Not Enough Bookshelves: Don’t I Know You From Somewhere?

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Don’t I Know You From Somewhere?

The strangest thing about walking in to the YA section of a British is bookstore (apart form it’s tiny size, absence of a paranormal section, and the fact it’s called teen), is the number of times an intriguing cover has caught my eye, then I’ve seen the title and realized I know the book. It’s like meeting an old friend whose dyed their hair. It throws you.

So far this has happened with-

Last Chance by Sarah Dessen – it has a different title too, it’s Keeping the Moon in the US, so for a moment I was very excited at the thought of a new Sarah Dessen.

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale – loving Shannon Hale’s UK covers.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – I adore these. I never thought Rose looked right on the US ones.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer – okay I didn’t think this was something else. The apple in the cupped hands is pretty iconic, but the white cover? That made me pause. I’m not sure why they changed it. It looks funny and not half as striking as the black, and the red edged pages remind of those really old romance novels I used to read.

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan – oh wow I love this cover, but I actually picked it up thinking it was another book that’s getting a lot of buzz – Forbidden.

Looking For Alaska by John Green – I loved the US cover ,but the UK one is definitely intriguing

There are a few old friends in the bookstore. Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Matched by Ally Condie and Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin are all prominently displayed in my local bookstore, with the same covers. The last one I’m especially happy to see, as I loved it and felt it slipped under the radar a bit in the US.

Do any of these US covers grab you? Which would you pick up?

9 comments:

Audrey (holes In My brain)6 April 2011 15:59

I love all the UK covers for Sarah Dessen's books, i just find them so much more fun. And I completely agree about the Vampire Academy, and Dark and Hollow Places, the UK is definitely better. But I don't know what they did to twilight… 😛 Great post!

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Joelle6 April 2011 16:56

That's a new UK cover for Looking For Alaska because I bought my copy when I was in England and it's black. It's definitely a UK version too because it has all your spellings.

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Medeia Sharif6 April 2011 21:29

I love the Green, Hale, and Mead covers. It's interesting to see various covers for the same book.

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Kim7 April 2011 03:51

I LOVE the BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS cover! Very whimsical!

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Nomes7 April 2011 04:49

i havent seen the looking for alaska one yet but i love it.

the uk covers for sarah dessen are the best 🙂

also I love the carrie ryan one ~ can't wait to read it.

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Nic @ Irresistible Reads7 April 2011 07:55

I love the UK covers too. My favourite is Vampire Academy. I am not a fan of the US ones at all.

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Amie Kaufman7 April 2011 13:05

Here in Australia we usually share the UK covers–I must admit I do mostly prefer them!

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Alexa8 April 2011 15:51

Audrey – oh me too on the SD books, they are fab and I love ho they have lots of tiny details from the book in there. too.

Joelle – ah funny. I was thinking the water really worked but I was actually remembering another book! So I think I like the US one best.

Medeia – I love the Mead ones, they are so much more striking.

Kim – they are all like that, just gorgeous.

Nomes – Yes the Carrie Ryan one is lovely, I'm going to have to hunt down the others to see if they match. The bookstore didn't have them.

Nic- me neither. I'm never that fond of gfaces on covers, if they have real people I like back views.

Amie- yes I think the UK is winning so far 🙂 I do wonder why they only change some though.

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We Heart YA16 April 2011 01:58

Apart from the white TWILIGHT book, I think the UK covers are gorgeous. I also prefer Laini Taylor's UK cover of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. Sarah

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