Book Covers And Consequences

We all know that we are drawn to books for different reasons: synopsis, character, recommendation, book covers, etc. We as, humans have this unearthly draw to illustrations and art.That is why book covers have so much put into them and are marketed so extensively.  Let's talk about what happens when book covers decide to be embarrassing or creepy (in no particular order):

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Problem: There is a half naked guy on the cover with strange tattoos and light pouring out of him. Besides the fact that there also happens to be the New York skyline just resting at the bottom.
What It Does: You are too embarrassed to read the book in front of other people who will comment on the "mature" cover of the book.

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
Problem: The cover has a picture of person with very elaborate eye shadow and a black and white picture of a girl on the front. (Out of all the American covers of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy this cover was my favorite)
What It Does: People comment that you read creepy books which can lead to them thinking you're a creepy stalker (even if you are).

Misss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Problem: There is a levitating girl who looks quite unhappy on a barren and stark background. The cover often marks this book down as horror, but the opposite is more often true.
What It Does: People think you are reading a twentieth century horror book and comment on how their mother won't let them read it because it is too scary for them and how they agree with their mother.

All of the "What It Does" have happened to me or one of my close friends. I love all of the books above and personally think (besides City of Bones) that the covers are beautifully done. If you feel that you can't read the book because of the cover I recommend you get a Book Sox and cover up the cover. You can claim that you are trying to protect the book from harm. What books give you problems because of the cover?

Room By Book Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor book cover

Diamond Ikat Indigo Rug from Dwell Studios

Chesterfield Sofa Duck Egg- Devon Linen from Canvas

'Queens Jubilee' tea tray tin retro style from It's Vintage Darling 

Red Wood table Tall from Treasures of Morocco

Peridot Wallpaper- Bark from Serena & Lily

Eye Teapot from Astier de Villatte

I really liked putting together this Room By Book because I loved Dreams of Gods & Monsters. I wanted Akiva's simplicity to be seen through the geometric pattern of the table and wallpaper, but has Karou's artists eye in the rug. Karou's individual style is seen in the retro tin tray and eye teapot. The couch was a compromise with a vintage look, but a modern indigo color. This furniture would be their room on earth.

Review Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor  Goodreads|Amazon

Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers April 8, 2014

624 Pages

Last (Third) Book in Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy

Source: Bookstore (bought)

Bookologist Analysis: This book brought a wonderful finality to the end up of the story, yet it was a story all in itself. We met characters that find the reason they are alive, and some characters become a part of our lives. Dreams of Gods and Monsters was a magical thread that was pulled by a needle threading through the plot and world of Eretz.

In this thrilling conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, Karou is still not ready to forgive Akiva for killing the only family she's ever known.

When a brutal angel army trespasses into the human world, Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat--and against larger dangers that loom on the horizon. They begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people. And, perhaps, for themselves--maybe even toward love.

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera, and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters proved that not all trilogy books have to end with heartbreaking and heart wrenching conclusions. The story all started out with Brimstone and Karou in Prague. This was before we knew about angels and wars and were just following Karou around as a concentrated art high school student. Then Akiva walked in with Liraz and Hazael. We had a brief romantic overture followed by death, destruction, and loss of hope in Days of Blood and Starlight. In Dreams of Gods and Monsters we follow our characters on their journey with Jael becoming a threat as he invades earth. Eliza is having increasing difficulty with her nightmares and balancing them with her work. Dreams of Gods and Monsters was breaking you piece by piece to build you back together into a more complex puzzle piece than before you read the Saga.

In this book I loved the back and forth between Akiva and Karou. We saw them want each other, but be afraid to offend the other one and then be too shy to meet each other’s eyes. Then we saw Mik and Zuzanna come back because they love their friends so much. Karou has become a deeper person with the layering of Madrigal's personality onto her own. Akiva is also pushing deeper and deeper into his "schemes of energies". The characters have choices to face, but they are also realizing that with these choices that they have to learn from the past and can't just kill for the sake of killing. You have to a justifiable plan and know that the least amount of harm is the best option.

The eloquence matched with the characters and plot became the heartbreak of it all. We watched Karou grow from being a shy, class clown art student to a  flying, resurrectionist was a journey that I am honored to have gone on. The conclusion of this trilogy/saga had me realize what an experience this has been for me. I read Daughter of Smoke & Bone just when I was getting into YA novels and had just moved. My days fantasizing about monsters and angels have not stopped even now. I fear I might not do this books justice with all its roaring cliffs and quiet valleys, from the girls of Zuzanna and Karou, to the boys Mik and Akiva, with the magical worlds of Prague, Morocco, and Eretz, and the supporters Issa, Liraz, and Eliza.  My Rating «««««