The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen
I recently reviewed the final installment in Godbersen's second YA historical fiction series, The Lucky Ones . But the covers of her first series take the cake for awesomeness. Each cover features a different girl in a drop-dead gorgeous ball gown (fitting for the time period of the novel). I am not a very "girly" girl, but even I turn green with envy when I see those things. My favorite is the cover of Rumors; that red dress slays me.
To give you a short review: The Luxe (and its three subsequent novels) focuses primarily on four girls (Elizabeth, Diana, Penelope, and Lina) living among the New York City elite in 1899. There are lover's quarrels, backstabbing, and murder: what else do you need? Plus, the period details are excellent. These books actually inspired me to read a nonfiction novel about this part of NYC's history (When The Astors Owned New York, by Justin Kaplan). It was a perfect companion to Godbersen's drama-filled fictional story.
Under the Dome by Stephen King
I already mentioned this cover in a Follow Friday post way-back-when, but anyone asking me about my favorite book covers is going to have to hear about Under The Dome. The cover of this book is simply amazing (and makes me so happy that I have a hardcover copy, so I can pull the jacket off to really look at it!). It's eye-catching and extremely detailed. As you read the novel, you can refer to the cover and understand some of the little things that were added into the picture. LOVE.
As for the book itself, it is, also, amazeballs. Definitely one of Stephen King's epics, in the manner of The Stand and It. It's crazy-long, but in that 1000+ pages, the twists and the energy do.not.stop. LONG story short: the town of Chester's Mill is suddenly cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible dome surrounding it. No one can get in or out, and even the air has trouble passing through. The citizens need to find a way to deal with the dome...and each other.
King does a great job getting you into the (massive) cast of characters. You root for the good guys, you can't wait to see the bad guys meet a grisly end, and even the side characters are fleshed out well enough that you feel a bit invested in them. Blood and gore? Yes, but the real story here is the frightening way the town changes as its citizens deal with the realities of the dome. This book is one of the many reasons I love King so very much.
What are your favorite book covers?
