Cover Love

December typically marks the time when I reflect on my favorite books of the year (blog on that one forthcoming) and look ahead to what books I might want for Christmas or to mark in the "to be read" pile on Goodreads. Here are a few intriguing stories and equally intriguing covers.

1. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Here's what it's about: Nearly eighteen, Molly Ayer knows she has one last chance. Just months from "aging out" of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie and worse.

Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

The closer Molly grows to Vivian, the more she discovers parallels to her own life. A Penobscot Indian, she, too, is an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past. As her emotional barriers begin to crumble, Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life - answers that will ultimately free them both.

2. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns quickly became one of my favorite reads, beautifully intertwining various people's lives impactfully and thoughtfully together so I'm excited to see what happens here. Here's the description: novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos.

3. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

This isn't the typical kind of cover I fall in love with. Usually I'm all for realistic imagery but I appreciate the simpleness of this one especially given the time setting in the 1980s. I'm curious to see how or if music plays a role in the novel given the headphones. It makes me think of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist which is exciting. Also, who doesn't want to read a book by someone named Rainbow? Here's the description: Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

So tell me, what books are you most looking forward to reading and why?