Top Ten Titles or Covers That Make Me Want to Read a Book

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and That Artsy Reader Girl. A book's cover will often make or break whether I pick it up. Interesting premise but ugly cover? I am way less likely to read it! Titles aren't as important to me, but a great title will have me picking up a book I might otherwise have ignored.

1. Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby - I could know absolutely nothing about this book and still want to get my hands on a copy because of how intriguing that title is! It immediately makes me think of a series of doors, wolves right behind, snarling and ready to bite.

2. Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson - If you've taken a creative writing class, then you've probably heard the term 'deus ex machina'. It translates to 'god in the machine', and is a plot device in a book where a powerful person saves the characters from an otherwise hopeless situation. I was immediately excited to read the book, and it is absolutely excellent! And I can't wait for the sequel later this month!

3. Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria - Skulls, skulls, skulls! Nothing beat having a skull on a cover, especially if you cover it in gold and make it look like the entrance to a secret chamber. This cover immediately draws my eye, and the description reinforces my interest!

4. Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann - We've got double trouble, with a great title and cover! I can't help but read the title in the voice of the evil queen from Snow White, which I imagine was the goal. The cover has the reader focus on the trail of red, and I love how it transitions from a path to a cloak.

5. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - I am always here for girls with pointy objects on book covers! Poking a knife to see if it's sharp enough? Yes please! Add in the "Jack the Ripper" part of the title and I am all in. After all, I am a sucker for historical murder.

6. What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo - First off, this title is playing off of a fairy tale, which is always fun. But what really grabs me is the cover. It plays with the theme of showing the scary beneath the surface. Without the slash, the cover would just be a girl, but with it, it shows the monster beneath!

7. From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos - This title evokes a sense of rebirth, like with a phoenix. It's fire sparking from a seeming end. The cover is also really pretty, with the petals of a rose transforming into gems.

8. Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé - Like the book What Big Teeth, this cover plays with what it mens to be monsters. An otherwise normal teen girl holds the skull of an animal in front of her face, transforming herself into something *other*. The title is also fun, playing with the line often seen on old and fantasy maps. There might be pieces of a world yet unknown, with strange creatures drawn on and the words "here there be monsters".

9. Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone - Hi, can I have that staircase please? And also that robe? This cover is gothic perfection, with contrasting colors, bright roses, and a woman who appears to be a damsel in distress. I can't wait to read this book, and watch our damsel fall in love with her monsters!

10. Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald - While this title doesn't fully make sense without reading the book, the cover is absolutely phenomenal! The white roses would be pretty enough, but it's so detailed that each time I look at it, I feel like I find something new. If you look closely, you'll notice the red rose in the corner, blood on the white roses at the bottom, a spider hiding behind the V, and thorns weaving between the roses! I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to read the sequel next year!

All these covers and titles are just enchanting! Going through my Goodreads to make the selections and slim down my options was incredibly hard, but these won out. Did I pick any books you love? Am I missing any outstanding contenders? Let me know in the comments!