It’s All About the Frosting, Dahling…Or Is It?

By Cam

On this hot day—and by hot, I really mean HOLY COW IF I DIDN’T HAVE A/C I’D BE STUFFING MYSELF INTO A FREEZER—I thought a nice, thoughtful topic would be:

BOOK COVERS

Let’s face it, we’ve all heard the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by it’s barcode.” I kid, I kid. You’re not supposed to get caught up on what’s on the outside because it might not be what you get in the inside, right? BUT, really. Who doesn’t judge a book by its cover? If covers weren’t important then we’d all be fine with grocery bag wrappings ala grade school textbook covers. Right?

Well. I have to say that despite those covers that have absolutely nothing to do with the story, there are some books that get it right. Covers that sing and flash neon arrows to their spot on the bookshelf because it’s just too pretty not to pick up.

So here are a few covers that have recently caught my eye. The ones that made my fingers itch to turn the book over and see what all the flashing arrows wanted me to read.

(NOTE: This list is all about the book covers and not necessarily the content inside. So retract your claws before you go ripping me about how such and such is a horrible writer or how what’s her name is duller than a door stop to read about for 500 pages. Glad we got that out of the way. <grin>)

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

(I love how this one evokes two emotions: sweet and sad. The butterfly provides a nice pop in color and conveys a kind of innocence…yet the black background and glass shattering/cobwebs touch on something darker. Plus with the additional ‘A letter to my captor’ under the already thought-provoking title, it makes you think this could be memoirish, giving it a sense of immediacy that really strikes a nerve.)

Candor by Pam Bachorz

(This is a book I’m waiting to see break out. It’s told from a male POV so it’s nice to see the boy on front — um, eyecandy anyone? — plus the earphones and the cookie-cutter houses AND the orange color all tie into the book. Wouldn’t this catch your eye on a bookshelf?)

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

(As covers go, this one isn’t extraordinary with the half-image of a girl leaning against a locker. BUT the body language strikes a melancholy and almost rebellious note, while the red of the locker is majorly significant to the story.)

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

(I haven’t read this one…but it’s on my TBR. This cover is haunting and makes me want to know all about this girl. Is she dead? Or does she just look dead? Why? Why? Why?)

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

(I recommend this book to a lot of people. It’s a totally different tune than Scott’s other books, but this story stays with you long after you put it down. For me, the image does the same thing. The bow is whimsical and reminiscent of little girls and femininity. But the stark font and black background promise something more sinister and disturbing. And this works so well with what the book is actually about.)

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

(I <3 L.H.A. like nobody’s business. And I think she’s been pretty blessed with the cover gods, so it was tough choosing one for this post. I like this cover because it conveys all the elements of the book you’re going to get: teen, imperfect, crazy, full of obstacles. Plus, I like how the position of the title reminds me of a roller coaster car about to go on a fast course. The book is also told from a male POV and there’s nothing girly about this cover.)

Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

(I haven’t read this yet, but I want to open that door.  An image like this makes the reader wonder if we’re going to get something sad or scary on the other side, or a happy surprise. Either way, I’m sold.)

Torment by Lauren Kate

(This is the follow-up to Fallen–which I still haven’t read–but if I could draw the word torment, it’d be this. And I’m a sucker for images of backs.)

The Replacements by Brenna Yovanoff

(I’ve heard this upcoming debut by Yovanoff is supernatural and creepy. And I don’t know about you, but whenever I see sharp instruments of torture dangling above a baby carriage, I don’t think of vanilla pudding and Nilla wafers. Mmkay…maybe I’m always thinking of pudding and wafers. BUT I can guarantee I won’t be moving into this un-family-friendly neighborhood anytime soon!)

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

(Graphic design heaven. Red. Black. White. Girls. And wolves. Plus it reminds you of those images from the 90s where you see an old woman one way and then a bunny rabbit the other. I loved those…even if my eyes went a little cross and wonky at times. But to me, this cover is eye-popping in a good way and totally genius!)

Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry (ok, not a YA but tell me this cover wouldn’t catch your eye on the shelf!)

(Creepy. Creepy. Creepy. This cover sets the tone for suspense, horror, and copious amounts of cringing. I haven’t read this book, but the disturbing side of my brain would like to devour it in one sitting.)

So what do you think? Would you pick up any of these books in a bookstore? What covers make you go hmmmm? And for more analysis of book covers, check out Jacket Whys, Jacket Knack, Uncover,  Book Covers Anonymous, and The Book Designers.

Wednesday WriMo

By Cam

Okay…so in 4 days NaNoWriMo starts. Don’t know what that is? It’s National Novel Writing Month and that means thousands of writers across the world are going to partake in the most motivating writing challenge — to write at least 50K in 30 days. There are a few rules…like, no fair writing one word 50,000 times. And you can’t start until the bell chimes after midnight on Halloween (aka NaNo Eve). Go here to see how NaNo works in 10 Easy Steps.

This is my first time participating in NaNoWriMo and I’m feeling a bit of everything. Excited. Scared. Anxious. Scared. Inspired. Scared. And why am I scared you ask? Well, maybe I’m not scared. But my internal editor sure is! Because that’s my problem. I have an -itis…and it’s called Internal Editoritis. This disease is plagued with all kinds of backspace quirks, re-reading double vision, and red pen spewing. My prognosis was looking pretty grim…until I discovered that during the whole month of November I should–wait for it–SHUT. OFF. MY. EDITOR.

And what’s the recommended treatment for this disease called Internal Editoritis? Well, there’s a lot of nifty tools out there, but I found one that I really think will help me: Write or Die Desktop Edition. I was a huge fan of the online version and would frequently use it to pump out mass quantities of word count in short spurts of time. But since I plan on doing a lot of my NaNo writing on my netbook with little to no web access, this tool seems to be the perfect fit. Especially for NaNo.

In addition to the uber-coolness of Write or Die, I have a list of things I expect will be helpful to me during the next 30 days of craziness. In no particular order they are:

• NaNoWriMo Forums – This is a no-brainer. There are loads of just-as-insane people that frequent these boards with threads ranging from Adopt a (fill-in-the-blank) to soundtracks to get you in the mood.
• Q10/WriteMonkey/RoughDraft – Simple is best. At least during the month of November. Free from all the distractions of typical word processors, these applications are essentially just plain old text editors (with a few bells and whistles). Check out the cool typewriter sounds!
• DeviantArt – This site is full of all sorts of visual inspiration in practically every kind of genre. Take a look. Your muse will thank me.
• yWriter – This is a word processor that breaks your novel into scenes and chapters. Although I don’t plan on using this too much during November, it’ll be handy in December (and Jan, Feb, Mar…) when I edit.
• Google Docs/Dropbox – BACKUP. BACKUP. BACKUP. That is all folks.
• Pandora – For continuous background music based off your favorite tunes.
• Seventh Sanctum – Because sometimes I need a little help generating off-the-wall spells and villainous names.
• Bejeweled – Because breaks are good. But be warned: THIS GAME IS ADDICTIVE.

So there you have it. My tools for a newbie’s NaNo. Wish me luck!