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November 12: Top Ten Covers I Wish I Could Redesign
1. Anne of Green Gables; L.M. Montgomery. This book is clearly a redesign itself–but it’s so terrible, you really wonder what they were thinking. That is so clearly not Anne on the cover, it’s not even funny.
2. Back in Black; Lori Foster. So reading romance novels is a guilty pleasure–these are cotton candy books, sweet with little substance. But do the covers have to be so embarrassing? I’m also weirded out by the cut off/blacked out head trend. I know it allows the imagination to view the main character, but it looks odd.
3. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath. Another odd redesign. Sometimes they look fresh and new, and sometimes you just can’t understand the thinking process behind them. I’ve seen so many covers that worked better–a little out of focus, a little sad, a little creepy. This looks far too shallow and colorful for the book.
4. Holes; Louis Sachar. I like this book, but I have no idea what’ going on with the guy in front. Is that Stanley? If so, what happened to him? The moonscape-like holes work for me, but the rest is too distracting.
5. Jane Eyre; Charlotte Bronte. This just doesn’t look like my mental image of Jane at all. And I don’t find it pretty, either.
6. Lord of the Flies; William Golding. Ok, eww… How does this reflect the story, really? I mean, yes, I can get where they’re coming from, but this just isn’t right.
7. Magic to the Bone; Devon Monk. This is another basic ‘why did you do that’ category. Female models in odd poses. Why are we getting a good look at the heroine’s butt? Why? I’m not sure this is an impossible pose, but it doesn’t look comfortable.
8. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; Seth Grahame-Smith. Is this a zombie Elizabeth Bennett? Why? Why is she so oddly perfect in some places and so decayed in others, with only a small splash of blood. Why the red eyes?
9. Resenting the Hero; Moira Moore. One, this is not an accurate representation of the characters. Two, there’s something odd about some of those body poses.
10. Tempest Rising; Nicole Peeler. It’s like some odd, mishmash tattoo cover–some elements make sense, some less so.
caitlinsternwrites 
I completely agree with you with romance covers. I always buy them on my kindle instead so then I don’t have to try and hide the cover from the world when I’m reading it! It does get kind of embarrassing when you are reading a totally innocent romance but the cover makes it look like you are reading erotica! Great list 🙂
Argh, romance covers? Why? And then people ask you ‘what *are* you reading?’ in a judgmental tone.
Sigh.
I read mine at home, where no one will judge but my cats. They think ‘why are you reading? Pet me!’
I really want to read “Holes”. I loved the movie. Covers say a lot about a book. Nice list this week. kelley—the road goes ever ever on
The movie is pretty true to the book, so if you enjoyed one, you ought to like the other! 🙂
I really don’t like that cover for The Bell Jar! Great picks 🙂
Is it an odd stylistic choice, isn’t it?
That cover of Anne of Green Gables just makes me angry. In what universe could that be Anne?!
A color blind one.
I love your comment about the embarrassing romance covers – that is one of my favorite perks about e-readers ha ha. I also have never paid close enough attention to Magic to the Bone to notice the butt shot – that’s hilarious! A couple of the others I can’t even believe are actual covers… the marketing team must really not care whether they sell or not.
I found it on a list of a male author posing like ladies on cover art:
http://www.jimchines.com/2012/01/striking-a-pose/
Pretty funny stuff.
It is scary how bad some of these covers are! The classic’s are all normally lacking but I don’t think there is much we can do about that… Never mess with the classics right?
Thanks for stopping by my TTT 🙂
A good leather hardback still appeals to me–even if it isn’t very interesting, visually. 🙂
You’ve picked some really ‘interesting’ covers. I totally agree with your thoughts on all of them. And I’ve got to admit you’re comments about the P&P&Zombies pretty much summed up my own thoughts when I saw it in a bookstore.
Have you read it? Someone bought it for me, so I did. It’s not what I was expecting–something like 90% original text, the rest has zombies wedged awkwardly in.
I too got it as a gift. Yeah, I think that about sums it up. It really didn’t work for me at all