I recently read Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley, a book that had been on my TBR for some time. Apparently it’s being turned into a major motion picture, and the edition of the book I received when I ordered it earlier this year is the “media tie-in” version. I personally like both the original UK and US editions so much better than the one I wound up with! But this gave me an idea for a blog post, which is to say, let’s have a look at the UK and US editions of the covers of some of the books I’ve read this month.

If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. I have to vote for the US cover here. Although, despite the fact that, as I said, I have had my eye on this book for a long time, never before did I notice the yellow lines over the middle of the 💀. Both the skull image and the font of the text appeal more to me in this version, as well as it’s cleaner, less cluttered look.

My Friend Anne Frank by Hannah Pick-Goslar (is “The Inspiring and Heartbreaking True Story of Best Friends Torn Apart and Reunited Against All Odds” the official subtitle for the US edition, but not the UK one?) Obviously both covers utilized the same original photo, but again I find the US version more eye-catching, with the image less washed out and the bolder color choice.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter. Hmm, these might be a tie for me. Blue and green are my two favorite colors, and so the US version has that going for it. But the smears of blood on the UK cover really are a nice touch. A nice touch derived, as it is, from a very bad touch (be sure to look up content warnings for this book if there are certain topics you are especially sensitive to!)

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Conner has a publication date set for May 7, 2024, but I was able to read an ARC. Although the color (in all that empty space) of the UK edition is nice, the US is a clear winner for me again here. I just really dig the font and the fact that the text looks like it was painted by brush strokes. Additionally, it conveys a better sense of the harsh nature of the sea that is an integral part of the story.

So there you have it. Was I surprised that this was almost a clean sweep for the US? Yes! Is this a fluke for my October reading only? I don’t know—maybe I’ll do this again for my November reads, and we’ll see!

By the by, here are the original cover editions that got me on this kick.

Here is a final graphic showing all of the books I fit into the month. All were ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ or above for me, not a stinker in the bunch!