After reading Adam’s latest post, I just had to get in on the book-judging action, with my own little twist. Now, I know that the age-old adage is to not do what I’m about to do, but let’s face it. So many of us do judge a book by its cover, especially when choosing what to pick up next, and, as it turns out, publishers have made it increasingly easy to guess what you might get out of a book just from the cover (at least in terms of the genre). New romance books love slapping on that bright, vibrant-colored illustration style onto their covers, and it’s easy to spot a historical fiction book from a mile away (if there’s a woman facing away and an easily recognizable landmark in the background, you know exactly what you’re holding). But playing a game of “Generic Book Cover” isn’t very fun, so, while we will be breaking one of the oldest rules in existence, we will be doing it in a rather unconventional, non-generic way. And by unconventional and non-generic, I mean a pop quiz! Trust me, it will be more fun than it sounds because you will be the ones judging the covers here. After extensive research (aka, a deep dive through our catalog), I’ve gathered what I can subjectively say are some rather genre-nonconforming book covers, and it will be up to you to guess what genre they really belong to. So, get your thinking caps on. Are you ready? Let’s go!
Ice Cream Man – Volume 1 by Maxwell Prince, Martin Morazzo, & Chris O’Halloran
Here we have our first contestant, a candy-colored, seems-like-an-easy-read title. Now, is this:
A) An unsettling, uncanny dark comedy addition to the horror genre
B) A comedic summer read that takes a story about an ice cream cone to unnecessary and hilarious levels of seriousness
C) A historical deep dive into the industry of our favorite summer truck drivers and the siren’s call of those dang jingles that can be heard anywhere in a five-mile radius
Surprisingly (or not, if you were looking for the outlier), the Ice Cream Man anthology series falls under the dark comedy and horror genre, so give yourself a pat on the back if you guessed A. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the classic horror book and graphic novel covers; the doom, the gloom, dark colors, gore, and other in-your-face scares. Ice Cream Man’s pastel-colored addition immediately stood out to me as I was scrolling. It has just the right twinge of smiling, happy-go-lucky wrongness to it to ensure you give things a second look.
If you grew up with Goosebumps or Tales from the Cryptkeeper then you might be familiar with Ice Cream Man’s setup. Our titular Ice Cream Man only shows up for a few pages in each story, but wherever they go, the strange, surreal, and unlucky seem to follow and swoop down to curse the lives of whoever happens to grab a cone from their truck. Whether it all truly is their fault or if they just happen to deal in unfortunate stories instead of dollars… you’ll just have to get past the cover to find out.
The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song
I’ll admit, contestant number two is probably the most difficult book to nail the genre on just by cover alone and I’ve often been hoodwinked by books that look just like this one. With that hint in mind, let’s dive in:
Is this book a:
A) Rise-from-the-ashes tale of epic heroism, with some very on-the-nose phoenix symbolism
B) Romance novel with the face of a fantasy retelling of Mulan
C) Historical fiction novel detailing the rise and fall of China’s most notorious pirates
Maybe I gave myself away with that clue, but if you guessed B, give yourself a little cheer. Ah, the number of times I have picked up a beautifully covered fantasy novel only to realize that what I discovered was less magic, sword fights, and epic quests and more eyelash-batting and flirtatious witty banter…
Unlike the rest of the romance genre, romantasy books are generally harder to spot on a shelf, mostly because they avoid the tried-and-true pop art and block color style that the rest of its niche has adopted and really put the “-tasy” part front and center (on their covers, at least). It’s probably good, just for variety’s sake, but for someone who likes their fantasy without a side of something else and someone who will spite read something even if I don’t like it, it’s taught me a valuable lesson in reading book jackets (which I just so happen to have done for you this time).
The story begins just as you expect it to; the Three Kingdoms are at war. Meilin’s father refuses to be drafted to their cause, for not very honorable, opioid-addicted reasons. It’s the same reason that he chooses to sell his daughter to an equally unsavory man for dowry money. Looking for an escape, Meilin disguises herself as a man and enlists in the Imperial army where she meets bachelor #1, prince-turned-army-buddy Sky. But wait! There’s another, slinkier spirit at the edges of Meilin’s visions, which she’s just started to get, offering power, freedom, and maybe something more… for a price, of course. For the romantasy fans, you’ll just have to read on for yourselves. My book-jacket-reading-services end here.
The title of this read might throw you for a loop, but no, it’s not that Matrix. With that said, this title could fall under pretty much any umbrella, so let me narrow down the choices for you. Is this book a:
A) Science fiction story about an accountant who one day sees a little too deeply into the numbers on their desk (yes, we’re going with that definition of matrix)
B) Historical fiction novel about a rebellious, early feminist from the Middle Ages who is banished from the royal courts and begins to make a life for herself as the new prioress of a poor abbey
C) Another “oops, it’s romantasy” title, where the main couple is one part god of the sun and one part nerdy, down-on-their-luck nobody who really needs to get outside and touch some grass
Like I mentioned when we started, this cover doesn’t scream historical fiction at all, unlike the rest of its book-kin (nary a woman’s silhouette or popular landmark in sight). So, if you managed to guess this one right, big props to you. Matrix’s sepia colors were my only hint about what this book was, and I still wouldn’t have thought this book had anything to do with the Middle Ages, nuns, or the fill-in-the-gaps, fictionalized past of the poet Marie de France and prioress Marie of Valois. If you enjoy underdog stories, bold and brash female characters, and heaps of smart, thought-provoking contrast then be sure to pick up a copy of this not-historical-novel-looking read.
For one final bonus round, I bring to you 1989 by Val McDermid (sadly, no relation to Taylor Swift’s iconic album). With all the practice we’ve done, I present you with this final mission, should you choose to accept it. Is this title a:
A) Dramatic period piece akin to Daisy Jones and the Six, but on a smaller, more intimate scale about a record store and the music production studio entangled in its business
B) Light, romantic, summer beach read about a lifeguard and the one person they need to keep giving warnings to due to the excessive volume of their boombox
C) Tangled up mystery at the heart of a former investigative journalist’s work that leads them through some of the most high-profile historical events of the 1980s
Drum roll, please!
Congratulations to all who picked C as their final answer. As mystery book covers are slightly all over the board, this was not an easy challenge, but there are a few things that I’ve noticed a lot of them will have – cool toned colors (lots of blue), graphic designs, silhouettes, and vaguely threatening objects and locale (ala Agatha Christie or Faye Kellerman). Something like a bright yellow cover and a cassette tape doesn’t exactly say “vague or ominously threatening”, so the mystery inside is bound to be unexpected, surprising, and definitely not garden-variety. Set against the backdrop of 1989, when the times were a-changing, you can follow Allie Burns in her next adventure as she tries to get her bearings in the ever-shifting newspaper industry while also being thrown into the tangled web of a murder and a bubbling conspiracy behind the Iron Curtain.
With that, you’ve officially passed Introduction to Strange and Genre Nonconforming Book Covers I! Hooray! I hope your imaginary (but very dignified and important) diploma serves you well in your upcoming adventures through your favorite bookstore or local library shelves. Until next time!