A friend tagged me on Facebook recently to do the ‘book cover challenge’ (seven days, seven book covers that you love or that mean something to you). I took her up on it, and in the process re-discovered some old favourites I’d almost forgotten about. I quite often choose books based on the cover, so several of these helped me discover new authors. Here’s five of the best, in no particular order:
A Very Persistent Illusion, L C Tyler
A quirky illustration for a quirky book. I particularly like the play on reality – is this a ‘real’ car driving into a posterised backdrop, or is the car part of the illustration too? Given that the book is all about the fine line between illusion and madness, it’s an appropriate image.
Across the Nightingale Floor, Lian Hearn
I discovered all three of Hearn’s heart-tugging Japanese YA novels from the cover of this book. I love the rich colours, the beauty, and the ethereal quality, as well as the more obvious nod to the historical Japanese setting.
The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice
Another cover that introduced me to not just an author but a whole new world. I was very taken with this imagining of Lestat – and read the book first, before Interview With a Vampire. It’s still one of my favourites.
Queens Play, Dorothy Dunnett
This is the second book (of six) in the Lymond saga and quite possibly my favourite. There have been many different editions over the years but I particularly like this series of illustrations which seem to capture the richness and romance of the books whilst staying true to the sixteenth-century setting.
The House on the Strand, Daphne du Maurier
This is quite possibly my favourite book of all time, so I had to include it here. Sadly, the version I own has a different, rather wishy-washy cover involving a woman in a white nightie! But I came across this one whilst looking for pictures for the Facebook challenge, and fell in love with the colours and the sheer drama, which suit the tone of the book much better.
FIONA GLASS 