July 07th, 2021

    We all know what the expression “never judge a book by its cover” means. We should look at who people are on the inside, not just what they look like on the outside. However, practically speaking, it simply isn’t true. How else can you judge a book before you read it? Even I, a voracious reader, have been taken in by a pretty cover only to be disappointed by its actual contents. There have been other times a book has sat on my shelf for a very long time because I judged it incorrectly based on its cover. 
    For instance, my first copy of the legendary masterpiece Redeeming Love, given to me as a Christmas gift by my mom, had this cover:

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    Yes, I’m dating myself here. Needless to say, it sat untouched on my bookshelf for far too long. Little did I know the amazing story it contained! When this cover was released, I almost wept at how pretty it was. Why couldn’t this have been my first vision of the tortured main character, Angel? (And it fits the story much better than that old lavender cover.)

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    Speaking of that fantastic red dress, I realized when choosing my favorite book covers to share with you how much I love dresses on the cover of a book. Check all of these out:

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​     Gorgeous, right? And every single one of them is just as good on the inside, trust me! I’m not sharing any books in this post that don’t live up to the cover’s expectations. 
    Have I ever picked up a book solely because the cover lured me in? Yep. I had never heard of Denise Hunter in my life, but when I saw this beauty on display at my local library, I checked it out as fast as I could: 

  
​    The almost kiss, the cozy sweaters, the Christmas feel, and the snow falling all around combine to make a cover that I think is my favorite on this list. Denise Hunter has come to be one of my all-time favorite writers, and her covers are consistently gorgeous. I had a hard time narrowing it down, but here’s my second favorite cover of hers:

​    I know, I know, it’s yet another dress! But there’s also something tongue in cheek about the bride crossing her fingers behind her back, isn’t there? The title juxtaposed with this image left me expecting a hilarious rom-com circa 1998, and that’s what it was for sure. (Much better than the Hallmark movie, if you’ve seen it.) I laughed out loud reading this book. 
    Melanie Dickerson’s books also have consistently gorgeous covers that I had a difficult time narrowing down. This one is my favorite, though:

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​  The colors are just so crisp and perfect for a retelling of Snow White, aren’t they? Then there’s this one:

  
​    Something about the lighting on this one draws me in. The messy braid over one shoulder and the arrows peeking behind her back lets us know she’s not a damsel in distress. Speaking of fairy tale books, I’m in love with this Jody Hedlund cover:

 
​   The castle in the background, the green dress, the red hair, and that sword she’s clutching all combine to make an intriguing cover that immediately pulls me into the setting.
     This next cover is absolutely beautiful and represents a trend I’ve noticed lately in book covers: the main heroine with her back to the audience. I have to admit that any book about CS Lewis has me hooked from the get-go, but Joy Davidson’s red dress suit and jaunty hat really pop, don’t they? And the background immediately transports me to the grounds of Oxford. 

​    I highly recommend all of the books above, and not just for their stunning covers. However, there is one more cover I want to share. This one is different in that I haven’t read it yet. As a matter of fact, Toni Shiloh is an author I only recently discovered. I signed up for her newsletter, and when she revealed this cover, my jaw dropped:

 
​   I told you I had a thing for dresses, didn’t I? If you want to check out any of these books, just click on the images above (except for that lavender 80s monstrosity,lol), and there are affiliate links embedded. 
    Happy reading! (And looking!)