Artsy Shelf – 28 – From the back
Back in July 2010 I featured some interesting covers presenting women with their hair tied in a bun, viewed from the back. This time around, I have a slightly similar theme, except that these do not all have their hair in a bun, but are viewed from the back too ;
Am I the only one who feels like featuring a woman from the back is just another way to put a character on a cover without showing too much of her face, like those numerous covers with headless people? There’s definitely a sensuality to it, too. Since i like covers who show me enough but leave place to my imagination, I’m okay with these. In fact, I like some of them a lot!
If I had to pick a favorite it would be among the first four, and The Peach Keeper would be the ultimate winner. The cover is dreamy, poetic, sensual, feminine. It’s one of those dangerous covers that makes my heart yells “WANT!” even though I have no idea what the book is about. I really need to read Sarah Addison Allen soon.
My second favorite would be Russian Winter (which, by the way, has many beautiful covers! My copy is all white with a touch of red, beautiful!) I like the simplicity, the subtle tones, the frame, the lettering, its elegance.
Sweet Venom has an interesting dynamic, there’s movement which makes the cover look less stiff than others.
Would you pick any of these books by their covers? Which one is your favorite?
I think they’re using the back to tantalize us. I love the Russian Winter cover too.
Not my favourite covers, but I like them better than the headless ones…
All so cool. You’ve made me realize, I really love from the back covers.
I can not wait for Peach Keeper! Because I’m Latina, I think I like the last one best 😉
Personally I’m not a fan of covers with heads/faces period, be it from the back or the front. Some of those DO look nice, though – I especially like When The Stars Go Blue.
I’d rank them in exactly the order you did: Peach Keeper, Russian Winter, Sweet Venom. I think I’d buy Russian Winter based on the cover alone, but I’d read the back covers of the other two before putting them in my book basket.
i don’t care for any of these covers really (guess I am not a back person…LOL)
«Louis» is a bookworm, too. He has over 500 books, many of them WWII history. He’s currently reading Carlo D’Este’s biography of Churchill, “Warlord”.
I love everything about the Russian Winter cover! I wish I could figure out how to put my hair up like that.
In some Japanese regions, the back of a woman’s neck used to be seen as very sensual. That’s why the geisha take care to emphasise theirs.
I have to say, I love the cover for When the Stars go Blue. That flower in her hair is just gorgeous.
i recently brought in several YA books and asked my students what appealed to them about the covers. the girls favored covers with headless images and said she likes those best because she can imagine herself in the girl’s place. as for the gorgeous covers you have here, i’m drawn to russian winter–the woman’s hair reminds me of a nautilus shell.