Don’t you just love it when someone comes up with such a really corny wickedly clever title for their post? Not to toot my own horn but I have to admit I spent a whole 5 minutes 30 seconds coming up with that delightful title!
I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of reader who likes to remove a novel’s sleeve prior to reading. It’s not because I need my books in absolute pristine condition either. Sometimes I purchase used books that come with library binding or may have scuffs around the edges or what have you. I remove sleeves because, quite frankly, they’re annoying. They flop around and don’t make for a great reading experience. Sure, they’re pretty (otherwise I wouldn’t have a reason to be running this blog), but you won’t ever catch me lounging around smudging up a cover’s jacket whilst reading.
So what happens when you pull off a book’s jacket? If you’re not looking at its spine, there’s a good chance you’ll have no idea what book you’re reading. In fact, I scoured my heinously small library (compared to a lot of you bloggers out there) and only found 6 novels that had any kind of blind image.
For those avid YA readers, some of these are easy giveaways. See if you can guess the following three (click on each image to link to their title on Goodreads):
Thats a leaf. It was tricky trying to take this pic.
Hint: thats a hotel symbol.
I bet you can’t guess this one below. It is SUPER DIFFICULT.
Yeah, Im not even bothering linking to this one.
No really, if you dont know this one...just...know that Im making my judgy face at you.
You may want to avert your eyes for this next one.
Aaaauuuuugggghhhhhhh!!!
This next one I purchased at Teen Book Con earlier this month. A title and everything!
And last but not least, my current read. I wasn’t exactly heartbroken when I had to take the cover jacket off.
Are there any novels you’ve noticed that aren’t quite so naked when they’re…well..naked?
thatcovergirl.wordpress.com 
Oh I like this idea for a post!! I’m like you – I take the covers off b/c they’re annoying to read with ON lol. Not sure if you’ve seen the under-belly of Unearthly, but that is one of my FAVS! It’s a very light gray with SHINY type across the front — to match the BEAUTIFUL cover 😉 I likes. A lot.
I’m not a fan of the Delirium chick. It’s awkward & huge. We agree on the faces on covers. I had no clue what the H hotel book was (even when I clicked the link lol). Linger!!! Why have I never seen that underneath?! I have the freaking hardback. I may have been too excited to read it & didn’t even bother undressing it first LOL! And I love the simplicity of Recovery Road. Since I read an ARC of it, mine was paperback. Gahh – I hope that’s your next book you read. It’s awesome. But you already know my feelings on it lol.
Oh man I KNEW I should’ve taken off the cover when I saw Unearthly at the bookstore. You need to take a pic so I can see!
I’m just finishing The Time-Traveling Fashionista right now, and while it’s not an embossed cover, I still like how decorative the book looks without its dust jacket:
(apologies for the crappy cell phone photo)
Oh, it won’t let me include an image. You’ll have to click through.
Yes, Alison Impey sure does have some design chops. Thanks so much for sharing your pic, Gretchen!
I always take a sneak underneath the cover, too! I love it when the designers and publishers come up with cool stuff like for Delirium. Another one I really liked is the German version of Matched. Under the cover it looks like this.
Ahh, very cool. Looks like the same feel for Delirium.
I ALWAYS take off the jacket. I can’t stand reading with one on. I do love covers, but sometimes it makes me feel like I’m reading a much more “important” book when the cover is off. They just look so much…I don’t know the word…Adult? Haha.
I know what you mean. I found myself surrounded by a bunch of coverless books last night and noted the colors (all of them dual tone) and felt like I was in an academic library!
I guessed the orange cover before clicking on the image and was glad that I had guessed correctly. (I won’t put the title here for others who are still guessing.)
I usually take the book jacket off for the same reason–it gets in the way. But I love a good surprise underneath, rather than just a naked book. And I have two of the books you pictured above! How lovely.
This just goes to show you how terrible my color correction skills are (especially at midnight) — the cover was red. But I’m so glad you knew what it was. No judgy face for you. =)
I mostly get paperback books, but when I do read hardbacks I remove the dustjacket to prevent it getting bashed about. Pretty!
A huge chunk of my home library is paperbacks, too. That certainly didn’t help with this hardcover-nekkid-time post. 😉
I really hate Delirium’s under-the-jacket-cover. It’s just…creepy. I don’t need a person watching me while I read, and I most certainly don’t want an idea in my mind about what Lena looks like.
I was a big fan of Delirium’s cover when it was debuted. I haven’t read it yet, but the first thing I did when I got it for my birthday was take the jacket off.
And like the caption said, promptly yelled, “Aaaauuuggghhhhh!”
that naked delirium makes me glad that i can’t see what the CRAP is going on to make her pull that face?
ahhh this is why i LURVE US covers, because the majority of UK books are paperback so we don’t get the undressing part which is MEGA fun. i am now going to undress all of my hardcover books to see whats occuring!
Definitely let me know about your scientific findings!
I sometimes leave the jacket on while reading, sometimes take it off. But regardless, I always like to look underneath. It’s like a little secret – what lies beneath.
I always love what’s beneath the cover! Most recently, I loved what’s hidden beneath The Time-Traveling Fashionista!
Yet one more detail I’ve missed!!
I generally leave the covers on, which is partly so I can use the flaps to mark my place – although, if the book is long, there’s a section in the middle that neither the front flap nor the back flap will quite tuck into.
The other reason is that most of the hardcover books I get are from the library (poor graduate student!), so taking off the covers isn’t an option.
This is neat, though! I hardly ever have the opportunity to notice what’s under the dust jacket . . .
You know how I feel about that Delirium cover! I was duped! Duped, I say!
Check out Entwined by Heather Dixon. It has a love “under” cover.
Make that “a lovely ‘under’ cover. (The post got away before I could correct it.)
Oooh I must check it out!
I absolutely am in love with the under-cover of the German version of Matched and the under-cover of Unearthly.
Also, have you seen the under-cover of I am Number 4? Here is a pic I took.
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B7VZd3Xl-HF9MGIyZTQ4YjMtYzUxOC00N2FkLWE1M2ItOTM5NGNiZGI1YzE3&hl=en
Also, not exactly an under-cover, but when there are really good graphics on pages. Case in point, Hush, Hush. The following links are of the front title page and very last page. It is just little things like that make me love in love with an actual book and not the story!
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B7VZd3Xl-HF9NzUyYzJmZWUtMDFjYy00NDJiLTkzZDAtMDJlNTFjYTZkZjcz&hl=en
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B7VZd3Xl-HF9ODU4MDNmYjEtZjM2Mi00YTYwLTk5NTQtMGFlN2I1MDNmMTI0&hl=en
I love the Number 4 undercover pic. And I agree, it’s the little subtleties like those in Hush, Hush that can add so much to your reading experience. Excellent finds, Candice, and thanks for sharing!
How to Say Goodbye in Robot, by Natalie Standiford — it’s one of the prettiest packages in all YA. Chocolate brown and pink, jacket, under-the-cover, endpages. Check it out next time you see it in the wild. I don’t have a copy so can’t post a photo.
The more I look at it, the more I love the one for Recovery Road, it’s so simple but still awesome. hehe I love looking under the cover to see what’s there, i did that to my bookshelf once 😛 http://holes-in-my-brain.blogspot.com/2011/03/flap-off-literally.html
Love these! I’m happy to know I’m not the only one obsessed with peeking under the jackets. Great collection 🙂