Hello again! It’s Tuesday, and of course that means it’s time for a Top 5 post. Top 5 Tuesdays and their topics are brought to you by Shanah @ the Bionic Bookworm. Check out her blog, she’s awesome, and this page for the list of topics for September!
This topic is so hard! I always struggle with choosing when there are so many options. And in my opinion, there have been so many great covers this year! I also don’t necessarily want to stick to just books I’ve read, in this case, since I’ve read a lot of stuff this year that wasn’t published in 2019. I’ve decided to go about this the methodical route: my favorite covers for fiction, nonfiction, picture book, middle-grade, and graphic novel.
So, let’s take a look!
1) Fiction
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, Published May 7th, 2019
I picked this one because it appeals to my minimalist/graphic sensibilities. I love the bright color with the matte colors, the almost color-filled look of the image. I also love the font, how it fits just right over the image of the woman, and also the handwritten feel of it, too. It’s just a pretty smashing cover. Plus, I love the little airplane details. It fits the book perfectly.
2. Nonfiction
The Trial of Lizzie Borden: A True Story by Cara Robertson, Published March 12, 2019
I guess I have a thing for ladies in hats? I picked this book because I absolutely love this color play of blues and blacks. It’s so…elegant! I love how this deep blue color contrasts with the pale color of the woman’s cheek and neck. I also like that her face is mostly obscured (because you all know I have a thing about faces on covers – which I know I contradict myself about down below for my YA fiction choice…). I’m also a sucker for the delicate borders used at the top and bottom. It also makes the book look super elegant. The composition is, again, on point! Just beautiful. I’d be interested in this book, too, since Lizzie Borden is such an interesting case.
3. Picture Book
Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley, Published January 15th, 2019
I desperately wanted to include a picture book in this list because picture books, on the whole, have some of the best covers I see year in, year out. I’m a children’s librarian, so I see a lot of them, and I was itching to put one on here. I chose this book because it’s so, so cute! I love the pastel colors, the use of pattern to highlight the dress of the people on the page, and I love the composition, itself, withe Mary right in the middle, framed by two groups of (mostly) disapproving people. The book is about a young girl (Mary Edwards Walker, actually! This is a depiction of her childhood!) who wants to wear pants at a time when women were NOT supposed to. It’s about being yourself, no matter what, and it’s such a good book! Check it out!
4. Middle-Grade Fiction
The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman, Published February 5th, 2019
This is a book I have not read yet, but I absolutely love this cover. Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that I love arches? Either doorway arches or bridge arches, or just a plain old Arch (hello, St. Louis!), I just really dig that shape. I also love the gorgeous colors happening here. Sunsets are amazing and I love how this book is capturing that. It’s also so nicely composed! I love how the image is divided into these different parts, with the kids way up top and the sun behind them, then the bridge right under, and then the words right in the middle where you want them. It’s a book about a group of orphaned kids living on the streets in Chennai, India. It’s a found-family type story. I’d love to read it sometime soon!
5. Young Adult
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee, Published August 13th, 2019
I’ve already expounded on my love for this cover in my review, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity to bring it up again. This cover is BEAUTIFUL. Period. End of sentence. I love the colors, I love the portrait image of this woman, I love her fancy at. I just love everything about it. Check out my review for a more detailed reason of why I love this cover.
Thoughts & Thanks!
What do you think of my selections? Did any of your favorites make it on this list? Thank you for reading this post. Let’s chat in the comments! And, as always, happy reading!
The Knitpick 
Okay, that Stacey Lee book is dang gorgeous! Agree 100%. I love the soft blue and pink color combination.. ah! Also, middle grade books have some of the best covers, don’t they? I love how painterly and colorful they tend to be! Also I would die for that picture book. It reminds me of paper doll cutouts, and the way the yellow stands out from the pinks and blues is just epic.
I really want to do this post now!
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Thank you! Yes, I love the soft blue and pick on Downstairs Girl. The color combinations are one of the things that really drew me to it. It just looks like such a beautifully inspired image. And I agree about middle grade books. They tend to be much more artful, I think to draw the eyes of children, since that’s who they’re targeting. I feel like they’re less…avant garde? They’re much more bright and playful, which are things that really appeal to me. And I agree with you about the paper doll cutout look of Mary Wears What She Wants! It does remind me of that, now that you mention it. It’s such a great book. If they have it at a library near you, I highly recommend checking it out. It’s fantastic and the woman who inspired it is amazing, herself. Definitely Google her!
I totally recommend this post. Shanah, who hosts it, is fabulous and all her topics are really fun to think about and do. Thanks for reading!
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I need to read the Lizzie Borden one! Sounds so intriguing.
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The Bridge Home is so cute!!!
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