We’ve all heard that age-old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but c’mon, admit it: you’ve sometimes picked up a book just because the cover looked interesting. Don’t worry, I’m not going to slap your hand, but let’s agree that sometimes the desire to read a book springs just as often from attractive, alluring, or attention-grabbing cover décor as it does from a rave review or an interesting title. We didn’t look at picture book since that is probably cheating, but ten books that have grab our attention because of nifty cover designs, pictures, or illustrations are:
1. Three Cups of Tea
by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver RelinThis book features three Muslim girls reading. Interesting? Yes.
2. T
he Giver
by Lois LowryIf you don’t know about this young-adult masterpiece, you can read our review, coming soon. This cover features the wise, wrinkled face of a man and makes you wonder as you look at it, “Who is the Giver?”
3. The Joy-Luck-Club
by Amy Tan:Here’s an example of a book without any real cover-picture that still looks interesting. I would definitely pick this one off the shelf.
4. Walk Two Moons
by Sharon CreechConsidered by some (this reviewer included) to be the best young-adult novel ever written, this cover features the silhouette of a girl looking toward a town in the mountains. Spellbinding. (Also, review coming soon).
5. Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur GoldenThis book made the list after one Blue Bookcase reader admitted that she read it only because the cover—a picture of a seductive-looking Chinese maid—enthralled her first.
6. The Girl with a Pearl Earring
by Tracy ChevalierThis book makes the Best-Cover-List by default. The book is based on the classic painting by Johannes Vermeer, which, let’s face it, would make us want to read a book about her anyway.
7. The Things They Carried
by Tim O’BrienYou can read our review about this book here, but doesn’t the cover art just make you want to read it already?
8. Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O’DellThis book makes the list simply because the cover is so iconic. I mean, who doesn’t think of the picture with a girl on a rock in the ocean when they hear this title?
9. Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson RawlsJust because it’s older doesn’t mean it can’t have a cool, redesigned new cover. This book is a classic as well as an eye-grabber with its overalled-boy-plus-dogs picture.
10. The Twilight Series
by Stephanie MeyersOkay, okay, I gave in and I’m posting it here—the Twilight books have cool covers. No, that doesn’t mean I’m going to give in and call them the best books written since Fill-in-a-Classicly-Sucessful-Series-Title-Here. No way. But they do have cool covers.
And hang onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen, because next week, Connie will be posting her Top 10 Favorite Books of All-Time.
