Friday Face Off : A Series where the cover changed midway through – which style do you prefer most
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout. This week’s theme:
A Series where the cover changed midway through – which style do you prefer most
May is the month of Wyrd and Wonder so for the FFO themes I’m choosing fantasy books:
I can’t wait to see what people come up with for this week’s theme – changes in covers mid series can definitely be infuriating for people, especially when they’ve been collecting a series and already own quite a number of the books. With that in mind this week I’ve gone for the Sookie Stackhouse covers:
Unfortunately for me, when I started the series the top selection of covers were the ones available. These seemed to be stopped from book 9 onwards for some reason so I was never able to complete the set (although similar covers in different languages were still available). I think my preference is for the top set, the newer covers feel almost like they’re aiming at comedy, which there is a strange mix of comedy in the books, but the original covers felt more appropriate somehow. Which do you prefer:
I’ve updated the list now to include themes for next year. If you know of an event that’s coming up let me know and I’ll try and include covers that work for the event itself so that you can link up to the Friday Face Off and, as always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know. Also, I would just mention that it’s very possible that some of these might be repeats from previous FFOs although I have tried to invent more ‘open ended’ prompt that can be interpreted differently and also prompts that relate to emotions. Finally, don’t struggle with any of these, this is meant to be a fun way of highlighting books. If you can’t come up with a book you think fits for a particular week use a freebie – perhaps a recent read for example:
Next week – The start of Wyrd and Wonder. A month long celebration of fantasy. The earliest fantasy you recall reading – or the first fantasy book you really loved, maybe the book that kickstarted your love of fantasy
2021
May
Month of Wyrd and Wonder
7th – A Series where the cover changed midway through – which style do you prefer most
14th – The earliest fantasy you recall reading – or the first fantasy book you really loved, maybe the book that kickstarted your love of fantasy
21st – The Top Hat
28th – The Hood
June
4th – The nose boop – any animal, or human, with a close up shot.
11th – A cover that annoyed you and why
18th – Out of Perspective, or make you feel a bit dizzy
25th – Upside down, back to front or topsy turvy
July
2nd – A book with a landscape you’d like to visit
9th – A Wicked Grin
16th – Books with ‘book’ in the title
23rd – A Black Hole – could be in the universe or going deep into the ground
30th – Chaos – maybe too much going on in this one
August
6th – “They cluck their thick tongues, and shake their heads and suggest, os so very delicately!” – The Motel
13th – A favourite holiday read
20th – Dressed to kill (could be literally someone dressed to kill, or someone dressed up for a big night out
27th – Sunbathing or on the beach
September (RIP event)
3rd – 1920s feel, noir detective
10th – I’m Henry the Eighth I am – let’s look at Kings or other Emperors/rulers
17th – Books with ‘Murder’ in the title
24th – A favourite thriller
October
1st – A Halloween read
8th – Chills – anything at all that almost makes you too scared to pick up the book (your own pet hate)
15th – Your favourite book of magic
22nd – Books with ‘Queen’ in the title
29th – Must be gothic
November – Sci Fi Month
5th – Your earliest sci-fi read or the first sci-fi you reviewed
12th – A book with ‘star’ in the title
19th – Futuristic vista
26th – A Black Hole – in the universe or going deep into the ground
December
3rd – Windswept, the classic figure, stood majestically, with wind blowing out in a fetching way
10th – A fairytale retold
17th – Winter Solstice approaching – anything cold and seasonal
24th – All things fire – red hair, red covers, fire breathing dragons, simply fire?
31st – What’s your catnip – if it’s on a cover you have to pick it up
The top covers are from the HBO show which came after the books were published, and the second covers are the ones I have, which I read before I saw the show. I do think the original covers set the tone of the books better, and the tie in HBO covers set the tone of the TV show better, because they are SO different. I honestly don’t care for either, lol. But wow this was a perfect book to feature!
Ahh I didn’t know that. The top covers were the ones available when I originally purchased the first three books. I didn’t even know there was a different version originally published. I was a bit gutted when they stopped the other covers. Having reached book 9. Good point about the difference in time 😁
Well, the more recent covers have something of a… childish quality that I believe would clash with the subject matter of the books, so my vote would go to the original covers…
Haha. Well, I think I got that wrong ahem! I think the covers I’m familiar with are linked with the show and the covers with the full set are the original. It’s just that I never saw those in the U.K. it was always the other covers until, all of a sudden they weren’t available. My bad you see, making assumptions. Lol
No, I guess it was MY bad in thinking that the show-related covers were the original ones… Old age playing tricks on me, as usual… 😀
Me too. I don’t know. I could have seen the dates quite easily when I downloaded the covers. It really didn’t occur to me. Doh! 🤣
I think it’s a question of show (True Blood) vs Sookie books? The way the books were written always did come across as less serious or grisly than the show. I definitely liked the show way much more — I was initially Team Bill, then switched to Team Eric later (when he lost that ridiculous hair-do).
Tough choice! The above covers look too generic and bland since they are for the show but the bottom covers do not seem like they fit the tone of the series (even though some of them are very charming and cute!) It’s a toss up 😛
Yeah. It is funny because I never associated the top covers with the show because of the covers that were produced that showed the cast. Anyway. It still kind of grates on me that the whole series wasn’t produced. 😂
I like the top covers, except for the one where the whole face is visible, I like the mystery of the others, especially the first one with that drop of blood. The second set of covers doesn’t fit the books at all.