Gorgeous Covers

Whilst you're never supposed to judge a book by its cover, I have a terrible tendency to do so, so whenever particularly gorgeous cover art comes along I'm even more eager to get a book into my hands.

Over the last few days there have been a slew of beautiful cover releases, to whet our appetites for when the books eventually grace our shelves later in the year.

First up is the second illustrated Harry Potter, due out on October 4th. I loved the illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and I think that Chamber of Secrets will more than keep up with the high standard its predecessor set. I can't wait to see more of Jim Kay's illustrations bringing Harry's world to life in this new and beautiful way. Apart from the spiders. I hate the spiders.

Next up, Laini Taylor's forthcoming novel "Strange the Dreamer" which, let's face it, is going to be gorgeous. Which makes the release of this stunning cover all the more exciting. Laini has a way of bringing stories to life, and twisting prose into its most stunning forms. I adored her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, and the short story in 'My True Love Gave to Me', and I cannot wait to read her next full novel due out this September. It's going to be beautiful.

And finally we have a cover reveal for Deanna Raybourn's next Veronica Speedwell mystery "A Perilous Undertaking", and a cover redesign for the series.

Cover redesign's tend to vex me, because they inevitably mean that series don't match and I end up with multiple copies of the same book on my shelf in an effort to make my covers match up properly. Not actually that terrible, but that involves waiting until the second book is out in paperback to match the first book only being released in paperback... Such are the trials of a book lover. 
Regardless, I'm so excited about the covers, they're gorgeous and a lot closer to the UK cover that was released originally for the first book.

So there you have some of my favourite cover releases from the last few days, and a few more books that I cannot wait to get on my shelves when they're released later in the year!

Now talk to me! How do you feel about cover redesigns mid series? Particularly when they end up being such beautiful new covers! 

Cover Reveal: Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

So everyone who has ever met me knows that I adore Sarah Rees Brennan and absolutely love her books. They are genius I tell you! Funny, heart breaking, soul destroyingly good.

Which means that I get crazily excited whenever she has a new book coming out, before I even know anything about it, and the craziness levels go through the roof as soon as information starts trickling through...

And today people we have information. Glorious information in the form of an article from Entertainment Weekly (fancy!) gifting us with a cover reveal and excerpt from Sarah's upcoming novel 'Tell The Wind and Fire'.
CUE THE EXCITED POM POMS.

It's quite a different cover from the ones previously seen on Sarah's books, more the style of the 'Team Human' cover (Sarah's collaborative novel with Justine Larbalestier) than any of Sarah's individual works.
It's dark, it's edgy, and it has whipped my excitement into a fever pitch.

Check out the article at EW (link above) to see the cover in all its glory, and to read the excerpt (which is absolutely brilliant). And let me know what you think of the cover in the comments below. Me personally, I cannot wait for next spring, and to get a copy of this into my little grabby hands.

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
Expected Publication: April 5th 2016
Tell the Wind & Fire is about a young girl called Lucie who lives in a New York very different from the New York we know: the city is torn between two very different kinds of magic, and Lucie’s own family was torn apart years ago by that conflict. Lucie wears magic rings and carries a burden of guilt she can’t share with anyone.
The light in her life is her sweetheart boyfriend Ethan, but it turns out Ethan has a secret too: a soulless doppelganger created by dark magic, who has to conceal the face identical to Ethan’s with a hood fastened by a collar nobody but a Light magician with magical rings can take off… and who introduces himself to both of them by, for reasons nobody can understand, saving Ethan’s life…

Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR pile

Top ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & The Bookish
So after a rather massive reading slump I am finally back to usual reading habits and that means an ever growing TBR pile (luckily being stuck in France has its perks as it means it's a virtual pile on my kindle instead of a teetering pile threatening to fall on me in the middle of the night...)
However there are so many awesome books out this spring that I cannot wait to get my hands on that I'm not really complaining! So without further ado, in no particular order here are the top ten books on my to be read pile this spring!

1) A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J Maas
(Release Date: May 5th)

Feyre is a huntress. She thinks nothing of slaughtering a wolf to capture its prey. But, like all mortals, she fears what lingers mercilessly beyond the forest. And she will learn that taking the life of a magical creature comes at a high price.
Imprisoned in an enchanted court in her enemy’s kingdom, Feyre is free to roam but forbidden escape. Her captor’s body bears the scars of fighting, and his face is always masked – but his piercing stare draws her ever closer. As Feyre’s feelings for Tamlin begin to burn through every warning she’s been told about his kind, an ancient, wicked shadow grows. Feyre must find a way to break a spell, or lose her heart forever.

I absolutely adore the Throne of Glass series by Maas, and my love of those books has basically guaranteed that anthing she writes is now on my TBR pile, without even looking at the blurb. However I have heard nothing but good things about this book and it's proving increasingly difficult to wait to start reading it...

2) The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey
(Release Date: April 28th)
Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act. Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants... and how to take it. But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

This one just intrigues me. I came across it on Netgalley and the blurb really caught my eye. I don't really know anything else about it, just that it looks fantastic and I hope it lives up to expectations!

3) The Shattered Court by M. J. Scott 
(Release Date: April 28th)
The royal witches of Anglion have bowed to tradition for centuries. If a woman of royal blood manifests powers, she is immediately bound by rites of marriage. She will serve her lord by practicing the tamer magics of the earth—ensuring good harvests and predicting the weather. Any magic more dangerous is forbidden.
Lady Sophia Kendall, thirty-second in line to the throne, is only days away from finding out if she will be blessed—or perhaps cursed—with magic. When a vicious attack by Anglion’s ancient enemies leaves the kingdom in chaos, Sophia is forced to flee the court. Her protector by happenstance is Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, a member of the royal guard, raised all his life to be fiercely loyal to the Crown.
Then Sophia’s powers manifest stronger than she ever imagined they would, and Cameron and she are inextricably linked in the process. As a witch unbound by marriage rites, Sophia is not only a threat to the established order of her country, but is also a weapon for those who seek to destroy it. Faced with old secrets and new truths, she must decide if she will fight for her country or succumb to the delicious temptation of power.

This is another one that crept up on me. Found through Netgalley and the blurb and cover caught my eye, I was thrilled to get an early copy for review. Anything magical at the moment is right up my street, so this blurb has me thoroughly curious and intrigued.

4) The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows 
(Release Date: March 10th)

When Princess Wilhelmina was a child, the Indigo Kingdom invaded her homeland. Ten years later, Wil and the other noble children who escaped are ready to fight back and reclaim Wil's throne. To do so, Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate the Indigo Kingdom palace with hopes of gathering information that will help them succeed.
But Wil has a secret—one that could change everything. Although magic has been illegal for a century, she knows her ability could help her save her kingdom. But magic creates wraith, and the deadly stuff is moving closer and destroying the land. And if the vigilante Black Knife catches her using magic, she may disappear like all the others.

Jodi Meadows is not an author I've tried before, but a combination of a fab cover and blurb and some truly wonderful reviews of this book mean that it has quickly edged into my top ten. Already released, I just have to wade through my other urgent reads and then I can sink in and devour it.

5) Illusionarium by Heather Dixon 
(Release Date: May 19th)
From the author of Entwined, a brilliantly conceived adventure through an alternate London. This sweeping, cinematic tale of an apprentice scientist desperate to save his family—and his world—is The Night Circus meets Pixar.
Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that is breathtaking and wholly original.

I adored Heather Dixon's take on the tale of the twelve dancing princesses in her debut novel 'Entwined' and I have been waiting desperately since then to any new releases from her. And now, finally, the wait is almost over. I didn't even need to read the blurb to know I had to have this, but now I have seen what little information they've released to us, I am even more impatient.

6) A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin 
(Release Date: May 19th)
It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don't fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war.
After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their heart.

Spies? Intriguing boarding school that isn't what it seems? Regency England? Colour me intrigued. Very intrigued. This one has a bit of so many things that I love that I'm hesitant to read it in case it doens't live up to my quite high expectations. But if I did that with every book I had high expectations for I'd never read at all. So instead I'm going to continue to get very excited and keep everything crossed it lives up to my hopes!

7) Lion Heart by A. C. Gaughen 

(Release Date: May 19th)
Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

The conclusion to Scarlet's story is finally nearly here, and what a ride it has been. Heart wrenching, beautiful and with Gaughen's stunning prose driving us all the way through. Scarlet is a fantastic heroine, one that will always have a place in my heart. Her's is a story I will come back to again and again. So it is a bittersweet excitement to find out how her story ends, both wanting to know and never wanting it to end.

8) Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStefano 
(Release Date: March 12th)

After escaping the city of Internment, Morgan and her fellow fugitives land on the ground to finally learn about the world beneath their floating island home. The ground is a strange place where water falls from the sky as snow, and people watch moving pictures and visit speakeasies. A place where families can have as many children as they want, bury their dead in vast gardens of bodies, and where Internment is the feature of an amusement park. It is also a land at war. Everyone who fled Internment had their own reasons to escape their corrupt haven, but now they’re caught under the watchful eye of another ruler who wants to dominate his world. They may have made it to the ground, but have they dragged Internment with them?

Perfect Ruin, the first book in the series was incredible. It showed that DeStefano was a force to be reckoned with and far more than just her fantastic debut series 'The Chemical Garden' trilogy. I still haven't yet articulated into a review how much I loved the first book, but I'm hoping the second book will help me put into words that are slightly more eloquent than READ IT READ IT NOW IT IS SO GOOD.

9) Prudence by Gail Garriger
(Release Date: March 19th)

When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances - names it the Spotted Crumpet and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea.But India has more than just tea on offer. Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone's secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?

I adore Gail Carriger's books. They are just the perfect blend of brilliant wit, fantastic plots and wonderful characters. Her debut series 'The Parasol Protectorate' was my first foray into Steampunk and remains my favourite steampunk series to this day. And now we get a whole new series devoted to her daughter - nothing will keep me away!

10) Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman 
(Release Date: March 10th)
The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways. 
As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

This book has been a long time coming and an exercise in patience. Seraphina was one of my favourite books of 2012, and also ranks in my favourite books of all time. It was just that good. And it set up such a wonderful series that I couldn't wait to find out where Hartman took Seraphina next. But we had to wait. And wait. And wait some more. And now finally, I almost cannot believe it is here. In fact until the book actually arrives and I have it in my hands I probably won't beleive it. But it is here. And I cannot wait.

So there are my top ten books I cannot wait to read this spring. Do you agree? Or are there others I've missed you think I need to know about? Tell me in the comments below!

Pandemonium UK Cover Reveal

You guys I am so unbelievably excited about this cover!


I really wasn't all that fussed on the cover for Delirium, yes ok pretty, but not enough to make me sit and stroke it for hours. I am a terrible, terrible person when it comes to pretty covers. They seduce me and make me want to build a little nest and tell them all how beautiful they are.
Don't believe me? Well maybe about the nest part, sure, but check out my post about the prettiest covers of 2011.


And 2012 is shaping up to pretty coverlicious year too - just look at the pretties!


Pandemonium is released on 1st March in the UK. Go press that pre-order button!

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, 

pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 

pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, 

push, 

push, 

push, 

like Raven taught me to do.

The old life is dead.

But the old Lena is dead too.

I buried her.

I left her beyond a fence,

behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

City Of Lost Souls Cover Reveal

It's finally here! The cover we've been impatiently waiting for!


It was officially revealed today on the USA Today Online Book Blog the new cover for the next in the Mortal Instruments series: The City of Lost Souls


Feast your eyes on it, for it is truly gorgeous, as all of Cassie's covers have been in both series so far. It seems each one is better than the one before, which means that I cannot wait until 'Clockwork Princess' cover is revealed.


City of Lost Souls is released on 8th May 2012.


In the mean time go and check out Cassie's site for more teasers and titbits to tide us over until the release.


http://cassie-claire.com/cms/home


http://cassandraclare.tumblr.com/ (plus the prologue is now available for City of Lost Souls here!)

11 Favourite Covers of 2011

2011 has been a year of really beautiful covers, whoever has been designing them, I take my hat off to you; they’ve been fab! So below I’ve picked out eleven of my favourites, listed in no-particular order, complete with pictures to ooh and ahh over!

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Simple yet elegant, the figure running away with all the greenery and the pretty dress, combine that with the title and it’s a cover that immediately caught my interest. I always find it fascinating what works and what doesn’t, and for me often hiding as much as is revealed is a great way to peak my curiosity. In this case the girl running away (what from? Who is she?) Immediately sparked. Pair that with the title and the blurb and I was sold. Add to that the setting that is revealed, the gardens and a castle and I was offered an immediate insight into the book I’d be getting.

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

In my review I talk about how the UK cover differs from the US cover, and how that completely changed my perception of the book. The US cover was very dark and gothic and not overly appealing, yet everything about this cover makes me want to read it. The fire, the southern belle/Victorian garb, the dashing, and most likely dead young man and the pretty lady, and let’s not forget the zombies shambling about in the background… All a recipe to make me squeal and want to start reading it straight away.

The End Specialist by Drew Magary

This cover was so eye catching it was the reason I kept going back to the book until I bought it. It’s such a simple picture, incredibly clever and effectively sums up the entire book in one simple drawing. Death has been defeated – let’s see how much havoc we can wreak with eternity…

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Whoever designed the cover for the hardback of this book should have a medal for the sheer amount of thought and care that obviously went into its creation. Not only is it a beautiful hardback book in red with a clock embossed on the front and bowler hats inside, but the dust jacket is equally beautiful with the circus and the two main players depicted in black and white. The book has a red tie to mark your page, and exquisite depictions of the night sky throughout, and the pages are edged in black. The whole thing is gorgeous to behold and makes the magic of reading the book even more tangible.

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

This cover is just so beautiful. Raised textured surface to give you the stars, and the simple scene depicted that tells you so much and yet nothing at all. The two figures on the edge of a cliff, highlighted in the beam of the cars headlights. It just caught me so utterly. Whilst it gives an impression on the screen, actually holding the book reveals so much more of the beauty and detail in the cover. Whilst I wasn’t so fussed on the book itself, this cover will remain one of those lodged in my head for its beauty for a long time to come.

Wither by Lauren deStefano

I got so over excited when I first saw this. The slightly quirky writing, the intriguing girl with the bird in the cage, and then the circles and lines immediately guiding us to the things we needed to focus on. The girl, the wedding ring on her hand, and the bird trapped in the cage. It was a very different and refreshing change for a cover, and I loved the highlights that drew the eye and simultaneously told you quite a bit about the book without even looking at the blurb. Covers are meant to tell you about the story, they should be the first key point of contact that alerts you to what you might find in the pages, and sometimes they aren’t as clear or as well done, but this is a case in point of a brilliantly well done cover that tells me everything I need to know that this is a book I want to read.

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

All of the Wicked Lovely book covers have been gorgeous, but there is something about this final book in the series that just makes my mouth water. Very similar to the first book with the frosted flowers, the combination of colour and ice and frost make this a truly decadent cover. It makes me shiver and want to stroke it every time I see it – which either shows I’m going insane or that they really got this cover spot on. Or possibly both.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

All of Cassie Clare’s covers are gorgeous. Stroke of genius, complete and utter genius. And it’s got Jem on the front, and I’m a sucker for Jem. Elegant and refined, with such an attention to detail that is slightly mind boggling.
I just love the whole feel and tone of the cover. Whilst Clockwork Angel was darker, this has an aura of grey and silver, perfectly complimenting the image of Jem. And it doesn’t hurt that Jem is particularly yummy…

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Again, similar to my reaction to ‘entwined’, this cover offers us a girl running away, only it gives us more of the girl and less of anything else. Whilst we had a better sense of place with the first one, ‘The Vespertine’ focuses almost entirely on the girl. There’s just something about it that really got me, and put it immediately onto my wishlist.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I really wasn’t all that fussed on the hardback cover, it was very muted, very quiet and not as eye catching as the paperback. The stark contrast of the red and black with the gorgeous silhouette of the horse make this into a cover you won’t easily forget.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marrion

I’m a very tactile person. Hugs, soft cushions, raised bits on book covers, I’m there. And with this the blood vessels being raised and lumpy was morbidly fascinating, and left me a little bit queasy. It’s such a simple design, white with the vessels, and yet it is so utterly effective. Sometimes simplicity is key, and in this case it was more than enough to have me pick up the book and fall in love for the first time ever, with a zombie.

Was your favourite not included? What were your favourite covers of 2011?