Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today’s topic was a book cover freebie and as covers get a lot of coverage, I thought I’d talk about spines. Given the way bookstores sell books, most with spines out, they are a crucial part of a book’s appeal. I wanted to focus on spines with (mostly) text only. No headshots or buildings or logos (aside from the publisher’s). Just the use of text, colour, and title to arrest a reader’s interest. If a spine can communicate a little about the story as well, all the better. Here’s ten I picked from my shelves that appeal to me, either because of the font, the tiny additions, striking colours, or the title itself.
A great spine often means a great cover and I think, if you click on the title links, you will see that proves true with every one of these books!
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01I5J0OPS” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The One True Love of Alice-Ann[/easyazon_link] by Eva Marie Everson
[easyazon_link identifier=”1496426215″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Five Days in Skye[/easyazon_link] by Carla Laureano
[easyazon_link identifier=”1582293082″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Shoofly Pie[/easyazon_link] by Tim Downs
[easyazon_link identifier=”1401688225″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Devil Walks in Mattingly[/easyazon_link] by Billy Coffey
[easyazon_link identifier=”B000SEVU8Y” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Treason[/easyazon_link] by Don Brown
[easyazon_link identifier=”0764233300″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Veiled in Smoke[/easyazon_link] by Jocelyn Green
[easyazon_link identifier=”B07MTR1JPC” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Knox[/easyazon_link] by Susan May Warren
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01N5PB607″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Chasing Secrets[/easyazon_link] by Lynette Eason
[easyazon_link identifier=”0800726634″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Lacemaker[/easyazon_link] by Laura Frantz
[easyazon_link identifier=”0805464808″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Cool Woman[/easyazon_link] by John Aubrey Anderson
Do you pay attention to spines on books?
I don’t normally pay that much attention to book spines. That needs to change!
My TTT .
You’re so right, Lydia! Now I want to pay attention to book spines more! Thanks for sharing your TTT!
Some I’ve read and some I haven’t, but I agree with you Rel. All the spines are intriguing and make me want to look at the covers. Also, the title alone bring up the picture image for me of amazing covers like The Lacemaker and I can’t forget Knox!
Before I was a Kindle user, – yes – the spine was the first draw. But now, being an avid Kindle reader, it’s actually a 50/50 split between the cover and the reviews.
I do if I can see them. Usually when I check out a book from the library it will have two to three stickers on the spine including the Dewey Decimal sticker, a cross sticker for Christian fiction, spy glass or footprints for mystery, cactus for western, etc. Several times I’ve purchased a book after reading it from the library, and realize that there is a different image of the cover model on the spine that didn’t know was there. The labels covered it up.
Hallo, Hallo Rel,
I truly look at every angle and corner of a book before I read it. I read all the Author’s notes, forewards, appendixes and acknowledgements, too. I love examining the ARCs as much as the finished copies – I like to feel the book before I read it, if that makes sense? To choices in cover art to how the blurb might be a portal of a window into the plot, how the spine & typography are drawing your eye or diffusing your interest; some fonts they use are harder to read, sometimes the colours are not a good match against the asethetic of the design they were aiming for and other times – there is this beautiful symmetry between the layout, the typography & the full wrapping of the cover and spine!
In essence, yes, I do pay particular attention to spines!
Some even announce which number in sequence you are reading for a series; others are creatively giving a nod to the title or the author; some spines have a different motif than the front or back covers; it is a bit of a journey each time a book enters my hands.
Then, of course, I read it!
PS: I don’t judge books by their covers though – I want to feel hooked into a story, so that puts a strong role to play on the synopsis; after that, if the story doesn’t resonate with me and is simply not my cuppa – all that artwork and clever spine frontage is just ‘art’.
I couldn’t help myself – I have gotten into creating spine poetry ever since I released mine for #SciFiMonth back in November!
Five Days in Skye,
(all) veiled in smoke;
(whilst) chasing secrets,
(by) the lacemaker –
(who was) the cool woman.
(Some) Shoofly pie,
(and) the devil walks in mattingly –
treason (may) knox;
& the one true love of alice-ann!
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Also, I announced my Top Most Anticipated Books for 2020 this #TopTenTuesday.