Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week’s theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!
This week’s theme is a cover freebie! When it comes to covers I’m not usually drawn to covers that have people on them, I’d much rather imagine what the characters look like for myself, but there are a few book covers with faces as the centre of focus that I really like, so today I thought I’d share them with you.
Interestingly, almost all of these faces are illustrations–I’m still not fond of photographic covers…
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson: Not only is this cover one of my favourite colours (more yellow covers, please!) but that illustration is so eye-catching and beautiful and I can’t wait to read this one.
You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno: Sadly the UK edition isn’t as pretty as this US edition, but I’m still very interested in checking this novel out after reading Acqua’s review.
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron: This cover is *chef’s kiss*. I adore the illustration.
Wilder Girls by Rory Power: I still haven’t read this horror novel, but I think we can all agree that this was the most stunning cover of 2019.
A Book of Secrets by Kate Morrison: Not only is this novel set in the Tudor era, my favourite historical era, but the cover illustration is beautiful; I particularly love that, up close, her earrings are actually tiny skulls.
With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo: This cover is gorgeous. There’s literally nothing about it I don’t like.
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor: Sadly I didn’t like this Middle Grade novel very much, but the cover is stunning.
My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland: This cover, like the book, is so much fun!
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson: I’m not usually a fan of photographs on covers, but something about this particular shot really works–it’s quite haunting.
The Tempest by William Shakespeare: I’ve never read or seen The Tempest, but I love this cover–particularly how Prospero’s beard becomes the sea.
Jessticulates 
Love that we have similar thoughts on covers this week haha 🙂 All of these covers are indeed pretty gorgeous!
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I’ve actually not heard of most of these books but those covers for You Must Not Miss, Book Of Secrets and My Life As A White Trash Zombie make me want to read them without knowing anything else about them 😄
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With the exception of the Tempest, these are all rather badass! I do love The Tempest’s cover, I love how it’s made up from the lines.
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Yes the Pelican Shakespeares all have really lovely covers! 🙂
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Hi Jess! Nice one. I immediately thought of The Girl with the pearl earing when I saw your topic. That one doesn’t suck either.
Cinderella is dead has a super cool, mean girl cover. Love it.
I did my TTT on Elza who believes the world revolves around her. (10 books with white cats on the cover)
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Thanks! Ooh yes, Girl with a Pearl Earring has a lovely cover. 🙂
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Oooh, I have My Life as a White Trash Zombie on my shelf, but I haven’t read it yet. The cover is definitely what caught my eye. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it! And I agree, With the Fire on High is perfect! ❤
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It’s such a fun urban fantasy, and a perfect read for the spooky season! 😀
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I love the White Trash Zombie books – I need to get caught up soon! 🙂
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Me too!
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I don’t love people on covers either, but Wilder Girls is very eye-catching. I need to read that book for sure.
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It’s one I still need to cross off my TBR, too!
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I love this topic! There’s actually a lot of faces on covers I really like, they get too much hate. Cinderella is Dead is a particular fave.
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Thanks Louise! The Cinderella is Dead cover is so gorgeous.
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I think I like illustrated people on covers better than real people, too. No idea why though…
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I think it’s so much easier for an illustrated person to blend in with an illustrated background, whereas some photographs look like they’ve been plonked on the front in MS Paint.
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Totally agree…you need an excellent graphic designer to blend those two mediums.
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You’re right! Sometimes faces on covers are not bad! I love the cover for Wilder Girls and With the fire on High!
My post!
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Yes, they’re two of my favourites!
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Wilder Girls was such a good read.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
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I really need to cross it off my TBR!
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Great topi choice–I’m usually not a fan of people on covers, but I agree sometimes they are done well! Wilder Girls is one I’ve really liked, and You Must Not Miss and A Book of Secrets are both really striking as well. I’ve also never heard of A Book of Secrets and it sounds amazing, I think I’ll have to check it out! I love the one for The Tempest also!
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Thanks! Most of these are still on my TBR, but A Book of Secrets is one I’d like to try and get to soon because it sounds so good. 😀
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I think I’m the odd man out. I love people on covers. I like real people more than illustrated, too. I do appreciate the illustrated ones and think you picked some winners, though.
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That’s so interesting! The book community would be so boring if we all liked exactly the same things.
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A lot of people are featuring illustrated covers on today’s Top Ten Tuesday! I love all the ones you shared.
Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday!
Happy Reading! 🙂
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Us bookworms definitely seem to love illustrated covers!
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I have no idea what You Must Not Miss is about, but every time I see the cover, I stop to stare at it.
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It’s so gorgeous!
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I agree! I usually don’t like when books have faces on the cover either, but there is something about illustrated people on covers that isn’t nearly as bad as photographic ones.
Plus, I think publishers are putting more effort in designing stunning illustrated covers so the other details alongside the “faces” are gorgeous too!
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So true, it does feel like publishers are putting so much more effort into their covers these days.
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I love illustrated faces as well. This is such a good idea for the theme! And I still can’t look away from Wilder Girls😁
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Thanks Tammy! 🙂 Yeeees the cover of Wilder Girls is so good.
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I definitely much prefer illustrations to photographic covers as well.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/15/top-ten-tuesday-281/
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I have a feeling it’s a fairly common preference amongst us bookworms!
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It certainly does seem to be!
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I agree. All of these covers are good ones. Thanks for stopping by earlier.
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Yeah, they’re great!
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Ooh, that is a really striking cover on Book of Secrets!
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It really holds your attention, doesn’t it?
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Great list! I also love the cover of Grown (such a striking image, from the color to the expression) and With the Fire on High (it just bring so much joy) a lot, and agree about Wilder Girls being the best cover from 2019. So beautiful, so eerie – I think it’s perfect for the book even though I had mixed feelings about it.
And I hope you like You Must Not Miss, it was remarkably strange for YA. (And thank you for linking my post!)
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No problem! Yes, Grown is one of my favourite covers of 2020. ❤ I need to try and get to Wilder Girls this spooky season!
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Omg, I’ve never seen that cover for The Tempest but I love how it’s illustrated! All of these covers are so gorgeous. I’m definitely more of a fan of illustrated face covers versus photographic covers, but it does also depend how the photograph is done. Fab list! That cover for You Must Not Miss is really 😍
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I love these Shakespeare covers! They’re the Pelican Shakespeare editions and they’re all gorgeous. 😀
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Love this! Totally agree that illustrations are always better 👌🏽 and it really shows when the focus is a person! That cover of You Must Not Miss has immediately made me curious to find out more about the book.
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It’s such a good cover, isn’t it? 😀
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I love all of these, but The Tempest one made me gigglesnort
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It’s such a fun cover. 😀
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I love all these covers!! When its done well I really like people on covers. I prefer illustrated over photos too! I love all of these. Especially Wilder Girls and With The Fire On High
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Yeeeees they’re both so beautiful. ❤
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With illustrations you can do so much more with people it feels.
My Life as a White Trash Zombie is really eye grabbing.
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It’s such a fun urban fantasy, definitely one I’d recommend!
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I love that cover of Wilder Girls, and I thought the book was really good too!
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I still need to read it, I should pick it up this spooky season!
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That would be a perfect one!! /
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