Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

Time for another Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and the Bookish, and this week is "Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art." Off we go:

1) Paradise Lost by John Milton

This cover in person is so pastel and soft, a nice contrast to a story about the devil.


2) Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Usually I find covers with people on them tend to show those people as either overly glossy and perfect or totally generic, but this face really draws you in. The bright colors and detail are eye-catching, as well. 

3) Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

As a kid, I remember being fascinated by these books that showed the human body layered over with transparencies, one for muscles, one for veins, and you could lift them off one by one until there was nothing but a skeleton on the last page. Anyway, this cover reminds me of that. 

4) Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Iconic. Seriously, I love that little guy so much. This book means a lot to me both as a reader and a writer, so while it might not seem like much, it looks like art to me.

5) Daytripper by Gabriel Ba

Is picking a comic cheating? Hope not, because there's several on this list.

6) Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein is a master of the bittersweet. Have you seen The Thinker of Tender Thoughts? I think this book in particular shows a good use of cover space.

7) Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse by Ben Templesmith

Yeah, this guy was on the last list too, so what? Who else would put so much work into a equally horrific and stunning piece of art just to add the tagline "It Only Hurts When I Pee"?

8) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Just a great work of art, what else can I say?

9) Saiyuki Volume 1 by Kazuya Minekura

This is my all-time favorite manga, and pretty much my favorite series in general. Back when there was next to no variety in the manga available in bookstores -- you had Sailor Moon, InuYasha, and whatever CLAMP was offering at the time -- the grit and detail of Minekura's style stood out. It's also the first time I found myself thinking "Woah, that cartoon man is beautiful." Never mind I just said "the first time." I'm doing fine.

10) The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Ok, this one I haven't actually read, but I've have my eye on it for a while and I think the cover's just splendid. Hopefully the inside is similar.

So there you have it, a day late thanks to my lack of foresight and working night shift. Better late than never!