Cover Story

Have you ever heard the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover"?  I don't know about you, but I frequently do just that.  Like a starved fish attracted by a flashy lure, I take the bait.  Occasionally I end up with a dud.   More often, though, I discover a great book that I might never have selected just by trolling titles in the catalog. 

Here are some gems that hooked me with their covers alone:

Mamika:  My Mighty Little Grandmother by Sacha Goldberger
Silly and fun. 
In an effort to raise her spirits, a photographer enlists his 93-year-old grandmother as his model in a series of fabulous photos.  Each photo inside is just as fun as the one on the cover, and Mamika's insights are pretty nifty, too.


The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
Cold, remote, and menacing. 
Set in Sweden, a woman is found dead in the bathtub, her wrists slashed, a thin film of ice on the water's surface.  It looks like suicide.  When a local artist share her suspicions,  the local cop is compelled to look into the matter more deeply. 


Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet
British village life coupled with genteel evil.
The widowed Max Tudor, vicar of the village church, left London - and MI-5 - to build a quiet life with his 9-year-old daughter. When Wanda Batton-Smythe, much-loathed head of the Women's Institute, is found dead, Max's peace is shattered. It's a spot of bother for Wanda, too.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Festive and intriguing.
Even if the word circus weren't in the title, the cover art is clearly evocative of a circus atmosphere.  Indeed, a circus is the central setting of this story of manipulation and love.  Two children are mysteriously bound in a competition that will end in ultimate supremacy for the winner, and demise for the loser.  Can their love survive?