Saturday, December 6, 2014

Holiday Readathon Mini-Challenge and Giveaway: Book Covers

http://www.whorublog.com/2014/10/27/5th-annual-holiday-readathon-december-5-7-2014/#sthash.jNugxKyg.AbWc6t0i.dpbs

I'm so thrilled to be participating once again in the Holiday Readathon hosted by the adorable Liza at WhoRuBlog, an event that will run the entire weekend with all sorts of fun challenges, giveaways–and of course reading–and then culminating in a Twitter party on Sunday evening. You can find all the details (and sign up if you want!) about the readathon as well as the full list of blogs and authors hosting mini-challenges and giveaways on Liza's blog, so be sure and pop over to take a look.

While I'm not taking part in the readathon itself, I did want to participate in the event in some way, so today I have the pleasure of hosting a mini-challenge. This year has been a year of change for me, I completely overhauled my wedding stationery business in January and shifted my focus to book cover design exclusively, so in celebration of my new business direction this year I wanted my challenge to be all about gorgeous covers. Below are my top 5 covers for 2014 as well as my all-time favorite cover, complete with a little explanation of what I love so much about each of them.

My challenge to you all is to leave a comment with your favorite cover of 2014 or your all-time favorite cover, one that made you instantly add the book to your list before you even had a chance to read the synopsis :-)

At the bottom of this post you'll find a Rafflecopter form, one lucky winner will receive the book of their choice!


MY TOP 5 COVERS OF 2014



I simply couldn't be more in love with this cover. While a split screen of two cities is something that's been done before, the watercolor effect and the colors really set this cover apart for me and I knew the minute I saw it that I had to have it on my shelf.



Confession: I have a mild obsession with type. Okay, there's really nothing mild about it. I'm a typeface junkie so type-based covers always make me happy. The way the letters flow down the page and interact with the feathers is absolutely stunning to me (and surprisingly readable given how the words are broken up) and this list could never be complete without this cover on it.



The above confession applies to this cover as well. This hand-drawn type by Erin Fitzsimmons is amazing and makes me want to sign up for a typography class immediately. *wanders off to research classes*



As much as I'm a fan of type-driven designs, I'm an equally big fan of simplistic but powerful layouts. This cover screams The Wizard of Oz using very few design elements, and I love how the "i" in "die" doubles as a wound to poor Dorothy's chest. It's gritty, eye-catching, and immediately tells readers what they can expect from this story.



There was a time not too long ago when it seemed like every YA cover out there featured a girl in a beautiful dress regardless of whether or not the character appeared in anything like it in the book. What I like so much about this cover is that the dress actually fits the story, and isn't simply pretty for the sake of being pretty. I had to choose this one too as a nod to my previous life in the wedding industry :-)

ALL TIME FAVORITE COVER:



I can't even explain how much I love illustrated covers. There's just something about them that always draws me in, and this design blew me away the first time I saw it. I love the type and the way it creates movement in and around the turrets, and the color scheme to me is just striking. Then there's the illustration itself with the architecture, waves and storm clouds, all combining to make me one happy (and envious) design-lover!

• • • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs today to one winner is the book of their choice (up to $20)! This giveaway is international provided the Book Depository delivers to your country. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below, and don't forget to leave a comment with your favorite book cover to complete the mini-challenge!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

47 comments:

  1. The cover i love is The one by kiera cass

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  2. The cover for Shadow and Bone is amazing!

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  3. The cover for Obscura Burning by Suzanne van Rooyen is awesome .

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  4. I love the cover of THE ONE and i totally agree with you about the cover and the story :) lovely Post

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  5. Oh my goodness... I really cannot choose just one!! But my recent favourites have been The Winner's Curse (and Crime), This Broken Stars, Jackaby, Winterspell and of course all the covers of the Grisha series, I loooove illustrated covers too!
    I also must give an honorary mention to one of my fave covers that was one of yours Damsel Distressed, love love love that one!

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  6. Kiera Cass novels have such a pretty covers. Siege and Storm reminds me of Russian fairy tales.

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  7. I love the cover of The one by Kiera Cass but I also think the cover of A Thousand Pieces of You is very nice. Thanks for the giveaway! (Valentina -on the raffle)

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  8. If you had asked me last week, I would probably have said either one of Rainbow Rowell's more recent novels (I love how graphic they are) or one of Jandy Nelson's novels (especially the redesign of The Sky is Everywhere). Since then, however, I got the Bloomsbury boxed set of Harry Potter, and The Prisoner of Azkeban is SO PRETTY. It's this deep teal color that I love and it has gold foil stars all over the dust jacket and inside on the boards and it just makes my heart so happy. Plus, I am charmed by the artwork and love that there is a map of the Hogwarts grounds inside. The online pictures just cannot do it justice.

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  9. I really loved The Falconer, Kiss of Deception, The Winners curse, and of course anything with my girl Celaena Sardothien on it.
    ~Britt @kalebsmome

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  10. Tough call but I have A Thousand Pieces of You in my top covers list for this year too. ;)

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  11. A Thousand Pieces of You was definitely one I loved most this year. Also Splintered by A.G. Howard.

    Thank you so much for the wonderful giveaway Jenny!!

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  12. The One, beautiful!

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  13. Thanks for the giveaway! I love The One and Siege and Storm. ;)

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  14. A thousand pieces of you is my favorite, one of the many this year! Thank you for the giveaway!

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  15. My favorite book cover is Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I'm just drawn to things with galaxy prints so I find that cover so incredible!
    Thank you for the giveaway. :)

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  16. The One that is one beautiful cover.
    Thanks for the giveaway! c:

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  17. It all depends on my mood and today that is a pretty dress and The one..

    or wait.. these books are any book...?

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  18. My favorite cover of the year:
    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17305016-dreamer-s-pool
    from Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier. I LOVE this type of cover art, all the details, the colors, the scene, the girl, the hair, the dress, the forest. It's just magical :D just like the story itself. This is also my favorite book of the year.

    Thank you for the challenge and the giveaway!

    #12. jen7waters on the read-a-thon linky

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  19. Dreams of God's and Monsters; Sway; The Winner's Curse;

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  20. AAAhh! this question is so difficult! Can't a pick all of the ones I wanted to read, 'cause I have to admit that the first think I look for while searching for a good to read is the cover. And it has to be pretty or completely amazing hahaha
    Mmmm since I would go on saying books non-stop, I will say the last one I read that had a swoony cover: Suspicion by Alexandra Adornetto. Even the inside is pretty! And also I have to mention The Winner's Curse and the style of the pages in the hardcopy. Simply genius.

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  21. You know I'm a cover 'ho. Give me a pretty cover and I'll read the book. Doesn't mean I'll like it (LOVE all the covers you picked, only enjoyed Seige and Storm out of all those stories. *sigh*).

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  22. Can I choose more than one? I'm a sucker for gorgeous covers. Lately I've loved The Winner's Curse and Exquisite Captive!

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  23. My favorite cover of 2014 is The Winner's Curse though I also love A Thousand Pieces of You! There are so many fantastic covers for 2014 that's it hard to choose. I love your list--thanks for sharing!

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  24. I'm not sure about all time favorite cover - maybe Eragon - but my favorite cover of 2014 was Cruel Beauty. Ruin and Rising, Heir of Fire, Illusions of Fate, Jackaby.. etc, so many were also beautiful though!

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  25. I love the cover for Talon by Julie Kagawa. (the book is very good too! I'm listening to the audible and have just 2 hours left to go... Oh my!)

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  26. I like A Thousand Pieces of You :) Thanks for sharing!

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  27. I love the cover of Romulus Buckle and The City of the Founders by Richard Ellis Preston, Jr., it's fabulous.

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  28. I read the question, my mind blanked and then...it came to me. Of course!

    The US cover of The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell (out '15) is gorgeous. It's one of the prettiest covers I've ever seen. I've already read and loved the book, and now I can't wait to own a copy.

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  29. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge was my favorite!!

    thank you :)

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  30. Yes, Dorothy Must Die and A Thousand Pieces of You have some of the most gorgeous covers! So much cover love >.<

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  31. Rosamund Hodge's books have the most beautiful covers and so do Sarah J. Maas's books.

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  32. I really love the cover of A Thousand Pieces of You and The One. I am such a sucker (still!) for a girl in a fancy dress. Thanks for the great giveaway.

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  33. I love the cover of Promise of Shadows because of the beautiful typography. I <3 typography <3333

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  34. The One is my favorite book cover! The dress is gorgeous, it's such a beautiful cover!

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  35. I think my top favorite cover for 2014 is The Falconer by Elizabeth May. I just LOVE the contrast of the flaming orange hair and the blue and teal together!

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  36. My favorite cover for 2014 is a from a book that I just finished for the readathon - A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall.

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  37. Compulsion and Open Road Summer and The Sea of Tranquility

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  38. Ack, a lot! The Winner's Curse, and Winterspell, to name a few :)

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  39. Cruel Beauty. I love the cover of the rose and the staircase.

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  40. Hmm. I actually cannot narrow it down to just one. So I will name a few fave's of the year, if that is okay! Unhinged , A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey, Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff, Dream Boy by Madelyn Rosenberg, and I will stop with The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman!

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  41. I couldn't agree more with your choices! My favorite cover is A Thousand Pieces of You, and I was so happy to scroll down and see it top of your list! :-)

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  42. I love The Promise Of Shadows. Looks amazing.

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