Cover Characteristics: Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2018 – Runners Up

 
 

As I was gathering covers for my annual best covers post, I came to the conclusion that I had too many. Competition was fierce this year, and I had to draw the line somewhere when it came to how many covers to include. But there were just so many great ones! So I decided to do a separate post for the runners up, the covers that didn’t quite make it into the top 20 but were close and still deserve a shout-out. I just realized that I probably should’ve called them honorable mentions, but I already made the graphic, so oh well. Anyway, here they are!


The Gold-Son by Carrie Anne Noble
Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz
Bloom by Desdemona Wren
Straight Outta Fangton by C. T. Phipps
What Fate Portends by Clara Coulson
Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie
Artifice by Alex Woolfson & Winona Nelson
The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle
Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire
Dead Boys by Gabriel Squailia
 

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Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2018 - Runners Up | reading, books, book cover, cover love

 

It’s kinda hard to see when it’s small, but The Gold-Son cover has all these great little details scattered around the cover that pertain to the story, and it’s overall just really pretty. The Teeth cover is really simple, and I feel like I shouldn’t like it because I hate fish and fishing, but I find the cover really pretty in its simplicity. The Bloom cover is simple, but it’s a beautiful shade of pink, and the silhouette perfectly matches the unique nymph creature in the book, plus I love the text design. The Straight Outta Fangton cover has this great, artsy graffiti look to the text and the background. I’m normally not a big fan of covers with real people on them, and I’ve grown tired of the typical urban fantasy cover, but Dark Arts and a Daiquiri and What Fate Portends both still manage to stand out and are really well done. The What Fate Portends cover is striking, and Dark Arts and a Daquiri is really eye-catching with the glowing colors, the tilted design, and the model’s unusual pose. I had to squish the Artifice cover a bit to fit it into my collage, but it’s got some really great art. The covers for The Goblins of Bellwater and Hiddensee are both have beautiful plant-filled designs and great use of color. Last but not least, I love the use of bones for the title text on the Dead Boys cover.

 

Check Out the Rest of My 2018 Top Ten Posts!

Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2018 – Runners Up
Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2018
Top Ten Characters from Books I Read (and Games I Played) in 2018
Top Ten Books I Read in 2018 (+ Some Non-Bookish Things)

 
 
 
 

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Which of these is your favorite?

Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2018 - Runners Up | reading, books, book cover, cover love
 
 
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  1. Greg

    Woot! I remember the glory days of Cover Characteristics haha when a few of us were doing these bad boys all the time! Nice picks. I like straight Outta Fangton quite a bit, I feel like it has atmosphere and are those bats flying above the city? If so, so much the better. 🙂 The Goblins of Bellwater I just like- the colors and the plant look.

    Artifice is just a nice cover but with a desperation feel to the illustration, and Dark Arts and a Daiquiri- I agree abut the unusual pose and the awesome colors. All the covers in that series are pretty good.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Back when there were like four of us who participated, and you and I were the die-hards lol. I think those are just birds, but the cover does have a great atmosphere to it!

      Artifice is definitely a cover with a lot of desperation, the way they’re reaching for each other. The Dark Arts books do all have great covers!

  2. Kazza

    I love, love, love the covers for Hiddensee and The Goblins of Bellwater. It must be the gardener in me, but I think they’re so visually appealing, and striking,

    I used to do favourite covers for the year because I love a good book cover, I just ran out of time to continue. Great to see your posts about covers, Kristen.

  3. Becky @ A Fool's Ingenuity

    Yay for a runners up post. Sometimes it has to be done because I swear covers are getting better and better each year. The Gold Son cover is lovely and seems to fit the book itself so well. And The Goblins of Bellwater cover is so very pretty too. I love the colours on the dark background, really makes it pop.

    If these are the runners up I can’t wait to see the actual best covers.

    1. Kristen Burns

      It does seem like covers are getting prettier. I did not have this many beautiful covers to choose from just a few years ago! Both of those covers are similar and gorgeous! The black really does make those colors pop.

      Most of the actual best covers have quite a different style then these, I have a rather particular type LOL.

  4. Sam@wlabb

    The Goldson and Goblins are exquisite. There really are some amazing cover artists out there. I know I will be struggling with this when I do my Cover Love post.

    1. Kristen Burns

      I feel like it must be because I did not have this many books with beautiful covers just a few years ago. Both of those are so pretty! My favorites will be coming up later this week 🙂

  5. Lola

    There are so many great covers, so I can see why you had so many you needed a second post for the runner ups. Great idea so you can still show those as well. All the details on the Gold Son cover do get lost a bit when it’s in smaller format, but I do love it when a cover fits the story.

    The cover for Dark Arts and a Daiquiri is great indeed. I like all the bright colors on it. And I agree that one and When fate Portends still stand out even while they’re pretty typical for the genre, they also are so well done they stand out.

    The Goblins of Bellwater cover is also great with all the plant stuff on it.

    1. Kristen Burns

      You know how I love my covers, and there were just too many great ones! I also love when the cover of a book it’s the story.

      Yeah, I love how when you look at those covers, you automatically think urban fantasy, and yet they still stand out from the crowd.

      The plant stuff is so pretty!

  6. Brittany

    Have you already done the winners post? If these are your runner ups I can’t wait to see your winners 🙂 I love the covers for The Gold-Son and Hiddensee <3

    1. Kristen Burns

      Not yet, that post is coming soon! I have a very specific type though LOL, so whether you like those will depend on how similar are taste is. Those two are so pretty!

  7. Olivia Roach

    I always find these posts so interesting because of course, everyone has a different preferance to their book covers and it is always interesting to see what people decide is their favourite or not! I know that I really like the cover of The Goldson too. This year I especially loved Circe as a UK hardcover edition, the hardcover edition and cover to Children of Blood and Bone and also the cover to An Enchantment of Ravens!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Wait until you see my finalists post. It’s so obvious that I have a type LOL. The Gold-Son cover is so pretty! And I’ve seen all those covers you mentioned, I also love the Children of Blood and Bone and An Enchantment of Ravens covers!

  8. ShootingStarsMag

    Dead Boys really does have a simple, striking cover. I love looking at covers – even for books I’ve never read! I’ll be curious to see what your top favorite covers are!

    -Lauren