This meme was started by Books by Proxy, whose fabulous idea was to compare UK and US book covers and decide which is we prefer. This meme is being nurtured by Lynn’s Book Blog and this week we are featuring ROMANTIC covers. I’ve selected Club Dead – Book 3 of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.
This edition was produced by Orbit in May 2006 and is quite quirky – and evidently before the True Blood TV series, which focused less on the comedic aspect of the story and ensured the bedroom scenes were far more graphic than Harris wrote them. Not sure I like this one all that much – I think the vampire looks odd. But I do like the font and think this effort captures the tone and feel of the book far better than the True Blood tie-ins.
Published in April 2003 by Ace Books, this cover is essentially the complete version of the previous offering and as such, works a lot better, I think. Again, the tone and feel of this cover very much reflects the book. My grizzle is that that mood and quirkiness is undercut by the chunks of chatter scattered about the cover – but despite that issue, this one is my favourite.
This edition, published by Ace Books in June 2010, is clearly in the wake of the True Blood series, and while it certainly reflects the tone of the TV series, I question whether it is an accurate portrayal of the book. I don’t like it much, to be honest. If I hadn’t already been a solid fan of the series, I wouldn’t have touched this with a bargepole, based on this cover, which gives the impression this is a dark fantasy book with a strong horror element.
This Spanish edition, produced by Punto de Lectura in May 2009, is also significantly influenced by the True Blood series. I’m trying to work out why you’d want to kiss someone with blood all over their lips – all I thought was, “Eww!” But perhaps I don’t have sufficient vampiric tendencies…
This Swedish edition, published by Månpocket, takes the design of the 2010 Ace Books and turns it into a drawing, rather than featuring the actual cast of the True Blood series. I prefer the effect on the design, which I think gets nearer to the tone and mood of the books, rather than the TV show. Which is your favourite?
Brainfluff 
What a perfect choice for the theme this week! I absolutley love the last cover. Even though it’s based on the TV tie in cover, the drawings don’t look anything like the actors, so its definitely my favorite😁
Thank you, Tammy:). Yes – that was what attracted me to the last cover, too:)).
I do think the one with blood on the lips/face would attract readers who like books about vampires. I’m choosing this one, as the others all seem rather busy.
That’s fine, Becky:). To be honest, I included it to see if my response was on the prissy side – and that there were vamp fans out there who would go for this one.
My favorite is the one by Ace Books. It’s the copy I own too.
This fits perfectly with the theme this week. I like the second from the top. 2003 Ace Books
Thank you, Jackie – yes… Given I don’t read many romances, this was as close as I could get:)). Yes – I liked the second one, too.
I love that last cover – at first glance it looks like a movie tie-in until you do a double take – so much nicer than the actual movie tie in. My copies of the True Blood series were all the covers with the very pale faced female vampire – I was really irritated when they changed the style quite far down the line.
And why on earth would you kiss that chap with bloody lips – how revolting.
Lynn 😀
Yes! The actual tie-in looks really dark and rather unpleasant, I think. Whereas the books have a rather chirpy, upbeat tone that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Oh I’m so glad that you, too, had the same reaction:))
– unless of course you were another vampire I suppose?
Well… there is that!
One and two are both good. The others are too realistic.
I know what you mean! It is, after all, an urban FANTASY, right?
I know you don’t like it too much and the vampire does look a bit odd, but I find myself gravitating towards the Orbit version…it’s so whimsical!
I completely agree with your observation, Mogsy – it is whimsical… And as I think that reflects the books – which were quite trailblazing when they first came out – it was one of the main reasons why I included it:)
The vampire in the first cover does look odd indeed, and I can’t shake the thought that he looks like Adam Driver, which for some reason makes me laugh… 😀
Lol… indeed – that’s really funny:)) That would be a major genre mash-up!
Hmm. Yeah, these different covers have quite the disparity of tones here. I’d never know about the comedy or the horror depending on the cover one looks at. Amazing what a publisher chooses to focus on for a story’s marketing, isn’t it?
I know! It has me scratching my head, somewhat… Though I’m also aware it’s a really difficult thing to get right – I messed up bigtime with my first self-publishing effort!
Yeah, FPS’s first cover needed a different feel to it. We live and learn, right? And then we keep going!
Oh, absolutely! That’s one of the glories of writing – you always go on learning and honing your craft…