Favorite #WickedGoodReads Book Covers

It seems like we’re thinking about #WickedGoodReads Month all year long, and looking forward to telling you about all the books with wicked people and creatures, dangerous places and things. But it’s not only the books that wow us – some of the covers have floored us – and might have been the reason we picked up the book in the first place! These are 4 of our faves.

– KIM –

Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Art by Tommy Arnold)

When I saw the cover for this book I audibly gasped. The Skulls, the Swords, the Sunglasses!! The cover art was done by New Zealander, Tommy Arnold. I think it’s absolutely perfect. The author, Tamsyn Muir had this to say about it, “It’s stunning,” says author Tamsyn Muir. “Tommy Arnold has captured Gideon Nav more completely than I ever thought possible: courageous, ready and intimidating, with top notes of being a galactic dirtbag.” (Tor) Publisher, Tor.com did a dissection of the cover art which I thought was a lot of fun.

Home Before Dark, Riley Sager

I’m drawn to this one because it’s green and that is my favorite color but also- IT GLOWS IN THE DARK! I didn’t realize this until I set it on my nightstand one night. I woke up around midnight and was a little startled by the greenish glow coming from the bedside. Very cool. Seriously, the text, chandelier, and spine glow and it’s basically the coolest thing ever. The publisher is Dutton but unfortunately my searching turned up nothing on who actually designed the cover. 

~ TANYA PATRICE ~

Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Cover design by Faceout Studio and Tim Green

The cover oozes the vibe of the 50s on the cover with that big poof dress. And no white-washing here. The book is set in Mexico, and brown-skin, dark hair is front and center (anyone else remember those white washing book cover scandals a few years back)? Other than the youthful elegance of the main character, the wallpaper behind her has significance in the book too, and that gorgeous shade of green really pops against the burgundy color of the dress.

Deathless Divide (Dread Nation #2), Justina Ireland

This book is about zombie fighting, kick-ass young black women and the book covers delivers all that! The blood, the period details of the clothing, the fact that one prefers to do her butt-kicking while wearing a corset! Love, love, love! And it was fun to watch the “behind the scenes” of the cover photo shoot.

What do you think of these book covers? Which one is your favorite?