people some people have been like, I'm sick of them. I'm sick of them. But like we've talked about, I think that there is you know there's nuance there. there's a good there's such a There is such a thing as a good and a bad cartoon cover. Yeah.
00:22:16
Speaker
So we're gonna jump into I think a couple of ones that have been submitted that are cartoon covers and we'll talk about each cover and then we'll tell you guys how it was submitted whether it was submitted as somebody thinking it was good or bad.
00:22:32
Speaker
Yeah. And these were submitted on our Instagram at bring your own pod. Uh, we do these occasionally when we have episodes where we need your guys's input. So give us a follow over there. And when we do another episode like this, your answer can be a part of the podcast. Yeah. Thank you to everyone who submitted because we got a lot and some of them we agree with.
00:22:51
Speaker
And some of them we were like, oh my God, so. I know. Yeah. Very interesting. One that we got a ton of for a positive cartoon cover is the Out of Print Out on a Limb, like the original Out on a Limb cover by Hannah Bonham Young. um And I agree that that cover is beautiful. Yeah. I wouldn't consider that cartoon. I would consider that illustrated. And that's I like more illustrated than cartoon, whereas the new cover of Out on the Limb is cartoon done by the notorious Lenny Kaufman, who we are all fans of her work. I just think that she has a monopoly right now on the market. And I know there has to be a million other illustrators just dying to design a book cover, but she's just doing it all. And honestly props to her because she's pushing them out like crazy. I just think now I go to the store and I'm like, everything looks the same because you know need she has such a specific style. Like she can only do so much.
00:23:50
Speaker
And that's what I was going to say with when it comes to Lenny. I love when she gets to do something besides two characters standing back to back with their arms crossed. Like when we get to see her do like the new outer limb cover where they're like sitting on a couch and like holding each other, you know, or I'm trying to think of another one because I know she has a couple where or the um the special editions. I know we're trying to stay clear of special edition conversations today because those are just so wide. The special edition cover market is just so insane. But like the special editions from Steamylit that she got to do for those were
00:24:25
Speaker
part of your world in your show. Yeah.
Cover Redesigns and Representation
00:24:26
Speaker
So we just get to see her do something different instead of those characters saying back to back, like the iceberg wildfire ones, like that pose of her character. You said iceberg. You mean Icebreaker. Icebreaker. I love iceberg. i Can you tell I'm a huge fan of that book?
00:24:45
Speaker
i think I think that book cover is why Linni is just so unpopular right now because she was doing some work before that. I think Delilah Greene doesn't care. She does all of Ashley Heron Blake's books. That book came out, I want to say before Icebreaker, but Icebreaker became so massive and viral. And I think a lot of that had to do with the cover. Like you just see a cute girl in her ice skating costume and then a boy in a hockey uniform and then Literally, you go to Target, Barnes & Noble, wherever you're getting your books, and you can see 12 other books with that exact same, like, setup. Pose. Yeah, pose, everything. And you you know a Lenny Kaufman cover from a mile away. but So do you guys go prefer the original Out on the Limb cover or the Lenny Kaufman version?
00:25:30
Speaker
I like them both for different reasons. I think I like the original cover just because I got so attached. like i That was my favorite book of last year and I read it when that was the only cover available. and I just think it's really beautiful. I'm like staring at it on my shelf as we're talking about this. and I do just love that cover. and I know when we interviewed Hannah, if you haven't listened to our interview with Hannah, we have two different ones that you can go back and listen to.
00:25:52
Speaker
But she just talked about how it was so special to her that like two characters whose disabilities were like really showcased on the cover and like that was so important. I think it's so beautiful. But then we get to see that in a different way with the Lenny cover. Yeah, like both of their disabilities are still on display on those covers and like an important part of the cover in itself. But I do think I would prefer the out of print one just because of the nostalgia. And I love the color scheme on that one. Yeah, I think I think when you least when I and I think you probably would agree is when you think of that book, the indie cover comes to mind. yeah Yeah, that's the first thing that comes to your mind. But yeah, I mean, for nostalgic reasons, I think that that makes total sense.
00:26:31
Speaker
Well, not even just like nostalgia for me. I think tone is like a really big thing as well. Like, cartoon covers to me, I'm expecting something, and this is not a bad thing all the time. It's just like, I'm expecting something to be like really silly fun and light, you know? And then sometimes you open a cartoon cover and you're like, oh, this is like,
00:26:48
Speaker
not that, which is again, not a bad thing. It's more serious sometimes. And I think the original album in The Limb Cover portrays sort of like the seriousness of that book. It's still a fun, enjoyable, like, book, like nothing crazy is happening. I just think the original like, I don't know, it was like two people really coming to peace with like where they were in life and where their life was going. And I think the original can phase out a lot better than like two people sitting on the couch smirking at each other. Yeah, I would be curious again as to why publishing houses are like that covers not going to work. Like I'm very curious you with that one, like why Penguin Random House was like, let's have something different. Is it just because they wanted to match next of kin and next to you? That's that's a good question that I would be curious about.
Consistency in Series Cover Designs
00:27:31
Speaker
Yeah, I do like next of kin and next to you. I like Lenny Kaufman's versions of those covers a lot more than
00:27:39
Speaker
The next series went through many covers. Yeah. and i think The Lenny Kaufman ones are the best. Yeah, I love those ones. and Those ones are really good. Yeah, I'm trying to think of any other Lenny covers I even have on my shelf. And besides the special editions of Party of Your World and yours truly, I don't think I have any. I don't think I do either. I was just thinking that she's done so many, but I actually don't have that many on my shelf. Ashley hearing Blake's books. Oh, yes, I have those. I have those. Yeah. And like those are good, but it's like falls into like what you were saying, Brandy, with like the poses. They're like facing back to back. Yeah. Yeah. Looking over their shoulders at each other. I think they do a really good job of like
00:28:17
Speaker
They fit the tone, they fit that those books really well. But yeah, I would like to see something maybe a little more different. I don't know. What's another cartoon cover that was submitted by our listeners? I know someone mentioned Tessa Bailey's books. This was actually submitted in the bad book covers, which I find interesting because I think Tessa Bailey, they found something because Tessa Bailey also has a lot of covers out there and they've been pulling from her backlist and like republishing and she's been coming out with
00:28:49
Speaker
that woman does not stop writing. I really like the it happened one summer cover and then Avon took that and said bet we're gonna pop out 20 more covers with this exact same oh oh like all of Tessa's covers afterwards like they all same artists same style and it's not just Tessa Bailey that that artist says I don't even know the artist's name it's who else oh they do ah Lana Ferguson's books Oh, yeah, you're right. Yeah. right um And like, I don't mind those because I think they fit Tessa's tone really well. Like, they look like fun. Fun. Yes, that is. Yes. I was gonna say like whimsical, but I don't think fun is like a lot more better. worse pretty broad yeah yeah But they look fun.
00:29:38
Speaker
Is it a little misleading? I guess sometimes like I think my mom would pick that up and think, oh, cute. And then be like, oh, my God, like her fingers in his ass. Like, you know, like that is a part that I think is like, whoa. But yeah, do you guys consider Tara DeWitt's like newer covers to be illustrated or cartoon?
00:29:59
Speaker
illustrated. Okay. Or like character ah art specific. Yeah, I was just gonna say like, I think yeah, cartoon like you and illustrated. There is a point where they kind of marry like, I mean, you can have an illustrated like characters, kind of listing illustrated character, you know, but it doesn't necessari necessarily make it a cartoon. I think to be car to their faces, like they're gonna have like a cartoon, like,
00:30:22
Speaker
facial expression like that. Whereas like Tara DeWitt, I think all of her covers have actually been really great. <unk> Um, they're beautiful. Yeah. Even like, uh, and I'm glad that the publisher kept them the same for the most part. Um, funny feelings. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. Funny feeling. Cause I'm like, that's a, that's a great cover and it has something from the book that is super important, but you don't know what it is until you read it. And then you look back on it and you're like, Oh, like that's nice. You know,
00:30:50
Speaker
I do love her new covers too. I think those are the savor it and co-op. So beautiful. Has someone else done work with that artist? Tara said, I asked her, I was like, how did you find this person? Because these covers are just so beautiful. Yeah. And she said that she had seen their work with other books and stuff. I just don't remember which books she mentioned. But yeah, she's been doing other other book covers. And yeah, they're just so beautiful. I don't know. I love the color schemes on them too, like on Sabret and the co-op. Mm hmm. So.
Influence of Illustrators on Cover Trends
00:31:27
Speaker
Yeah, and I like that they're like different um yeah is like with savor it like they're embracing each other on the cover you like get a really real good sense of like the setting and then the new co-op version that's coming out like of course they're like glaring at each other on the cover because like they're like on opposing sides for most of that book. So I think they're really good. Yeah, that was submitted as a good one in case you were wondering. People love those covers. I think we would be remiss if we didn't talk about Lila Sage's illustrated covers during this conversation. What style is that? Like, like, old timey comic, right? but Yeah. Yeah.
00:32:06
Speaker
that. if Yeah, it feels retro. um But I like she like really started a trend and somebody hop into our comments of this episode if you had seen covers that looked like hers before Done and Dusted came out because I had not. And then now I'm seeing them everywhere. That's a little dramatic. I've seen like three or four books using it.
00:32:29
Speaker
I think this is the proof of like what a good cover can do for you because like Done and Dusted, it's not my favorite book in the world. We all just read, what is it called? but Lost and Lost. We all really enjoyed it. But um Done and Dusted like that cover did numbers for her alone because it got people interested. They were like, it was something new in a world full of like the Lenny Kaufman covers. And yeah, I got people reading it. and then i got yeah got her own people's radar i don't know if that would have done as well if it was just like a cat like a regular illustrated cowboy and right woman on the cover like any other style you know because it would have got lost in the sauce and now that especially that she has the resources i would be curious to hear about her process of going around the first
00:33:16
Speaker
book around Dun & Dusted, but now on Lost in Last Out, I'm like, oh yeah, like the descriptions that she's writing about these characters, like that's Teddy, that's Gus, like on the cover, that's for sure them. And I wonder if she had those options when she was doing Dun & Dusted, like is that how she pictured Emmy? Yeah. So.
00:33:36
Speaker
I think her, the fourth book, which I can't recall the title. Oh my God. I think that's my favorite one. Beautiful. Something in Reingold. Was it Wild in Reingold or something like that? I am very excited for that. book Because I i love Dusty. I think he's odd. The setup was so interesting. But yeah, the color, I think the thing that like makes it my favorite is the colors with it, like with the sunset. Gorgeous. But you know who else has retro style covers, but not um not covers like with the cowboy type situations, Alicia Thompson, who was also submitted as a great good cover. um I have read Hello from Cold World, I think is what it's called, and then Kennedy for the Art of Catching Feelings, which
00:34:19
Speaker
We were both, I like Hello from Cold War, I thought it was good. Kendra, you were, you were iffy on our kitchen. I can't, I think about it all the time. If they just had a better trope, I think that would have been one of my favorite books because everything about it from the cover to the narrator to even the characters were good. It's just they got a shitty trope. Yeah, but those covers are so good. Really good and her new book that's coming out that cover where it's like they're on a cruise ship and they're like just kissing like I really like that yeah, and I think her covers at least from the one book that I have read fit the tone of What she's going for so that's really important
00:34:59
Speaker
what do you guys think of let's just let's just talk about this series as a whole because we've gotten each of these books in different parts we've gotten some in good and some in bad Abby Jimenez the part of your world series we'll start with part of your world hu it was submitted as a bad cover which by Kendra, like yeah which I don't disagree with because like, especially considering like some of her good ones, I don't necessarily think it's like a horrible cover. I just look at it and I'm like, yeah, I struggled. You know, it's not horrible, but it's definitely could be better. You know, I think i what I like about it is I like that it literally shows that they're from two different worlds. You know, I like that part because like when the split where there's a split and you know, you know, show the city, the city background with Alexis and then like the
00:35:47
Speaker
small-town background with Daniel, that's good. I think that it should conveys that message, but like the characters themselves, I'm like, that's boring. It looks like a blob. you know I am not a huge fan of like the no detail cartoon, like the ones that are just block colors. I don't love those, so I agree with you.
00:36:10
Speaker
I think Abby Jimenez's best and only good cover is just for the summer. All of her book covers I think are atrocious. However, the insides from Life's New Shore onward are amazing.
Cover Art Inconsistencies and Improvements
00:36:24
Speaker
So it's kind of just like, even her new book that's coming out, Say You'll Remember Me, i we all kind of looked at that cover and we were just like, oh. Oh, I have to admit, when i first when I first saw it, I was like, oh, that's pretty good. And then I think the more I looked at it, I was like,
00:36:37
Speaker
Yeah, I don't love the color combination. And it's not just her. I think forever as a whole, her publisher, like they just are so all over the place with art style and like sizing of the books. Whereas someone like Berkeley, I think they're i like Berkeley sends you like a package when you sign on to them. They're like, here's your three book deal. Here's the artist you're going to work with for all three books. Here's the sizing of the books. Like everything looks put together forever. It's just like, we're going to play it by air. Like who is next? like Yeah, I said that i I think that they saw how much people loved the just for the summer cover and they're like, okay, let me try and recreate that. But they just like, yeah, they did. They went too far. They did too much. Yeah. And I think that her worst cover though is yours truly. I think that that one is horrible. It's so boring. I'm confused by the
00:37:27
Speaker
part of your world series covers because like we have the very specific style in part of your world and then in yours truly it's just like red background. Yeah red and text and two characters yeah and the ugliest Jacob drawing you've ever seen yeah so you're like why why is it just so plane And then you go just for the summer and it's like the most colorful one of all of them. yeah And the characters are in motion. A little misleading because they make Justin look like he's a brown man and he is very white. So I was like, that was a choice. And they live in Minnesota, so you can't even say he had a tan. Yeah. So that was a choice. I mean, they do get sun there, Kendra, but yes. Go ahead.
00:38:09
Speaker
Yeah. Not that tan though. I agree. I agree. yeah say I feel like they don't see sunlight there. Yeah. I think Abby Jimenez and like, again, like it's just, we're so far away from it, but I think her books would honestly probably kill it with some people covers. And again, I'm not a designer, so don't shoot me, but like some of my favorite covers are, um, Katie Katugno's original young adult book covers with people on them. And they would do like these whole photo shoots and they were just like, and they would put like snapshots of moments of like the couple like hanging out and doing stuff. And it looks, I gotta show you guys, I'll put them like on the pod's Instagram story. I think they're stunning. They recently redid all of her covers and now they're illustrated, which makes me wanna, I hate them. They're so bad. But I think Abby Jimenez' books, they're such moving stories, I think having real people on the covers would do her some justice, or at least for me.
00:38:58
Speaker
Yeah, I think for if there is going to be an illustrated cover, having the couple in motion or it doesn't have to be something like in just for the summer where they're quite literally running through the water. It can be, yeah you know, them in movement cuddling. It can be them in movement walking. I think just like having the stand-stand thing is getting, yeah, it's tiring.
00:39:22
Speaker
Mm hmm. Yeah. So the only Abby book that was submitted as a good one was just for the summer. or The other two in the Partier World Series were submitted as bad. So yeah yeah. Forever get it together. Speaking of forever. Another one is the Skyland series by by kenny ryan before I let go and this could be us. And as of this recording, the newest book, what is the title? Somebody remind me.
00:39:46
Speaker
Um, can't get enough. Is that what it's called? That cover was just released. I think that's right. That sounds right. And I have mixed feelings on these covers. I like, before I let go, I did not love this could be us because I feel like the style of the person on the cover changed. Like it changed. Not, not that the person on before I let go, wasn't a real person, but it was still like,
00:40:08
Speaker
how do I explain it? I'm not I'm not an artist so I can't explain it was done in a way that like almost looked like it could be like illustrated it wasn't but it looked like it but then this could be us it's like boom real person right in your face you know I don't know it's just like this style change and I don't love that the style changed neither do I and like the can't get enough cover. I'm just like not a fan of at all, because I think it doesn't match the character description of Hendrix. Now, granted, I haven't read the second book yet, so I don't know if we've gotten more on her. But from what I recall, from the first book, she was like a dark skin black woman, like she like runs a business very successful. You look at that cover, she looks like I told Kimmy and Lomi and Cassius, I was like, it looks like she does like Janae Iko sound baths, hippie, like black girl, which is like
00:40:55
Speaker
not a bad thing. It's just not the character that we were presented it with in the first book. So I'm confused and then like they add these like p floral designs on like the edges and that to me just like doesn't do well and in the first book I was confused as to why I think the first cover is really stunning and I think it does kind of tell you that this is going to be a book that's dealing with something serious. But for a book to be multi or a dual POV and only have one character on the cover, I think that can be very misleading because I went in thinking, oh, like this is just going to be Yasmin's story. And then we got um Josiah as well. So I wish that there was a way to showcase that better.
Listener Opinions on Covers
00:41:37
Speaker
In the second book, Kayla, you read it. Is it two POVs or is it just one? It's two, but it was definitely more of a it felt more like a
00:41:47
Speaker
women's fiction than a romance. Yeah, and and I know that was a big complaint. and that Yeah. So I wonder what it can't get enough will fall into the same category. Just historically, I i think Kennedy Ryan's best covers are the all the Kingsman's original. I think it hit the nail on the head. I love those. The new ones done by Bloom. Bloom, you're on my shit list. And you know why. There's a designer at Bloom that florals for spring. Like, wow. Like, amazing.
00:42:18
Speaker
why there are flowers on the Kingmaker series, like the new ones by Bloom, makes no fucking sense to me. Like it truly pisses me off so bad. Because I want you to read those books and then tell me you think of flowers. No, you think of sex, you think of scandal, you think of like so much. You don't get that from those ugly ass covers. And then the cover for real, which I think is also being done by forever. Oh, that one's bad. Sounds bad.
00:42:44
Speaker
awful The original cover I thought was so good. It had people on the cover. You knew like, oh my God, like they're working in Hollywood. Everything came across the way it needed to. Why they, again I don't, I, I think it must be a, this must come down to market research where they, I think Kennedy Ryan wants to reach a certain audience, which is primarily black middle-aged women. And that must be what catches their attention, which is like, let's just showcase in the black woman on the book, even though it's not just her story. It's, it's, you know, all these dual PLV books, but.
00:43:14
Speaker
yeah Yeah, I don't like the new real cover at all. Before I let go, and this could be us, we're both submitted as good covers, so we disagree, unfortunately. Yeah, yeah. Sorry to say that. Rapid Fire, some other cartoon ones that we got submitted. The Ex-Vows, I love that cover. um I think it's great. It was submit submitted as a good one. Do you agree, yes or no? Kendra and Brandy.
00:43:41
Speaker
Um, great is not a word that I would associate with that book cover. I don't think it's bad. I just solid solid. Okay. I'll take it. Uh, you again, is that cartoon or illustrated? I guess that's illustrated.
00:43:55
Speaker
right Yeah, i I Don't know how I feel about that cover. Yeah, I know that you didn't I submitted that one I was thinking way more of like the color scheme and how it's a cartoon cover, but it's different like it's yeah It's very different. It's bordering on illustrated and even though it is just you people standing there Like I said that you know, I'm tired of that this one does something different with the art style Like there's a lot more lines in the illustration. Yeah They have very definitive features of their faces. and They're making very specific expressions. And then it's just not set on like, you know, a blank color background. Yeah. so mean You can tell they're like in New York. Like, I don't know. Yes. The clothes they're wearing matters. Like, yeah. Yeah. I like that it's something different. It's the reason I submitted that one.
00:44:40
Speaker
i Yeah, I don't think it's bad. I just don't. I would never be like, yes. But like, I think it fits the book still. Like, I love that book. I like that cover a lot. Yeah. ah Speaking of our Star Wars, former Star Wars fan fiction girlies, Allie Hazelwood. but How do we fill in? I like her illustrator. This one was submitted as bad, actually. Somebody submitted this as bad.
00:45:02
Speaker
um I haven't been different. I don't dislike them, but I don't like love them, you know? Yeah. I think her best cover is checking me. Same. I really love that one. Not in love with a different like path. Like it was it went ah off her kind of regularly scheduled programming of the same with bride. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Bride was like a different genre. Was bride the same illustrator that she uses? Cause I know she uses the same one for everything else. Okay. That's interesting.
00:45:38
Speaker
who Yeah, which I liked how she like win a different route for not in love, especially considering that that one is a lot spicier. I guess it makes sense. Yeah. And then deep end is not like a couple embracing like I bo really like that one. Yeah, I think that's like a good departure for her.
00:45:57
Speaker
Yeah, I'm not like I don't think they're bad covers. I think the thing that just like pisses me off of at least with like love hypothesis and even love theoretically is like, on love hypothesis is like how she's like blushing and like her eyes are open. And it's like, I don't know, it's just something about that. And I know it's like a moment from the book. I'm just like, I don't know. I look at it and I'm like, eww. And then in love theoretically, what else is what is Elsie wearing?
00:46:20
Speaker
A blanket with straps? Like you have no clue. Is it a dress? No, we we don't know. But yeah, I don't I don't mind them. There's not my fave. New Mariana Zapata covers for Walla Winnipeg. and Yeah. Were those and submitted as bad because they they were submitted as bad. Yes. Walla Winnipeg. um All roads leave here. All roads. yeah Yeah. Who are those people? Which is interesting because they're all done by Avon Avon. Just slide her.
00:46:49
Speaker
slide Tessa Bailey's artists over to Mariana Zapata and be like, here, fix this. But also I think Mariana Zapata's original covers, I think did the job like I really like them and that could be nostalgia speaking maybe because I was with them for so long but like I think of the original all roads lead here cover I love it like yeah that one was submitted um under bad and I was really surprised to see that people do not like the her original covers and I really like them and I think for the same reason
00:47:21
Speaker
that I really like the original Callaway sisters series covers, which is like it's not focused on like a couple embracing and it's not abs, which I don't have anything against that sometimes. But it's like it's something about the book like Luna and the lie has under the hood of a car. And um while Winnipeg has a dude holding a football, like it's telling you something. What's the wait for it? That cover is so when you close that book and you look at the cover, you're like, oh, that's good. Like it's so good.
00:47:48
Speaker
yeah um What about Emily Henry? How do we feel about her covers? She falls into like the big color blobs for me. I don't mind them, but I'm never going to be like, oh, I love that cover. I feel like people only really feel that way because they love the book so much. The people who submitted it under good, I'm curious to ask you, why do you love those covers? And yeah you can't tell me it's because you love the inside.
00:48:11
Speaker
yeah i think her best cover is happy place but even looking at that cover i'm like that's not like having read it i'm like that's not like them floating in those floaties and like yeah it's just not the vibe of the book and like same with that's her problem like the the vibes don't match because like even looking at the beetroot one when I want you to go cover to cover in that book when are they sitting on the beach like that with their backs face in their swimsuits reading books they're not like that would have been perfect to like oh you know what ah what would have been a good cover for that um what is her name literary loft her her Emily Henry poster collections I think are really good
00:48:52
Speaker
And I really love the one that she did for Beatry because it's like the two houses. And I think that would have been better. Yeah. But you know, Beatry excels. So it's like, yeah, you're I did the blob block thing. Listen, I have no artists. Right. But if I can draw that, that's a problem. You know, I can draw your book cover. Yeah, that's bad. You know, I don't like the blob thing. It's I think out of all of her covers, the one that like fits the vibe the best and I don't mind is people because it's like Yeah, like they did that in the book. They were sitting, on like they were sitting in their beach chairs. They were reading or like hanging out like that fit. Book Lovers really pisses me off because it's like both versions, the UK version and the US version because in the UK, why the fuck are they in boats? Like that does not happen. And then in the US cover, why they're sitting on their suitcase? Like I i get it, but I don't like it because it doesn't happen.
00:49:51
Speaker
Let's talk now about some of our favorite covers ever. And some of our least favorite covers ever. The yeah Magnolia Park series. Let's take it back to the beginning with Magnolia Parks. yeah You see the original indie version. What was your initial thought? You have not read the book. What did you think? Children's book. Exactly. and I vividly remember sending a text message to our group chat being like, this looks like a children's cover.
00:50:18
Speaker
Yes. And then now you finish that book and you look back at the cover, what were your thoughts? Genius, incredible, life changing. Never said a bad word in my life, actually. um yeah It's hilarious to me how often these were submitted in both. like People were submitting the OG covers in their favorite covers and then the newer TRAD published covers in their least favorite covers.
00:50:43
Speaker
And you guys, that I will never get over that video of Jess at an event in the U.K. unveiling the new covers. And she tears the cover off and everybody goes, oh, it's like that video of Jeb Bush when he's like, pleasela please clap, please clap. Yeah. Oh, God. Yeah. oh done So safe to say we love the originals. I will say someone did submit that they did not enjoy the Into the Dark.
00:51:12
Speaker
new cover, um which I kind of agree because it felt like a big departure from what they were doing with the first four books in the series. I get the reasoning behind it. I just I feel like Magnolia is a character where you should not see her face because she is so beautiful and so stunning. Until we get an adaptation with an actual person, then there should be no illustration because it won't be her justice like this is the most beautiful one in the world. So yeah, seeing her face wasn't the best for me. It was also just so funny to me because Jessa has a very specific fan cast that she uses for Magnolia. And you can tell that she gave that fan cast to her illustrator to do yeah that cover because the rest of us, and I shouldn't say the rest of us. Yeah. Yeah. Let me I will I will tell the story because I think our friend Kimmy
00:52:05
Speaker
deserves a lot of credit. And honestly, Kayla, so here's what happened. We found Jess's original fan cast of Magnolia, who is not who is not black, by the way. She's South Asian. She's South Asian. So let's start there. But if you look at her and you didn't know that, you could probably think, okay, she might, she could be a mixed black woman.
00:52:26
Speaker
We said no. So Kimmy, who is, if you ever need a fan cast, go to at Kimmy Books. She will get you a fan cast. She's so good at it. She's so good at it. Like crazy, wickedly good. She found Pamela, who is the fan cast that everyone uses now for Magnolia Parks. And then I give you some credit, Kayla too, because you then took that fan cast and made a reel that I think everyone shared and passed around. And then it just became like, it just became, she became Magnolia. Now you see her own, everyone's Pinterest boards and like,
00:52:56
Speaker
I didn't see anyone using her prior. So I give, I give you two credit because she, yeah she also acknowledges that she knows that people fancaster as Magnolia cause she acknowledges it in like her Instagram comments and tick tock sometimes too, which is kind of fun. But yeah, I, I don't. debts That's Magnolia to me for now. yeah you know Her eyes, sure. Her eyes aren't the bright green or whatever, but like not a big deal to me. I can just picture it in my head. you know like That's what she looks like. and Pamela, he's like one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen. Yeah. um Before we get to the horrendous shoe covers that came out, do you guys have a favorite cover out of the OG Magnolia Parks covers? Daisy hates one for me.
00:53:42
Speaker
I think Probably into the dark maybe Really? no I I think I think for one with Magnolia on it. Oh, no, did I say into the dark? I am Long way home. Sorry. Okay. Sorry. I meant long way home That one. Okay. Sorry. I was literally picturing the ship in my head and I said into the dark Yeah, I think I uh well I don't know maybe Daisy I love Daisy hates one but also I didn't like it when I first saw it which was great undoing but now I'm upset like that's one of my favorite books of all time it's my favorite book in the series so I think my love of the book amped up the cover in my head and then I look at like
00:54:28
Speaker
Guys, we talk so much shit about Jessa Hastings, but truly she is such a genius sometimes because you. You look at that cover and how she is able to marry both what Daisy is going through and what Julian is going through on that cover and you look at it and it's like, fuck, in so much pain. But I remember she came out, a reason why the covers had to go through this like big overhaul for trad is partly but Due to the um original daisy hates one cover because there are two guns on the cover Which I think is like badass like that. They're shooting people left and right in that book like hello But Barnes and other retailers were like we that's just not allowed in our stores um Which the more you know I guess so I'm like just just remove the guns and keep everything else like it makes sense why she had to change them however, I think knowing that I
00:55:20
Speaker
like they posted and hyped up this cover reveal so much because they literally like they casted people in these photo shoots they went to this huge mansion had all these amazing clothes. Yeah we're talking about the shoe covers now. Yes the shoe covers sorry.
00:55:36
Speaker
And they like had this huge photo shoot. And what do they do? They don't even have any of not even like the backs or like the full body. yeah i don't mean I don't need a face. That's fine. I don't have to have no want a face. I don't
Magnolia Parks Cover Critiques
00:55:47
Speaker
want a face. I i yeah just like some other body part other than just the feet. Like, and yeah, it just didn't make sense to me. Okay, we were so excited because looking at that photo shoot we all thought oh my gosh like we're throwing it back to the 2000 if you guys remember a lot of the like people covers back then for like high society books i'm thinking like the gossip girls um there's another click there's something else that i'm forgetting um but like that's what it was giving and then we got their fucking feet and mind you i wouldn't care if feet were a thing
00:56:22
Speaker
But they're not. And then what pisses a lot of people off, including myself, I love Magnolia. I love everything about, like, I love her. She should not, her feet should not be on a Daisy hates cover. I get that she's a big part of Daisy's and Julian's story. But what were we thinking? like are yeah you and she's on both of them. like That's crazy. I think when I first saw the the first cover, the Magnolia Parks cover, I was like, okay, like sure. But then when it was revealed that it was that we're all that way, because I first i first saw the Magnolia Parks cover first, and then when they revealed the Daisy one, I was like, oh, this is the trend that we're doing. yeah This is what's gonna happen. And so, yeah, I think the worst one, I think the worst one is Daisy hates. I think that one is absolutely
00:57:11
Speaker
ah yeah the window i' I don't mind the into the dark one just kind of the best one yeah yeah I just like
00:57:25
Speaker
I know that fashion is such a huge part of Magnolia's books, but also like most of the people who are reading, like I don't know what fucking shoes they're wearing. Like I know what BJ's Vans are, but like I think that's what they do is like, Oh, we're showcasing these like really fancy exclusive, you know, designer shoes. I don't know what shoes those are. Like I don't yeah like green high heels to me. Yeah. Just like, why did you guys waste so much money on this? You're not going to use any of it. Like it's just,
00:57:54
Speaker
anyway Yeah, wonderful insides. Those books love them to death. The new track. I am very happy that we all read the books when we did because we were able to get our hands on the indie versions for the first four. um And in the UK, they get the OG covers, but in like this horrific size. Like, why do you all need a book so big over there? um And you can order those on like Blackwell's and stuff. So if you still want The OG covers, um there's a way to get them. Just in the US, it's extremely hard. And what is that? Dutton? Dutton? Do better. Like, please do better. Because then you look at something, well, you know, I talk a lot of shit about Bloom. The Never Cover kind of eats. Like, now that is a book where the insides don't match these. We're talking about Never by Jessa Hastings, which is by far her worst book she's ever written. um And I will be seated for the second one. But yeah.
00:58:52
Speaker
The cover is gorgeous. The map on the inside is gorgeous. Probably one of Bloom's best covers they've done. The writing though, not so much. so Another trend that we're seeing a lot in romance books is like a cityscape cover and in various forms, right? Like you have the Windy City series where you're seeing different viewpoints of Chicago with like this like color overlay for each of them.
00:59:15
Speaker
And then you're thinking about like the new play with me series from Becca Mack, which are like illustrated versions. What do you guys think? Yeah, I love Liz's. Love them. um I just think if it's the vibe, I love that she does different colors. I love that they're all uniform. The books are originally going to be picked up by Berkeley. That is no longer happening. We don't know why. But they did come out and published the Illustrated covers that they were gonna do um And they were bad and I think they were using the same artists that does love light farms that series by became Orson I don't like I don't know if I like that a lot unless they have something like I don't like illustrated where there's no face, you know, so I really like yeah I really like the love light farms. Yeah, because there's something in front of them. Yeah, they're holding something that makes sense faces Yeah, that makes sense. But yeah in the case of the
01:00:13
Speaker
The Berkeley Liz ones that are obviously no longer happening did not like those at all. She has model covers and the cityscape ones if you want those.
Cover Tone vs. Book Content
01:00:22
Speaker
Her model ones are good except for, was it caught up or not? Caught up with like ugly glasses. Yeah. Yeah, it looked like they were photoshopped on. Yeah. I didn't love that one. But the quote unquote discreet ones, I think those are the ones that people get anyway. Yeah. Most people get anyway. I love those. I like the different like, yeah.
01:00:42
Speaker
color schemes behind each one. I just think it's so and interesting. Like the play along one for like example has lightning and you yeah kind of like figure out like what's the significance behind it. Like in the book, which again, you know, super fun. yeah So I love those ones. And the, I like the Becka Mac ones. i I think they're pretty, but like that's about it. I don't know. I'm not obsessed with them, but they're pretty. yeah i think they're stunning but then you open those books and they're the silliest things you've ever read sometimes derogatory sometimes complimentary but it doesn't fit i think back on mac if she had cartoon covers oh my god she would outsell everyone um but she already does pretty well but she also had male
01:01:24
Speaker
Yeah, her actually I'm thinking about it the male model covers look too serious too because it was like black and white and like, Oh yeah, the black zoomed in on their abs. So I remember I started considering me and I was like, Oh, this is going to be like, you know, something like maybe a little dark.
01:01:40
Speaker
And then it was just like, you meet Carter and you're like, oh, the opposite of opposite of dark. yeah um And yeah, that's actually something else that like really grinds my gears is when we do get like black covers for fun books, when I feel like black covers should only stay for like mafia, um dark romance, erotica, like that, it should stay over there. It's trending to like newer,
01:02:08
Speaker
like non, wait like silly, not silly. I need to stop saying that word, but like um for the lack of a better time silly romance, light hearted rom-coms. That's what I was looking for. For the rom-coms, I don't like it. um Some of my favorite original darker covers, Sierra Simone's OG pre-series. Amazing. Love them. And they have like men on them. and But they they they fit the book. You look at the center cover, and then you read center, and then you get why it's raining. And you're just like, fuck. And then Bloom had to write her a check. And we got these awful, hideous block text, black cover flowers.
01:02:53
Speaker
horrendous this is actually a series where I think you could have taken uh what is it a figure what's a religious icon something and then put it on the cover but brandy designed some stunning illustrated custom made covers for the pre-series by Sierra Simone that you can no longer get but I have so I feel very lucky and they're stunning and I think they do exactly what they need to do. Especially um I was literally looking at the one for um what's the third book called?
Admiration for Gothic and Creative Covers
01:03:28
Speaker
Saint Brandy that was like them sitting on the bed like it looks so good. Yes it looks so good. Going back to the Becca Mack ones those were submitted as good covers Liz and Becca Mack so.
01:03:40
Speaker
We got good covers. We agree. We also want to touch a little bit on some popular fantasy books. These were all submitted, the ones that I'm about to read out were all submitted as good covers. We had a couple bad ones. We'll maybe talk about those. But um some of the really good ones, um Bella Donna, I think that's an obvious one. I love the kind of vibe that it gives.
01:04:03
Speaker
the entire series like the kind of dark gothic fantasy i love that you can only see part of their face and like for fox glove i love that like you only see one eye on the cover and then on the spine you see the other side of her eye love that obsessed with it divine rivals specifically the uk version yeah those are good those ones are so good i Illustrated characters in motion, unique stances. Like you can tell like they're like on the edge or something, too, because like the anxiety in their faces like comes across. Kayla, do you like the U.S. versions of those covers or whatever? Yeah, I don't. It took me a while to get that. It was like whatever. Yeah. And the typewriter. Whatever. The River Enchanted. The this one is now the U.S. paperback, but it was also the original UK release version. Those ones, I think, are
01:04:56
Speaker
gorgeous that illustrated um cover. I really like um the one dark window ones those are submitted again the vibe that it gives the kind of dark gothic fantasy um and then it's another one where when you read it you kind of understand a little bit about what's going on especially two twisted crowns. Yeah I think um for me I have a lot less critique about fantasy covers typically. I feel like usually There usually is good. Yeah. And like usually there are moments from the book or like important objects from the book or things from the book that are highlighted on those covers way more than ah the romance books that we talked about today. That's not a rule. That's just an observation.
01:05:42
Speaker
Yeah, that's true, though. Yeah. Someone did submit the Throne of Glass OG covers as bad. I agree. Because I thought when I used to see those covers in Barnes and Noble, I thought she was like an alien. That was me who submitted that. the alien is as ugly Who is that like person?
01:05:59
Speaker
um yeah Yeah, just ugly. Some other ones that were submitted as good. A Dowry of Blood. I think that cover is so cool. Oh, yeah, I can picture that really well in my head. Yeah. but I get sad because the that one, the out of print cover was stunning and they changed it. Oh, the change? The new one. Yeah. The one that's the bust with the red streak over her eye. That's the new one. That's ah that's that's what I'm thinking of. That one's beautiful. The OG. I'll pull it up right now. And if you guys you should go Google it right now. But it's it was just really beautiful. It looks like a Gothic painting.
01:06:32
Speaker
Oh, that's cool. Yeah. Yeah. I've only ever seen the new one. Oh, that is really nice. Before. Yeah. I feel like I've seen it. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good one too. That's a good one too. Yeah. That kind Ava reads covers. I also think are really pretty looking like her I haven't read this book, but Lady Macbeth, I know that it's like a kind of a haunting retelling. That cover like scares me a little bit. Like, I think I don't know. I don't know if it's supposed to, but but I think that it's like a darker fantasy. And so it definitely like gives me that vibe. So yeah, a couple people submitted Adrian Young's books as well. I think that those ones are are good. They kind of fit the, again, the vibe, the kind of um like spells for forgetting, for example, kind of fits the like,
01:07:16
Speaker
I'm we're in a very misty kind of Twilighty vibe situation. Yeah. faroh I like that of the trees and you're kind of like in the North Carolina mountains. I like that one, too. Yeah. Hers are very like tech space. Yeah.
01:07:33
Speaker
Yeah, and her fable covers are good. Ooh, those ones are really good. Yeah, I think it's so pretty. The only fantasy cover that I can think right now that like I'm just like, it's not the best is um Serpent in the Wings of Night, like that series, Crowns of Nyaxia. Yeah. I don't think those are good. There's a lot happening. It's just odd. Yeah. i don't so ah Half the time, I don't know what I'm looking at.
Favorite and Least Favorite Covers Discussion
01:07:54
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Shall we share some of our favorite covers to close it out?
01:08:00
Speaker
Sure. Ones that haven't already been mentioned? or Yeah. like okay People submitted Carly Fortune. I think her covers are stunning, gorgeous. i think more Honestly, I think if Emily Henry shared the same cover designer as Carly Fortune, oh my God, like we could have gotten some stunning covers for Emily Henry's books. I love Carly's books. Lauren Asher, sort of I think the queen of like having discreet cover. She doesn't even do male model covers anymore. I think she stopped after final offer. Yeah, but her discreet have just always kind of killed it and she's really good at like taking that object and like making it
01:08:38
Speaker
something meaningful. Yeah. And I, and I like that there's like a uniform and you were talking about earlier, Kayla, the spines making a image, the new additions of dirty air. It'll make a race car map. Yeah. So cool. Yeah. Which I really, I really enjoy. Yeah.
01:08:56
Speaker
I was just looking on my shelf. An illustrated cover that I really like with characters is The No Show. I really like that it shows all the different people. Oh, that's one of my favorite covers. Yeah. So good. Especially, again, once you read the book, you know, you'll get. And like, I love that each character is a distinct, like they have a distinct style and they have a, I can, I can tell who each person is, you know? I just like made my tummy. Again, if you guys haven't read The No Show, it's.
01:09:25
Speaker
Oh, good. You need to read it. It's one of our favorites from a couple of years ago. Brandi, when you were because Brandi and I got to see the new Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh movie early. ah We live in time. Andrew Garfield with his glasses on, he could he could be Joseph Joseph, like in like his little British accent. And like I think I think if you are a that movie is not a romance, but like it's a love story. And I think if you want to see something and they're hot. So like go see it. It was very good.
01:09:56
Speaker
that's Yeah, that's a great cover. In terms of the Litfic world, I really love The Wedding People. I think that that one is really interesting. It like definitely like drew me in. and Actually, now that I think about it, that's probably one of the last books that I saw that I was like, oh, that cover's interesting. Let me see what this is about. So I really like that cover too.
01:10:13
Speaker
Yeah for me the original the bridge kingdom series they just got picked up so they're redoing them and I actually don't mind the newer covers too. Yeah I think those are pretty cool. Yeah they're republishing all of them through penguin somewhere. I don't remember yet. But the original ones I think are really interesting illustration style. They're not like it doesn't look like fan art but it's like very distinct it's it's really pretty. I think those are some of my favorite I think that artist is, I think her name is Dominique Wesson. No, that's not those ones that I'm not talking i'm not talking about. those Oh, wait. Oh, I know what you're talking about. Sorry. Well, there's the original covers. Then the Audible did all those audiobooks as Audible originals. So then Dominique Wesson designed all the audiobook covers and now they're republishing them with brand new third covers. Yeah. Yeah, I know. It's a lot. But I love the original paperback covers for those ones. Yeah.
01:11:10
Speaker
and I love the girl covers for the fallen men series. I think they're yeah sad those are really good We talked with Gianna about her process and she which she said she took weeks and weeks finding the perfect model for every cover and it shows Yeah, yeah, I really like I forget if we'd mentioned care about stones earlier It's but like I mean it works like it caught my attention and then we all read promise me sunshine and that's another one and even with ready or not we're like It's cute. And I think you're like, oh, like, you know, it's just the characters. And then you read the book and you're like, oh, fuck. Like, that's a really like great moment or thing from um from the book. I really like I'm going to sound like such a fan. I really like the slow dance cover because I think it's like an object. But I think that's the only cover that would do it justice if.
01:11:59
Speaker
like the corsage. I just think it's like perfect and like the way it's like kind of broken and like wilted a little bit. All of Katie Katakno's covers which I've already mentioned. I'm not like standing in front of my books so like I can't like look. Oh, I like Holly. I like the Cool Prince covers actually a lot. I think tone wise they fit really well. Yeah. There are so many great covers and the sea of bad ones. So yes.
01:12:24
Speaker
Well, this was amazing. We can yap about covers all day long. If we did not get it to a cover that you submitted or one that we just didn't talk about at all, feel free to hit us up on Instagram. This is probably honestly something we can do every year with all the new onslaught of covers. um Are there any upcoming
Listener Engagement and Future Episodes
01:12:41
Speaker
releases with covers that you think you will check out base solely on the cover. Let us know our Instagram is at bring your own pod. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, it would mean a lot to us if you could rate and review it five stars, tell your friends, maybe not your parents, ah but tell anyone you want to listen. And yeah, we will catch you guys on the next one. Yeah, who knows? Maybe we'll have a guest. I don't know.
01:13:04
Speaker
I think we will have a guest. An author guest perhaps? Who knows? Perhaps. And maybe one of our, at least one of my favorite authors of the year probably ever now. So period. Period. Bye. Bye.